stance　of　one　hundred　miles；　and；　before　that　can　be　done；　I　propose　to　be　on　the　road　from　Augusta　to　Charleston；　which　is　a　continuation　of　the　same。　　I　felt　somewhat　disappointed　at　Hardee's　escape；　but　really　am　not　to　blame。　　I　moved　as　quickly　as　possible　to　close　up　the　〃Union　Causeway；〃　but　intervening　obstacles　were　such　that；　before　I　could　get　troops　on　the　road；　Hardee　had　slipped　out。　　Still；　I　know　that　the　men　that　were　in　Savannah　will　be　lost　in　a　measure　to　Jeff。　Davis；　for　the　Georgia　troops；　under　G。　W。　Smith；　declared　they　would　not　fight　in　South　Carolina；　and　they　have　gone　north；　en　route　for　Augusta；　and　I　have　reason　to　believe　the　North　Carolina　troops　have　gone　to　Wilmington；　in　other　words；　they　are　scattered。　　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　Beauregard　was　present　in　Savannah　at　the　time　of　its　evacuation；　and　think　that　he　and　Hardee　are　now　in　Charleston；　making　preparations　for　what　they　suppose　will　be　my　next　step。
  Please　say　to　the　President　that　I　have　received　his　kind　message　（through　Colonel　Markland）；　and　feel　thankful　for　his　high　favor。　If　I　disappoint　him　in　the　future；　it　shall　not　be　from　want　of　zeal　or　love　to　the　cause。
  》From　you　I　expect　a　full　and　frank　criticism　of　my　plans　for　the　future；　which　may　enable　me　to　correct　errors　before　it　is　too　late。　　I　do　not　wish　to　be　rash；　but　want　to　give　my　rebel　friends　no　chance　to　accuse　us　of　want　of　enterprise　or　courage。
  Assuring　you　of　my　high　personal　respect；　I　remain；　as　ever；　your　friend；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  ＇General　Order　No。　3。＇
  WAR　DEPARTMENT；　ADJUTANT　GENERAL'S　OFFICE　WASHINGTON；　January　14；　1865。
  The　following　resolution　of　the　Senate　and　House　of　Representatives　is　published　to　the　army：
  ＇PUBLIC　RESOLUTIONNo。　4。＇
  Joint　resolution　tendering　the　thanks　of　the　people　and　of　Congress　to　Major…General　William　T。　Sherman；　and　the　officers　and　soldiers　of　his　command；　for　their　gallant　conduct　in　their　late　brilliant　movement　through　Georgia。
  Be　it　resolved　by　the　Senate　and　House　of　Representatives　of　the　United　States　of　America　in　Congress　assembled；　That　the　thanks　of　the　people　and　of　the　Congress　of　the　United　States　are　due　and　are　hereby　tendered　to　Major…General　William　T。　Sherman；　and　through　him　to　the　officers　and　men　under　his　command；　for　their　gallantry　and　good　conduct　in　their　late　campaign　from　Chattanooga　to　Atlanta；　and　the　triumphal　march　thence　through　Georgia　to　Savannah；　terminating　in　the　capture　and　occupation　of　that　city；　and　that　the　President　cause　a　copy　of　this　joint　resolution　to　be　engrossed　and　forwarded　to　Major…General　Sherman。
  Approved；　January　10；　1865。
  By　order　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　W。　A。　NICHOLS；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。
  CHAPTER　XXII。
  SAVANNAH　AND　POCOTALIGO。
  DECEMBER；　1884；　AND　JANUARY；　1885。
  The　city　of　Savannah　was　an　old　place；　and　usually　accounted　a　handsome　one。　　Its　houses　were　of　brick　or　frame；　with　large　yards；　ornamented　with　shrubbery　and　flowers；　its　streets　perfectly　regular；　crossing　each　other　at　right　angles；　and　at　many　of　the　intersections　were　small　inclosures　in　the　nature　of　parks。　　These　streets　and　parks　were　lined　with　the　handsomest　shade…trees　of　which　I　have　knowledge；　viz。；　the　Willow…leaf　live…oak；　evergreens　of　exquisite　beauty；　and　these　certainly　entitled　Savannah　to　its　reputation　as　a　handsome　town　more　than　the　houses；　which；　though　comfortable；　would　hardly　make　a　display　on　Fifth　Avenue　or　the　Boulevard　Haussmann　of　Paris。　　The　city　was　built　on　a　plateau　of　sand　about　forty　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea；　abutting　against　the　river；　leaving　room　along　its　margin　for　a　street　of　stores　and　warehouses。　　The　customhouse；　court…house；　post…office；　etc。；　were　on　the　plateau　above。　　In　rear　of　Savannah　was　a　large　park；　with　a　fountain；　and　between　it　and　the　court…house　was　a　handsome　monument；　erected　to　the　memory　of　Count　Pulaski；　who　fell　in　1779　in　the　assault　made　on　the　city　at　the　time　it　was　held　by　the　English　during　the　Revolutionary　War。　　Outside　of　Savannah　there　was　very　little　to　interest　a　stranger；　except　the　cemetery　of　Bonaventura；　and　the　ride　along　the　Wilmington　Channel　by　way　of　Thunderbolt；　where　might　be　seen　some　groves　of　the　majestic　live…oak　trees；　covered　with　gray　and　funereal　moss；　which　were　truly　sublime　in　grandeur；　but　gloomy　after　a　few　days'　camping　under　them：
