。　reference　to　cotton　claimed　by　English　subjects。　　He　seemed　amazed　when　I　told　him　I　should　pay　no　respect　to　consular　certificates；　that　in　no　event　would　I　treat　an　English　subject　with　more　favor　than　one　of　our　own　deluded　citizens；　and　that　for　my　part　I　was　unwilling　to　fight　for　cotton　for　the　benefit　of　Englishmen　openly　engaged　in　smuggling　arms　and　instruments　of　war　to　kill　us；　that；　on　the　contrary；　it　would　afford　me　great　satisfaction　to　conduct　my　army　to　Nassau；　and　wipe　out　that　nest　of　pirates。　　I　explained　to　him；　however；　that　I　was　not　a　diplomatic　agent　of　the　General　Government　of　the　United　States；　but　that　my　opinion；　so　frankly　expressed；　was　that　of　a　soldier；　which　it　would　be　well　for　him　to　heed。　　It　appeared；　also；　that　he　owned　a　plantation　on　the　line　of　investment　of　Savannah；　which；　of　course；　was　pillaged；　and　for　which　he　expected　me　to　give　some　certificate　entitling　him　to　indemnification；　which　I　declined　emphatically。
  I　have　adopted　in　Savannah　rules　concerning　propertysevere　but　justfounded　upon　the　laws　of　nations　and　the　practice　of　civilized　governments；　and　am　clearly　of　opinion　that　we　should　claim　all　the　belligerent　rights　over　conquered　countries；　that　the　people　may　realize　the　truth　that　war　is　no　child's　play。
  I　embrace　in　this　a　copy　of　a　letter；　dated　December　31；　1864；　in　answer　to　one　from　Solomon　Cohen　（a　rich　lawyer）　to　General　Blair；　his　personal　friend；　as　follows：
  Major…General　F。　P。　BLAIR；　commanding　Seventeenth　Army　Corps。
  GENERAL　：　Your　note；　inclosing　Mr。　Cohen's　of　this　date；　is　received；　and　I　answer　frankly　through　you　his　inquiries。
  1。　　No　one　can　practise　law　as　an　attorney　in　the　United　States　without　acknowledging　the　supremacy　of　our　Government。　　If　I　am　not　in　error；　an　attorney　is　as　much　an　officer　of　the　court　as　the　clerk；　and　it　would　be　a　novel　thing　in　a　government　to　have　a　court　to　administer　law　which　denied　the　supremacy　of　the　government　itself。
  2。　　No　one　will　be　allowed　the　privileges　of　a　merchant；　or；　rather；　to　trade　is　a　privilege　which　no　one　should　seek　of　the　Government　without　in　like　manner　acknowledging　its　supremacy。
  3。　　If　Mr。　Cohen　remains　in　Savannah　as　a　denizen；　his　property；　real　and　personal；　will　not　be　disturbed　unless　its　temporary　use　be　necessary　for　the　military　authorities　of　the　city。　　The　title　to　property　will　not　be　disturbed　in　any　event；　until　adjudicated　by　the　courts　of　the　United　States。
  4。　　If　Mr。　Cohen　leaves　Savannah　under　my　Special　Order　No。　148；　it　is　a　public　acknowledgment　that　he　〃adheres　to　the　enemies　of　the　United　States；〃　and　all　his　property　becomes　forfeited　to　the　United　States。　　But；　as　a　matter　of　favor；　he　will　be　allowed　to　carry　with　him　clothing　and　furniture　for　the　use　of　himself；　his　family；　and　servants；　and　will　be　trans　ported　within　the　enemy's　lines；　but　not　by　way　of　Port　Royal。
  These　rules　will　apply　to　all　parties；　and　from　them　no　exception　will　be　made。
