HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Maj. Gen. O. O. HOWARD, Commanding Department and Army of the Tennessee: GENERAL: I have addressed an official note to Captain Taggart requesting that my negro pioneers, under Captain Davis and Lieutenant Dixon, be relieved from duty at Beaufort and ordered to join this command. I have fatigue duty enough to occupy them here in making roads, wharves, &c., in which I am now compelled to employ my troops. But I wish to say candidly to you that I have other very strong motives to desire to get these men out of the hands of the recruiting agents of the different States, who are tampering with the men and officers, offering them bribes to enlist for particular States. The result, if this should succeed, would be to deprive me and my corps of a good body of pioneers and encumber the Government with another regiment of idle negroes to lay around in barracks. It would also be credited to the quota of some Northern State, and we should lose a regiment of white soldiers whose place it would take. It is not necessary that General Littlefield or anybody else should muster them into the service and give credit to this or that State. The men can continue to perform the services for which they were recruited until authority comes from Washington to muster them into service without losing by the operation 1,000 good white soldiers and without any bounty or pay except that which will properly come to them on the contract under which they have already engaged to serve. A large number have already been inveigled and seduced away by promises and bounties held out to them, and I desire to relieve myself and officers of all further contact with those people. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. M. F. FORCE, Commanding Third Division: GENERAL: General Mower has moved out this morning with the intention of crossing the Salkehatchie River, about three miles above the bridge, and coming down behind the enemy if possible. The major-general commanding desires you to send a regiment out on the road to the bridge at once, with instructions not to expose themselves too much to the enemy's fire, but to make a demonstration to attract their attention. Send your mounted infantry with the regiment, and let them bring back reports of any movements of the enemy or anything of importance that the commanding officer may learn from time to time. Let the regiment remain out during the day or until something definite is heard from General Mower. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. CADLE, JR., Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. M. F. FORCE, Pocotaligo, S. C., January 20, 1865. Commanding Third Division : GENERAL: I am directed by the major-general commanding to say that you may withdraw the regiment sent to Salkehatchie bridge this morning, General Mower having found it impossible to cross the river. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. CADLE, JR., Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Col. WAGER SWAYNE, Forty-third Ohio Volunteers: COLONEL: The major-general commanding directs me to say to you, in forwarding the inclosed order for the destruction of the railroad, that he wishes it done in the most perfect manner, every tie burned and every rail warped and bent. It is five miles to the river, but I hardly suppose you can quite reach the river on account of the enemy. You will continue your work from day to day until finished. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. CADLE, JR., Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., FOURTH DIV., 17TH ARMY CORPS, Captain WARE, Assistant Adjutant-General: Lieu SIR: I have just returned from the front with my command. tenant-Colonel Hibbets reports that his regiment was attacked by about 300 cavalry, Colonel Colcock, Third South Carolina. Three rebels are known to be killed and probably more. The Thirty-second Ohio Infantry lost 1 lieutenant captured, and 1 man slightly wounded. Major-General Mower is still out, but will return to-night. He could not effect a crossing of the river on account of the rain raising the stream. The First Division met no enemy. The ambulances and ammunition returned with me. I am, captain, your obedient servant, B. F. POTTS, Brigadier-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS LEFT WING, ARMY OF GEORGIA, Bvt. Maj. Gen. J. C. DAVIS, Savannah, Ga., January 20, 1865. Commanding Fourteenth Corps: GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs me to say that you had better arrest the movement of your corps for the present until the storm subsides. He will send you further orders should he desire you to resume the march. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, ROBT. P. DECHERT, Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS TWENTIETH CORPS, On the Causeway, Three Miles from Screven's Ferry, Maj. Gen. H. W. SLOCUM, Commanding Left Wing, Army of Georgia: GENERAL: The whole country on this side of the river is entirely submerged by the freshet in the river. I attempted to get back to my headquarters trains, but found it impossible. The water has broken away the dikes and washed away the corduroy. It is utterly impos sible for the trains now on the island to come through this way. The causeway is not as yet flooded, but from this point to the river is worn out, and impassable even for empty wagons. I shall put on men and pull through the wagons between here and the ferry (thirty-eight wagons), but the supplies now at the ferry I shall be obliged to leave there to be taken from there by boat. The water is rising rapidly, and the negroes here say that the causeway also will be flooded. I shall go on at once to Purysburg and make headquarters there. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. S. WILLIAMS, Brevet Major-General, Commanding. WASHINGTON, D. C., January 21, 1865. Maj. Gen. W. T. SHERMAN, Commanding Military Division of the Mississippi : Your letters brought by General Barnard were received at City Point and read with interest. Not having them with me, however, I cannot say that in this I will be able to satisfy you on all points of recommendation. As I arrived here at 1 p. m. and must leave at 6 p. m., having in the meantime spent over three hours with the Secretary and General Halleck, I must be brief. Before your last request to have Thomas make a campaign into the heart of Alabama, I had ordered Schofield to Annapolis, Md., with his corps. The advance, 6,000, will reach seaboard by the 23d, the remainder following as rapidly as railroad transportation can be procured from Cincinnati. The corps numbers over 21,000 men. I was induced to do this because I did not believe Thomas could possibly be got off before spring. His pursuit of Hood indicated a sluggishness that satisfied me that he would never do to conduct one of your campaigns. The command of the advance of the pursuit was left to the subordinates, whilst Thomas followed far behind. When Hood had crossed the Tennessee, and those in pursuit had reached it, Thomas had not much more than half crossed the State, from whence he returned to Nashville to take steamer for Eastport. He is possessed of excellent judgment, great coolness, and