taff；　leaving　the　rest　to　follow　at　leisure；　rode　across　the　island　to　a　pontoon…bridge　that　spanned　the　channel　between　it　and　the　main…land；　and　thence　rode　by　Garden's　Corners　to　a　plantation　not　far　from　Pocotaligo；　occupied　by　General　Blair。　　There　we　found　a　house；　with　a　majestic　avenue　of　live…oaks；　whose　limbs　had　been　cut　away　by　the　troops　for　firewood；　and　desolation　marked　one　of　those　splendid　South　Carolina　estates　where　the　proprietors　formerly　had　dispensed　a　hospitality　that　distinguished　the　old　regime　of　that　proud　State。　　I　slept　on　the　floor　of　the　house；　but　the　night　was　so　bitter　cold　that　I　got　up　by　the　fire　several　times；　and　when　it　burned　low　I　rekindled　it　with　an　old　mantel…clock　and　the　wreck　of　a　bedstead　which　stood　in　a　corner　of　the　roomthe　only　act　of　vandalism　that　I　recall　done　by　myself　personally　during　the　war。
  The　next　morning　I　rode　to　Pocotaligo；　and　thence　reconnoitred　our　entire　line　down　to　Coosawhatchie。　　Pocotaligo　Fort　was　on　low；　alluvial　ground；　and　near　it　began　the　sandy　pine…land　which　connected　with　the　firm　ground　extending　inland；　constituting　the　chief　reason　for　its　capture　at　the　very　first　stage　of　the　campaign。　　Hatch's　division　was　ordered　to　that　point　from　Coosawhatchie；　and　the　whole　of　Howard's　right　wing　was　brought　near　by；　ready　to　start　by　the　1st　of　February。　　I　also　reconnoitred　the　point　of　the　Salkiehatchie　River；　where　the　Charleston　Railroad　crossed　it；　found　the　bridge　protected　by　a　rebel　battery　on　the　farther　side；　and　could　see　a　few　men　about　it；　but　the　stream　itself　was　absolutely　impassable；　for　the　whole　bottom　was　overflowed　by　its　Swollen　waters　to　the　breadth　of　a　full　mile。　　Nevertheless；　Force's　and　Mower's　divisions　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps　were　kept　active；　seemingly　with　the　intention　to　cross　over　in　the　direction　of　Charleston；　and　thus　to　keep　up　the　delusion　that　that　city　was　our　immediate　〃objective。〃　　Meantime；　I　had　reports　from　General　Slocum　of　the　terrible　difficulties　he　had　encountered　about　Sister's　Ferry；　where　the　Savannah　River　was　reported　nearly　three　miles　wide；　and　it　seemed　for　a　time　almost　impossible　for　him　to　span　it　at　all　with　his　frail　pontoons。　About　this　time　（January　25th）；　the　weather　cleared　away　bright　and　cold；　and　I　inferred　that　the　river　would　soon　run　down；　and　enable　Slocum　to　pass　the　river　before　February　1st。　　One　of　the　divisions　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps　（Corse's）　had　also　been　cut　off　by　the　loss　of　the　pontoon…bridge　at　Savannah；　so　that　General　Slocum　had　with　him；　not　only　his　own　two　corps；　but　Corse's　division　and　Kilpatrick's　cavalry；　without　which　it　was　not　prudent　for　me　to　inaugurate　the　campaign。　　We　therefore　rested　quietly　about　Pocotaligo；　collecting　stores　and　making　final　preparations；　until　the　1st　of　February；　when　I　learned　that　the　cavalry　and　two　divisions　of　the　Twentieth　Corps　were　fairly　across　the　river；　and　then　gave　the　necessary　orders　for　the　march　northward。
  Before　closing　this　chapter；　I　will　add　a　few　original　letters　that　bear　directly　on　the　subject；　and　tend　to　illustrate　it
  HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　WASHINGTON；　D。　C。　　January　21；　1866。
  Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi。
  GENERAL：　Your　letters　brought　by　General　Barnard　were　received　at　City　Point；　and　read　with　interest。　Not　having　them　with　me；　however；　I　cannot　say　that　in　this　I　will　be　able　to　satisfy　you　on　all　points　of　recommendation。　　As　I　arrived　here　at　1　p。m。；　and　must　leave　at　6　p。m。；　having　in　the　mean　time　spent　over　three　hours　with　the　secretary　and　General　Halleck；　I　must　be　brief。　Before　your　last　request　to　have　Thomas　make　a　campaign　into　the　heart　of　Alabama；　I　had　ordered　Schofield　to　Annapolis；　Maryland；　with　his　corps。　　The　advance　（six　thousand）　will　reach　the　seaboard　by　the　23d；　the　remainder　following　as　rapidly　as　railroad　transportation　can　be　procured　from　Cincinnati。　　The　corps　numbers　over　twenty…one　thousand　men。
  Thomas　is　still　left　with　a　sufficient　force；　surplus　to　go　to　Selma　under　an　energetic　leader。　　He　has　been　telegraphed　to；　to　know　whether　he　could　go；　and；　if　so；　by　which　of　several　routes　he　would　select。　　No　reply　is　yet　received。　　Canby　has　been　ordered　to　set　offensively　from　the　seacoast　to　the　interior；　toward　Montgomery　and　Selma。　　Thomas's　forces　will　move　from　the　north　at　an　early　day；　or　some　of　his　troops　will　be　sent　to　Canby。　　Without　further　reenforcement　Canby　will　have　a　moving　column　of　twenty　thousand　men。
