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

[39] November, 1864, the brigade marched from Rome to Kingston, where it remained until the twelfth. At this place, by order of General Carlin, I assumed command of the brigade on the eighth of November.

On the twelfth day of November, my brigade marched from Kingston to Cartersville. The following morning I crossed the Etowah, marched through Allatoona Pass and Ackworth, destroyed two (2) miles of railroad, and camped my troops at Big Shanty. From Big Shanty I marched to Atlanta, and camped my command about one mile east of the city. On the fifteenth day of November, during the afternoon and night, I clothed my troops and made all possible preparations for the campaign which terminated in the fall of Savannah.

On the morning of the sixteenth, my brigade marched in advance of the division. During the day we passed through Decatur, and taking the upper Covington road, we encamped for the night at Lithonia. On the following morning we resumed our march, and at twelve o'clock M. of the eighteenth I camped my command four (4) miles east of Covington, and forty-four miles east of Atlanta. After passing Decatur, we found forage in great abundance, a sufficient quantity of which was gathered by my foraging parties to supply my whole command. Near Yellow River the brigade destroyed two and a half miles of railroad. November nineteenth, we again resumed our march, and on the twenty-third day of November I camped my troops about one mile from Milledgeville. On the morning of the twenty-fourth, my brigade marched through Milledgeville, and crossing the Oconee River, we took the Sandersville road, and reached Sandersville on the twenty-seventh.

Here I received orders from General Davis to hold the town until all the trains of the Fourteenth army corps and General Kilpatrick's trains had passed, and then follow as an escort. About seven o'clock P. M., the trains having passed, I ordered my pickets to rejoin their commands, and withdrew from the town.

From Sandersville my brigade formed the rear-guard until we reached Louisville, November twenty-ninth. At Sandersville, tile Eighty-eighth Indiana lost one man captured by a squad of rebel cavalry. On the thirtieth, my brigade, in advance of the division, marched from Louisville on the road leading to Station No. 10, and camped three miles east of Sebastopol. From this point the command marched to Lumpkins, a station on the Augusta Railroad, where we bivouacked during the night.

The next morning, December fourth, my brigade destroyed one and a quarter miles of railroad, after which we marched in the direction of Savannah River, and striking the river-road, we marched down toward Savannah. Nothing of importance occurred. We reached our first posion before the city December eleventh. Here I relieved a division of the Seventeenth army corps, and threw up works along my whole front.

About four o'clock P. M., December twelfth, by order of General Carlin, I moved my brigade to the right, crossed the Ogeechee Canal, and relieved General Smith's division, Seventeenth army corps. While holding this position, (with a front of more than two (2) miles,) I forwarded one (1) prisoner of war, captured by the One Hundred and Fourth Illinois, in a slight skirmish at the Lawton Farm, and twenty-seven deserters, who came through my lines on the night of the fifteenth of December.

During the night of the twentieth December the rebels evacuated the city, and early the next morning my skirmishers crossed the swamps and rice-fields in my front and took possession of their works, capturing three (3) prisoners. There were ten (10) pieces of ordnance left by the rebels in my front, including two sixty-four (64) pounders. During the day, I moved my brigade over on to the Lawton Farm, and remained until the next morning, when I marched to this camp.

Casualties have been from the Eighty-eighth Indiana volunteer infantry, one (1) man captured; Thirty-third Ohio volunteer infantry, one man wounded and one man missing; total, three.

Number of miles of railroad destroyed, 5 3/4; number of horses and mules captured, 110; number of cattle captured, 500; cotton and cotton-gins destroyed, none.

Forage taken from the country: Corn and oats, 50,000 pounds; long forage, 52,000 pounds; total, 102,000 pounds.

Supplies for officers and men: Breadstuffs 41,000) pounds; potatoes, 55,000 pounds ; meat, 47,000 pounds ; beans and rice, 4800 pounds; sugar, 7200 pounds ; molasses, (sorghum,) 30 barrels; or subsistence for one thousand five hundred (1500) men for forty (40) days.

As the conduct of the brigade during the campaign was constantly under the eye of the General commanding the division, I close this report simply with the foregoing narration of facts.

I have the honor to be, Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Captain: You will please find below a report of the casualties which have occurred in this brigade since leaving Atlanta.

Thirty-third Ohio volunteer infantry, one enlisted man missing, November tenth, 1864; one enlisted man wounded, November twenty-fourth, 1864; Twenty-first Wisconsin volunteer infantry, one enlisted man missing, November nineteenth, 1864; Eighty-eighth Indiana volunteer infantry, one enlisted man captured, November twenty-seventh, 1864.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,