  I　have　the　honor　to　be；　general；　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  This　letter　was　in　answer　to　specific　inquiries；　it　is　clear；　and　covers　all　the　points；　and；　should　I　leave　before　my　orders　are　executed；　I　will　endeavor　to　impress　upon　my　successor；　General　Foster；　their　wisdom　and　propriety。
  I　hope　the　course　I　have　taken　in　these　matters　will　meet　your　approbation；　and　that　the　President　will　not　refund　to　parties　claiming　cotton　or　other　property；　without　the　strongest　evidence　of　loyalty　and　friendship　on　the　part　of　the　claimant；　or　unless　some　other　positive　end　is　to　be　gained。
  I　am；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  CHAPTER　XXIII。
  CAMPAIGN　OF　THE　CAROLINAS。
  FEBRUARY　AND　MARCH；　1865。
  On　the　1st　day　of　February；　as　before　explained；　the　army　designed　for　the　active　campaign　from　Savannah　northward　was　composed　of　two　wings；　commanded　respectively　by　Major…Generals　Howard　and　Slocum；　and　was　substantially　the　same　that　had　marched　from　Atlanta　to　Savannah。　　The　same　general　orders　were　in　force；　and　this　campaign　may　properly　be　classed　as　a　continuance　of　the　former。
  The　right　wing；　less　Corse's　division；　Fifteenth　Corps；　was　grouped　at　or　near　Pocotaligo；　South　Carolina；　with　its　wagons　filled　with　food；　ammunition；　and　forage；　all　ready　to　start；　and　only　waiting　for　the　left　wing；　which　was　detained　by　the　flood　in　the　Savannah　River。　　It　was　composed　as　follows：
  Fifteenth　Corps；　Major…General　JOHN　A。　LOGAN。
  First　Division；　Brigadier…General　Charles　R。　Woods；　Second　Division；　Major…General　W。　B。　Hazen；　Third　Division；　Brigadier…General　John　E。　Smith；　Fourth　Division；　Brigadier…General　John　M。　Corse。　Artillery　brigade；　eighteen　guns；　Lieutenant…Colonel　W。　H。　Ross；　First　Michigan　Artillery。
  Seventeenth。　　Corps；　Major…General　FRANK　P。　BLAIR；　JR。
  First　Division；　Major…General　Joseph　A。　　Mower；　Second　Division；　Brigadier…General　M。　　F。　　Force；　Fourth　Division；　Brigadier…General　Giles　A。　　Smith。　Artillery　brigade；　fourteen　guns；　Major　A。　　C。　　Waterhouse；　First　Illinois　Artillery。
  The　left　wing；　with　Corse's　division　and　Kilpatrick's　cavalry；　was　at　and　near　Sister's　Ferry；　forty　miles　above　the　city　of　Savannah；　engaged　in　crossing　the　river；　then　much　swollen。　　It
  was　composed　as　follows：
  Fourteenth　Corps；　Major…General　JEFF。　C。　DAVIS。
  First　Division；　Brigadier…General　W。　　P。　　Carlin；　Second　Division；　Brigadier…General　John　D。　　Morgan；　Third　Division；　Brigadier…General　A。　　Baird。　Artillery　brigade；　sixteen　guns；　Major　Charles　Houghtaling；　First　Illinois　Artillery。
  Twentieth　Corps；　Brigadier…General　A。　S。　WILLIAMS。
  First　Division；　Brigadier…General　N。　I。　Jackson；　Second　Division；　Brigadier…General　J。　W。　Geary；　Third　Division；　Brigadier…General　W。　T。　Ward。　Artillery　brigade；　Sixteen　gnus；　Major　J。　A。　Reynolds；　First　New　York　Artillery。
  Cavalry　Division；　Brigadier…General　JUDSON　KILPATRICK。
  First　Brigade；　Colonel　T。　J。　Jordan；　Ninth　Pennsylvania　Cavalry；　Second　Brigade；　Colonel　S。　D。　Atkins；　Ninety…second　Illinois　Vol。；　Third　Brigade；　Colonel　George　E。　　Spencer；　First　Alabama　Cavalry。　One　battery　of　four　guns。
