t　two　hundred　and　fifty　men　（about　fifty　of　them　killed　or　wounded）；　were　in　his　power。　　The　commanding　officer；　Major。　Anderson；　was　at　that　moment　a　prisoner；　and　General　Hazen　invited　him　in　to　take　supper　with　us；　which　he　did。
  Up　to　this　time　General　Hazen　did　not　know　that　a　gunboat　was　in　the　river　below　the　fort；　for　it　was　shut　off　from　sight　by　a　point　of　timber；　and　I　was　determined　to　board　her　that　night；　at　whatever　risk　or　cost；　as　I　wanted　some　news　of　what　was　going　on　in　the　outer　world。　　Accordingly；　after　supper；　we　all　walked　down　to　the　fort；　nearly　a　mile　from　the　house　where　we　had　been；　entered　Fort　McAllister；　held　by　a　regiment　of　Hazen's　troops；　and　the　sentinel　cautioned　us　to　be　very　careful；　as　the　ground　outside　the　fort　was　full　of　torpedoes。　　Indeed；　while　we　were　there；　a　torpedo　exploded；　tearing　to　pieces　a　poor　fellow　who　was　hunting　for　a　dead　comrade。　　Inside　the　fort　lay　the　dead　as　they　had　fallen；　and　they　could　hardly　be　distinguished　from　their　living　comrades；　sleeping　soundly　side　by　side　in　the　pale　moonlight。　　In　the　river；　close　by　the　fort；　was　a　good　yawl　tied　to　a　stake；　but　the　tide　was　high；　and　it　required　some　time　to　get　it　in　to　the　bank；　the　commanding　officer；　whose　name　I　cannot　recall；　manned　the　boat　with　a　good　crew　of　his　men；　and；　with　General　Howard；　I　entered；　and　pulled　down…stream；　regardless　of　the　warnings　of　all　about　the　torpedoes。
  The　night　was　unusually　bright；　and　we　expected　to　find　the　gunboat　within　a　mile　or　so；　but；　after　pulling　down　the　river　fully　three　miles；　and　not　seeing　the　gunboat；　I　began　to　think　she　had　turned　and　gone　back　to　the　sound；　but　we　kept　on；　following　the　bends　of　the　river；　and　about　six　miles　below　McAllister　we　saw　her　light；　and　soon　were　hailed　by　the　vessel　at　anchor。　　Pulling　alongside；　we　announced　ourselves；　and　were　received　with　great　warmth　and　enthusiasm　on　deck　by　half　a　dozen　naval　officers；　among　them　Captain　Williamson；　United　States　Navy。　　She　proved　to　be　the　Dandelion；　a　tender　of　the　regular　gunboat　Flag；　posted　at　the　mouth　of　the　Ogeechee。　　All　sorts　of　questions　were　made　and　answered；　and　we　learned　that　Captain　Duncan　had　safely　reached　the　squadron；　had　communicated　the　good　news　of　our　approach；　and　they　had　been　expecting　us　for　some　days。　　They　explained　that　Admiral　Dahlgren　commanded　the　South…Atlantic　Squadron；　which　was　then　engaged　in　blockading　the　coast　from　Charleston　south；　and　was　on　his　flag…ship；　the　Harvest　Moon；　lying　in　Wassaw　Sound；　that　General　J。　G。　Foster　was　in　command　of　the　Department　of　the　South；　with　his　headquarters　at　Hilton　Head；　and　that　several　ships　loaded　with　stores　for　the　army　were　lying　in　Tybee　Roads　and　in　Port　Royal　Sound。　　From　these　officers　I　also　learned　that　General　Grant　was　still　besieging　Petersburg　and　Richmond；　and　that　matters　and　things　generally　remained　pretty　much　the　same　as　when　we　had　left　Atlanta。　　All　thoughts　seemed　to　have　been　turned　to　us　in　Georgia；　cut　off　from　all　communication　with　our　friends；　and　the　rebel　papers　had　reported　us　to　be　harassed；　defeated；　starving；　and　fleeing　for　safety　to　the　coaSt。　