ion　from　the　main　army。　　Our　whole　army　is　in　fine　condition　as　to　health；　and　the　weather　is　splendid。　　For　that　reason　alone　I　feel　a　personal　dislike　to　turning　northward。　　I　will　keep　Lieutenant　Dunn　here　until　I　know　the　result　of　my　demand　for　the　surrender　of　Savannah；　but；　whether　successful　or　not；　shall　not　delay　my　execution　of　your　order　of　the　6th；　which　will　depend　alone　upon　the　time　it　will　require　to　obtain　transportation　by　sea。
  I　am；　with　respect；　etc。；　your　obedient　servant；　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　United　States　Army。
  Having　concluded　all　needful　preparations；　I　rode　from　my　headquarters；　on　the　plank…road；　over　to　General　Slocum's　headquarters；　on　the　Macon　road；　and　thence　dispatched　（by　flag　of　truce）　into　Savannah；　by　the　hands　of　Colonel　Ewing；　inspectorgeneral；　a　demand　for　the　surrender　of　the　place。　　The　following　letters　give　the　result。　　General　Hardee　refused　to　surrender；　and　I　then　resolved　to　make　the　attempt　to　break　his　line　of　defense　at　several　places；　trusting　that　some　one　would　succeed。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　December　17；　1864。
  General　WILLIAM　J。　HARDEE；　commanding　Confederate　Forces　in　Savannah。
  GENERAL：　You　have　doubtless　observed；　from　your　station　at　Rosedew　that　sea…going　vessels　now　come　through　Ossabaw　Sound　and　up　the　Ogeechee　to　the　rear　of　my　army；　giving　me　abundant　supplies　of　all　kinds；　and　more　especially　heavy　ordnance　necessary　for　the　reduction　of　Savannah。　　I　have　already　received　guns　that　can　cast　heavy　and　destructive　shot　as　far　as　the　heart　of　your　city；　also；　I　have　for　some　days　held　and　controlled　every　avenue　by　which　the　people　and　garrison　of　Savannah　can　be　supplied；　and　I　am　therefore　justified　in　demanding　the　surrender　of　the　city　of　Savannah；　and　its　dependent　forts；　and　shall　wait　a　reasonable　time　for　your　answer；　before　opening　with　heavy　ordnance。　　Should　you　entertain　the　proposition；　I　am　prepared　to　grant　liberal　terms　to　the　inhabitants　and　garrison；　but　should　I　be　forced　to　resort　to　assault；　or　the　slower　and　surer　process　of　starvation；　I　shall　then　feel　justified　in　resorting　to　the　harshest　measures；　and　shall　make　little　effort　to　restrain　my　armyburning　to　avenge　the　national　wrong　which　they　attach　to　Savannah　and　other　large　cities　which　have　been　so　prominent　in　dragging　our　country　into　civil　war。　　I　inclose　you　a　copy　of　General　Hood's　demand　for　the　surrender　of　the　town　of　Resaoa；　to　be　used　by　you　for　what　it　is　worth。　I　have　the　honor　to　be　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　SOUTH　CAROLINA；　GEORGIA　AND　FLORIDA　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　December　17；　1864
  Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Federal　Forces　near　Savannah；　Georgia。
  GENERAL：　I　have　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　a　communication　from　you　of　this　date；　in　which　you　demand　〃the　surrender　of　Savannah　and　its　dependent　forts；〃　on　the　ground　that　you　〃have　received　guns　that　can　cast　heavy　and　destructive　shot　into　the　heart　of　the　city；〃　and　for　the　further　reason　that　you　〃have；　for　some　days；　held　and　controlled　every　avenue　by　which　the　people　and　garrison　can　be　supplied。〃　　You　add　that；　should　you　be　〃forced　to　resort　to　assault；　or　to　the　slower　and　surer　process　of　starvation；　you　will　then　feel　justified　in　resorting　to　the　harshest　measures；　and　will　make　little　effort　to　restrain　your　army；〃　etc。；　etc。　　The　position　of　your　forces　（a　half…mile　beyond　the　outer　line　for　the　land…　defense　of　Savannah）　is；　at　the　nearest　point；　at　least　four　miles　from　the　heart　of　the　city。　　That　and　the　interior　line　are　both　intact。
  Your　statement　that　you　have；　for　some　days；　held　and　controlled　every　avenue　by　which　the　people　and　garrison　can　be　supplied；　is　incorrect。　　I　am　in　free　and　constant　communication　with　my　department。
  Your　demand　for　the　surrender　of　Savannah　and　its　dependent　forts　is　refused。
  With　respect　to　the　threats　conveyed　in　the　closing　paragraphs　of　your　letter　（of　what　may　be　expected　in　case　your　demand　is　not　complied　with）；　I　have　to　say　that　I　have　hitherto　conducted　the　military　operations　intrusted　to　my　direction　in　strict　accordance　with　the　rules　of　civilized　warfare；　and　I　should　deeply　regret　the　adoption　of　any　course　by　you　that　may　force　me　to　deviate　from　them　in　future。　　I　have　the　honor　to　be；　very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　　J。　　HARDEE；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　December　18；　1864　8　p。m。
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　City　Point；　Virginia。
