；　to　devastate　that　State　in　the　manner　we　have　done　in　Georgia；　and　it　world　have　a　direst　and　immediate　bearing　on　your　campaign　in　Virginia。
  I　have　the　honor　to　be　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　United　States　Army。
  As　soon　as　the　army　had　reached　Savannah；　and　had　opened　communication　with　the　fleet；　I　endeavored　to　ascertain　what　had　transpired　in　Tennessee　since　our　departure。　　We　received　our　letters　and　files　of　newspapers；　which　contained　full　accounts　of　all　the　events　there　up　to　about　the　1st　of　December。　　As　before　described；　General　Hood　had　three　full　corps　of　infantryS。　D。　Lee's；　A。　P。　Stewart's；　and　Cheatham's；　at　Florence；　Alabamawith　Forrest's　corps　of　cavalry；　numbering　in　the　aggregate　about　forty…　five　thousand　men。　　General　Thomas　was　in　Nashville；　Tennessee；　quietly　engaged　in　reorganizing　his　army　out　of　the　somewhat　broken　forces　at　his　disposal。　　He　had　posted　his　only　two　regular　corps；　the　Fourth　and　Twenty…third；　under　the　general　command　of　Major…　General　J。　　M。　　Sohofield；　at　Pulaski；　directly　in　front　of　Florence；　with　the　three　brigades　of　cavalry　（Hatch；　Croxton；　and　Capron）；　commanded　by　Major…General　Wilson；　watching　closely　for　Hood's　initiative。
  This　force　aggregated　about　thirty　thousand　men；　was　therefore　inferior　to　the　enemy；　and　General　Schofield　was　instructed；　in　case　the　enemy　made　a　general　advance；　to　fall　back　slowly　toward　Nashville；　fighting；　till　he　should　be　reenforced　by　General　Thomas　in　person。　　Hood's　movement　was　probably　hurried　by　reason　of　my　advance　into　Georgia；　for　on　the　17th　his　infantry　columns　marched　from　Florence　in　the　direction　of　Waynesboro'；　turning；　Schofield's　position　at　Pulaski。　　The　latter　at　once　sent　his　trains　to　the　rear；　and　on　the　21st　fell　back　to　Columbia；　Tennessee。　　General　Hood　　followed　up　this　movement；　skirmished　lightly　with　Schofield　at　Columbia；　began　the　passage　of　Duck　River；　below　the　town；　and　Cheatham's　corps　reached　the　vicinity　of　Spring　Hill；　whither　General　Schofield　had　sent　General　Stanley；　with　two　of　his　divisions；　to　cover　the　movement　of　his　trains。　　During　the　night　of　November　29th　General　Schofield　passed　Spring　Hill　with　his　trains　and　army；　and　took　post　at　Franklin；　on　the　south　aide　of　Harpeth　River。　　General　Hood　now　attaches　serious　blame　to　General　Cheatham　for　not　attacking　General　Schofield　in　flank　while　in　motion　at　Spring　Hill；　for　he　was　bivouacked　within　eight　hundred　yards　of　the　road　at　the　time　of　the　passage　of　our　army。　　General　Schofield　reached　Franklin　on　the　morning　of　November　30th；　and　posted　his　army　in　front　of　the　town；　where　some　rifle…intrenchments　had　been　constructed　in　advance。　　He　had　the　two　corps　of　Stanley　and　Cox　（Fourth　and　Twenty…third）；　with　Wilson's　cavalry　on　his　flanks；　and　sent　his　trains　behind　the　Harpeth。
  General　Hood　closed　upon　him　the　same　day；　and　assaulted　his　position　with　vehemence；　at　one　time　breaking　the　line　and　wounding　General　Stanley　seriously；　but　our　men　were　veterans；　cool　and　determined；　and　fought　magnificently。　　The　rebel　officers　led　their　men　in　person　to　the　several　persistent　assaults；　continuing　the　battle　far　into　the　night；　when　they　drew　off；　beaten　and　discomfited。