honesty, but he is not good on a pursuit. He also reported his troops fagged, and that it was necessary to equip up. This report and a determination to give the enemy no rest determined me to use his surplus troops elsewhere. Thomas is still left with sufficient force, surplus, to go to Selma under an energetic leader. He has been telegraphed to to know whether he could go, and, if so, by which of the several routes he would select. No reply is yet received. Canby has been ordered to act offensively from the sea coast to the interior toward Montgomery and Selma. Thomas' forces will move from the north at an early day, or some of his troops will be sent to Canby. Without further re-enforcement Canby will have a moving column of 20,000 men. Fort Fisher, you are aware, has been captured. We have a force there of 8,000 effective. At New Berne about half that number. It is rumored through deserters that Wilmington also has fallen. I am inclined to believe the rumor, because on the 17th we knew the enemy were blowing up their works about Fort Caswell, and that on the 18th Terry moved on Wilmington. If Wilmington is captured Schofield will go there. If not, he will be sent to New Berne. In either event all the surplus force at the two points will move to the interior toward Goldsborough in co-operation with your movement. From either point railroad communication can be run out, there being here abundance of rolling-stock suited to the gauge of those roads. There have been about 16,000 men sent from Lee's army south. Of these you will have against you, if Wilmington is not held by the enemy, about 14,000, casualties at Fort Fisher having overtaken about 2,000. All these troops are subject to your orders as you come in communication with them. They will be so instructed. From about Richmond I will watch Lee closely, and if he detaches much more or attempts to evacuate, will pitch in. In the meantime should you be brought to a halt anywhere, I can send two corps of 30,000 effective men to your support from the troops about Richmond. To résumé: Canby is ordered to operate to the interior from the gulf. A. J. Smith may go from the north, but I think it doubtful. A force of 28,000 or 30,000 men will co-operate with you from New Berne or Wilmington, or both. You can call for re-enforcements. This will be handed to you by Captain Hudson of my staff, who will return with any message you may have for me. If there is anything I can do for you in the way of having supplies on shipboard at any point on the sea coast ready for you let me know it. U. S. GRANT, HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Lieut. Gen. U. S. GRANT, City Point, Va.: GENERAL: In fulfillment of my projet* General Howard moved the Seventeenth Corps, General Blair, from Thunderbolt to Beaufort, S. C., and on the 14th by a rapid movement secured the Port Royal Ferry and moved against Pocotaligo, which he gained on the 15th, the day appointed. By that course he secured the use of the ground in South Carolina up to the Salkehatchie (Saltkatcher), and General Slocum was ordered in like manner to get his wing up about Robertsville by the way of the Savannah River and the Union Causeway. The transfer of men, animals, and wagons by steamer is a very slow process, and on the 19th General Slocum had only two divisions of the Twentieth at Purysburg and Hardeeville with open communications with Howard. John E. Smith crossed by the Union Causeway, on which Slocum had put ten days' hard work, but the hard rains had raised the Savannah River so that the whole country was under water, and the corduroy road on the Union Causeway was carried away, cutting off one *See Sherman to Grant, January 2, p. 7. brigade of John E. Smith, one division of the Fifteenth Corps (Corse's), and all of the Fourteenth Corps, General Davis. All were ordered to move up the west bank of the Savannah to cross at Sister's Ferry, but the rains have so flooded the country that we have been brought to a standstill; but I will persevere and get the army as soon as possible up to the line from Sister's Ferry to Pocotaligo, where we will have terra firma to work on. Our supplies have come daily, that is, we have never had four days' forage ahead, but I will depend on enough coming to get me out to the neighborhood of Barnwell, where we will find some. General Grover's division now occupies Savannah, which I had refortified, and I have turned over everything to General Foster, so that nothing now hinders me but water. I rather think the heavy rains in January will give us good weather in February and March. You cannot do much in Virginia till April or May, and when I am at Goldsborough and move against Raleigh, Lee will be forced to divide his command or give up Richmond. I am rejoiced that Terry took Fisher, because it silences Butler, who was to you a dangerous man. His address* to his troops on being relieved was a direct, mean, and malicious attack on you, and I amired the patience and skill by which you relieved yourself and the country of him. If you want some new and fresh men, able to handle large armies, I will offer you Charles R. Woods, Hazen, and Mower, all good and capable officers for an army of any size. Of course, I prefer to have them myself, but would give them up if you can do better by them. As soon as possible, if I were in your place, I would break up the Department of the James, make the Richmond army one; then when I get to Goldsborough you will have a force to watch Lee, and I can be directed to gradually close in, cutting all communications. In the meantime Thomas' army should not be reduced too much, but he should hold Chattanooga, Decatur, and Eastport, collect supplies, and in all February and March move on Tuscaloosa, Selma, Montgomery, and back to Rome, Ga., when he could be met from Chattanooga. I take it for granted that Beauregard will bring, as fast as he can, such part of Hood's army as can be moved over to Augusta to hit mé in flank as I swing round Charleston. To cover the withdrawal Forrest will be left in Mississippi and West Tennessee, to divert attention by threatening the boats on the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers. This should be disregarded and Thomas should break through the shell, expose the trick, and prevent the planting of corn this spring in Middle Alabama. The people of Georgia, like those of Mississippi, are worn out with care, but they are so afraid of their own leaders that they fear to organize for positive resistance. Their motives of "honor" and "fair play" are, that by abandoning the cause now they would be construed as "mean" for leaving their commands in the scrape. I have met the overtures of the people frankly, and given them the best advice I knew how. I inclose copies of orders issued for the guidance of General Foster and other officers on this coast. These orders are made on conference with the Secretary of War. I have been told that Congress meditates a bill to make another lieutenant-general for me. I have written to John Sherman to stop it, if it is designed for me. It would be mischievous, for there are enough See Vol. XLVI, Part II, p. 70. † See Special Field Orders, Nos. 13, 15, 18 and 19, pp. 52, 60, 81, 90. |