ine。　　I　myself　saw　the　rebel　cavalry　apply　fire　to　stacks　of　fodder　standing　in　the　fields　at　Sandersville；　and　gave　orders　to　burn　some　unoccupied　dwellings　close　by。　　On　entering　the　town；　I　told　certain　citizens　（who　would　be　sure　to　spread　the　report）　that；　if　the　enemy　attempted　to　carry　out　their　threat　to　burn　their　food；　corn；　and　fodder；　in　our　route；　I　would　most　undoubtedly　execute　to　the　letter　the　general　orders　of　devastation　made　at　the　outset　of　the　campaign。　　With　this　exception；　and　one　or　two　minor　cases　near　Savannah；　the　people　did　not　destroy　food；　for　they　saw　clearly　that　it　would　be　ruin　to　themselves。
  At　Sandersville　I　halted　the　left　wing　until　I　heard　that　the　right　wing　was　abreast　of　us　on　the　railroad。　　During　the　evening　a　negro　was　brought　to　me；　who　had　that　day　been　to　the　station　（Tenille）；　about　six　miles　south　of　the　town。　　I　inquired　of　him　if　there　were　any　Yankees　there；　and　he　answered；　〃Yes。〃　　He　described　in　his　own　way　what　he　had　seen。
  First；　there　come　along　some　cavalry…men；　and　they　burned　the　depot；　then　come　along　some　infantry…men；　and　they　tore　up　the　track；　and　burned　it；〃　and　just　before　he　left　they　had　〃sot　fire　to　the　well〃
  The　next　morning；　viz。；　the　27th；　I　rode　down　to　the　station；　and　found　General　Corse's　division　（of　the　Fifteenth　Corps）　engaged　in　destroying　the　railroad；　and　saw　the　well　which　my　negro　informant　had　seen　〃burnt。〃　　It　was　a　square　pit　about　twenty…five　feet　deep；　boarded　up；　with　wooden　steps　leading　to　the　bottom；　wherein　was　a　fine　copper　pump；　to　lift　the　water　to　a　tank　above。　　The　soldiers　had　broken　up　the　pump；　heaved　in　the　steps　and　lining；　and　set　fire　to　the　mass　of　lumber　in　the　bottom　of　the　well；　which　corroborated　the　negro's　description。
  》From　this　point　Blair's　corps；　the　Seventeenth；　took　up　the　work　of　destroying　the　railroad；　the　Fifteenth　Corps　following　another　road　leading　eastward；　farther　to　the　south　of　the　railroad。　　While　the　left　wing　was　marching　toward　Louisville；　north　of　the　railroad；　General　Kilpatrick　had；　with　his　cavalry　division；　moved　rapidly　toward　Waynesboro'；　on　the　branch　railroad　leading　from　Millen　to　Augusta。　　He　found　Wheeler's　division　of　rebel　cavalry　there；　and　had　considerable　skirmishing　with　it；　but；　learning　that　our　prisoners　had　been　removed　two　days　before　from　Millen；　he　returned　to　Louisville　on　the　29th；　where　he　found　the　left　wing。　　Here　he　remained　a　couple　of　days　to　rest　his　horses；　and；　receiving　orders　from　me　to　engage　Wheeler　and　give　him　all　the　fighting　he　wanted；　he　procured　from　General　Slocum　the　assistance　of　the　infantry　division　of　General　Baird；　and　moved　back　for　Waynesboro'　on　the　2d　of　December；　the　remainder　of　the　left　wing　continuing　its　march　on　toward　Millers。　　Near　Waynesboro'　Wheeler　was　again　encountered；　and　driven　through　the　town　and　beyond　Brier　Creek；　toward　Augusta；　thus　keeping　up　the　delusion　that　the　main　army　was　moving　toward　Augusta。　　General　Kilpatrick's　fighting　and　movements　about　Waynesboro'　and　Brier　Creek　were　spirited；　and　produced　a　good　effect　by　relieving　the　infantry　column　and　the　wagon…trains　of　all　molestation　during　their　march　on　Millen。　　Having　thus　covered　that　flank；　he　turned　south　and　followed　the　movement　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps　to　Buckhead　Church；　north　of　Millen　and　near　it。
