end　convenient　points　for　the　embarkation　of　troops　and　wagons　on　seagoing　vessels。
  By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；
  L。　　M。　DAYTON；　Aide…de…Camp。
  ＇Special　Field　Order　No。　143。＇
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　December　26；　1864。
  The　city　of　Savannah　and　surrounding　country　will　be　held　as　a　military　post；　and　adapted　to　future　military　uses；　but；　as　it　contains　a　population　of　some　twenty　thousand　people；　who　must　be　provided　for；　and　as　other　citizens　may　come；　it　in　proper　to　lay　down　certain　general　principles；　that　all　within　its　military　jurisdiction　may　understand　their　relative　duties　and　obligations。
  1。　　During　war；　the　military　is　superior　to　civil　authority；　and；　where　interests　clash；　the　civil　must　give　way；　yet；　where　there　is　no　conflict；　every　encouragement　should　be　given　to　well…disposed　and　peaceful　inhabitants　to　resume　their　usual　pursuits。　　Families　should　be　disturbed　as　little　as　possible　in　their　residences；　and　tradesmen　allowed　the　free　use　of　their　shops；　tools；　etc。；　churches；　schools；　and　all　places　of　amusement　and　recreation；　should　be　encouraged；　and　streets　and　roads　made　perfectly　safe　to　persons　in　their　pursuits。　　Passes　should　not　be　exacted　within　the　line　of　outer　pickets；　but　if　any　person　shall　abuse　these　privileges　by　communicating　with　the　enemy；　or　doing　any　act　of　hostility　to　the　Government　of　the　United　Staten；　he　or　she　will　be　punished　with　the　utmost　rigor　of　the　law。　　Commerce　with　the　outer　world　will　be　resumed　to　an　extent　commensurate　with　the　wants　of　the　citizens；　governed　by　the　restrictions　and　rules　of　the　Treasury　Department。
  2。　　The　chief　quartermaster　and　commissary　of　the　army　may　give　suitable　employment　to　the　people；　white　and　black；　or　transport　them　to　such　points　as　they　may　choose　where　employment　can　be　had；　and　may　extend　temporary　relief　in　the　way　of　provisions　and　vacant　houses　to　the　worthy　and　needy；　until　such　time　as　they　can　help　themselves。　　They　will　select　first　the　buildings　for　the　necessary　uses　of　the　army；　next；　a　sufficient　number　of　stores；　to　be　turned　over　to　the　Treasury　agent　for　trade…stores。　　All　vacant　store…　houses　or　dwellings；　and　all　buildings　belonging　to　absent　rebels；　will　be　construed　and　used　as　belonging　to　the　United　States；　until　such　time　as　their　titles　can　be　settled　by　the　courts　of　the　United　States。
  8。　　The　Mayor　and　City　Council　of　Savannah　will　continue　to　exercise　their　functions；　and　will；　in　concert　with　the　commanding　officer　of　the　post　and　the　chief…quartermaster；　see　that　the　fire…companies　are　kept　in　organization；　the　streets　cleaned　and　lighted；　and　keep　up　a　good　understanding　between　the　citizens　and　soldiers。　　They　will　ascertain　and　report　to　the　chief　commissary　of　subsistence；　as　soon　as　possible；　the　names　and　number　of　worthy　families　that　need　assistance　and　support。　　The　mayor　will　forth　with　give　public　notice　that　the　time　has　come　when　all　must　choose　their　course；　viz。；　remain　within　our　lines；　and　conduct　themselves　as　good　citizens；　or　depart　in　peace。　　He　will　ascertain　the　names　of　all　who　choose　to　leave　Savannah；　and　report　their　names　and　residence　to　the　chief…quartermaster；　that　measures　may　be　taken　to　transport　them　beyond　our　lines。
  4。　　Not　more　than　two　newspapers　will　be　published　in　Savannah；　their　editors　and　proprietors　will　be　held　to　the　strictest　accountability；　and　will　be　punished　severely；　in　person　and　property；　for　any　libelous　publication；　mischievous　matter；　premature　news；　exaggerated　statements；　or　any　comments　whatever　upon　the　acts　of　the　constituted　authorities；　they　will　be　held　accountable　for　such　articles；　even　though　copied　from　other　papers。
  By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；
  L。　　M。　　DAYTON；　Aide…de…Camp。
  It　was　estimated　that　there　were　about　twenty　thousand　inhabitants　in　Savannah；　all　of　whom　had　participated　more　or　less　in　the　war；　and　had　no　special　claims　to　our　favor；　but　I　regarded　the　war　as　rapidly　drawing　to　a　close；　and　it　was　becoming　a　political　question　as　to　what　was　to　be　done　with　the　people　of　the　South；　both　white　and　black；　when　the　war　was　actually　over。　　I　concluded　to　give　them　the　option　to　remain　or　to　join　their　friends　in　Charleston　or　Augusta；　and　so　announced　in　general　orders。　　The　mayor；　Dr。　Arnold；　was　completely　〃subjugated；〃　and；　after　consulting　with　him；　I　authorized　him　to　assemble　his　City　Council　to　take　charge　generally　of　the　interests　of　the　people；　but　warned　all　who　remained　that　they　must　be　strictly　subordinate　to　the　military　law；　and　to　the　interests　of　the　General　Government。　