mas　might　reoccupy　the　railroad　from　Chattanooga　forward　to　the　Etowah；　viz。；　Rome；　Kingston；　and　Allatoona；　thereby　threatening　Georgia。　　I　know　that　the　Georgia　troops　are　disaffected。　　At　Savannah　I　met　delegates　from　several　counties　of　the　southwest；　who　manifested　a　decidedly　hostile　spirit　to　the　Confederate　cause。　　I　nursed　the　feeling　as　far　as　possible；　and　instructed　Grower　to　keep　it　up。
  My　left　wing　must　now　be　at　Sister's　Ferry；　crossing　the　Savannah　River　to　the　east　bank。　　Slocum　has　orders　to　be　at　Robertsville　to…morrow；　prepared　to　move　on　Barnwell。　　Howard　is　here；　all　ready　to　start　for　the　Augusta　Railroad　at　Midway。
  We　find　the　enemy　on　the　east　aide　of　the　Salkiehatchie；　and　cavalry　in　our　front；　but　all　give　ground　on　our　approach；　and　seem　to　be　merely　watching　us。　　If　we　start　on　Tuesday；　in　one　week　we　shall　be　near　Orangeburg；　having　broken　up　the　Augusta　road　from　the　Edisto　westward　twenty　or　twenty…five　miles。　　I　will　be　sure　that　every　rail　is　twisted。　　Should　we　encounter　too　much　opposition　near　Orangeburg；　then　I　will　for　a　time　neglect　that　branch；　and　rapidly　move　on　Columbia；　and　fill　up　the　triangle　formed　by　the　Congaree　and　Wateree　（tributaries　of　the　Santee）；　breaking　up　that　great　centre　of　the　Carolina　roads。　　Up　to　that　point　I　feel　full　confidence；　but　from　there　may　have　to　manoeuvre　some；　and　will　be　guided　by　the　questions　of　weather　and　supplies。
  You　remember　we　had　fine　weather　last　February　for　our　Meridian　trip；　and　my　memory　of　the　weather　at　Charleston　is；　that　February　is　usually　a　fine　month。　　Before　the　March　storms　come　we　should　be　within　striking　distance　of　the　coast。　The　months　of　April　and　May　will　be　the　best　for　operations　from　Goldsboro'　to　Raleigh　and　the　Roanoke。　　You　may　rest　assured　that　I　will　keep　my　troops　well　in　hand；　and；　if　I　get　worsted；　will　aim　to　make　the　enemy　pay　so　dearly　that　you　will　have　less　to　do。　　I　know　that　this　trip　is　necessary；　it　must　be　made　sooner　or　later；　I　am　on　time；　and　in　the　right　position　for　it。　　My　army　is　large　enough　for　the　purpose；　and　I　ask　no　reinforcement；　but　simply　wish　the　utmost　activity　to　be　kept　up　at　all　other　points；　so　that　concentration　against　me　may　not　be　universal。
  I　suspect　that　Jeff。　Davis　will　move　heaven　and　earth　to　catch　me；　for　success　to　this　column　is　fatal　to　his　dream　of　empire。　Richmond　is　not　more　vital　to　his　cause　than　Columbia　and　the　heart　of　South　Carolina。
  If　Thomas　will　not　move　on　Selma；　order　him　to　occupy　Rome；　Kingston；　and　Allatoona；　and　again　threaten　Georgia　in　the　direction　of　Athena。
  I　think　the　〃poor　white　trash〃　of　the　South　are　falling　out　of　their　ranks　by　sickness；　desertion；　and　every　available　means；　but　there　is　a　large　class　of　vindictive　Southerners　who　will　fight　to　the　last。　　The　squabbles　in　Richmond；　the　howls　in　Charleston；　and　the　disintegration　elsewhere；　are　all　good　omens　for　us；　we　must　not　relax　one　iota；　but；　on　the　contrary；　pile　up　our　efforts：　I　world；　ere　this；　have　been　off；　but　we　had　terrific　rains；　which　caught　us　in　motion；　and　nearly　drowned　some　of　the　troops　in　the　rice…fields　of　the　Savannah；　swept　away　our　causeway　（which　had　been　carefully　corduroyed）；　and　made　the　swamps　hereabout　mere　lakes　of　slimy　mud。　　The　weather　is　now　good；　and　I　have　the　army　on　terra　firma。　　Supplies；　too；　came　for　a　long　time　by　daily　driblets　instead　of　in　bulk；　this　is　now　all　remedied；　and　I　hope　to　start　on　Tuesday。
