Today in History:

831 Series I Volume XLIV- Serial 92 - Savannah

Page 831 Chapter LVI. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.

quartermaster Military Division of the Mississippi, for duty. The commanding officer of the regiment will at once report in person to General Easton for orders.

* * * * *

By order of Major General J. A. Mower:

CHAS. CHRISTENSEN,

Lieutenant, Aide-de-Camp, and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.


HDQRS. FIFTY-FIFTH Regiment OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
Savannah, GA., December 28, 1864.

Captain C. H. YOUNG,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: In reply to your communication of the 28th instant, I respectfully submit the following report:

At 6 a. m. of the 21st instant, being then on duty as officer of the day for the brigade, I was informed that General Geary reported that his pickets occupied the enemy's works. Hastening to the picket-line I ordered the officer in charge of the line of sentinels to send a few men forward to reconnoiter the enemy's works. Before these men, however, had started I saw a white flag passing up the railroad track, and ordered the whole line forward immediately. Before reaching the enemy's works, however, a serious obstruction was met. A dense slashing of small timber filled the depression in our front, which was so well constructed as to be nearly impassable. No great depth of water was found, but two or three ditches had been filled with water to the depth of three or four feet. It was nearly fifteen minutes before all the pickets succeeded in reaching the railroad, and while collecting them the division officer of the day appeared and ordered me to advance, keeping the right of my line on the railroad. Some six of the enemy now appeared and gave themselves up, pointing out at the same time three torpedoes which had been imbedded in the bed of the railroad. These prisoners were immediately sent with a guard to brigade headquarter, s and the line moved into the enemy's works. These works were not minutely examined by me, as I was ordered to move rapidly along, but it is my impression that the number of guns in the works at this point was six, five of them being heavy iron guns mounted upon siege carriages and one brass piece mounted upon a field carriage. There was also quite a good supply of ammunition for these guns. I left a guard over the captured guns and ammunition consisting of one sergeant and eight men. This fact was reported to the brigade officer of the day who succeeded me. The line having been reformed was now moved toward the city. Troops could be seen in the distance passing over the railroad, but it could not be determined whether or not they were the enemy. Upon reaching a point about a mile from the enemy's works an officer of the Third Division having with him a few men called to me from road leading to the right, and requested me to send some men with him to take posazine near by which was said to be guarded. One officer and about twenty-five men were detached for this purpose, who reported about half an hour later that the magazine, containing considerable ammunition, had been taken, and with it 1 captain and 32 men left as a guard. This was reported to the division officer of the day and received his approval. The troops passing over the railroad before us had by this


Page 831 Chapter LVI. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.