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III. The depot of supplies is for the present at King's Bridge. General Easton, chief quartermaster, may use his discretion in landing supplies at Fort McAllister and the rice mill.

iv. Army commanders will forthwith send to General Easton, chief quartermaster, at King's Bridge, all negroes, horses, mules, and wagons rendered surplus by our change in operations, or to such points on the Ogeechee River as General Easton may indicate, in order that they may be sent to Port Royal Island, where they can be more easily supplied; they will also avail themselves of the present favorable weather to bring forward ten days' food, and will reserve for that purpose enough wagons to handle them; all other wagons must be sent to the Ogeechee River as soon as possible.

By order of Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman:

L. M. DAYTON,
Aide-de-Camp.

SPECIAL

FIELD ORDERS,

No. 196.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT AND

ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, Near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

I. In accordance with directions from Major-General Sherman, commanding Military Division of the Mississippi, the Gulf railroad from the Ogeechee to and including the bridge over the Altamaha will, in the most thorough and complete manner, be immediately destroyed. To this end Major-General Osterhaus will direct Brigadier-General Hazen, commanding Second Division, to place his command, except such portion thereof as is charged with the garrisoning of Fort McAllister, in convenient proximity to the railroad, and to him will be intrusted the destruction of the road for twenty miles out from the Ogeechee. MajorGeneral Blair, commanding Seventeenth Army Corps, will send one division, without transportation and without artillery (except one section), to commence at a point twenty miles out from the Ogeechee, and, in concert with General Kilpatrick's cavalry, destroy the road to and including the bridge over the Altamaha. Five days' time is given to complete this destruction, which must be most thorough, every tie to be burned and every rail twisted.

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By order of Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard:

SAML. L. TAGGART,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS, Anderson's Plantation, Ga., December 16, 1864.

HDQRS. FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS,

No. 199.

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I. Brig. Gen. W. B. Hazen will place his command, except such portion thereof as is charged with the garrisoning of Fort McAllister and King's Bridge, in convenient proximity to the railroad. To this command will be assigned the duty of destroying the Gulf railroad to a point twenty miles out from the Ogeechee. The destruction must be most thorough, every tie to be burned and every rail twisted. The railroad, from a point twenty miles out to Altamaha bridge, will be destroyed by a division of the Seventeenth Corps, in concert with Gen

eral Kilpatrick's cavalry. The troops will move as light as possible and without trains. The artillery at King's Bridge will be directed to report at these headquarters.

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Transports with rations have arrived below the fort. I have ordered one to be brought to the fort wharf. If any command is pressed they can send by laid via King's Bridge.

HAZEN, Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
In the Field, near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

General HAZEN,
Fort McAllister :

General Sherman directs that the vessels having supplies for this army be sent to King's Bridge. General Easton and Colonel Beckwith are there to receive them.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GENERAL ORDERS,
No. 70.

L. M. DAYTON,
Aide-de-Camp.

HDQRS. SECOND DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS,
Fort McAllister, Ga., December 16, 1864.

In compliance with Special Orders, No. 199, from headquarters Fifteenth Army Corps, each brigade of this division, leaving one regiment in camp, will prepare to march, without wagons, to destroy the Gulf railroad, as follows: The Second Brigade from Walthourville east to a point two miles east of McIntosh; the Third Brigade from a point two miles east of McIntosh to the crossing of the railroad with the Medway or Saint Catherine River; the First Brigade from the Saint Catherine River to the Ogeechee.

It will be seen by the order referred to from corps headquarters that the work should be done in the most thorough manner, every tie burned and every rail twisted.

By order of Brig. Gen. W. B. Hazen:

G. LOFLAND, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

Capt. SAMUEL L. TAGGART,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Dept. and Army of the Tennessee : CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that, by orders received direct from Major-General Sherman, I have sent Major-General Mower's divis

ion to destroy the Gulf road from Station 3 to the Altamaha River, and one brigade of General Smith's division to King's Bridge to unload transports.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

FRANK P. BLAIR, JR.,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,

No. 308.

HDQRS. SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

I. Brig. Gen. G. A. Smith, commanding Fourth Division, will send the First Brigade of his command, Col. B. F. Potts commanding, to encamp at King's Bridge. They will proceed there forthwith, and report to General Easton, chief quartermaster Military Division of the Mississippi.

II. Lieut. Col. A. Hickenlooper, assistant inspector-general, Seventeenth Army Corps, is hereby placed in charge of the building of the wharf at King's Bridge. The First Missouri Engineers, LieutenantColonel Tweeddale commanding, will report to him for orders.

III. In compliance with Special Field Orders, No. 196, department headquarters (copy inclosed),* Major-General Mower, commanding First Division, will move the two brigades of his command now in camp to a point twenty miles west of the Ogeechee River, on the Gulf road, and will, in concert with General Kilpatrick, destroy the road from there to and including the bridge over the Altamaha River. He will take with him one section of artillery, and will leave in camp his transportation, moving as lightly as possible. He will take three days' rations, and will live as far as possible off the country.

