Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Division followed up and supported General Kilpatrick during the day and then made a night march to Alexander. December fifth, reached Jacksonboro. December sixth, arrived at Beaver Dam Creek and joined the other two divisions of the corps. December seventh, late at night, reached Sisters Ferry. December eighth, remained in camp during the day and had considerable skirmishing with the advance of the enemy's cavalry; marched at midnight and crossed Ebenezer Creek at three A. M., December ninth. December tenth, encamped within twelve miles of Savannah, making short marches.

Division encamped, December thirteenth, on the Louisville road six miles from the city, where it remained until the twenty-second, at which time, the city having been evacuated on the night of the twentieth, it was moved to a position, still occupied, half a mile from the town.

December twenty-seventh, corps reviewed by Major-General Sherman.

The division entered upon the campaign organized as it had hitherto been, into three brigades of infantry, commanded respectively by Colonel George P. Este, Fourteenth Ohio volunteers; Colonel Morton C. Hunter, Eighty-second Indiana volunteers; and Colonel N. Gleason, Eighty-seventh Indiana volunteers.

The Fifth Wisconsin battery, four guns, Captain Joseph McKnight, was likewise attached to it. Our effective force of fighting men during the whole march was, upon an average, a little under five thousand.

The number of mouths which we had to feed, including teamsters and servants, somewhat over six thousand.

We cut loose from our connections at Atlanta to march to this point with the following supplies: 57,000 rations bread, about nine and a half days; 161,000 rations coffee, about twenty-seven days; 117,000 rations sugar, about nineteen days; 30,000 rations salt meat, about five days; and an abundance of salt, with some candles and soap.

We also started with five hundred and fifty head of beef cattle and have yet remaining seventy-five head.

On these supplies, together with what was drawn from the country, the division subsisted from the sixteenth of November to the sixteenth of December.

The amount of sweet potatoes, hogs, cattle, and poultry taken in the country and consumed by the troops cannot be estimated, but it must have been very large, the men living well.

The division destroyed quite effectually eighteen miles of railroad and two large bridges — that over Rocky Comfort Creek on the Augusta road, and that over Oconee River at Milledgeville, as well as the State magazine at that place. It destroyed, I feel quite sure, over one thousand bales of cotton and probably less than two thousand bales.

The amount of forage and other minor articles consumed and destroyed cannot be estimated.

The command “foraged liberally.” The number of draught and saddle animals captured was about five hundred and ninety-seven; some of them were used to replace those in our trains already worn out, others were worthless, and my quartermaster has still about four hundred head to turn over.

Negroes to the number of about six hundred and sixty-eight joined or followed our column on the march, and have, since our arrival here, either been employed or turned over to the Provost-Marshal. A large number was probably with the column, or near it, at certain times; but as no notice was taken of any of them, and no restraint exercised over those simply passing along the road, many doubtless disappeared without any account being had of them.

The division captured sixteen prisoners, and its loss in action was eight men wounded, three of whom afterward died. The list of casualties by name is appended.

In closing this report, I have again to commend to the notice of my superior commanders the ability and meritorious services of Colonel George P. Este, Fourteenth Ohio; Colonel Morton C. Hunter, Eighty-second Indiana; and Colonel N. Gleason, Eighty-seventh Indiana, who commanded