I　then　asked　for　pen　and　paper；　and　wrote　several　hasty　notes　to　General　Foster；　Admiral　Dahlgren；　General　Grant；　and　the　Secretary　of　War；　giving　in　general　terms　the　actual　state　of　affairs；　the　fact　of　the　capture　of　Fort　McAllister；　and　of　my　desire　that　means　should　be　taken　to　establish　a　line　of　supply　from　the　vessels　in　port　up　the　Ogeechee　to　the　rear　of　the　army。　　As　a　sample；　I　give　one　of　these　notes；　addressed　to　the　Secretary　of　War；　intended　for　publication　to　relieve　the　anxiety　of　our　friends　at　the　North　generally：
  ON　BOARD　DANDELION；　OSSABAW　SOUND；　December　13；　186411。50　p。m。
  To　Hon。　E。　　M。　　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War；　Washington；　D。　C。：
  To…day；　at　6　p。　m。；　General　Hazen's　division　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps　carried　Fort　McAllister　by　assault；　capturing　its　entire　garrison　and　stores。　　This　opened　to　us　Ossabaw　Sound；　and　I　pushed　down　to　this　gunboat　to　communicate　with　the　fleet。　　Before　opening　communication　we　had　completely　destroyed　all　the　railroads　leading　into　Savannah；　and　invested　the　city。　　The　left　of　the　army　is　on　the　Savannah　River　three　miles　above　the　city；　and　the　right　on　the　Ogeechee；　at　King's　Bridge。　　The　army　is　in　splendid　order；　and　equal　to　any　thing。　　The　weather　has　been　fine；　and　supplies　were　abundant。　　Our　march　was　most　agreeable；　and　we　were　not　at　all　molested　by　guerrillas。
  We　reached　Savannah　three　days　ago；　but；　owing　to　Fort　McAllister；　could　not　communicate；　but；　now　that　we　have　McAllister；　we　can　go　ahead。
  We　have　already　captured　two　boats　on　the　Savannah　river　and　pre　vented　their　gunboats　from　coming　down。
  I　estimate　the　population　of　Savannah　at　twenty…five　thousand；　and　the　garrison　at　fifteen　thousand。　　General　Hardee　commands。
  We　have　not　lost　a　wagon　on　the　trip；　but　have　gathered　a　large　supply　of　negroes；　mules；　horses；　etc。；　and　our　teams　are　in　far　better　condition　than　when　we　started。
  My　first　duty　will　be　to　clear　the　army　of　surplus　negroes；　mules；　and　horses。　　We　have　utterly　destroyed　over　two　hundred　miles　of　rails；　and　consumed　stores　and　provisions　that　were　essential　to　Lee's　and　Hood's　armies。
  The　quick　work　made　with　McAllister；　the　opening　of　communication　with　our　fleet；　and　our　consequent　independence　as　to　supplies；　dissipate　all　their　boasted　threats　to　head　us　off　and　starve　the　army。
  I　regard　Savannah　as　already　gained。　Yours　truly；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  By　this　time　the　night　was　well　advanced；　and　the　tide　was　running　ebb…strong；　so　I　asked。　　Captain　Williamson　to　tow　us　up　as　near　Fort　McAllister　as　he　would　venture　for　the　torpedoes；　of　which　the　navy…officers　had　a　wholesome　dread。　　The　Dandelion　steamed　up　some　three　or　four　miles；　till　the　lights　of　Fort　McAllister　could　be　seen；　when　she　anchored；　and　we　pulled　to　the　fort　in　our　own　boat。　General　Howard　and　I　then　walked　up　to　the　McAllister　House；　where　we　found　General　Hazen　and　his　officers　asleep　on　the　floor　of　one　of　the　rooms。　　