6. As for horses. mules, wagons, etc., belonging to the inhabitants, the cavalry and artillery may appropriate freelY and without limit; discriminating. however. between the rich. who are usually hostile, and the poor and industrious, usually neutral or friendly. F parties may also take mules or horses. to replace the lad animals of their trains, or to serve as pack-mules for the regiments or brigades. In all foraging of whatever kind, the parties engaged will refrain from abusive or threatening language. and may. where the officer in command thinks proper, give written certificates of the facts, but no receipts; and they will endeavor to leave with each family a reasonable portico for their maintenance.
7. Negroes who are able-bodied and can be of service to the several columns may be taken along; but each army commander will bear in mind that the question of supplies is a very important one, and that his first duty is to see to those who bear arms.
8. The organization, at once, of a rod pioneer battalion for each army corps, composed if possible of negroes, should be attended to. This battalion should follow the advance guard, repair roads and double them if possible, so that the columns will not be delayed after reaching bad places. Also, army commanders should practise the habit of giving the artillery and wagons the road, marching their troops on one side, and instruct their troops to assist wagons at steep hills or bad crossings of streams.
ps 9. Captain O. M. Poe, chief-engineer, will assign to each wing of the army a pontoon-train, fully equipped and organ ized; and the commanders thereof will see to their being properly protected at all times.
By order of W. T. Sherman, L. M. Dayton, Aide-de-Camp.
Leaving Atlanta in ruins, 15 November, the left wing, which General Sherman accompanied, marched by Decatur, Stone Mountain and Cov ington. At this point it turned toward Milledge ville, the capital of Georgia, which was the first objective. It was reached on the 22d. Meantime the right wing had marched by Jones boro, McDonough and Monticello, and was in communication with Sherman at Gordon. Kil patrides cavalry, which was operating on the right of the advance, kept in contact with Wheeler's cavalry, and reached the defenses of Macon, thence retiring to Griswoldville, where Walcutt's brigade of Wood's division was halted as a rear-guard. Gen. G. W. Smith attacked
Walcutt, but was repulsed (see GRISWOLDVILLE, BATritz or). Governor Brown, the State offi cers and members of the legislature left the capital on Sherman's approach. The arsenal and various public buildings were destroyed.
The march was resumed 24 November, with Millen as the next objective. The two wings followed the general line of the railroad. Mil len was reached 3 December. From Millen the army proceeded by the four main roads for Savannah. The effort of the Confederate au thorities to organize a force at Augusta to at tack Sherman in flank failed, and the march to Savannah was only slightly disturbed by the persistent skirmishing of Wheeler's cavalry. McLaw's division of Hardee's force had ad vanced to Ogeechee Church, but fell back to the city upon Sherman's approach. The several corps reached the defenses of Savannah 9 and 10 December, and occupied a line from the Ogeechee River on the right to the Savannah River on the left. Hardee occupied the city with something less than 10,000 'men. Sher man's effective force numbered a little over 60,000. Hood held the Savannah River below Sherman's lines.
The march had cut a swath of many miles in width through the richest part of Georgia, The heads of the columns and the flanks swarmed with foraging parties, and a country was daily scoured to supply food for a marching column of 60,000 soldiers was of necessity stripped of provisions, and of every thing else that could contribute to the use or comfort of an army. Railroads had been destroyed for long distances, and all factories and other buildings burned which could con-. tribute to army purposes. There had been no fighting worth mentioning, Griswoldville ex cepted, and that had only involved one Union brigade.
General Sherman had left Atlanta with 204 officers and men of all arms. He reached Savannah with 60,057. On the march 103 were killed, 428 wounded, 278 missing and 1,338 cap tured. Of those captured, a large proportion were foragers, better known in army vernacular as The night of 12 December a bridge had been completed over the Ogeechee, and the next morning Hazen's division crossed and marched at once to assault Fort McAllister (q.v.) and open the way to the sea. An hour before sun set the assault was delivered and the fort taken.