of　life；　provided　they　had　money。　　Of　course；　many　families　were　actually　destitute　of　this；　and　to　these　were　issued　stores　from　our　own　stock　of　supplies。　　I　remember　to　have　given　to　Dr。　Arnold；　the　mayor；　an　order　for　the　contents　of　a　large　warehouse　of　rice；　which　he　confided　to　a　committee　of　gentlemen；　who　went　North　（to　Boston）；　and　soon　returned　with　one　or　more　cargoes　of　flour；　hams；　sugar；　coffee；　etc。；　for　gratuitous　distribution；　which　relieved　the　most　pressing　wants　until　the　revival　of　trade　and　business　enabled　the　people　to　provide　for　themselves。
  A　lady；　whom　I　had　known　in　former　years　as　Miss　Josephine　Goodwin；　told　me　that；　with　a　barrel　of　flour　and　some　sugar　which　she　had　received　gratuitously　from　the　commissary；　she　had　baked　cakes　and　pies；　in　the　sale　of　which　she　realized　a　profit　of　fifty…six　dollars。
  Meantime　Colonel　Poe　had　reconnoitred　and　laid　off　new　lines　of　parapet；　which　would　enable　a　comparatively　small　garrison　to　hold　the　place；　and　a　heavy　detail　of　soldiers　was　put　to　work　thereon；　Generals　Easton　and　Beckwith　had　organized　a　complete　depot　of　supplies；　and；　though　vessels　arrived　almost　daily　with　mails　end　provisions；　we　were　hardly　ready　to　initiate　a　new　and　hazardous　campaign。　　I　had　not　yet　received　from　General　Grant　or　General　Halleck　any　modification　of　the　orders　of　December　6；1864；　to　embark　my　command　for　Virginia　by　sea；　but　on　the　2d　of　January；　1865；　General　J。　G。　Barnard；　United　States　Engineers；　arrived　direct　from　General　Grant's　headquarters；　bearing　the　following　letter；　in　the　general's　own　handwriting；　which；　with　my　answer；　is　here　given：
  HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNTITED　STATES　CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　December　27；　1864。
  Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi。
  GENERAL：　Before　writing　you　definite　instructions　for　the　next　campaign；　I　wanted　to　receive　your　answer　to　my　letter　written　from　Washington。　　Your　confidence　in　being　able　to　march　up　and　join　this　army　pleases　me；　and　I　believe　it　can　be　done。　　The　effect　of　such　a　campaign　will　be　to　disorganize　the　South；　and　prevent　the　organization　of　new　armies　from　their　broken　fragments。　　Hood　is　now　retreating；　with　his　army　broken　and　demoralized。　　His　loss　in　men　has　probably　not　been　far　from　twenty　thousand；　besides　deserters。　　If　time　is　given；　the　fragments　may　be　collected　together　and　many　of　the　deserters　reassembled。　　If　we　can；　we　should　act　to　prevent　this。　　Your　spare　army；　as　it　were；　moving　as　proposed；　will　do　it。
  In　addition　to　holding　Savannah；　it　looks　to　me　that　an　intrenched　camp　ought　to　be　held　on　the　railroad　between　Savannah　and　Charleston。　　Your　movement　toward　Branchville　will　probably　enable　Foster　to　reach　this　with　his　own　force。　　This　will　give　us　a　position　in　the　South　from　which　we　can　threaten　the　interior　without　marching　over　long；　narrow　causeways；　easily　defended；　as　we　have　heretofore　been　compelled　to　do。　　Could　not　such　a　camp　be　established　about　Pocotaligo　or　Coosawhatchie？
  I　have　thought　that；　Hood　being　so　completely　wiped　out　for　present　harm；　I　might　bring　A。　J。　Smith　here；　with　fourteen　to　fifteen　thousand　men。　　With　this　increase　I　could　hold　my　lines；　and　move　out　with　a　greater　force　than　Lee　has。　　It　would　compel　Lee　to　retain　all　his　present　force　in　the　defenses　of　Richmond　or　abandon　them　entirely。　　This　latter　contingency　is　probably　the　only　danger　to　the　easy　success　of　your　expedition。　　In　the　event　you　should　meet　Lee's　army；　you　would　be　compelled　to　beat　it　or　find　the　sea…coaSt。　Of　course；　I　shall　not　let　Lee's　army　escape　if　I　can　help　it；　and　will　not　let　it　go　without　following　to　the　best　of　my　ability。
  Without　waiting　further　directions；　than；　you　may　make　your　preparations　to　start　on　your　northern　expedition　without　delay。　Break　up　the　railroads　in　South　and　North　Carolina；　and　join　the　armies　operating　against　Richmond　as　soon　as　you　can。　　I　will　leave　out　all　suggestions　about　the　route　you　should　take；　knowing　that　your　information；　gained　daily　in　the　course　of　events；　will　be　better　than　any　that　can　be　obtained　now。
  It　may　not　be　possible　for　you　to　march　to　the　rear　of　Petersburg；　but；　failing　in　this；　you　could　strike　either　of　the　sea…coast　ports　in　North　Carolina　held　by　us。　　From　there　you　could　take　shipping。　　It　would　be　decidedly　preferable；　however；　if　you　could　march　the　whole　distance。
