ng。　　Charleston　is　now　a　mere　desolated　wreck；　and　is　hardly　worth　the　time　it　would　take　to　starve　it　out。　　Still；　I　am　aware　that；　historically　and　politically；　much　importance　is　attached　to　the　place；　and　it　may　be　that；　apart　from　its　military　importance；　both　you　and　the　Administration　may　prefer　I　should　give　it　more　attention；　and　it　would　be　well　for　you　to　give　me　some　general　idea　on　that　subject；　for　otherwise　I　would　treat　it　as　I　have　expressed；　as　a　point　of　little　importance；　after　all　its　railroads　leading　into　the　interior　have　been　destroyed　or　occupied　by　us。　　But；　on　the　hypothesis　of　ignoring　Charleston　and　taking　Wilmington；　I　would　then　favor　a　movement　direct　on　Raleigh。　　The　game　is　then　up　with　Lee；　unless　he　comes　out　of　Richmond；　avoids　you　and　fights　me；　in　which　case　I　should　reckon　on　your　being　on　his　heels。　　Now　that　Hood　is　used　up　by　Thomas；　I　feel　disposed　to　bring　the　matter　to　an　issue　as　quick　as　possible。　　I　feel　confident　that　I　can　break　up　the　whole　railroad　system　of　South　Carolina　and　North　Carolina；　and　be　on　the　Roanoke；　either　at　Raleigh　or　Weldon；　by　the　time　spring　fairly　opens；　and；　if　you　feel　confident　that　you　can　whip　Lee　outside　of　his　intrenchments；　I　feell　equally　confident　that　I　can　handle　him　in　the　open　country。
  One　reason　why　I　would　ignore　Charleston　is　this：　that　I　believe　Hardee　will　reduce　the　garrison　to　a　small　force；　with　plenty　of　provisions；　I　know　that　the　neck　back　of　Charleston　can　be　made　impregnable　to　assault；　and　we　will　hardly　have　time　for　siege　operations。
  I　will　have　to　leave　in　Savannah　a　garrison；　and；　if　Thomas　can　spare　them；　I　would　like　to　have　all　detachments；　convalescents；　etc。；　belonging　to　these　four　corps；　sent　forward　at　once。　　I　do　not　want　to　cripple　Thomas；　because　I　regard　his　operations　as　all…important；　and　I　have　ordered　him　to　pursue　Hood　down　into　Alabama；　trusting　to　the　country　for　supplies。
  I　reviewed　one　of　my　corps　to…day；　and　shall　continue　to　review　the　whole　army。　　I　do　not　like　to　boast；　but　believe　this　army　has　a　confidence　in　itself　that　makes　it　almost　invincible。　　I　wish　you　could　run　down　and　see　us；　it　would　have　a　good　effect；　and　show　to　both　armies　that　they　are　acting　on　a　common　plan。　　The　weather　is　now　cool　and　pleasant；　and　the　general　health　very　good。　Your　true　friend；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN　Major…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　December　24；　1864。
  Major…General　H。　W。　HALLECK；　Chief…of…Staff；　Washington；　D。　C。
  GENERAL：　I　had　the　pleasure　of　receiving　your　two　letters　of　the　16th　and　18th　instant　to…day；　and　feel　more　than　usually　flattered　by　the　high　encomiums　you　have　passed　on　our　recent　campaign；　which　is　now　complete　by　the　occupation　of　Savannah。
  I　am　also　very　glad　that　General　Grant　has　changed　his　mind　about　embarking　my　troops　for　James　River；　leaving　me　free　to　make　the　broad　swath　you　describe　through　South　and　North　Carolina；　and　still　more　gratified　at　the　news　from　Thomas；　in　Tennessee；　because　it　fulfills　my　plans；　which　contemplated　his　being　able　to　dispose　of　Hood；　in　case　he　ventured　north　of　the　Tennessee　River。　　So；　I　think；　on　the　whole；　I　can　chuckle　over　Jeff。　Davis's　disappointment　in　not　turning　my　Atlanta　campaign　into　a　〃Moscow　disaster。〃
  I　have　just　finished　a　long　letter　to　General　Grant；　and　have　explained　to　him　that　we　are　engaged　in　shifting　our　base　from　the　Ogeeohee　to　the　Savannah　River；　dismantling　all　the　forts　made　by　the　enemy　to　bear　upon　the　salt…water　channels；　transferring　the　heavy　ordnance；　etc。；　to　Fort　Pulaski　and　Hilton　Head；　and　in　remodeling　the　enemy's　interior　lines　to　suit　our　future　plans　and　purposes。　　I　have　also　laid　down　the　programme　for　a　campaign　which　I　can　make　this　winter；　and　which　will　put　me　in　the　spring　on　the　Roanoke；　in　direct　communication　with　General　Grant　on　James　River。　In　general　terms；　my　plan　is　to　turn　over　to　General　Foster　the　city　of　Savannah；　to　sally　forth　with　my　army　resupplied；　cross　the　Savannah；　feign　on　Charleston　and　Augusta；　but　strike　between；　breaking　en　route　the　Charleston　&　Augusta　Railroad；　also　a　large　part　of　that　from　Branchville　and　Camden　toward　North　Carolina；　and　then　rapidly　to　move　for　some　point　of　the　railroad　from　Charleston　to　Wilmington；　between　the　Santee　and　Cape　Fear　Rivers；　then；　communicating　with　the　fleet　in　the　neighborhood　of　Georgetown；　I　would　turn　upon　Wilmington　or　Charleston；　according　to　the　importance　of　either。　　I　rather　prefer　Wilmington；　as　a　live　place；　over　Charleston；　which　is　dead　and　unimportant　when　its　railroad　communications　are　broken。　　