  The　actual　strength　of　the　army；　as　given　in　the　following　official　tabular　statements；　was　at　the　time　sixty　thousand　and　seventy…nine　men；　and　sixty…eight　guns。　　The　trains　were　made　up　of　about　twenty…five　hundred　wagons；　with　six　mules　to　each　wagon；　and　about　six　hundred　ambulances；　with　two　horses　each。　　The　contents　of　the　wagons　embraced　an　ample　supply　of　ammunition　for　a　great　battle；　forage　for　about　seven　days；　and　provisions　for　twenty　days；　mostly　of　bread；　sugar；　coffee；　and　salt；　depending　largely　for　fresh　meat　on　beeves　driven　on　the　hoof　and　such　cattle；　hogs；　and　poultry；　as　we　expected　to　gather　along　our　line　of　march。
  RECAPITULATION…CAMPAIGN　OF　THE　CAROLINAS。
  February　1。　　　　March　1。　　　　April　1。　　　　April　10　Pers：　　60；079　　　　　　　　　57；676　　　　　　81；150　　　　　　88；948
  The　enemy　occupied　the　cities　of　Charleston　and　Augusta；　with　garrisons　capable　of　making　a　respectable　if　not　successful　defense；　but　utterly　unable　to　meet　our　veteran　columns　in　the　open　field。　　To　resist　or　delay　our　progress　north；　General　Wheeler　had　his　division　of　cavalry　（reduced　to　the　size　of　a　brigade　by　his　hard　and　persistent　fighting　ever　since　the　beginning　of　the　Atlanta　campaign）；　and　General　Wade　Hampton　had　been　dispatched　from　the　Army　of　Virginia　to　his　native　State　of　South　Carolina；　with　a　great　flourish　of　trumpets；　and　extraordinary　powers　to　raise　men；　money；　and　horses；　with　which　〃to　stay　the　progress　of　the　invader；〃　and　〃to　punish　us　for　our　insolent　attempt　to　invade　the　glorious　State　of　South　Carolina！〃　　He　was　supposed　at　the　time　to　have；　at　and　near　Columbia；　two　small　divisions　of　cavalry　commanded　by　himself　and　General　Butler。
  Of　course；　I　had　a　species　of　contempt　for　these　scattered　and　inconsiderable　forces；　knew　that　they　could　hardly　delay　us　an　hour；　and　the　only　serious　question　that　occurred　to　me　was；　would　General　Lee　sit　down　in　Richmond　（besieged　by　General　Grant）；　and　permit　us；　almost　unopposed；　to　pass　through　the　States　of　South　and　North　Carolina；　cutting　off　and　consuming　the　very　supplies　on　which　he　depended　to　feed　his　army　in　Virginia；　or　would　he　make　an　effort　to　escape　from　General　Grant；　and　endeavor　to　catch　us　inland　somewhere　between　Columbia　and　Raleigh？　　I　knew　full　well　at　the　time　that　the　broken　fragments　of　Hood's　army　（which　had　escaped　from　Tennessee）　were　being　hurried　rapidly　across　Georgia；　by　Augusta；　to　make　junction　in　my　front；　estimating　them　at　the　maximum　twenty…five　thousand　men；　and　Hardee's；　Wheeler's；　and　Hampton's　forces　at　fifteen　thousand；　made　forty　thousand；　which；　if　handled　with　spirit　and　energy；　would　constitute　a　formidable　force；　and　might　make　the　passage　of　such　rivers　as　the　Santee　and　Cape　Fear　a　difficult　undertaking。　　Therefore；　I　took　all　possible　precautions；　and　arranged　with　Admiral　Dahlgren　and　General　Foster　to　watch　our　progress　inland　by　all　the　means　possible；　and　to　provide　for　us　points　of　security　along　the　coast；　as；　at　Bull's　Bay；　Georgetown；　and　the　mouth　of　Cape　Fear　River。　　Still；　it　was　extremely　desirable　in　one　march