  I　will　issue　instructions　to　General　Foster；　based　on　the　reenforcements　of　North　Carolina；　but　if　Schofield　come；　you　had　better　relieve　Foster；　who　cannot　take　the　field；　and　needs　an　operation　on　his　leg。　　Let　Schofield　take　command；　with　his　headquarters　at　Beaufort；　North　Carolina；　and　with　orders　to　secure　Goldsboro'　（with　its　railroad　communication　back　to　Beaufort　and　Wilmington）。　　If　Lee　lets　us　get　that　position；　he　is　gone　up。
  I　will　start　with　my　Atlanta　army　（sixty　thousand）；　supplied　as　before；　depending　on　the　country　for　all　food　in　excess　of　thirty　days。　　I　will　have　less　cattle　on　the　hoof；　but　I　hear　of　hogs；　cows；　and　calves；　in　Barnwell　and　the　Colombia　districts。　　Even　here　we　have　found　some　forage。　　Of　course；　the　enemy　will　carry　off　and　destroy　some　forage；　but　I　will　burn　the　houses　where　the　people　burn　their　forage；　and　they　will　get　tired　of　it。
  I　must　risk　Hood；　and　trust　to　you　to　hold　Lee　or　be　on　his　heels　if　he　comes　south。　　I　observe　that　the　enemy　has　some　respect　for　my　name；　for　they　gave　up　Pocotaligo　without　a　fight　when　they　heard　that　the　attacking　force　belonged　to　my　army。　　I　will　try　and　keep　up　that　feeling；　which　is　a　real　power。　　With　respect；　your　friend；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…general　commanding。
  P。　S。I　leave　my　chief…quartermaster　and　commissary　behind　to　follow　coastwise。　W。　T。　S。
  ＇Dispatch　No。　6。＇
  FLAG…STEAMER　PHILADELPHIA　SAVANNAH　RIVER；　January　4；　1865。
  HON。　GIDEON　WELLS；　Secretary　of　the　Navy。
  SIR：　I　have　already　apprised　the　Department　that　the　army　of　General　Sherman　occupied　the　city　of　Savannah　on　the　21st　of　December。
  The　rebel　army；　hardly　respectable　in　numbers　or　condition；　escaped　by　crossing　the　river　and　taking　the　Union　Causeway　toward　the　railroad。
  I　have　walked　about　the　city　several　times；　and　can　affirm　that　its　tranquillity　is　undisturbed。　　The　Union　soldiers　who　are　stationed　within　its　limits　are　as　orderly　as　if　they　were　in　New　York　or　Boston。。。。　　One　effect　of　the　march　of　General　Sherman　through　Georgia　has　been　to　satisfy　the　people　that　their　credulity　has　been　imposed　upon　by　the　lying　assertions　of　the　rebel　Government；　affirming　the　inability　of　the　United　States　Government　to　withstand　the　armies　of　rebeldom。　　They　have　seen　the　old　flag　of　the　United　States　carried　by　its　victorious　legions　through　their　State；　almost　unopposed；　and　placed　in　their　principal　city　without　a　blow。
  Since　the　occupation　of　the　city　General　Sherman　has　been　occupied　in　making　arrangements　for　its　security　after　he　leaves　it　for　the　march　that　he　meditates。　　My　attention　has　been　directed　to　such　measures　of　cooperation　as　the　number　and　quality　of　my　force　permit。
