By order of Major-General Slocum, the Second Massachusetts volunteer infantry was detached as provost-guard of the city, and Colonel William Cogswell commanding, made Post Commander.

September fifth, by order from headquarters | Twentieth corps, the One Hundred and Seventh New-York volunteer infantry, Colonel N. M. Crane, were ordered to report to Colonel A. Beckwith, Chief Commissary of Subsistence, military division of the Mississippi, for duty in the city.

cavalry in our front, encountered the enemy, who enemy opened one piece of artillery on my skirwere posted on a small creek, the road through mishers, but soon ceased and evacuated their which had been obstructed by fallen trees; the fort. The ground being a rice-swamp, my progenemy were soon dislodged and pursued to San-ress was necessarily very slow, and they escaped, dersville, at which place they made a stand, with the exception of three men, captured by the driving back our cavalry. I then deployed six Third Wisconsin volunteers. Encamped for the (6) companies of the Thirteenth New-Jersey vol- night. unteers as skirmishers, with four companies in reserve, and advanced on them, the Ninth Illinois being disposed on the flanks. The enemy gave way before my skirmishers, and I entered town at the same time as did the Fourteenth corps, who came in on another road to the left. Moving to the right, I followed the enemy through town, and one mile beyond, skirmishing a little. My loss was two men wounded belonging to the Thirteenth New-Jersey volunteers. I was then recalled and ordered with the rest of the division to Tennille Station, on the Georgia Central Railroad, where I destroyed about three miles of track and encamped for the night..

November 27.-Marched to Davisboro, Station No. 22, crossed Williamson Swamp Creek.

November 28.-Destroyed three miles of railroad track and marched to Spiers Station.

November 29.-Destroyed four miles of railroad track of Georgia Central, two saw-mills and lumber-yards, and the timber for four (4) large bridges ready for use; one of the bridges was marked "Strawberry Plains," one "Chattanooga Creek," the other two names have escaped my memory. This timber has been gotten out and made ready for use, even to having the pegs to unite it, turned, and was intended, as I afterward learned from a citizen, for future operations of the enemy in East-Tennessee. I should estimate the number of feet in this pile of timber to be one million five hundred thousand.

November 30.-Crossed the Ogeechee, and encamped three miles south-east of Louisville.

December 1.-Crossed Jones's Mill Creek, Dug Spring, Baker and Camp Creeks, camping near Jones's Mill Creek.

December 2.-Passed through Birdsville, and encamped at Buck Head Church.

December 3.-Crossed Waynesboro Railroad, and marched to three miles to Millen.

December 4.-Crossed Little Ogeechee Creek at Hunter's Mill, and encamped six miles southeast of Sylvania.

December 5.-Marched two miles south-east. December 6.-Marched seventeen miles in same direction.

December 7.-Marched to Springfield. December 8.-Camped near Eden. December 9.-Moved out to the Monteith road, reaching the Monteith Swamp about noon, where the enemy had erected two earthworks across the road, and felled the timber for some distance in 'front. Received orders to move up on the right of the road and endeavor to flank these works. I moved through the wood about three quarters of a mile, where I found a rice-field extending up to the left of their battery, (our right.) I formed the brigade in two lines across this field, advanced skirmishers and moved forward. The

December 10.-Moved down to the Charleston and Savannah Railroad, and destroyed about two miles of the track, and moved on to within five miles of Savannah, where the enemy were found strongly intrenched. Formed line of battle on left of Third division, right resting on the Savannah turnpike. A forage party, under command of Captain Gildersleeve, One Hundred and Fiftieth New-York volunteers, this day captured the rebel despatch steamer Ida, on the Savannah River, taking thirteen prisoners, among whom was Colonel Clynch of General Hardee's staff. The steamer was burned by Captain Gildersleeve, he not being able to hold it on account of the rebel gunboats on the river.

December 11.-The brigade in same position. Under orders from the Brigadier-General commanding the division, the Second Massachusetts and One Hundred and Seventh New-York, under command of Colonel Cogswell, Second Massachusetts, made a reconnoissance of the enemy's position, and reported directly to division headquarters. Later in the day I was directed to send one regiment to report to the BrigadierGeneral commanding the corps for special service. The Third Wisconsin, Colonel Hawley commanding, was selected, and received orders from Brigadier-General Williams, commanding Twentieth corps, to cross to Argyle Island, in the Savannah River, secure such property as he might find there, and also to make a reconnoissance to the South-Carolina shore. Two companies of this regiment crossed to Argyle Island this night and six companies the following morning, leaving two companies to guard the Georgia shore and take charge of a rice-mill and contraband camp.

