[170]
Deember 16.—To Colonel Hawley: The General commanding the corps directs that you have all the boats in your charge, or in that of Colonel Bloodgood, on your side of the river by 8 A. M. to-morrow, and in readiness to cross troops.
The whole of Colonel Carman's brigade will cross.
December 16.—To General Jackson: In accordance with directions from the General commanding the corps, the order for Colonel Carman to cross his brigade to the South Carolina side of the Savannah River to-morrow morning is hereby countermanded.
The General commanding directs that you have him send over a force of ninety or one hundred men in small boats to effect a lodgment, if possible, and feel the enemy's position.
He wishes him to take only such force as can be readily brought back in case the enemy be too strong for him.
December 18.—To Colonel Carman: The Brigadier-General commanding the corps directs that you cross your command to the South Carolina side of the Savannah River to-morrow morning.
You will commence the movement before daylight.
‘December 21.—General Jackson: The General commanding directs that General Carman's brigade be moved to this side of the river, leaving one regiment on the island for the present.
He wishes the brigade encamped on this side so that they will protect the two rice mills.’
Colonel Charles C. Jones,
Chief of Artillery on the staff of
General Hardee during the siege of
Savannah, in a work which he has published, thus describes the evacuation:
December 14.—The evacuation of Savannah having been resolved upon, and it being impracticable by means of the few steamboats and river craft at command to cross the garrison, artillery, and requisite stores with convenience and safety to Screven's Ferry, orders were issued for the immediate construction of suitable pontoon bridges.
The line of retreat selected by the engineers, and adopted upon the evacuation of the city, involved the location of a pontoon bridge extending from the foot of West Broad street to Hutchinson's Island, a distance of about a thousand feet, a roadway across that island in the direction of Pennyworth Island, a second pontoon bridge across the middle river, another roadway across Pennyworth Island, and a third pontoon bridge across Back River, the further end of which rested upon the rice field on the Carolina shore.
The route then followed the most substantial and direct rice dam running north, a canal being on one side and an impracticable rice field on the other.
This dam was just wide enough to permit the careful movement of field artillery and army wagons.
The plantation bridges along the line of march were strengthened to bear the passage of these heavy conveyances. * * * *
All available rice-field flats were collected.
These being between seventy-five and eighty feet in length, and possessing sufficient width for the purpose, were swung into position with the tide, lashed end to end by means of ropes
