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

December 21.--After three o'clock this morning the firing ceased, and my pickets advancing to the enemy's line, found them hastily retreating. Having possession of their line of works, with all their cannon in front of my own and the other division of the corps, I immediately sent a staff-officer to notify the General commanding, and at the same time pushed forward rapidly in the direction of Savannah, hoping to overtake and capture a part of the enemy's force. My skirmishers deployed and swept over all the ground between the evacuated works and the Ogeechee Canal, from the river to the Augusta road, while my main body of troops marched rapidly by the flank through McAlpin's plantation to the Augusta road and on into the city. Just outside of the city limits, near the junction of the Louisville and Augusta roads, I met the Mayor of Savannah and a delegation from the Board of Aldermen, bearing a flag of truce. From them I received, in the name of my Commanding General, the surrender of the city. This was at half-past 4 A. M., and I sent immediately another staff-officer to announce the surrender to the General commanding the corps.

He had considerable difficulty in passing the line of another division of this corps, on the Augusta road, but finally convinced them that he belonged to the Twentieth corps and not to the enemy. In the mean time, my entire division entered the city of Savannah at early dawn, and before the sun first gilded the morning clouds our national colors, side by side with those of my own division, were unfurled from the dome of the Exchange and over the United States Custom-House. Barnum's brigade, which led in entering the city, was at once ordered to patrol it, reduce it to order and quiet, and prevent any pillaging or lawlessness on the part either of soldiers or citizens. My orders on the subject were very strict, and within a few hours this city — in which I had found a lawless mob of low whites and negroes, pillaging and setting fire to property — was reduced to order. Many millions of dollars' worth of cotton, ordnance, and commissary stores, etc., which would otherwise have been destroyed, were saved to the United States Government, and the citizens once more enjoyed security under the protection of that flag which again waved over them, exactly four years since the passage by the State of South-Carolina of the secession act. Two regiments from Pardee's brigade, the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania and Twenty-ninth Ohio veteran volunteers, were sent down to Fort Jackson, and early in the morning had possession of it and all the intermediate and surrounding works. The iron-plated ram Savannah, which lay in the river below the city, threw a few shells at these two regiments as they flung the Stars and Stripes to the breeze from the walls of Fort Jackson. All the other gunboats of the enemy had been fired by them, and burned to the water's edge. On the arrival of the Major-General commanding the left wing, I was, by his order, placed in command of the city. Until nearly ten A. M., continued firing was heard in the direction of Beaulieu; and supposing that a portion of the enemy might still be south of us, I kept one brigade under arms during the forenoon.

Three rebel flags were captured by my command, which will be duly forwarded.

The following table will exhibit, as near as possible, the amount of public property taken possession of by my command on the morning of the twenty-first December.