I　take　it　for　granted　that　the　present　movement　on　Wilmington　will　fail。　　If　I　should　determine　to　take　Charleston；　I　would　turn　across　the　country　（which　I　have　hunted　over　many　a　time）　from　Santee　to　Mount　Pleasant；　throwing　one　wing　on　the　peninsula　between　the　Ashley　and　Cooper。　　After　accomplishing　one　or　other　of　these　ends；　I　would　make　a　bee…line　for　Raleigh　or　Weldon；　when　Lee　world　be　forced　to　come　out　of　Richmond；　or　acknowledge　himself　beaten。　He　would；　I　think；　by　the　use　of　the　Danville　Railroad；　throw　himself　rapidly　between　me　and　Grant；　leaving　Richmond　in　the　hands　of　the　latter。　　This　would　not　alarm　me；　for　I　have　an　army　which　I　think　can　manaenvre；　and　I　world　force　him　to　attack　me　at　a　disadvantage；　always　under　the　supposition　that　Grant　would　be　on　his　heels；　and；　if　the　worst　come　to　the　worst；　I　can　fight　my　way　down　to　Albermarle　Sound；　or　Newbern。
  I　think　the　time　has　come　now　when　we　should　attempt　the　boldest　moves；　and　my　experience　is；　that　they　are　easier　of　execution　than　more　timid　ones；　because　the　enemy　is　disconcerted　by　themas；　for　instance；　my　recent　campaign。
  I　also　doubt　the　wisdom　of　concentration　beyond　a　certain　extent；　for　the　roads　of　this　country　limit　the　amount　of　men　that　can　be　brought　to　bear　in　any　one　battle；　and　I　do　not　believe　that　any　one　general　can　handle　more　than　sixty　thousand　men　in　battle。
  I　think　our　campaign　of　the　last　month；　as　well　as　every　step　I　take　from　this　point　northward；　is　as　much　a　direct　attack　upon　Lee's　army　as　though　we　were　operating　within　the　sound　of　his　artillery。
  I　am　very　anxious　that　Thomas　should　follow　up　his　success　to　the　very　utmost　point。　My　orders　to　him　before　I　left　Kingston　were；　after　beating　Hood；　to　follow　him　as　far　as　Columbus；　Mississippi；　or　Selma；　Alabama；　both　of　which　lie　in　districts　of　country　which　are　rich　in　corn　and　meat。
  I　attach　more　importance　to　these　deep　incisions　into　the　enemy's　country；　because　this　war　differs　from　European　wars　in　this　particular：　we　are　not　only　fighting　hostile　armies；　but　a　hostile　people；　and　must　make　old　and　young；　rich　and　poor；　feel　the　hard　hand　of　war；　as　well　as　their　organized　armies。　　I　know　that　this　recent　movement　of　mine　through　Georgia　has　had　a　wonderful　effect　in　this　respect。　　Thousands　who　had　been　deceived　by　their　lying　newspapers　to　believe　that　we　were　being　whipped　all　the　time　now　realize　the　truth；　and　have　no　appetite　for　a　repetition　of　the　same　experience。　　To　be　sure；　Jeff。　Davis　has　his　people　under　pretty　good　discipline；　but　I　think　faith　in　him　is　much　shaken　in　Georgia；　and　before　we　have　done　with　her　South　Carolina　will　not　be　quite　so　tempestuous。
  I　will　bear　in　mind　your　hint　as　to　Charleston；　and　do　not　think　〃salt〃　will　be　necessary。　　When　I　move；　the　Fifteenth　Corps　will　be　on　the　right　of　the　right　wing；　and　their　position　will　naturally　bring　them　into　Charleston　first；　and；　if　you　have　watched　the　history　of　that　corps；　you　will　have　remarked　that　they　generally　do　their　work　pretty　well。　　The　truth　is；　the　whole　army　is　burning　with　an　insatiable　desire　to　wreak　vengeance　upon　South　Carolina。　I　almost　tremble　at　her　fate；　but　feel　that　she　deserves　all　that　seems　in　store　for　her。
  Many　and　many　a　person　in　Georgia　asked　me　why　we　did　not　go　to　South　Carolina；　and；　when　I　answered　that　we　were　enroute　for　that　State；　the　invariable　reply　was；　〃Well；　if　you　will　make　those　people　feel　the　utmost　severities　of　war；　we　will　pardon　you　for　your　desolation　of　Georgia。〃
  I　look　upon　Colombia　as　quite　as　bad　as　Charleston；　and　I　doubt　if　we　shall　spare　the　public　buildings　there　as　we　did　at　Milledgeville。
  I　have　been　so　busy　lately　that　I　have　not　yet　made　my　official　report；　and　I　think　I　had　better　wait　until　I　get　my　subordinate　reports　before　attempting　it；　as　I　am　anxious　to　explain　clearly　not　only　the　reasons　for　every　step；　but　the　amount　of　execution　done；　and　this　I　cannot　do　until　I　get　the　subordinate　reports；　for　we　marched　the　whole　distance　in　four　or　more　columns；　and；　of　course；　I　could　only　be　present　with　one；　and　generally　that　one　engaged　in　destroying　railroads。　　This　work　of　destruction　was　performed　better　than　usual；　because　I　had　an　engineer…regiment；　provided　with　claws　to　twist　the　bars　after　being　heated。　　Such　bars　can　never　be　used　again；　and　the　only　way　in　which　a　railroad　line　can　be　reconstructed　across　Georgia　is；　to　make　a　new　road　from　Fairbnrn　Station　（twenty…four　miles　southwest　of　Atlanta）　to　Madison；　a　distance　of　one　hundred　miles；　and；　before　that　can　be　done；　I　propose　to　be　on　the　road　from　Augusta