  On　the　2d　I　arrived　here　from　Charleston；　whither；　as　I　stated　in　my　dispatch　of　the　29th　of　December；　I　had　gone　in　consequence　of　information　from　the　senior　officer　there　that　the　rebels　contemplated　issuing　from　the　harbor；　and　his　request　for　my　presence。　　Having　placed　a　force　there　of　seven　monitors；　sufficient　to　meet　each　an　emergency；　and　not　perceiving　any　sign　of　the　expected　raid；　I　returned　to　Savannah；　to　keep　in　communication　with　General　Sherman　and　be　ready　to　render　any　assistance　that　might　be　desired。　　General　Sherman　has　fully　informed　me　of　his　plans；　and；　so　far　as　my　means　permit；　they　shall　not　lack　assistance　by　water。
  On　the　3d　the　transfer　of　the　right　wing　to　Beaufort　was　began；　and　the　only　suitable　vessel　I　had　at　hand　（the　Harvest　Moon）　was　sent　to　Thunderbolt　to　receive　the　first　embarkation。　　This　took　place　about　3　p。m。；　and　was　witnessed　by　General　Sherman　and　General　Bernard　（United　States　Engineers）　and　myself。　　The　Pontiac　is　ordered　around　to　assist；　and　the　army　transports　also　followed　the　first　move　by　the　Harvest　Moon。
  I　could　not　help　remarking　the　unbroken　silence　that　prevailed　in　the　large　array　of　troops；　not　a　voice　was　to　be　heard；　as　they　gathered　in　masses　on　the　bluff　to　look　at　the　vessels。　　The　notes　of　a　solitary　bugle　alone　came　from　their　midst。
  General　Barnard　made　a　brief　visit　to　one　of　the　rebel　works　（Cansten's　Bluff）　that　dominated　this　water…course…the　best　approach　of　the　kind　to　Savannah。
  I　am　collecting　data　that　will　fully　exhibit　to　the　Department　the　powerful　character　of　the　defenses　of　the　city　and　its　approaches。　General　Sherman　will　not　retain　the　extended　limits　they　embrace。　but　will　contract　the　line　very　much。
  General　Foster　still　holds　the　position　near　the　Tullifinny。　　With　his　concurrence　I　have　detached　the　fleet　brigade；　and　the　men　belonging　to　it　have　returned　to　their　vessels。　　The　excellent　service　performed　by　this　detachment　has　fully　realized　my　wishes；　and　exemplified　the　efficiency　of　the　organizationinfantry　and　light　artillery　handled　as　skirmishers。　　The　howitzers　were　always　landed　as　quickly　as　the　men；　and　were　brought　into　action　before　the　light　pieces　of　the　land…serviee　could　be　got　ashore。
  I　regret　very　much　that　the　reduced　complements　of　the　vessels　prevent　me　from　maintaining　the　force　in　constant　organization。　With　three　hundred　more　marines　and　five　hundred　seamen　I　could　frequently　operate　to　great　advantage；　at　the　present　time；　when　the　attention　of　the　rebels　is　so　engrossed　by　General　Sherman。
  It　is　said　that　they　have　a　force　at　Hardeeville；　the　pickets　of　which　were　retained　on　the　Union　Causeway　until　a　few　days　since；　when　some　of　our　troops　crossed　the　river　and　pushed　them　back。　Concurrently　with　this；　I　caused　the　Sonoma　to　anchor　so　as　to　sweep　the　ground　in　the　direction　of　the　causeway。
  The　transfer　of　the　right…wing　（thirty　thousand　men）　to　Beaufort　will　so　imperil　the　rebel　force　at　Hardeeville　that　it　will　be　cut　off　or　dispersed；　if　not　moved　in　season。
  Meanwhile　I　will　send　the　Dai…Ching　to　St。　Helena；　to　meet　an