Joseph T. Derry , A. M. , Author of School History of the United States; Story of the Confederate War, etc., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 6, Georgia
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

Sherman, who was watching the assault from the rice mill, as soon as he saw the United States flag hoisted, went down the river in a boat, and observing a Federal vessel farther down the Ogeechee, went on and for the first time communicated with Dahlgren's fleet. Next day he met Dahlgren at Warsaw sound, and arranged that he should be furnished with siege guns for the reduction of the lines before Savannah. On the 17th he sent in from Slocum's headquarters on the Augusta road a demand for surrender, and on the following day received a refusal from General Hardee, who had about 15,000 troops, besides General Smith's 2,000 Georgia State troops occupying the intrenched line west of the city. Sherman, having next arranged for the assault by Slocum, went to Port Royal by boat to urge the movement against the Charleston & Savannah railroad. On the 21st he was informed, to his great disappointment, that Hardee had escaped into South Carolina.

A pontoon bridge, about half a mile in length, having been constructed from Hutchison's island across the Savannah, Hardee moved his army out in safety on the 21st, taking with him his artillery and baggage wagons, and made a secure retreat, one of the most successful in the course of the war. General Smith's command brought up the rear and was then transferred to Augusta.

Commodore Tattnall had been prevented from making a dash seaward with his fleet, the main strength of which was the armored ship Savannah, by the placing of seven monitors in the Savannah river and other channels of escape. The remainder of Admiral Dahlgren's fleet had bombarded Battery Beaulieu on Vernon river and other works on the Ogeechee and Ossabaw. Before the evacuation, Commodore Tattnall destroyed the ships and naval property, blowing up the water battery Georgia,