and the city turned over to my command. I will accordingly execute the order as soon as I am placed in command and report the action at once. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, General L. C. EASTON, Chief Quartermaster, Savannah : GENERAL: I have undertaken to send the families from Savannah to Charleston, and have fixed Wednesday, the 11th instant, to take them on board at our wharves. Captain Audenried, of my staff, will conduct the business, and I will authorize any expense necessary to carry out the undertaking. Please give public notice that the families who choose to leave Savannah under existing orders will be transported to Charleston, and that a steamer will receive them at such a time at such a dock on Wednesday. Place the steamer at the disposal of Captain Audenried. I think the admiral would cheerfully give you the use of the Harvest Moon, and Captain Audenried can relieve you of all details by simply giving him the necessary means and authority. I am, &c., W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General, Commanding. HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Maj. Gen. J. WHEELER, C. S. Army: GENERAL: Yours of January 8, with dispatches inclosed, is received. I will send the families, as requested, to Charleston Harbor, and give public notice that a steamer will take them on board here on Wednesday, and suppose they can reach the anchorage off Charleston next day; but should any delay occur it will arise from the endless excuses made by ladies, which General Hardee will understand. I will order my quartermaster to have a steamer at the wharf all Wednesday, to transport families to Charleston, to carry a small guard and flag to our gun-boat anchorage, and thence to such point as the naval commander may suggest. Very truly, yours, W. T. SHERMAN, SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS, No. 7. HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI, January 9, 1865. I. The First Regiment Alabama Cavalry Volunteers, Col. George E. Spencer commanding, is hereby relieved from duty with the Depart ment and Army of the Tennessee, and is assigned to the cavalry division of Brig. Gen. J. Kilpatrick. Colonel Spencer will report to General Kilpatrick for instruction. * * * By order of Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman: L. M. DAYTON, GENERAL ORDERS, Į HDQRS. FOURTH DIV., 15TH ARMY CORPS, Savannah, Ga., January 9, 1865. No. 4. } I. Capt. L. H. Everts, assistant adjutant-general, having returned from absent sick, will at once resume his duties as assistant adjutantgeneral of this division, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly. All reports, official communications, &c., will therefore hereafter be addressed to him. By order of Brig. Gen. John M. Corse: L. H. EVERTS, Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. DEPARTMENT AND ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, Maj. Gen. F. P. BLAIR, Commanding Seventeenth Army Corps: GENERAL: I have directed the Ninth Illinois to remain here for the present and drive some cattle that belong to us, in company with the Left Wing. I find that General Sherman intends to give the First Alabama to Kilpatrick and possibly the Ninth Illinois. I have resisted the latter transfer. Respectfully, O. O. HOWARD, GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. FOURTH DIV., 17TH ARMY CORPS, Beaufort, S. C., January 9, 1865. I. This command will be prepared to move at 9 o'clock to-morrow morning to the camp selected to-day, the First Brigade taking the left of the road and the Third the right. II. The necessary wagons will be at these headquarters at 8.30 a. m., and will be called for by the brigade quartermaster. III. Each regiment will fix up a comfortable camp and dig wells for water, instead of using the stagnant water in the swamp. Brigade commanders will send word by the bearer the smallest number of wagons that they will require, and leave a permanent detail of one commissioned officer, a suitable number of non-commissioned officers, and fifty men to report to Captain Moore, at these headquarters, to unload the transportation when it arrives. By order of Brig. Gen. Giles A. Smith: CHAS. H. BRUSH, First Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. TWENTIETH CORPS, PROVOST-MARSHAL'S OFFICE, Savannah, Ga., January 9, 1865. Lieut. Col. H. W. PERKINS, Assistant Adjutant-General: SIR: I have the honor to report the arrival through our lines of three citizens, employés of the Georgia Central Railroad Company, two from Macon and one from Augusta. They report the road iù running in order from Macon to Gordon, on the 1st of January, which was all to be repaired, for the time being, of this road. The authorities were preparing the Macon and Atlanta road for the purpose of opening communication with Augusta, and had, on the 25th ultimo, still thirty miles to repair. They were not repairing the West Point road. The line was to be via Columbus, Macon, and Atlanta to Augusta. Railroad iron was very scarce, and it was doubtful whether they had sufficient to complete their line. The bridge over the Oconee River, on the Atlanta and Augusta road, was not yet repaired, and the authorities were at great loss for sawed timber, their mills all having been burned. The road would not be in running order for a month or more. The Augusta papers of the 4th had in them a telegram, partly official, announcing the death of General Hood. It was not considered true. The latest telegrams received and published reported his army endeavoring to cross the Tennessee, but had been prevented by flood and loss of pontoons. Much anxiety was felt for this army. All kinds of rumors prevailed concerning Lee's army, as to evacuating Richmond, re-enforcing the forces in South Carolina, &c. There seemed to be no authority for any. The garrison in and around Augusta seemed to number about 1,000. General Fry was commanding the post. Considerable force was reported at Branchville. Telegraph line was up from Augusta to Macon. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WARHAM PARKS, Major and Provost-Marshal, Twentieth Army Corps. