be　to　visit　the　settlements；　to　regulate　their　police　and　general　arrangement；　and　who　will　furnish　personally　to　each　head　of　a　family；　subject　to　the　approval　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　a　possessory　title　in　writing；　giving　as　near　as　possible　the　description　of　boundaries；　and　who　shall　adjust　all　claims　or　conflicts　that　may　arise　under　the　same；　subject　to　the　like　approval；　treating　such　titles　altogether　as　possessory。　　The　same　general　offcer　will　also　be　charged　with　the　enlistment　and　organization　of　the　negro　recruits；　and　protecting　their　interests　while　absent　from　their　settlements；　and　will　be　governed　by　the　rules　and　regulations　prescribed　by　the　War　Department　for　such　purposes。
  6。　　Brigadier…General　R。　　Saxton　is　hereby　appointed　Inspector　of　Settlements　and　Plantations；　and　will　at　once　enter　on　the　performance　of　his　duties。　　No　change　is　intended　or　desired　in　the　settlement　now　on　Beaufort　Island；　nor　will　any　rights　to　property　heretofore　acquired　be　affected　thereby。
  By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；　L。　　M。　　DAYTON；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。
  I　saw　a　good　deal　of　the　secretary　socially；　during　the　time　of　his　visit　to　Savannah。　　He　kept　his　quarters　on　the　revenue…cutter　with　Simeon　Draper；　Esq。；　which　cutter　lay　at　a　wharf　in　the　river；　but　he　came　very　often　to　my　quarters　at　Mr。　Green's　house。　　Though　appearing　robust　and　strong；　he　complained　a　good　deal　of　internal　pains；　which　he　said　threatened　his　life；　and　would　compel　him　soon　to　quit　public　office。　　He　professed　to　have　come　from　Washington　purposely　for　rest　and　recreation；　and　he　spoke　unreservedly　of　the　bickerings　and　jealousies　at　the　national　capital；　of　the　interminable　quarrels　of　the　State　Governors　about　their　quotas；　and　more　particularly　of　the　financial　troubles　that　threatened　the　very　existence　of　the　Government　itself。　　He　said　that　the　price　of　every　thing　had　so　risen　in　comparison　with　the　depreciated　money；　that　there　was　danger　of　national　bankruptcy；　and　he　appealed　to　me；　as　a　soldier　and　patriot；　to　hurry　up　matters　so　as　to　bring　the　war　to　a　close。
  He　left　for　Port　Royal　about　the　15th　of　January；　and　promised　to　go　North　without　delay；　so　as　to　hurry　back　to　me　the　supplies　I　had　called　for；　as　indispensable　for　the　prosecution　of　the　next　stage　of　the　campaign。　　I　was　quite　impatient　to　get　off　myself；　for　a　city…life　had　become　dull　and　tame；　and　we　were　all　anxious　to　get　into　the　pine…woods　again；　free　from　the　importunities　of　rebel　women　asking　for　protection；　and　of　the　civilians　from　the　North　who　were　coming　to　Savannah　for　cotton　and　all　sorts　of　profit。
  On　the　18th　of　January　General　Slocum　was　ordered　to　turn　over　the　city　of　Savannah　to　General　J。　G。　Foster；　commanding　the　Department　of　the　South；　who　proposed　to　retain　his　own　headquarters　at　Hilton　Head；　and　to　occupy　Savannah　by　General　Grovers　division　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps；　just　arrived　from　James　River；　and　on　the　next　day；　viz。；　January　19th；　I　made　the　first　general　orders　for　the　move。
  These　were　substantially　to　group　the　right　wing　of　the　army　at　Pocotaligo；　already　held　by　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　and　the　left　wing　and　cavalry　at　or　near　Robertsville；　in　South　Carolina。　　The　army　remained　substantially　the　same　as　during　the　march　from　Atlanta；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　changes　in　the　commanders　of　brigades　and　divisions；　the　addition　of　some　men　who　had　joined　from　furlough；　and　the　loss　of　others　from　the　expiration　of　their　term　of　service。　　My　own　personal　staff　remained　the　same；　with　the　exception　that　General　W。　F。　Barry　had　rejoined　us　at　Savannah；　perfectly　recovered　from　his　attack　of　erysipelas；　and　continued　with　us　to　the　end　of　the　war。　　Generals　Easton　and　Beckwith　remained　at　Savannah；　in　charge　of　their　respective　depots；　with　orders　to　follow　and　meet　us　by　sea　with　supplies　when　we　should　reach　the　coast　at　Wilmington　or　Newbern；　North　Carolina。
  Of　course；　I　gave　out　with　some　ostentation；　especially　among　the　rebels；　that　we　were　going　to　Charleston　or　Augusta；　but　I　had　long　before　made　up　my　mind　to　waste　no　time　on　either；　further　than　to　play　off　on　their　fears；　thus　to　retain　for　their　protection　a　force　of　the　enemy　which　would　otherwise　concentrate　in　our　front；　and　make　the　passage　of　some　of　the　great　rivers　that　crossed　our　route　more　difficult　and　bloody。