  Their　loss　was　very　severe；　especially　in　general　officers；　among　them　Generals　Cleburn　and　Adams；　division　commanders。　　Hood's　loss　on　that　day　was　afterward　ascertained　to　be　（Thomas's　report）：　Buried　on　the　field；　seventeen　hundred　and　fifty；　left　in　hospital　at　Franklin；　thirty…eight　hundred；　and　seven　hundred　and　two　prisoners　captured　and　held：　aggregate；　six　thousand　two　hundred　and　fifty…two。　　General　Schofields　lose；　reported　officially；　was　one　hundred　and　eighty…nine　killed；　one　thousand　and　thirty…three　wounded；　and　eleven　hundred　and　four　prisoners　or　missing：　aggregate；　twenty…three　hundred　and　twenty…six。　　The　next　day　General　Schofield　crossed　the　Harpeth　without　trouble；　and　fell　back　to　the　defenses　of　Nashville。
  Meantime　General　Thomas　had　organized　the　employees　of　the　Quartermaster's　Department　into　a　corps；　commanded　by　the　chief…　quartermaster；　General　J。　Z。　Donaldson；　and　placed　them　in　the　fortifications　of　Nashville；　under　the　general　direction　of　Major…General　Z。　B。　Tower；　now　of　the　United　States　Engineers。　　He　had　also　received　the　two　veteran　divisions　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps；　under　General　A。　J。　Smith；　long　absent　and　long　expected；　and　he　had　drawn　from　Chattanooga　and　Decatur　（Alabama）　the　divisions　of　Steedman　and　of　R。　S。　Granger。　　These；　with　General　Schofields　army　and　about　ten　thousand　good　cavalry；　under　General　J。　　H。　　Wilson；　constituted　a　strong　army；　capable　not　only　of　defending　Nashville；　but　of　beating　Hood　in　the　open　field。　　Yet　Thomas　remained　inside　of　Nashville；　seemingly　passive；　until　General　Hood　had　closed　upon　him　and　had　entrenched　his　position。
  General　Thomas　had　furthermore　held　fast　to　the　railroad　leading　from　Nashville　to　Chattanooga；　leaving　strong　guards　at　its　principal　points；　as　at　Murfreesboro'；　Deckerd；　Stevenson；　Bridgeport；　Whitesides；　and　Chattanooga。　　At　Murfreesboro'　the　division　of　Rousseau　was　reenforced　and　strengthened　up　to　about　eight　thousand　men。
  At　that　time　the　weather　was　cold　and　sleety；　the　ground　was　covered　with　ice　and　snow；　and　both　parties　for　a　time　rested　on　the　defensive。　　Those　matters　stood　at　Nashville；　while　we　were　closing　down　on　Savannah；　in　the　early　part　of　December；　1864；　and　the　country；　as　well　as　General　Grant；　was　alarmed　at　the　seeming　passive　conduct　of　General　Thomas；　and　General　Grant　at　one　time　considered　the　situation　so　dangerous　that　he　thought　of　going　to　Nashville　in　person；　but　General　John　A。　Logan；　happening　to　be　at　City　Point；　was　sent　out　to　supersede　General　Thomas；　luckily　for　the　latter；　he　acted　in　time；　gained　a　magnificent　victory；　and　thus　escaped　so　terrible　a　fate。
