GENERAL　：　I　received；　day　before　yesterday；　at　the　hands　of　Lieutenant　Dunn；　your　letter　of　December　8d；　and　last　night；　at　the　hands　of　Colonel　Babcock；　that　of　December　6th。　　I　had　previously　made　you　a　hasty　scrawl　from　the　tugboat　Dandelion；　in　Ogeechee　River；　advising　you　that　the　army　had　reached　the　sea…coast；　destroying　all　the　railroads　across　the　State　of　Georgia；　investing　closely　the　city　of　Savannah；　and　had　made　connection　with　the　fleet。
  Since　writing　that　note；　I　have　in　person　met　and　conferred　with　General　Foster　and　Admiral　Dahlgren；　and　made　all　the　arrangements　which　were　deemed　essential　for　reducing　the　city　of　Savannah　to　our　possession。　　But；　since　the　receipt　of　yours　of　the　6th；　I　have　initiated　measures　looking　principally　to　coming　to　you　with　fifty　or　Sixty　thousand　infantry；　and　incidentally　to　capture　Savannah；　if　time　will　allow。
  At　the　time　we　carried　Fort　McAllister　by　assault　so　handsomely；　with　its　twenty…two　guns　and　entire　garrison；　I　was　hardly　aware。　of　its　importance；　but；　since　passing　down　the　river　with　General　Foster　and　up　with　Admiral　Dahlgren；　I　realize　how　admirably　adapted　are　Ossabaw　Sound　and　Ogeechee　River　to　supply　an　army　operating　against　Savannah。　　Seagoing　vessels　can　easily　come　to　King's　Bridge；　a　point　on　Ogeechee　River；　fourteen　and　a　half　miles　due　west　of　Savannah；　from　which　point　we　have　roads　leading　to　all　our　camps。　　The　country　is　low　and　sandy；　and　cut　up　with　marshes；　which　in　wet　weather　will　be　very　bad；　but　we　have　been　so　favored　with　weather　that　they　are　all　now　comparatively　good；　and　heavy　details　are　constantly　employed　in　double…corduroying　the　marshes；　so　that　I　have　no　fears　even　of　bad　weather。　　Fortunately；　also；　by　liberal　and　judicious　foraging；　we　reached　the　sea…coast　abundantly　supplied　with　forage　and　provisions；　needing　nothing　on　arrival　except　bread。　　Of　this　we　started　from　Atlanta；　with　from　eight　to　twenty　days'　supply　per　corps　and　some　of　the　troops　only　had　one　day's　issue　of　bread　during　the　trip　of　thirty　days；　yet　they　did　not　want；　for　sweet…potatoes　were　very　abundant；　as　well　as　corn…meal；　and　our　soldiers　took　to　them　naturally。　　We　started　with　about　five　thousand　head　of　cattle；　and　arrived　with　over　ten　thousand；　of　course　consuming　mostly　turkeys；　chickens；　sheep；　hogs；　and　the　cattle　of　the　country。　　As　to　our　mules　and　horses；　we　left　Atlanta　with　about　twenty…five　hundred　wagons；　many　of　which　were　drawn　by　mules　which　had　not　recovered　from　the　Chattanooga　starvation；　all　of　which　were　replaced；　the　poor　mules　shot；　and　our　transportation　is　now　in　superb　condition。　　I　have　no　doubt　the　State　of　Georgia　has　lost；　by　our　operations；　fifteen　thousand　first…rate　mules。　　As　to　horses；　Kilpatrick　collected　all　his　remounts；　and　it　looks　to　me；　in　riding　along　our　columns；　as　though　every　officer　had　three　or　four　led　horses；　and　each　regiment　seems　to　be　followed　by　at　least　fifty　negroes　and　foot…sore　soldiers；　riding　on　horses　and　mules。　　The　custom　was　for　each　brigade　to　send　out　daily　a　foraging…party　of　about　fifty　men；　on　foot；　who　invariably　returned　mounted；　with　several　wagons　loaded　with　poultry；　potatoes；　etc。；　and　as　the　army　is　composed　of　about　forty　brigades；　you　can　estimate　approximately　the　number　of　horses　collected。　　Great　numbers　of　these　were　shot　by　my　order；　because　of　the　disorganizing　effect　on　our　infantry　of　having　too　many　idlers　mounted。　　General　Euston　is　now　engaged　in　collecting　statistics　on　this　subject；　but　I　know　the　Government　will　never　rceive　fall　accounts　of　our　captures；　although　the　result　aimed　at　was　fully　attained；　viz。；　to　deprive　our　enemy　of　them。　　All　these　animals　I　will　have　sent　to　Port　Royal；　or　collected　behind　Fort　McAllister；　to　be　used　by　General　Saxton　in　his　farming　operations；　or　by　the　Quartermaster's　Department；　after　they　are　systematically　accounted　for。　　While　General　Easton　is　collecting　transportation　for　my　troops　to　James　River；　I　will　throw　to　Port　Royal　Island　all　our　means　of　transportation　I　can；　and　collect　the　rest　near　Fort　McAllister；　covered　by　the　Ogeeehee　River　and　intrenchments　to　be　erected；　and　for　which　Captain　Poe；　my　chief…engineer；　is　now　reconnoitring　the　ground；　but　in　the　mean　time　will　act　as　I　have　begun；　as　though　the　city　of　Savannah　were　my　objective：　namely；　the　troops　will　continue　to　invest　Savannah　closely；　making　attacks　and　feints　wherever　we　have　fair　ground　to　stand　upon；　and　I　will　place　some　thirty…pound　Parrotts；　which　I　have　got　from　General　Foster；　in　position；　near　enough　to　reach　the　centre　of　the　city；　and　then　will　demand　its　surrender。　　If　General　Hardee　is　alarmed；　or　fears　starvation；　he　may　surrender；　otherwise　I　will　bombard　the　city；　but　not　risk　the　lives　of　our　men　by　assaults　across　the　narrow　causeways；　by　which　alone　I　can　now　reach　it。