  Having　accomplished　all　that　seemed　necessary；　on　the　21st　of　January；　with　my　entire　headquarters；　officers；　clerks；　orderlies；　etc。；　with　wagons　and　horses；　I　embarked　in　a　steamer　for　Beaufort；　South　Carolina；　touching　at　Hilton　Head；　to　see　General　Foster。　The　weather　was　rainy　and　bad；　but　we　reached　Beaufort　safely　on　the　23d；　and　found　some　of　General　Blair's　troops　there。　　The　pink　of　his　corps　（Seventeenth）　was；　however；　up　on　the　railroad　about　Pocotaligo；　near　the　head　of　Broad　River；　to　which　their　supplies　were　carried　from　Hilton　Head　by　steamboats。　　General　Hatch's　division　（of　General　Foster's　command）　was　still　at　Coosawhatchie　or　Tullafinny；　where　the　Charleston　&　Savannah　Railroad　crosses　the　river　of　that　name。　　All　the　country　between　Beaufort　and　Pocotaligo　was　low　alluvial　land；　cut　up　by　an　infinite　number　of　salt…water　sloughs　and　freshwater　creeks；　easily　susceptible　of　defense　by　a　small　force；　and　why　the　enemy　had　allowed　us　to　make　a　lodgment　at　Pocotaligo　so　easily　I　did　not　understand；　unless　it　resulted　from　fear　or　ignorance。　　It　seemed　to　me　then　that　the　terrible　energy　they　had　displayed　in　the　earlier　stages　of　the　war　was　beginning　to　yield　to　the　slower　but　more　certain　industry　and　discipline　of　our　Northern　men。　　It　was　to　me　manifest　that　the　soldiers　and　people　of　the　South　entertained　an　undue　fear　of　our　Western　men；　and；　like　children；　they　had　invented　such　ghostlike　stories　of　our　prowess　in　Georgia；　that　they　were　scared　by　their　own　inventions。　　Still；　this　was　a　power；　and　I　intended　to　utilize　it。　　Somehow；　our　men　had　got　the　idea　that　South　Carolina　was　the　cause　of　all　our　troubles；　her　people　were　the　first　to　fire　on　Fort　Sumter；　had　been　in　a　great　hurry　to　precipitate　the　country　into　civil　war；　and　therefore　on　them　should　fall　the　scourge　of　war　in　its　worst　form。　　Taunting　messages　had　also　come　to　us；　when　in　Georgia；　to　the　effect　that；　when　we　should　reach　South　Carolina；　we　would　find　a　people　less　passive；　who　would　fight　us　to　the　bitter　end；　daring　us　to　come　over；　etc。；　so　that　I　saw　and　felt　that　we　would　not　be　able　longer　to　restrain　our　men　as　we　had　done　in　Georgia。
  Personally　I　had　many　friends　in　Charleston；　to　whom　I　would　gladly　have　extended　protection　and　mercy；　but　they　were　beyoud　my　personal　reach；　and　I　would　not　restrain　the　army　lest　its　vigor　and　energy　should　be　impaired；　and　I　had　every　reason　to　expect　bold　and　strong　resistance　at　the　many　broad　and　deep　rivers　that　lay　across　our　path。
  General　Foster's　Department　of　the　South　had　been　enlarged　to　embrace　the　coast　of　North　Carolina；　so　that　the　few　troops　serving　there；　under　the　command　of　General　Innis　N。　Palmer；　at　Newbern；　became　subject　to　my　command。　　General　A。　H。　Terry　held　Fort　Fisher；　and　a　rumor　came　that　ha　had　taken　the　city　of　Wilmington；　but　this　was　premature。　　He　had　about　eight　thousand　men。　　General　Schofield　was　also　known　to　be　en　route　from　Nashville　for　North　Carolina；　with　the　entire　Twenty…third　Corps；　so　that　I　had　every　reason　to　be　satisfied　that　I　would　receive　additional　strength　as　we　progressed　northward；　and　before　I　should　need　it。
  General　W。　J。　Hardee　commanded　the　Confederate　forces　in　Charleston；　with　the　Salkiehatchie　River　as　his　line　of　defense。　It　was　also　known　that　General　Beauregard　had　came　from　the　direction　of　Tennessee；　and　had　assumed　the　general　command　of　all　the　troops　designed　to　resist　our　progress。
  The　heavy　winter　rains　had　begun　early　in　January；　rendered　the　roads　execrable；　and　the　Savannah　River　became　so　swollen　that　it　filled　its　many　channels；　overflowing　the　vast　extent　of　rice…fields　that　lay　on　the　east　bank。　　This　flood　delayed　our　departure　two　weeks；　for　it　swept　away　our　pontoon…bridge　at　Savannah；　and　came　near　drowning　John　E。　Smith's　division　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　with　several　heavy　trains　of　wagons　that　were　en　route　from　Savannah　to　Pocotaligo　by　the　old　causeway。
  General　Slocum　had　already　ferried　two　of　his　divisions　across　the　river；　when　Sister's　Ferry；　about　forty　miles　above　Savannah；　was　selected　for　the　passage　of　the　rest　of　his　wing　and　of　Kilpatrick's　cavalry。　　The　troops　were　in　motion　for　that　point　before　I　quitted　Savannah；　and　Captain　S。　B。　Luce；　United　States　Navy；　had　reported　to　me　with　a　gunboat　（the　Pontiac）　and　a　couple　of　transports；　which　I　requested　him　to　use　in　protecting　Sister's　Ferry　during　the　passage　of　Slocum's　wing；　and　to　facilitate　the　passage　of　the　troops　all　he　could。　　The　utmost　activity　prevailed　at　all　points；　but　it　was　manifest　we　could　not　get　off　much　before　the　1st　day　of　February；　so　I　determined　to　go　in　person　to　Pocotaligo；　and　there　act　as　though　we　were　bound　for　Charleston。　On　the　24th　of　January　I　started　from　Beaufort　with　a　part　of　my　staff；　leaving　the　rest　to　follow　at　leisure；　rode　across　the　island　to　a　pontoon…bridge　that　spanned