  On　the　3d　of　December　I　entered　Millen　with　the　Seventeenth　Corps　（General　Frank　P。　　Blair）；　and　there　paused　one　day；　to　communicate　with　all　parts　of　the　army。　　General　Howard　was　south　of　the　Ogeechee　River；　with　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　opposite　Scarboro'。　General　Slocum　was　at　Buckhead　Church；　four　miles　north　of　Millen；　with　the　Twentieth　Corps。　　The　Fourteenth　（General　Davis）　was　at　Lnmpkin's　Station；　on　the　Augusta　road；　about　ten　miles　north　of　Millen；　and　the　cavalry　division　was　within　easy　support　of　this　wing。　　Thus　the　whole　army　was　in　good　position　and　in　good　condition。　　We　had　largely　subsisted　on　the　country；　our　wagons　were　full　of　forage　and　provisions；　but；　as　we　approached　the　sea…coast；　the　country　became　more　sandy　and　barren；　and　food　became　more　scarce；　still；　with　little　or　no　loss；　we　had　traveled　two…thirds　of　our　distance；　and　I　concluded　to　push　on　for　Savannah。　　At　Millen　I　learned　that　General　Bragg　was　in　Augusta；　and　that　General　Wade　Hampton　had　been　ordered　there　from　Richmond；　to　organize　a　large　cavalry　force　with　which　to　resist　our　progress。
  General　Hardee　was　ahead；　between　us　and　Savannah；　with　McLaw's　division；　and　other　irregular　troops；　that　could　not；　I　felt　assured；　exceed　ten　thousand　men。　　I　caused　the　fine　depot　at　Millen　to　be　destroyed；　and　other　damage　done；　and　then　resumed　the　march　directly　on　Savannah；　by　the　four　main　roads。　　The　Seven…　teenth　Corps　（General　Blair）　followed　substantially　the　railroad；　and；　along　with　it；　on　the　5th　of　December；　I　reached　Ogeechee　Church；　about　fifty　miles　from　Savannah；　and　found　there　fresh　earthworks；　which　had　been　thrown　up　by　McLaw's　division；　but　he　must　have　seen　that　both　his　flanks　were　being　turned；　and　prudently　retreated　to　Savannah　without　a　fight。　　All　the　columns　then　pursued　leisurely　their　march　toward　Savannah；　corn　and　forage　becoming　more　and　more　scarce；　but　rice…fields　beginning　to　occur　along　the　Savannah　and　Ogeechee　Rivers；　which　proved　a　good　substitute；　both　as　food　and　forage。　　The　weather　was　fine；　the　roads　good；　and　every　thing　seemed　to　favor　us。　　Never　do　I　recall　a　more　agreeable　sensation　than　the　sight　of　our　camps　by　night；　lit　up　by　the　fires　of　fragrant　pine…knots。　　The　trains　were　all　in　good　order；　and　the　men　seemed　to　march　their　fifteen　miles　a　day　as　though　it　were　nothing。　　No　enemy　opposed　us；　and　we　could　only　occasionally　hear　the　faint　reverberation　of　a　gun　to　our　left　rear；　where　we　knew　that　General　Kilpatrick　was　skirmishing　with　Wheeler's　cavalry；　which　persistently　followed　him。　　But　the　infantry　columns　had　met　with　no　opposition　whatsoever。　　McLaw's　division　was　falling　back　before　us；　and　we　occasionally　picked　up　a　few　of　his　men　as　prisoners；　who　insisted　that　we　would　meet　with　strong　opposition　at　Savannah。