  If　I　had　time；　Savannah；　with　all　its　dependent　fortifications；　would　surely　fall　into　our　possession；　for　we　hold　all　its　avenues　of　supply。
  The　enemy　has　made　two　desperate　efforts　to　get　boats　from　above　to　the　city；　in　both　of　which　he　has　been　foiled…General　Slocum　（whose　left　flank　rests　on　the　river）　capturing　and　burning　the　first　boat；　and　in　the　second　instance　driving　back　two　gunboats　and　capturing　the　steamer　Resolute；　with　seven　naval　officers　and　a　crew　of　twenty…five　seamen。　　General　Slocum　occupies　Argyle　Island　and　the　upper　end　of　Hutchinson　Inland；　and　has　a　brigade　on　the　South　Carolina　shore　opposite；　and　is　very　urgent　to　pass　one　of　his　corps　over　to　that　shore。　　But；　in　view　of　the　change　of　plan　made　necessary　by　your　order　of　the　6th；　I　will　maintain　things　in　statu　quo　till　I　have　got　all　my　transportation　to　the　rear　and　out　of　the　way；　and　until　I　have　sea…transportation　for　the　troops　you　require　at　James　River；　which　I　will　accompany　and　command　in　person。　　Of　course；　I　will　leave　Kilpatrick；　with　his　cavalry　（say　five　thousand　three　hundred）；　and；　it　may　be；　a　division　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　but；　before　determining　on　this；　I　must　see　General　Foster；　and　may　arrange　to　shift　his　force　（now　over　above　the　Charleston　Railroad；　at　the　head　of　Broad　River）　to　the　Ogeeohee；　where；　in　cooperation　with　Kilpatrick's　cavalry；　he　can　better　threaten　the　State　of　Georgia　than　from　the　direction　of　Port　Royal。　　Besides；　I　would　much　prefer　not　to　detach　from　my　regular　corps　any　of　its　veteran　divisions；　and　would　even　prefer　that　other　less　valuable　troops　should　be　sent　to　reenforce　Foster　from　some　other　quarter。　　My　four　corps；　full　of　experience　and　full　of　ardor；　coming　to　you　en　masse；　equal　to　sixty　thousand　fighting　men；　will　be　a　reenforcement　that　Lee　cannot　disregard。　Indeed；　with　my　present　command；　I　had　expected；　after　reducing　Savannah；　instantly　to　march　to　Columbia；　South　Carolina；　thence　to　Raleigh；　and　thence　to　report　to　you。　　But　this　would　consume；　it　may　be；　six　weeks'　time　after　the　fall　of　Savannah；　whereas；　by　sea；　I　can　probably　reach　you　with　my　men　and　arms　before　the　middle　of　January。
  I　myself　am　somewhat　astonished　at　the　attitude　of　things　in　Tennessee。　　I　purposely　delayed　at　Kingston　until　General　Thomas　assured　me　that　he　was　all　ready；　and　my　last　dispatch　from　him　of　the　12th　of　November　was　full　of　confidence；　in　which　he　promised　me　that　he　would　ruin　Hood　if　he　dared　to　advance　from　Florence；　urging　me　to　go　ahead；　and　give　myself　no　concern　about　Hood's　army　in　Tennessee。
  Why　he　did　not　turn　on　him　at　Franklin；　after　checking　and　discomfiting　him；　surpasses　my　understanding。　　Indeed；　I　do　not　approve　of　his　evacuating　Decatur；　but　think　he　should　have　assumed　the　offensive　against　Hood　from　Pulaski；　in　the　direction　of　Waynesburg。　I　know　full　well　that　General　Thomas　is　slow　in　mind　and　in　action；　but　he　is　judicious　and　brave　and　the　troops　feel　great　confidence　in　him。　　I　still　hope　he　will　out…manoeuvre　and　destroy　Hood。
  As　to　matters　in　the　Southeast；　I　think　Hardee；　in　Savannah；　has　good　　artillerists；　some　five　or　six　thousand　good　infantry；　and；　it　may　be；　a　mongrel　mass　of　eight　to　ten　thousand　militia。　　In　all　our　marching　through　Georgia；　he　has　not　forced　us　to　use　any　thing　but　a　skirmish…line；　though　at　several　points　he　had　erected　fortifications　and　tried　to　alarm　us　by　bombastic　threats。　　In　Savannah　he　has　taken　refuge　in　a　line　constructed　behind　swamps　and　overflowed　rice…fields；　extending　from　a　point　on　the　Savannah　River　about　three　miles　above　the　city；　around　by　a　branch　of　the　Little　Ogeechee；　which　stream　is　impassable　from　its　salt…marshes　and　boggy　swamps；　crossed　only　by　narrow　causeways　or　common　corduroy…roads。
  There　must　be　twenty…five　thousand　citizens；　men；　women；　and　children；　in　Savannah；　that　must　also　be　fed；　and　how　he　is　to　feed　them　beyoud　a　few　days　I　cannot　imagine。　　I　know　that　his　requisitions　for　corn　on　the　interior　counties　were　not　filled；　and　we　are　in　possession　of　the　rice…fields　and　mills；　which　could　alone　be　of　service　to　him　in　this　neighborhood。　　He　can　draw　nothing　from　South　Carolina；　save　from　a　small　corner　down　in　the　southeast；　and　that　by　a　disused　wagon…road。　　I　could　easily　get　possession　of　this；　but　hardly　deem　it　worth　the　risk　of　making　a　detachment；　which　would　be　in　danger　by　its　isolation　from　the　main　army。　　Our