  Fort　Fisher；　you　are　aware；　has　been　captured。　　We　have　a　force　there　of　eight　thousand　effective。　　At　Newbern　about　half　the　number。　　It　is　rumored；　through　deserters；　that　Wilmington　also　has　fallen。　　I　am　inclined　to　believe　the　rumor；　because　on　the　17th　we　knew　the　enemy　were　blowing　up　their　works　about　Fort　Caswell；　and　that　on　the　18th　Terry　moved　on　Wilmington。
  If　Wilmington　is　captured；　Schofield　will　go　there。　　If　not；　he　will　be　sent　to　Newbern。　　In　either　event；　all　the　surplus　forces　at　the　two　points　will　move　to　the　interior；　toward　Goldsboro'；　in　cooperation　with　your　movements。　　From　either　point；　railroad　communications　can　be　run　out；　there　being　here　abundance　of　rolling…stock　suited　to　the　gauge　of　those　roads。
  There　have　been　about　sixteen　thousand　men　sent　from　Lee's　army　south。　　Of　these；　you　will　have　fourteen　thousand　against　you；　if　Wilmington　is　not　held　by　the　enemy；　casualties　at　Fort　Fisher　having　overtaken　about　two　thousand。
  All　other　troops　are　subject　to　your　orders　as　you　come　in　communication　with　them。　　They　will　be　so　instructed。　　From　about　Richmond　I　will　watch　Lee　closely；　and　if　he　detaches　many　men；　or　attempts　to　evacuate；　will　pitch　in。　　In　the　meantime；　should　you　be　brought　to　a　halt　anywhere；　I　can　send　two　corps　of　thirty　thousand　effective　men　to　your　support；　from　the　troops　about　Richmond。
  To　resume：　Canby　is　ordered　to　operate　to　the　interior　from　the　Gulf。　　A。　J。　Smith　may　go　from　the　north；　but　I　think　it　doubtful。　A　force　of　twenty…eight　or　thirty　thousand　will　cooperate　with　you　from　Newbern　or　Wilmington；　or　both。　　You　can　call　for　reenforcements。
  This　will　be　handed　you　by　Captain　Hudson；　of　my　ataff；　who　will　return　with　any　message　you　may　have　for　me。　　If　there　is　any　thing　I　can　do　for　you　in　the　way　of　having　supplies　on　shipboard；　at　any　point　on　the　seacoast；　ready　for　you；　let　me　know　it。
  Yours　truly；
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　POCOTALIGO；　SOUTH　CAROLINA；　January　29；　1885。
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　City　Point；　Virginia。
  DEAR　GENERAL：　Captain　Hudson　has　this　moment　arrived　with　your　letter　of　January　21st；　which　I　have　read　with　interest。
  The　capture　of　Fort　Fisher　has　a　most　important　bearing　on　my　campaign；　and　I　rejoice　in　it　for　many　reasons；　because　of　its　intrinsic　importance；　and　because　it　gives　me　another　point　of　security　on　the　seaboard。　　I　hope　General　Terry　will　follow　it　up　by　the　capture　of　Wilmington；　although　I　do　not　look　for　it；　from　Admiral　Porter's　dispatch　to　me。　　I　rejoice　that　Terry　was　not　a　West…Pointer；　that　he　belonged　to　your　army；　and　that　he　had　the　same　troops　with　which　Butler　feared　to　make　the　attempt。
  Admiral　Dahlgren；　whose　fleet　is　reenforced　by　some　more　ironclads；　wants　to　make　an　assault　a　la　Fisher　on　Fort　Moultrie；　but　I　withhold　my　consent；　for　the　reason　that　the　capture　of　all　Sullivan's　Island　is　not　conclusive　as　to　Charleston；　the　capture　of　James　Island　would　be；　but　all　pronounce　that　impossible　at　this　time。　　Therefore；　I　am　moving　（as　hitherto　designed）　for　the　railroad　west　of　Branchville；　then　will　swing　across　to　Orangeburg；　which　will　interpose　my　army　between　Charleston　and　the　interior。　Contemporaneous　with　this；　Foster　will　demonstrate　up　the　Edisto；　and　afterward　make　a　lodgment　at　Bull's　Bay；　and　occupy　the　common　road　which　leads　from　Mount　Pleasant　toward　Georgetown。　　When　I　get　to　Columbia；　I　think　I　shall　move　straight　for　Goldsboro'；　via　Fayetteville。　　By　this　circuit　I　cut　all　roads；　and　devastate　the　land；　and　the　forces　along　the　coast；　commanded　by　Foster；　will　follow　my　movement；　taking　any　thing　the　enemy　lets　go；　or　so　occupy　his　attention　that　he　cannot　detach　all　his　forces　against　me。　　I　feel　sure　of　getting　Wilmington；　and　may　be　Charleston；　and　being　at　Goldsboro'；　with　its　railroads　finished　back　to　Morehead　City　and　Wilmington；　I　can　easily　take　Raleigh；　when　it　seems　that　Lee　must　come　out。　　If　Schofield　comes　to　Beaufort；　he　should　be　pushed　out　to　Kinston；　on　the　Neuse；　and　may　be　Goldsboro'　（or；　rather；　a　point　on　the　Wilmington　road；　south　of　Goldsboro'）。　　It　is　not　necessary　to　storm　Goldsboro'；　because　it　is　in　a　distant　region；　of　no　importance　in　itself；　and；　if　its　garrison　is　forced　to　draw　supplies　from　its　north；　it；　will　be　eating　up　the　same　stores　on　which　Lee　depends　for　his　command。
  I　have　no　doubt　Hood　will　bring　his　army　to　Augusta。　　Canby　and　Thomas　should　penetrate　Alabama　as　far　as　possible；　to　keep　employed　at　least　a　part　of　Hood's　army；　or；　what　would　accomplish　the　same　thing；　Thomas　might　reoccupy　the　railroad　from　Chattanooga　forward　to　the　Etowah；　viz。；　Rome；　Kingston；　and　Al