on the following morning. The road traversed a wide swamp formed by a winding creek, over which nine bridges had been built. The enemy had destroyed these, and pontoons and corduroy had to supply their place. Skirmishing with the enemy now grew lively. A dash of Colonel Hughes into Sandersville nearly proved fatal to him, and the infantry of the second column advanced to undisturbed possession of the town. Louisville was reached on the 30th, and on the 2d and 3d of December, both men and mules suffered much from the heat. On the march, the plantation of a violent secessionist, Dr. W. Jones, was completely devastated, and that of widow Jones, who had shown sympathy to Union captives, was spared for the sake of her charitable deeds. The Millen stockade, which had been the prison of many thousand Union captives, was passed, but the prisoners had been removed before even the swift and dashing Kilpatrick could reach it. It consisted of a high log fence, enclosing fifteen acres, in a thick pine forest, and was a melancholy and dreary spectacle. The right wing, under General Howard, had encountered little opposition, except at Oconee Bridge, where Major Hartridge, of Wheeler's cavalry, made a stout but unavailing resistance. The Fourteenth and Twentieth corps arrived at Millen with punctuality, which tended to ensure the accomplishment of Sherman's masterly plans.

Kilpatrick had, in the mean time, been raiding in advance. Two hundred of his men under Captain Hayes, had struck out sixty miles from the main command. They ventured within eight miles of Augusta, destroying a train of cars, the bridge over Brier creek on the Augusta Branch railroad, and committed other devastations calculated to weaken and confound the enemy. Kilpatrick took special pains while Hayes was thus engaged, to keep Wheeler's attention fixed upon him, in the vicinity of Louisville. Colonel Murray's detachment was thrice vigorously assailed by the rebel cavalry, and though driven off at last by the aid of artillery. Kilpatrick's command continued to be harassed with sharp skirmishing, which culminated in a hard fight, at Turkey creek, where the narrow and difficult passage over the bridge afforded the enemy an opportunity to check his progress.

On the 28th of November, a foggy morning, Wheeler's cavalry suddenly assaulted Kilpatrick's rear, drove him behind his second barricade, and followed up the advantage with so much vigor, that nothing but hard fighting and swift running saved that commander from capture At Buck Head creek the cavalry had another sharp conflict. The enemy charged Kilpatrick on the flank, but his men were advantageously posted behind timber, and the rebels exposed in an open field to a fire which drove them back with the loss of two hundred left dead and wounded upon the field. On the first of December Kilpatrick had the good fortune to strike Wheeler's cavalry in turn on the flank, and an encounter ensued

in which the rebels were defeated. On the 4th, Kilpatrick was again in search of the enemy, and found him eight miles from Waynesboro', where he was ensconced behind rail barricades. These defences were found obstinate, but Kilpatrick led his men in person, when the three lines were successfully carried in a hand-to-hand fight, and Wheeler was chased through Waynesboro'. The cavalry now moved toward Savannah, exchanging a few shots with the rebel infantry at Sister's ferry, when, passing to the right wing again, they moved through Cypress Swamps; and, on December 10th, they were shelled by the rebel batteries at Savannan, in plain view, while picking their way through the rice fields which the rebels had flooded to prevent their approach to the city.

As all the columns had reached their rendezvous about Millen in time, they were ordered to continue their march on Savannah by several roads, according to their position in line; General Davis following the Savannah railroad, General Slocum the middle road, by the way of Springfield, General Blair the railroad, and General Howard continuing still south and west of the Ogeechee, with instructions to cross to the east bank opposite Eden Station.

On approaching Savannah, the country became more marshy and difficult, and the pioneer companies were constantly employed removing felled trees and other obstructions, so placed as to impede the advance of the army. When the heads of the columns were within fifteen miles of Savannah, all the avenues to the city were found to be thus obstructed, with the addition of extended earthworks and artillery. "But these," says General Sherman, were easily turned, and the enemy driven away, so that by the 10th of December the rebels were driven within their lines at Savannah, which followed two swampy streams, bordered by flooded ricefields." The only approaches to the city were by two railroads and three dirt-roads, all of which were commanded by heavy ordnance, too strong for an attack by the artillery which Sherman's army had brought with it. General Slocum had struck the Charleston railroad near the bridge, and thus severed the connection between Charleston and Savannah. Ho invested the latter city on the right and front, the left of the Twentieth corps extending to the river. Here some of the foragers discovered the steamer Water Witch, captured from the Union fleet, moving up, which was soon recaptured and burned.

Howard now swung into line, bringing the Seventeenth corps on the right centre, and placing the Fifteenth in reserve, to open communication with the Union fleet, which purpose was effected by Captain Duncan, chief of Howard's scouts.

Major-General Kilpatrick had reconnoitred Fort McAllister, and, by a rapid movement to Kilkenny Bluff, also succeeded in communicating with the fleet. He solicited permission to attack the fort, which was very prudently refused.

THE CAPTURE OF FORT MO ALLISTER, GA.

DECEMBER 13, 1864.

The railroad bridge called King's Bridge, across the Ogeechee, leading to the fort, had been burned by the rebels, and was now reconstructed in an incredibly short time. On the 13th of December the Second division of the Fifteenth corps, under the command of Brigadier-General Hazen, crossed the bridge to the west bank, with orders to carry Fort McAllister by assault. This work was a strong enclosed redoubt, manned by two companies of artillery and three of infantry, in all about two hundred men, and mounting twenty-three guns, en barbette, and one mortar. General Hazen deployed his division about the fort, with both flanks resting upon the river, posted his skirmishers behind the trunks of trees whose branches had been used for abattis, and, about five P. M., assaulted the place with nine regiments at three points.

General Sherman witnessed the assault from a rice-mill on the opposite side of the river, and had the satisfaction of perceiving, at the same moment, a United States gunboat in the distance, which, shortly afterward, responded to his signal from the mill. Hazen had brought no artillery, for the ground was too swampy to sustain it, and he placed his reliance on the dash and bayonets of his men. All the guns of the fort opened upon his single line as it advanced. At the same time, the torpedoes, which had been buried plentifully in all the approaches to the position, began to explode, killing and wounding more than the guns. The assailants had first to surmount the thick abattis, which they had no sooner done than they poured into the fort a fire so deadly as to silence its guns. A ditch, bristling with spikes, was the next fearful obstacle to overcome. The Union soldiers scrambled out of this, and clambered into the fort in A terrible, close, crowded conflict now ensued. The garrison fought desperately; many of the men were bayoneted at their guns, and the officers for a time refused to surrender. But the Union troops continued to pour in on all sides, and the fort was soon after surrendered to the victors.

swarms.

On the following day the rebel prisoners were compelled to remove all the torpedoes about the fort. The Union loss in this gallant affair was twenty-three killed and eighty-two wounded; that of the enemy fourteen killed, twenty-one wounded, and one hundred and ninety-eight soldiers and thirteen officers made prisoners.

An important advantage gained by the capture of Fort McAllister was the opening of communication with the supply ships which the govern ment had prudently held in readiness for the wants of Sherman's army.