Lying　down　on　the　floor；　I　was　soon　fast　asleep；　but　shortly　became　conscious　that　some　one　in　the　room　was　inquiring　for　me　among　the　sleepers。　　Calling　out；　I　was　told　that　an　officer　of　General　Fosters　staff　had　just　arrived　from　a　steamboat　anchored　below　McAllister；　that　the　general　was　extremely　anxious　to　see　me　on　important　business；　but　that　he　was　lame　from　an　old　Mexican…War　wound；　and　could　not　possibly　come　to　me。　　I　was　extremely　weary　from　the　incessant　labor　of　the　day　and　night　before；　but　got　up；　and　again　walked　down　the　sandy　road　to　McAllister；　where　I　found　a　boat　awaiting　us；　which　carried　us　some　three　miles　down　the　river；　to　the　steamer　W。　　W。　　Coit　（I　think）；　on　board　of　which　we　found　General　Foster。　　He　had　just　come　from　Port　Royal；　expecting　to　find　Admiral　Dahlgren　in　Ossabaw　Sound；　and；　hearing　of　the　capture　of　Fort　McAllister；　he　had　come　up　to　see　me。　　He　described　fully　the　condition　of　affairs　with　his　own　command　in　South　Carolina。　He　had　made　several　serious　efforts　to　effect　a　lodgment　on　the　railroad　which　connects　Savannah　with　Charleston　near　Pocotaligo；　but　had　not　succeeded　in　reaching　the　railroad　itself；　though　he　had　a　full　division　of　troops；　strongly　intrenched；　near　Broad　River；　within　cannon…range　of　the　railroad。　　He　explained；　moreover；　that　there　were　at　Port　Royal　abundant　supplies　of　bread　and　provisions；　as　well　as　of　clothing；　designed　for　our　use。　　We　still　had　in　our　wagons　and　in　camp　abundance　of　meat；　but　we　needed　bread；　sugar；　and　coffee；　and　it　was　all…important　that　a　route　of　supply　should　at　once　be　opened；　for　which　purpose　the　and　and　assistance　of　the　navy　were　indispensable。　　We　accordingly　steamed　down　the　Ogeechee　River　to　Ossabaw　Sound；　in　hopes　to　meet　Admiral　Dahlgren；　but　he　was　not　there；　and　we　continued　on　by　the　inland　channel　to　Warsaw　Sound；　where　we　found　the　Harvest　Moon；　and　Admiral　Dahlgren。　　I　was　not　personally　acquainted　with　him　at　the　time；　but　he　was　so　extremely　kind　and　courteous　that　I　was　at　once　attracted　to　him。　　There　was　nothing　in　his　power；　he　said；　which　he　would　not　do　to　assist　us；　to　make　our　campaign　absolutely　successful。　　He　undertook　at　once　to　find　vessels　of　light　draught　to　carry　our　supplies　from　Port　Royal　to　Cheeves's　Mill；　or　to　Grog's　Bridge　above；　whence　they　could　be　hauled　by　wagons　to　our　several　camps；　he　offered　to　return　with　me　to　Fort　McAllister；　to　superintend　the　removal　of　the　torpedoes；　and　to　relieve　me　of　all　the　details　of　this　most　difficult　work。　　General　Foster　then　concluded　to　go　on　to　Port　Royal；　to　send　back　to　us　six　hundred　thousand　rations；　and　all　the　rifled　guns　of　heavy　calibre；　and　ammunition　on　hand；　with　which　I　thought　we　could　reach　the　city　of　Savannah；　from　the　positions　already　secured。　　Admiral　Dahlgren　then　returned　with　me　in　the　Harvest　Moon　to　Fort　McAllister。　　This　consumed　all　of　the　14th　of　December；　and　by　the　15th　I　had　again　reached　Cheeves's　Mill；　where　my　horse　awaited　me；　and　rode　on　to　General　Howard's　headquarters　at　Anderson's　plantation；　on　the　plank…road；　about　eight　miles　back　of　Savannah。　　I　reached　this　place　about　noon；　and　imme