‘
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once, I can do no more at present than simply acknowledge its receipt.
The capture of Savannah with all its immense stores must tell upon the people of the South.
All well here.’
Under the same date
Secretary Stanton telegraphed
Grant at
City Point:
I wish you a merry Christmas, if it is not too late, and thank you for the Savannah news.
It is a sore disappointment that Hardee was able to get off his fifteen thousand from Sherman's sixty thousand.
It looks like protracting the war while their armies continue to escape.
‘I hope you will give immediate instructions to seize and hold the cotton.
Thomas has been nominated for Major-General.’
Of the approach to the coast,
General Sherman writes:
‘The weather was fine, the roads good, and every thing seemed to favor us Never do I recall a more agreeable sensation than the sight of our camps by night, lit up by the fires of fragrant pine knots. * * * * No enemy opposed us, and we could only occasionally hear the faint reverberation of a gun to our left rear, where we knew that General Kilpatrick was skirmishing with Wheeler's cavalry, which persistently followed him. But the infantry columns had met with no opposition whatever. * * * * That night (December 8) we reached Pooler's Station, eight miles from Savannah, and during the next two days, December 9 and 10, the several corps reached the defenses of Savannah, * * * * thus completely investing the city.’
This question of investing the city involves the one of responsibility for the escape of
Hardee, and will bear a little attention.
On the 13th December
General Sherman wrote
Mr. Stanton, as quoted at page 201, Volume II:
‘Before opening communication we had completely destroyed all railroads leading into Savannah and invested the city.’
And on the 16th to
General Grant, quoted on page 207:
‘I had previously made you a hasty scrawl * * * * advising you that the army had reached the sea-coast * * * * investing closely the city of Savannah, and had made connection with the fleet. * * * * General Slocum occupies Argyle Island and the upper end of Hutchinson's Island and has a brigade on the South Carolina shore ’
