The Photographic History of The Civil War: in ten volumes, Thousands of Scenes Photographed 1861-65, with Text by many Special Authorities, Volume 9: Poetry and Eloquence.
Francis Trevelyan Miller, Ed.

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‘When Sherman marched down to the sea’ This somber view of Fort McAllister, on the Great Ogeechee River, was taken soon after the termination of Sherman's famous march. As Byers sings of the achievement, the movement began in May, 1864, with the advance against Johnston, but the usual understanding is of the march from Atlanta, which began on November 15th. On December 10th, Sherman's army had closed in on the works around Savannah. The general's first move was to make connections with the fleet and its supplies. The country about Savannah afforded nothing but rice, which did not satisfy an army that for a month had been living on pigs, chickens, and turkeys. But the only convenient channel of communication was the Great Ogeechee, guarded by the Fort that had defied the navy for two years. Its storming by Hazen, on December 17th, was welcome to Sherman's men above most victories. A foraging party had rowed down the river into Ossabaw Sound and met a steamer coming in, the crew of which said that it was the Nemeha and had Major-General Foster on board. The party answered: ‘Oh, we've got twenty-seven major-generals up at camp. What we want is hardtack!’ On December 21st, the army entered Savannah. Sherman's achievement was world-famous.