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, Hilton Head, S. C., January 9, 1865. (Received 15th.) Major-General HALLECK, Chief of Staff, Armies of the United States: GENERAL: The latest reports from deserters, refugees, flags of truce, and the rumors of the citizens of Savannah (whence I have just returned, having gone for General Sherman's mail), are to the effect that several counties of Georgia have, by meetings, declared their desire to join the Union, and forwarded copies of their proceedings to General Sherman; that one regiment of old troops, stationed at Grahamville, has throwu down its arms and returned to Georgia; that the governor of Georgia, Governor Brown, has testified his disposition to return to the Union, and that be is willing to submit the question to the vote of the people; and that the Georgia Reserves at Augusta have disbanded and goue home. There is no doubt about the holding of the Union meetings in several counties. In one of them, Thomas County, a fight took place and the Unionists whipped. The other reports are credible, but not fully confirmed. There is evidently a great struggle going on in the public sentiment of the Georgians, and the question seems to be how much they dare risk in declaring their sentiments in favor of reconstruction. Very respectfully and truly, yours, J. G. FOSTER, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, Rear-Admiral J. A. DAHLGREN, Commanding South Atlantic Blockading Squadron : ADMIRAL: I have the honor to request that you will furnish one or two armed tugs, in addition to the gun-boat at Tullifinny Landing, to cover the embarkation of General Hatch's force. This embarkation will take place between two and five days from this time. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. G. FOSTER, Major-General, Commanding. CITY POINT, January 10, 1865. The following items are found in to-day's Richmond papers: THE FIRE AT CHARLOTTE.-ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. CHARLOTTE, January 9. The fire which occurred here Saturday morning was the result of accident. The paymaster's office, in which the fire originated, the Government warehouses, including the quartermaster's and commissary offices, and a portion of the North Carolina and Charlotte and South Carolina depot buildings were burned. The loss was at first estimated as high as $20,000,000 in present currency, but has since been greatly reduced by the quantity of grain, sugar, &c., saved from the ruins. CHARLESTON, January S. A dispatch from Graham's, dated 12 p. m., says: "No news from the enemy this morning. A gentleman just from Savannah reports that Sherman has sent the Seventeenth Army Corps round to Beaufort to co-operate with Foster's troops between Pocotaligo and Coosawhatchie." Nothing received from below to-day. 1,000 or 2,000 strong, with wagons and the direction of Southwestern Georgia. bia, S. C., on the 5th instant. CHARLESTON, January 9. A dispatch from Macon reports the enemy artillery, on the Ohoopee River, moving in General Joseph E. Johnston was in Colum SUPPLIES AND RAILROADS. A fire has occurred in a Government store-house at Charlotte, in North Carolina. It contained 40,000 bushels of corn, only 10,000 bushels of which was saved, and that in a parched condition; also some sugar, no meat. This is the loss. By what means it was caused, whether by the agency of a Yankee incendiary or simple negligence of a guard, is not yet ascertained. The public attention is much more engaged with the general facts that vast accumulations of supplies are made in that quarter which are not forwarded to the army with the diligence required by the present condition of affairs. The fault is evidently in the railroads between Richmond and Greensborough, and the blame has generally been laid on the Richmond and Danville Company. LATEST FROM THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST. The following dispatch has been received at the War Department from Macon, Ga.: "General Hood reports from Tupelo, January 6, 1865, that Thomas appeared to be moving up the Tennessee River. Until 9 a. m. on the 5th scouts report six gunboats and sixty transports had passed Savannah, going toward Eastport, loaded with troops and supplies. "G. T. BEAUREGARD, 66 Major-General." U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS, HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI, January 10, 1865. * IV. Capt. Platt M. Thorne, Company H, One hundred and fiftieth Regiment New York Infantry Volunteers, is hereby assigned as chief of ordnance for the Left Wing, and will report for duty to Maj. Gen. H. W. Slocum, commanding. SIR: I have allowed the corps commanders of this army to raise a colored regiment each for pioneer work. The Seventeenth Corps has succeeded in raising about 800 men. I respectfully request the same authority to appoint officers for these organizations as that received by the commanding general Department of the South. The regimental organization is superior to the ordinary pioneer force, commanded by detailed officers, and is much better in point of economy. Respectfully, O. O. HOWARD, HDQRS. DEPARTMENT AND ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, Maj. Gen. F. P. BLAIR, Jr., Commanding Seventeenth Army Corps: GENERAL: I feel surprised, after the precautions that have been taken by yourself and officers, to find that many depredations have been committed near this place, and certain things done that would disgrace us even in the enemy's country, e. g., the robbing of some negroes and abusing their women. Please ascertain, if possible, approximately, the amount of damage wantonly committed on the island, and have it assessed on the brigade or regiment guilty. Respectfully, O. O. HOWARD, CIRCULAR.] HEADQUARTERS TWENTIETH CORPS, The attention of division and subordinate commanders in this corps is again called to the necessity of immediately putting their commands in readiness for another campaign. The men must be thoroughly clothed and equipped. Requisitions must be at once made on the quartermaster's and ordnance departments to put the command in 3 R B-VOL XLVII, PT II |