  On　the　18th　of　December；　at　my　camp　by　the　side　of　the　plank…road；　eight　miles　back　of　Savannah；　I　received　General　Hardee's　letter　declining　to　surrender；　when　nothing　remained　but　to　assault。　　The　ground　was　difficult；　and；　as　all　former　assaults　had　proved　so　bloody；　I　concluded　to　make　one　more　effort　to　completely　surround　Savannah　on　all　aides；　so　as　further　to　excite　Hardee's　fears；　and；　in　case　of　success；　to　capture　the　whole　of　his　army。　　We　had　already　completely　invested　the　place　on　the　north；　west；　and　south；　but　there　remained　to　the　enemy；　on　the　east；　the　use　of　the　old　dike　or　plank…road　leading　into　South　Carolina；　and　I　knew　that　Hardee　would　have　a　pontoon…bridge　across　the　river。　　On　examining　my　maps；　I　thought　that　the　division　of　John　P。　Hatch；　belonging　to　General　Fosters　command；　might　be　moved　from　its　then　position　at　Broad　River；　by　water；　down　to　Bluffton；　from　which　it　could　reach　this　plank…road；　fortify　and　hold　itat　some　risk；　of　course；　because　Hardee　could　avail　himself　of　his　central　position　to　fall　on　this　detachment　with　his　whole　army。　　I　did　not　want　to　make　a　mistake　like　〃Ball's　Bluff　〃　at　that　period　of　the　war；　so；　taking　one　or　two　of　my　personal　staff；　I　rode　back　to　Grog's　Bridge；　leaving　with　Generals　Howard　and　Slocun：　orders　to　make　all　possible　preparations；　but　not　to　attack；　during　my　two　or　three　days'　absence；　and　there　I　took　a　boat　for　Wassaw　Sound；　whence　Admiral　Dahlgren　conveyed　me　in　his　own　boat　（the　Harvest　Moon）　to　Hilton　Head；　where　I　represented　the　matter　to　General　Foster；　and　he　promptly　agreed　to　give　his　personal　attention　to　it。　　During　the　night　of　the　20th　we　started　back；　the　wind　blowing　strong；　Admiral　Dahlgren　ordered　the　pilot　of　the　Harvest　Moon　to　run　into　Tybee；　and　to　work　his　way　through　to　Wassaw　Sound　and　the　Ogeechee　River　by　the　Romney　Marshes。　　We　were　caught　by　a　low　tide　and　stuck　in　the　mud。　　After　laboring　some　time；　the　admiral　ordered　out　his　barge；　in　it　we　pulled　through　this　intricate　and　shallow　channel；　and　toward　evening　of　December　21st　we　discovered；　coming　toward　us；　a　tug；　called　the　Red　Legs；　belonging　to　the　Quarter…　master's　Department；　with　a　staff…officer　on　board；　bearing　letters　from　Colonel　Dayton　to　myself　and　the　admiral；　reporting　that　the　city　of　Savannah　had　been　found　evacuated　on　the　morning　of　December　21st；　and　was　then　in　our　possession。　　General　Hardee　had　crossed　the　Savannah　River　by　a　pontoon…bridge；　carrying　off　his　men　and　light　artillery；　blowing　up　his　iron…clads　and　navy…yard；　but　leaving　for　us　all　the　heavy　guns；　stores；　cotton；　railway…　cars；　steamboats；　and　an　immense　amount　of　public　and　private　property。　　Admiral　Dahlgren　concluded　to　go　toward　a　vessel　（the　Sonoma）　of　his　blockading　fleet；　which　lay　at　anchor　near　Beaulieu；　and　I　transferred　to　the　Red　Legs；　and　hastened　up　the　Ogeechee　River　to　Grog's　Bridge；　whence　I　rode　to　my　camp　that　same　night。　I　there　learned　that；　early　on　the　morning　of　December　21st；　the　skirmishers　had　detected　the　absence　of　the　enemy；　and　had　occupied　his　lines　simultaneously　along　their　whole　extent；　but　the　left　flank　（Slocum）；　especially　Geary's　division　of　the　Twentieth　Corps；　claimed　to　have　been　the　first　to　reach　the　heart　of　the　city。
  Generals　Slocum　and　Howard　moved　their　headquarters　at　once　into　the　city；　leaving　the　bulk　of　their　troops　in　camps　outside。　　On　th