  On　the　8th；　as　I　rode　along；　I　found　the　column　turned　out　of　the　main　road；　marching　through　the　fields。　　Close　by；　in　the　corner　of　a　fence；　was　a　group　of　men　standing　around　a　handsome　young　officer；　whose　foot　had　been　blown　to　pieces　by　a　torpedo　planted　in　the　road。　　He　was　waiting　for　a　surgeon　to　amputate　his　leg；　and　told　me　that　he　was　riding　along　with　the　rest　of　his　brigade…staff　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　when　a　torpedo　trodden　on　by　his　horse　had　exploded；　killing　the　horse　and　literally　blowing　off　all　the　flesh　from　one　of　his　legs。　　I　saw　the　terrible　wound；　and　made　full　inquiry　into　the　facts。　　There　had　been　no　resistance　at　that　point；　nothing　to　give　warning　of　danger；　and　the　rebels　had　planted　eight…inch　shells　in　the　road；　with　friction…matches　to　explode　them　by　being　trodden　on。　　This　was　not　war；　but　murder；　and　it　made　me　very　angry。　　I　immediately　ordered　a　lot　of　rebel　prisoners　to　be　brought　from　the　provost…guard；　armed　with　picks　and　spades；　and　made　them　march　in　close　order　along　the　road；　so　as　to　explode　their　own　torpedoes；　or　to　discover　and　dig　them　up。　They　begged　hard；　but　I　reiterated　the　order；　and　could　hardly　help　laughing　at　their　stepping　so　gingerly　along　the　road；　where　it　was　supposed　sunken　torpedoes　might　explode　at　each　step；　but　they　found　no　other　torpedoes　till　near　Fort　McAllister。　　That　night　we　reached　Pooler's　Station；　eight　miles　from　Savannah；　and　during　the　next　two　days；　December　9th　and　10th；　the　several　corps　reached　the　defenses　of　Savannahthe　Fourteenth　Corps　on　the　left；　touching　the　river；　the　Twentieth　Corps　next；　then　the　Seventeenth；　and　the　Fifteenth　on　the　extreme　right；　thus　completely　investing　the　city。　Wishing　to　reconnoitre　the　place　in　person；　I　rode　forward　by　the　Louisville　road；　into　a　dense　wood　of　oak；　pine；　and　cypress；　left　the　horses；　and　walked　down　to　the　railroad…track；　at　a　place　where　there　was　a　side…track；　and　a　cut　about　four　feet　deep。　　From　that　point　the　railroad　was　straight；　leading　into　Savannah；　and　about　eight　hundred　yards　off　were　a　rebel　parapet　and　battery。　　I　could　see　the　cannoneers　preparing　to　fire；　and　cautioned　the　officers　near　me　to　scatter；　as　we　would　likely　attract　a　shot。　　Very　soon　I　saw　the　white　puff　of　smoke；　and；　watching　close；　caught　sight　of　the　ball　as　it　rose　in　its　flight；　and；　finding　it　coming　pretty　straight；　I　stepped　a　short　distance　to　one　side；　but　noticed　a　negro　very　near　me　in　the　act　of　crossing　the　track　at　right　angles。　　Some　one　called　to　him　to　look　out；　but；　before　the　poor　fellow　understood　his　danger；　the　ball　（a　thirty…two…pound　round　shot）　struck　the　ground；　and　rose　in　its　first　ricochet；　caught　the　negro　under　the　right　jaw；　and　literally　carried　away　his　head；　scattering　blood　and　brains　about。　　A　soldier　close　by　spread　an　overcoat　over　the　body；　and　we　all　concluded　to　get　out　of　that　railroad…cut。　　Meantime；　General　Mower's　division　of　the　Seven…　teenth　Corps　had　crossed　the　canal　to　the　right　of　the　Louisville　road；　and　had　found　the　line　of　parapet　continuous；　so　at　Savannah　we　had　again　run　up　against　the　old　familiar　parapet；　wit