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V. Col. George E. Spencer, commanding First Alabama Cavalry, will, at 7 a. m. to-morrow, move out on the road to Station 3, on the Gulf railroad, and on overtaking Maj. Gen. J. A. Mower, commanding First Division, will report to him, and be subject to his orders during the time General Mower is absent destroying the road.

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By command of Maj. Gen. F. P. Blair:

C. CADLE, JR., Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

Maj. Gen. J. A. MOWER,
Commanding First Division:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs me to say to you that you will have to proceed without rations. You will be able to procure plenty in the section to which you are going. You may take six wagons of infantry ammunition. It will be necessary to return within the time limited, and to expedite the destruction of the road you can send the First Alabama Cavalry to the other end to do the work. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. CADLE, JR., Assistant Adjutant-General.

* See p. 730.

SPECIAL ORDERS,}

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. FIRST DIV., 17TH ARMY CORPS, Near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

I. In accordance with Special Orders, No. 308, headquarters Seventeenth Army Corps, of this date, the First Brigade, Brig. Gen. J. W. Fuller commanding, and the Third Brigade, Col. John Tillson commanding, and one section of Battery C, First Michigan Artillery, of this command, will be prepared to march immediately. The troops will move light. One ambulance and one wagon will be taken by each regiment. The artillery will take one wagon-load of ammunition. No other wagons allowed. Three days' rations will be drawn upon the arrival of the troops at the river.

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III. Lieut. William E. Ells, acting commissary of subsistence of this division, will remain back in his present camp; but should supplies arrive here for the troops within five days from this date he will bring the necessary supplies forward to this command wherever it may be on the Gulf railroad.

By order of Maj. Gen. Joseph A. Mower:

CHAS. CHRISTENSEN,

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

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT AND ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE,
Near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

Col. THOMAS CURLY,

Commanding at Cheves' Mill:

The major-general commanding directs me to instruct you to cause to be procured from the Cheves' and all other plantations on the river between Fort McAllister and King's Bridge all the small boats of whatsoever description you can find, and send them to King's Bridge, to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Hickenlooper, of General Blair's staff, or officer in charge of construction of wharves at that point, with as little delay as possible. Should there be more boats at Fort McAllister than are necessary for use at that place you will take them also. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAML. L. TAGGART,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS,

Brigadier-General MORGAN,

December 16, 1864.

Commanding Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps: GENERAL: General Carlin reports that the enemy is working to establish a battery within range of the right of your picket-line, and that your pickets report that they could dislodge the working party if they had not orders to hold their fire. Please give orders to your pickets to stop this work, if it prove true that the work being erected is within range.

Yours, very respectfully,

JEF. C. DAVIS, Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

[Indorsement.]

HDQRS. SECOND BRIG., SECOND DIV., 14TH ARMY CORPS,

Near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

Respectfully returned to Brig. Gen. James D. Morgan, with the statement that the pickets of this brigade have at no time been ordered to hold their fire at all times, but, on the contrary, to fire upon the enemy whenever, in their judgment, their fire could be made effective and good accomplished.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN S. PEARCE,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS TWENTIETH CORPS,
Near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

Col. E. A. CARMAN,
Commanding Brigade:
COLONEL: The brigadier-general commanding the corps directs that
you cross your command to the South Carolina side of the Savannah
River to-morrow morning. You will commence the movement before
daylight. He directs that you use at first, until a sufficient number of
troops have been crossed to drive away or silence the battery, only the
small boats; as soon as it is safe to do so, you will use the flat-boats and
barges. He further directs that you have the second piece of artillery
crossed to-night and put in position near where the one is that was
crossed to-day. He also directs that you have all the flat-boats, barges,
&c., taken around to the north side of the island to-night, so that they
may be in readiness to cross the troops. He also directs that, after
you have crossed, you occupy and hold a position near the river, not
attempting to advance far into the country.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. PERKINS, Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS TWENTIETH CORPS,
Near Savannah, Ga., December 16, 1864.

Brigadier-General JACKSON,
Commanding First Division:

GENERAL: In accordance with directions from the brigadier-general commanding the corps, the order for Colonel Carman to cross his brigade to the South Carolina side of the Savannah River to-morrow morning is hereby countermanded. The general commanding directs that you have him send over a force of 90 or 100 men, in small boats, to effect a lodgment, if possible, and feel the enemy's position. He wishes him to take only such force as can be readily brought back in case the enemy is too strong for them. He also desires that Colonel Carman will send reconnoitering parties up the island, to examine the country and channel, and see if a crossing can be effected farther up the river; it may, perhaps, be well to send a small boat or two with this party. The two pieces of artillery will be put in position near the mill, as directed in the former order. The general desires to have one-half of

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