About　two　hundred　persona；　mostly　the　families　of　men　in　the　Confederate　army；　prepared　to　follow　the　fortunes　of　their　husbands　and　fathers；　and　these　were　sent　in　a　steamboat　under　a　flag　of　truce；　in　charge　of　my　aide　Captain　Audenried；　to　Charleston　harbor；　and　there　delivered　to　an　officer　of　the　Confederate　army。　But　the　great　bulk　of　the　inhabitants　chose　to　remain　in　Savannah；　generally　behaved　with　propriety；　and　good　social　relations　at　once　arose　between　them　and　the　army。　　Shortly　after　our　occupation　of　Savannah；　a　lady　was　announced　at　my　headquarters　by　the　orderly　or　sentinel　at　the　front…door；　who　was　ushered　into　the　parlor；　and　proved　to　be　the　wife　of　General　G。　W。　Smith；　whom　I　had　known　about　1850；　when　Smith　was　on　duty　at　West　Point。　　She　was　a　native　of　New　London；　Connecticut；　and　very　handsome。　　She　began　her　interview　by　presenting　me　a　letter　from　her　husband；　who　then　commanded　a　division　of　the　Georgia　militia　in　the　rebel　army；　which　had　just　quitted　Savannah；　which　letter　began；　〃DEAR　SHERMAN：　The　fortunes　of　war；　etc…。；　compel　me　to　leave　my　wife　in　Savannah；　and　I　beg　for　her　your　courteous　protection；〃　etc。；　etc。　　I　inquired　where　she　lived；　and　if　anybody　was　troubling　her。　　She　said　she　was　boarding　with　a　lady　whose　husband　had；　in　like　manner　with　her　own；　gone　off　with　Hardee's　army；　that　a　part　of　the　house　had　been　taken　for　the　use　of　Major…General　Ward；　of　Kentucky；　that　her　landlady　was　approaching　her　confinement；　and　was　nervous　at　the　noise　which　the　younger　staff…officers　made　at　night；　etc。　　I　explained　to　her　that　I　could　give　but　little　personal　attention　to　such　matters；　and　referred　her　to　General　Slocum；　whose　troops　occupied　the　city。　　I　afterward　visited　her　house；　and　saw；　personally；　that　she　had　no　reason　to　complain。　　Shortly　afterward　Mr。　Hardee；　a　merchant　of　Savannah；　came　to　me　and　presented　a　letter　from　his　brother；　the　general；　to　the　same　effect；　alleging　that　his　brother　was　a　civilian；　had　never　taken　up　arms；　and　asked　of　me　protection　for　his　family；　his　cotton；　etc。　　To　him　I　gave　the　general　assurance　that　no　harm　was　designed　to　any　of　the　people　of　Savannah　who　would　remain　quiet　and　peaceable；　but　that　I　could　give　him　no　guarantee　as　to　his　cotton；　for　over　it　I　had　no　absolute　control；　and　yet　still　later　I　received　a　note　from　the　wife　of　General　A。　P。　Stewart　（who　commanded　a　corps　in　Hood's　army）；　asking　me　to　come　to　see　her。　　This　I　did；　and　found　her　to　be　a　native　of　Cincinnati；　Ohio；　wanting　protection；　and　who　was　naturally　anxious　about　the　fate　of　her　husband；　known　to　be　with　General　Hood；　in　Tennessee；　retreating　before　General　Thomas。　　I　remember　that　I　was　able　to　assure　her　that　he　had　not　been　killed　or　captured；　up　to　that　date；　and　think　that　I　advised　her；　instead　of　attempting　to　go　in　pursuit　of　her　husband；　to　go　to　Cincinnati；　to　her　uncle；　Judge　Storer；　there　await　the　issue　of　events。
  Before　I　had　reached　Savannah；　and　daring　our　stay　there；　the　rebel　officers　and　newspapers　represented　the　conduct　of　the　men　of　our　army　as　simply　infamous；　that　we　respected　neither　age　nor　sex；　that　we　burned　every　thing　we　came　acrossbarns；　stables；　cotton…gins；　and　even　dwelling…houses；　that　we　ravished　the　women　and　killed　the　men；　and　perpetrated　all　manner　of　outrages　on　the　inhabitants。　　Therefore　it　struck　me　as　strange　that　Generals　Hardee　and　Smith　should　commit　their；　families　to　our　custody；　and　even　bespeak　our　personal　care　and　attention。　　These　officers　knew　well　that　these　reports　were　exaggerated　in　the　extreme；　and　yet　tacitly　assented　to　these　publications；　to　arouse　the　drooping　energies　of　the　people　of　the　South。
  As　the　division　of　Major…General　John　W。　Geary；　of　the　Twentieth　Corps；　was　the　first　to　enter　Savannah；　that　officer　was　appointed　to　command　the　place；　or　to　act　as　a　sort　of　governor。　　He　very　soon　established　a　good　police；　maintained　admirable　order；　and　I　doubt　if　Savannah；　either　before　or　since；　has　had　a　better　government　than　during　our　stay。　　The　guard…mountings　and　parades；　as　well　as　the　greater　reviews；　became　the　daily　resorts　of　the　ladies；　to　hear　the　music　of　our　excellent　bands；　schools　were　opened；　and　the　churches　every　Sunday　were　well　filled　with　most　devout　and　respectful　congregations；　stores　were　reopened；　and　markets　for　provisions；　meat；　wood；　etc。；　were　established；　so　that　each　family；　regardless　of　race；　color；　or　opinion；　could　procure　all　the　necessaries　and　even　luxuries　of　life；　provided　they　had　money。　　Of　course；　many　families　were　actually　destitute　of　this；　and　to