  》From　the　best　information　I　have；　you　will　find　no　difficulty　in　supplying　your　army　until　you　cross　the　Roanoke。　　From　there　here　is　but　a　few　days'　march；　and　supplies　could　be　collected　south　of　the　river　to　bring　you　through。　　I　shall　establish　communication　with　you　there；　by　steamboat　and　gunboat。　　By　this　means　your　wants　can　be　partially　supplied。　　I　shall　hope　to　hear　from　you　soon；　and　to　hear　your　plan；　and　about　the　time　of　starting。
  Please　instruct　Foster　to　hold　on　to　all　the　property　in　Savannah；　and　especially　the　cotton。　　Do　not　turn　it　over　to　citizens　or　Treasury　agents；　without　orders　of　the　War　Department。
  Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　January　2；　1865。
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　City　Point。
  GENERAL　：　I　have　received；　by　the　hands　of　General　Barnard；　your　note　of　26th　and　letter　of　27th　December。
  I　herewith　inclose　to　you　a　copy　of　a　projet　which　I　have　this　morning；　in　strict　confidence；　discussed　with　my　immediate　commanders。
  I　shall　need；　however；　larger　supplies　of　stores；　especially　grain。　I　will　inclose　to　you；　with　this；　letters　from　General　Easton；　quartermaster；　and　Colonel　Beckwith；　commissary　of　subsistence；　setting　forth　what　will　be　required；　and　trust　you　will　forward　them　to　Washington　with　your　sanction；　so　that　the　necessary　steps　may　be　taken　at　once　to　enable　me　to　carry　out　this　plan　on　time。
  I　wrote　you　very　fully　on　the　24th；　and　have　nothing　to　add。　　Every　thing　here　is　quiet；　and　if　I　can　get　the　necessary　supplies　in　our　wagons；　shall　be　ready　to　start　at　the　time　indicated　in　my　projet　（January　15th）。　　But；　until　those　supplies　are　in　hand；　I　can　do　nothing；　after　they　are；　I　shall　be　ready　to　move　with　great　rapidity。
  I　have　heard　of　the　affair　at　Cape　Fear。　　It　has　turned　out　as　you　will　remember　I　expected。
  I　have　furnished　General　Easton　a　copy　of　the　dispatch　from　the　Secretary　of　War。　　He　will　retain　possession　of　all　cotton　here；　and　ship　it　as　fast　as　vessels　can　be　had　to　New　York。
  I　shall　immediately　send　the　Seventeenth　Corps　over　to　Port　Royal；　by　boats；　to　be　furnished　by　Admiral　Dahlgren　and　General　Foster　（without　interfering　with　General　Easton's　vessels）；　to　make　a　lodgment　on　the　railroad　at　Pocotaligo。
  General　Barnard　will　remain　with　me　a　few　days；　and　I　send　this　by　a　staff…officer；　who　can　return　on　one　of　the　vessels　of　the　supply…fleet。　　I　suppose　that；　now　that　General　Butler　has　got　through　with　them；　you　can　spare　them　to　us。
  My　report　of　recent　operations　is　nearly　ready；　and　will　be　sent　you　in　a　day　or　two；　as　soon　as　some　farther　subordinate　reports　come　in。
  I　am；　with　great　respect；　very　truly；　your　friend；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  ＇Entirely　confidential＇
  PROJET　FOR　JANUARY。
  1。　　Right　wing　to　move　men　and　artillery　by　transports　to　head　of　Broad　River　and　Beaufort；　reestablish　Port　Royal　Ferry；　and　mass　the　wing　at　or　in　the　neighborhood　of　Pocotaligo。
  Left　wing　and　cavalry　to　work　slowly　across　the　causeway　toward　Hardeeville；　to　open　a　road　by　which　wagons　can　reach　their　corps　about　Broad　River；　also；　by　a　rapid　movement　of　the　left；　to　secure　Sister's　Ferry；　and　Augusta　road　out　to　Robertsville。
  In　the　mean　time；　all　guns；　shot；　shell；　cotton；　etc。；　to　be　moved　to　a　safe　place；　easy　to　guard；　and　provisions　and　wagons　got　ready　for　another　swath；　aiming　to　have　our　army　in　hand　about　the　head　of　Broad　River；　say　Pocotaligo；　Robertsville；　and　Coosawhatchie；　by　the　15th　January。
  2。　　The　whole　army　to　move　with　loaded　wagons　by　the　roads　leading　in　the　direction　of　Columbia；　which　afford　the　best　chance　of　forage　and　provisions。　　Howard　to　be　at　Pocotaligo　by　the　15th　January；　and　Slocum　to　be　at　Robertsville；　and　Kilpatrick　at　or　near　Coosawhatchie　about　the　same　date。　　General　Fosters　troops　to　occupy　Savannah；　and　gunboats　to　protect　the　rivers　as　soon　as　Howard　gets　Pocotaligo。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  Therefore；　on　the　2d　of　January；　I　was　authorized　to　march　with　my　entire　army　north　by　land；　and　concluded　at　once　to　secure　a　foothold　or　starting…point　on　the　South　Carolina　side；　selecting　Pocotaligo　and　Hardeeville　as　the　points　of　rendezvous　for　the　two　wings；　but　I　still　remained　in　doubt　as　to　the　wishes　of　the　Administration；　whether　I　should　take　Charleston　en　route；　or　confine　my　whole　attention　to　the　incidental　advantages　of　breaking　up　the　railways　of　South　and　North　Carolina；　and　the　greater　object　of　uniting　my　army　with　that　of　General　Grant　before　Richmond。
  General　Barnard　remained　with　me　several　days；　and　was　regarded　then；　as　now；　one　of　the　first　engineers　of　the　age；　perfectly　competent　to　advise　me　on　the　strategy　and　objects　of　the　new　campaign。