  GENERAL：　I　wrote　you　at　length　（by　Colonel　Babcock）　on　the　16th　instant。　　As　I　therein　explained　my　purpose；　yesterday　I　made　a　demand　on　General　Hardee　for　the　surrender　of　the　city　of　Savannah；　and　to…day　received　his　answerrefusing；　copies　of　both　letters　are　herewith　inclosed。　　You　will　notice　that　I　claim　that　my　lines　are　within　easy　cannon…range　of　the　heart　of　Savannah；　but　General　Hardee　asserts　that　we　are　four　and　a　half　miles　distant。　　But　I　myself　have　been　to　the　intersection　of　the　Charleston　and　Georgia　Central　Railroads；　and　the　three…mile　poet　is　but　a　few　yards　beyond；　within　the　line　of　our　pickets。　　The　enemy　has　no　pickets　outside　of　his　fortified　line　（which　is　a　full　quarter　of　a　mile　within　the　three…mile　poet）；　and　I　have　the　evidence　of　Mr。　R。　R。　Cuyler；　President　of　the　Georgia　Central　Railroad　（who　was　a　prisoner　in　our　hands）；　that　the　mile…posts　are　measured　from　the　Exchange；　which　is　but　two　squares　back　from　the　river。　　By　to…morrow　morning　I　will　have　six　thirty…pound　Parrotts　in　position；　and　General　Hardee　will　learn　whether　I　am　right　or　not。　》From　the　left　of　our　line；　which　is　on　the　Savannah　River；　the　spires　can　be　plainly　seen；　but　the　country　is　so　densely　wooded　with　pine　and　live…oak；　and　lies　so　flat；　that　we　can　see　nothing　from　any　other　portion　of　our　lines。　　General　Slocum　feels　confident　that　he　can　make　a　successful　assault　at　one　or　two　points　in　front　of　General　Davis's　（Fourteenth）　corps。　　All　of　General　Howard's　troops　（the　right　wing）　lie　behind　the　Little　Ogeecbee；　and　I　doubt　if　it　can　be　passed　by　troops　in　the　face　of　an　enemy。　　Still；　we　can　make　strong　feints；　and　if　I　can　get　a　sufficient　number　of　boats；　I　shall　make　a　cooperative　demonstration　up　Vernon　River　or　Wassaw　Sound。　　I　should　like　very　much　indeed　to　take　Savannah　before　coming　to　you；　but；　as　I　wrote　to　you　before；　I　will　do　nothing　rash　or　hasty；　and　will　embark　for　the　James　River　as　soon　as　General　Easton　（who　is　gone　to　Port　Royal　for　that　purpose）　reports　to　me　that　he　has　an　approximate　number　of　vessels　for　the　transportation　of　the　contemplated　force。　I　fear　even　this　will　coat　more　delay　than　you　anticipate；　for　already　the　movement　of　our　transports　and　the　gunboats　has　required　more　time　than　I　had　expected。　　We　have　had　dense　fogs；　there　are　more　mud…banks　in　the　Ogeechee　than　were　reported；　and　there　are　no　pilots　whatever。　　Admiral　Dahlgren　promised　to　have　the　channel　buoyed　and　staked；　but　it　is　not　done　yet。　　We　find　only　six　feet　of　water　up　to　King's　Bridge　at　low　tide；　about　ten　feet　up　to　the　rice…mill；　and　sixteen　to　Fort　McAllister。　　All　these　points　may　be　used　by　us；　and　we　have　a　good；　strong　bridge　across　Ogeechee　at　King's；　by　which　our　wagons　can　go　to　Fort　McAllister；　to　which　point　I　am　sending　all　wagons　not　absolutely　necessary　for　daily　use；　the　negroes；　prisoners　of　war；　sick；　etc。；　en　route　for　Port　Royal。　　In　relation　to　Savannah；　you　will　remark　that　General　Hardee　refers　to　his　still　being　in　communication　with　his　department。　　This　language　he　thought　would　deceive　me；　but　I　am　confirmed　in　the　belief　that　the　route　to　which　he　refers　（the　Union　Plank…road　on　the　South　Carolina　shore）　is　inadequate　to　feed　his　army　and　the　people　of　Savannah；　and　General　Foster　assures　me　that　he　has　his　force　on　that　very　road；　near　the　head　of　Broad　River；　so　that　cars　no　longer　run　between　Charleston　and　Savannah。　We　hold　this　end　of　the　Charleston　Railroad；　and　have　destroyed　it　from　the　three…mile　post　back　to　the　bridge　（about　twelve　miles）。　In　anticipation　of　leaving　this　country；　I　am　continuing　the　destruction　of　their　railroads；　and　at　this　moment　have　two　divisions　and　the　cavalry　at　work　breaking　up　the　Gulf　Railroad　from　the　Ogeechee　to　the　Altamaha；　so　that；　even　if　I　do　not　take　Savannah；　I　will　leave　it　in　a　bad　way。　　But　I　still　hope　that　events　will　give　me　time　to　take　Savannah；　even　if　I　have　to　assault　with　some　loss。　　I　am　satisfied　that；　unless　we　take　it；　the　gunboats　never　will；　for　they　can　make　no　impression　upon　the　batteries　which　guard　every　approach　from　the　sea。　　I　have　a　faint　belief　that；　when　Colonel　Babcock　reaches　you；　you　will　delay　operations　long　enough　to　enable　me　to　succeed　here。　　With　Savannah　in　our　possession；　at　some　future　time　if　not　now；　we　can　punish　South　Carolina　as　she　deserves；　and　as　thousands　of　the　people　in　Georgia　hoped　we　would　do。　　I　do　sincerely　believe　that　the　whole　United　States；　North　and　South；　would　rejoice　to　have　this　army　turned　loose　on　South　Carolina；　to　devastate　that　State　in　the　manner　we　have　done　in　Georgia；　and　it　world　have　a　direst　and　imme