  Within　an　hour　of　taking　up　my　quarters　in　Mr。　Green's　house；　Mr。　A。　G。　Browne；　of　Salem；　Massachusetts；　United　States　Treasury　agent　for　the　Department　of　the　South；　made　his　appearance　to　claim　possession；　in　the　name　of　the　Treasury　Department；　of　all　captured　cotton；　rice；　buildings；　etc。　　Having　use　for　these　articles　ourselves；　and　having　fairly　earned　them；　I　did　not　feel　inclined　to　surrender　possession；　and　explained　to　him　that　the　quartermaster　and　commissary　could　manage　them　more　to　my　liking　than　he；　but　I　agreed；　after　the　proper　inventories　had　been　prepared；　if　there　remained　any　thing　for　which　we　had　no　special　use；　I　would　turn　it　over　to　him。　　It　was　then　known　that　in　the　warehouses　were　stored　at　least　twentyfive　thousand　bales　of　cotton；　and　in　the　forts　one　hundred　and　fifty　large；　heavy　sea…coast　guns：　although　afterward；　on　a　more　careful　count；　there　proved　to　be　more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　sea…coast　or　siege　guns；　and　thirty…one　thousand　bales　of　cotton。　　At　that　interview　Mr。　Browne；　who　was　a　shrewd；　clever　Yankee；　told　me　that　a　vessel　was　on　the　point　of　starting　for　Old　Point　Comfort；　and；　if　she　had　good　weather　off　Cape　Hatteras；　would　reach　Fortress　Monroe　by　Christmas…day；　and　he　suggested　that　I　might　make　it　the　occasion　of　sending　a　welcome　Christmas　gift　to　the　President；　Mr。　Lincoln；　who　peculiarly　enjoyed　such　pleasantry。　　I　accordingly　sat　down　and　wrote　on　a　slip　of　paper；　to　be　left　at　the　telegraph…office　at　Fortress　Monroe　for　transmission；　the　following：
  SAVANNAH　GEORGIA；　December　22；　1884。　To　His　Excellency　President　Lincoln；　Washington；　D。　C。：
  I　beg　to　present　you　as　a　Christmas…gift　the　city　of　Savannah；　with　one　hundred　and　fifty　heavy　guns　and　plenty　of　ammunition；　also　about　twenty　five　thousand　bales　of　cotton。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  This　message　actually　reached　him　on　Christmas…eve；　was　extensively　published　in　the　newspapers；　and　made　many　a　household　unusually　happy　on　that　festive　day；　and　it　was　in　the　answer　to　this　dispatch　that　Mr。　Lincoln　wrote　me　the　letter　of　December　28th；　already　given；　beginning　with　the　words；　〃many；　many　thanks；〃　etc。；　which　he　sent　at　the　hands　of　General　John　A。　　Logan；　who　happened　to　be　in　Washington；　and　was　coming　to　Savannah；　to　rejoin　his　command。
  On　the　23d　of　December　were　made　the　following　general　orders　for　the　disposition　of　the　troops　in　and　about　Savannah：
  Especial　Field　Order　No。　139。＇
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　December　23；　1864。
  Savannah；　being　now　in　our　possession；　the　river　partially　cleared　out；　and　measures　having　been　taken　to　remove　all　obstructions；　will　at　once　be　made　a　grand　depot　for　future　operations：
  1。　　The　chief…quartermaster；　General　Euston；　will；　after　giving　the　necessary　orders　touching　the　transports　in　Ogeechee　River　and　Oasabaw　Sound；　come　in　person　to　Savannah；　and　take　possession　of　all　public　buildings；　vacant　storerooms；　warehouses；　etc。；　that　may　be　now　or　hereafter　needed　for　any　department　of　the　army。　　No　rents　will　be　paid　by　the　Government　of　the　United　States　during　the　war；　and　all　buildings　must　be　distributed　according　to　the　accustomed　rates　of　the　Quartermaster's　Department；　as　though　they　were　public　property。
  2。　　The　chief　commissary　of　subsistence；　Colonel　A。　　Beckwith；　will　transfer　the　grand　depot　of　the　army　to　the　city　of　Savannah；　secure　possession　of　the　needful　buildings　and　offices；　and　give　the　necessary　orders；　to　the　end　that　the　army　may　be　supplied　abundantly　and　well。
  S。　　The　chief…engineer；　Captain　Poe；　will　at　once　direct　which　of　the　enemy's　forts　are　to　be　retained　for　our　use；　and　which　dismantled　and　destroyed。　　The　chief　ordnance…officer；　Captain　Baylor；　will　in　like　manner　take　possession　of　all　property　pertaining　to　his　department　captured　from　the　enemy；　and　cause　the　same　to　be　collected　and　conveyed　to　points　of　security；　all　the　heavy　coast…guns　will　be　dismounted　and　carried　to　Fort　Pulaski。
  4。　　The　troops；　for　the　present；　will　be　grouped　about　the　city　of　Savannah；　looking　to　convenience　of　camps；　General　Slocum　taking　from　the　Savannah　River　around　to　the　seven…mile　post　on　the　Canal；　and　General　Howard　thence　to　the　sea；　General　Kilpatrick　will　hold　King's　Bridge　until　Fort　McAllister　is　dismantled；　and　the　troops　withdrawn　from　the　south　side　of　the　Ogeechee；　when　he　will　take　post　about　Anderson's　plantation；　on　the　plank…road；　and　picket　all　the　roads　leading　from　the　north　and　west。
  5。　　General　Howard　will　keep　a　small　guard　at　Forts　Rosedale；　Beaulieu；　Wimberley；　Thunderbolt；　and　Bonaventnra；　and　he　will　cause　that　shore　and　Skidaway　Island　to　be　examined　very　closely；　with　a　view　to　finding　many　end　convenient　points　for　the　embarkation　of　troops　and　wagons　on　seagoing　vessels。
  By　order　of