By half-past 2 P. M., my command reached the fifth mile-post from the city. About one mile in advance of this, the enemy had already been encountered, strongly intrenched with artillery in position. It was evident that this was the main line of the defences of the city.
My brigade immediately went into position on the left of the Second brigade, which had already formed in the dense forest on the left of the road. My left flank joined the right of the First brigade. Pickets covering the line were at once thrown forward, but no demonstration was made upon the enemy. My troops encamped in the position thus taken.
On the eleventh, my command was thrown forward and to the left about four hundred yards, and the troops again encamped in their position. At eleven P. M., by direction of the General commanding division, I detached the One Hundred and First and Eighty-second Illinois and Sixty-first Ohio veteran volunteers, the whole under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Le Sage, of the One Hundred and First Illinois volunteers, and sent them to the rear, to be used in guarding the trains of the corps.
On the thirteenth, I was directed to move the remainder of my brigade to the rear, to cover the approaches to the trains. At three P. M., my entire command was posted covering the different roads coming from the rear. My line was about three miles in extent, joining the pickets of the Twenty-second Wisconsin volunteers on the right near the Savannah River, and those of the Fourteenth army corps on the left. The One Hundred and Forty-third New-York volunteers was placed near the junction of the Tweedside, the Potter's Plantation, and the Savannah roads. The Eighty-second Ohio veteran volunteers was placed about three quarters of a mile farther to the right, on the Potter's Plantation road. The One Hundred and First Illinois volunteers and Sixty-first Ohio veteran volunteers covered the Savannah road near Cherokee Hill. The Eighty-second Illinois volunteers covered the line of the Charleston and Savannah Railroad. The Thirty-first Wisconsin volunteers was placed three quarters of a mile south of Cherokee Hill, on a road leading in that direction. The positions thus chosen, excepting those of the two regiments first named, were covered by substantial breastworks. A section of artillery, which reported to me on the fourteenth, was posted on the Savannah road and was covered by a redoubt.
My brigade remained in the position just described without note worthy of incident until the nineteenth. On that date, by permission of the General commanding division, I sent out a foraging expedition, consisting of twelve companies of infantry, two from each regiment, and eight wagons. My instructions to Lieutenant-Colonel Le Sage, commanding the detachment, were to proceed about four miles north of Monteith Station, to obtain all the forage and supplies he could, and to develop the strength and position of a hostile force reported to be in that neighborhood. The party returned at three P. M., without having obtained either provisions or forage. It had encountered the enemy's outposts, and driven them back to within one and a half miles of his main camp, capturing one prisoner.
During the night of the twentieth, according to direction, I detailed a regiment, the One Hundred and Forty-third New-York volunteers, to cross the Argyle Island and there going into position, covering the flank of the Second brigade, which had crossed to the South-Carolina shore. On the morning of the twenty-first, it was discovered that the enemy had evacuated the city and defences of Savannah. The One Hundred and Forty-third New-York volunteers therefore rejoined the brigade on the morning of the twenty-second.
On the twenty-third, my command moved back toward the city, and encamped on McAlpin's plantation, on the right bank of the Savannah River. The position assigned me was on the right of the Second brigade, and one mile above the city of Savannah. Here my troops erected comfortable quarters, in which they still remain.
During the extraordinary campaign which has terminated, my command marched over three hundred and fifty miles, completely destroyed nine miles of railroad track, burned a station-house, several water-tanks, and a large quantity of wood and railroad lumber, burned twelve cotton-gins and presses, and two hundred and fifty bales of cotton; captured five serviceable horses, forty-two serviceable mules, four hundred and sixty head of cattle, two hundred sheep, five hundred hogs, twelve barrels of molasses, one barrel of whiskey, fifty thousand pounds of sweet potatoes, ten thousand eight hundred pounds of rice, besides a vast quantity of flour, meal, bacon, poultry, and other promiscuous kinds of provisions. The quantity of forage captured it is difficult to estimate, but it is safe to say that it amounted to not less than one hundred and thirty thousand pounds. Excepting the articles of bread, coffee, and sugar, my troops subsisted almost entirely from the country. The animals also were fed almost exclusively upon what was obtained from the same source.
I take pleasure in expressing my hearty commendation of the soldierly behavior of the officers and men of my command during this long and arduous campaign. The fatigues and privations of the march were borne with cheerfulness. The heavy labor of assisting trains, destroying railroads, building bridges, repairing roads, etc, was performed with alacrity, and when the voice of danger summoned, every soldier sprang to his post with enthusiasm. The commanders of my
