24th.—Savannah has been evacuated, without loss to us, except of some stores, which could not be removed. The city was surrendered by its mayor, Arnold by name, and he seems to be worthy of the traitorous name. Our troops marched towards Charleston. Savannah was of little use to us for a year past, it has [...]
24th. Saturday. In the morning helped Hillhouse fix up his ordnance papers. P. M. whiskey issued. Boys pretty jolly.
Saturday, 24th.—Tried all day to get my tooth pulled, but failed, as all instruments are behind. Camped near Shoal Creek. (Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)
Saturday, 24th–General Foster’s command is still in pursuit of the fleeing rebels through South Carolina. They had an encounter yesterday with them, in which the rebels were completely routed. General Foster was wounded in the fight and was brought into town this morning. General Sherman[1] reviewed the Fifteenth Army Corps this morning. We had company [...]
December 23d–Bright and very cold. A storm has driven off a portion of the enemy’s fleet before Wilmington. The raid toward Gordonsville and Charlottesville is not progressing rapidly. We shall have a force to meet it. Besides the demonstration against Savannah (from which place we have no recent tidings), it appears that an attempt on [...]
December 23, 1864. Just before night Mrs. Robert Rakestraw and Miss Mary drove up to spend the night with me. They had started down into Jasper County, hoping to get back their buggy, having heard that several buggies were left at Mr. Whitfield’s by the Yankees. Nothing new! It is confidently believed that Savannah has [...]
23rd. Friday. Application made to send Sergt. Laundon and myself to Ohio. Have enjoyed looking over the papers. Everything looks very bright indeed. The new call and the late successes are glorious.
Friday, 23d.—Detailed to go with Marshall’s Battery; had very easy time. Got to ride most of the time. (Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)
Friday, 23d–The citizens of Savannah have generally remained in their homes, only a few having left town. Four-fifths of the people are women and children, the rest being old men. They appear to be glad that our army has taken possession of the city, and most of them are willing to take the oath of [...]
December 22d.–Clear and cold. We have nothing from below. From Wilmington, we learn there is much commotion to resist the armada launched against that port. Gen. Lee is sending troops via the Danville Road in that direction. The wire has been cut between this and Gordonsville, by the scouts of the raiders launched in that [...]
December 22, 1864. Tuesday, the nineteenth of the month, I attended Floyd Glass’s wedding. She was married in the morning to Lieutenant Doroughty. She expected to have been married the week after the Yankees came, but her groom was not able to get here. Some of the Yankees found out in some way that she [...]
22nd. Marched at 5:30. The most uncomfortable day I ever passed. 45 2nd Ohio men with frozen feet. Much suffering throughout the division. Wind blew the snow right through us. Camped in rear of old infantry line, in awful place, with no wood. Boys went for fences about Hdqrs. Col. Pennington threatened to shoot some [...]
Green Square, Savannah, Camp 103d Illinois “Provost Guards.” December 22, 1864. We have just by a hair’s breadth missed what would have been a most unpleasant fight. We lay on the west side of the Ogeechee, with the enemy on the opposite shore, strongly fortified. We had crawled through the mud and established a line [...]
22nd. Up at 4. Rain froze as it fell. Awfully cold. At 5:30 “To horse” sounded. Soon a yell went up near the 2nd Brig., then a few shots. We were ordered to mount immediately–did it. A line could be seen on a distant hill. A few men came up within a few rods of [...]
Thursday, 22d.—Overtook brigade five miles from Pulaski. (Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)
Thursday, 22d–It is quite cool. Our camp is just inside the city limits. We tore down several houses and fences with which to build “ranches,” and then spent the rest of the day in cleaning accouterments and washing our clothes. The rebels, in their haste to get away, left about one hundred and fifty pieces [...]
December 21st.–Raining; rained all night. The following dispatch was received this morning: “Wilmington, December 20th, 1864, 10 A.M.–The head of the enemy’s fleet arrived off this port during last night. Over thirty steamers are now assembling, and more are following.–Braxton Bragg.” It may be hoped that Gen. Bragg will do something more than chronicle the [...]
21st. Wednesday. Orders regarding success of Sherman and Thomas, read to us near Mt. Jackson. Camped 8 miles south of Newmarket. Rained.
Wednesday, 21st.—Marched to Pulaski. Got good house to stay in at night. Snowing and very cold. Have very bad toothache. (Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)
Wednesday, 21st–The last artillery firing this morning was that of a thunderstorm. It seems that kind Providence wanted a hand in the capture of the city. We received orders about 10 o’clock to be ready to march at a moment’s warning, and immediately we were ordered to march, as the rebels had evacuated the place. [...]
December 20th.–A brighter morning, cool and clear. The President was at work yesterday. He and the Secretary and Gen. Cooper put their heads together to make up a regiment for Col. Miller in Mississippi, and designate the two field officers to be under him–from two battalions and two unattached companies. If the Northern (purporting to [...]
20th. Up at four. An early breakfast. 3rd Div. started up the valley, while 1st and 2nd went in another direction with 10 days’ rations. Camped at Woodstock.
Tuesday, 20th.—Brigade came back past last night, and left some of us behind. Marched eighteen miles. A Mrs. Lidle gave us her kitchen to stay in; treated us very kindly. Cold and rainy. (Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)
Washington Dec 20th/64 No news from Sherman (officialy) as yet as to his taking Savannah but we consider it as good as ours. He has got to the coast with very little opposition, and with very little loss after his 300 Miles March. It is the greatest feat of the War. He has shown himself [...]
Tuesday, 20th–Cloudy and windy this morning. Heavy cannonading with some skirmishing was kept up all day. Our batteries silenced the rebels’ batteries at every point. Four companies from our regiment went out last night to reinforce the details on building fortifications. The walls of the forts are to be twenty feet thick. We have a [...]