December 12.-While crossing the river, Colonel Hawley discovered three steamers descending. Winnegar's battery, on the Georgia shore, imunediately opened fire upon them, driving two gunboats, Macon and Sampson, back; one, the armed steam-tender Resolute, was driven on the island and captured with all the crew, consisting of five officers and nineteen men, by Colonel Hawley. There was a quantity of ordnance and subsistence stores on board, a list of which is given in Appendix C. Colonel Hawley also secured a quantity of stores and animals upon the island, which will be found enumerated in Appendix C to this report. The brigade remained in same position until December fifteenth, when the Second Massachusetts volunteers was ordered by Brigadier-General Williams to report to Colonel Hawley at once upon Argyle Island.

December 16.-Received orders from BrigadierGeneral Williams to move my brigade over to Argyle Island, and from thence to the SouthCarolina shore. At seven A.M., being relieved

by Colonel Dustin's brigade of Third division, I proceeded with the remainder of the brigade to Argyle Island, and took up position on the eastern point and near South-Carolina shore. Two pieces of artillery, battery I, First New-York, were ordered to report to me, and were put into position. During the night received orders from Brigadier-General Williams, commanding corps, to cross my brigade to the South-Carolina shore, and take up position near the river, threatening the Savannah and Charleston pike. Later in the evening this order was countermanded, and an order given to send one hundred men only, and cross them in small boats.

thrown up at all the prominent points along the line, making my position as strong as possible.

December 20.-In obedience to orders from the Brigadier-General commanding division, to determine the position of Clysedale Creek, with reference to my line, I detailed twelve companies of the brigade, under immediate command of Colonel Hawley, Third Wisconsin volunteers, and accompanied them myself. The force succeeded in reaching Clysedale Creek, with the loss of one man killed, and after erecting works for one regiment, and posting therein two companies of Thirteenth New-Jersey volunteers, an effort was made to strike the Savannah and Hardeesville road, but the enemy, anticipating the movement, had thrown a strong force in our front. Having a canal to cross under their fire if we advanced, I ordered the detachment to withdraw. During the day, a great number of vehicles of all descriptions were seen passing our front, moving from Savannah toward Hardeesville, which fact was reported to the headquarters of the division. In the afternoon, a rebel gunboat came up the river in our rear, and threw about thirty shells in my brigade, killing one man of One Hundred and Fiftieth New-York. I could not reach it with my artillery. At four P.M., the enemy were reenforced by three regiments of infantry from Savannah.

From seven P.M. until three A.M. the noise of the retreating enemy could plainly be heard as they crossed the bridges from Savannah to the South-Carolina shore.

December 21.-At seven A.M., I received orders from the Brigadier-General commanding division, through Captain Bennett, Topographical Engineer, to recross my brigade to the Georgia shore, as rapidly as possible, and march into Savannah, which place had surrendered to us at five A.M. The enemy were still in my front, and I made dispositions to cross, by sending the One Hundred and Fiftieth New-York, Colonel Ketcham commanding, across to Argyle Island, and put into position behind the dyke, so as to cover the withdrawal of the rear-guard down a dyke on the Carolina shore to a lower landing opposite Gibbon's Mill.

Deeming the force too inadequate to maintain its ground against the accumulating force of the enemy, the One Hundred and Seventh New-York was sent over in the afternoon, and succeeded in gaining an important point on the line.

So important did the enemy consider this position, that they charged our forces with their cavalry, but were speedily driven off.

I then moved the remaining regiment of the brigade, One Hundred and Fiftieth New-York Volunteers, to the South-Carolina shore, and established then my headquarters at Izard's Mill. The position occupied by the brigade was strong for defence, but the nature of the ground was such that an advance was difficult. It was a rice plantation, cut up by numerous dykes and canals, and the enemy had burned all the bridges over the canals and overflowed the whole plantation to a depth of eight to eighteen inches water, thus necessitating all our movements by the flank up these dykes, and they stood well prepared at these places to resist our advance. During the night I transported the two pieces of artillery across the river, and put them in position in the centre of the line; the line as then formed withdrawal of the balance of the brigade; then and held by my brigade was two and a quarter it was withdrawn, followed by our skirmishers, miles long, the left resting on the Savannah the enemy pressing hard. The One Hundred River near Izard's Mill, the right on an inlet near and Seventh New-York volunteers crossed; then Clysedale Creek. the enemy grew more bold, advancing at all During the night I caused earthworks to be points; but under cover of the numerous dykes,

On account of the high. wind, the artillery could not be landed as desired." The enemy, perceiving our movements, advanced their skirmishers rapidly, but were checked by the bold front and steadiness of our own skirmishers. It was two o'clock before the artillery and stores could be got far enough away to warrant the

The Second Massachusetts volunteers and the two pieces of artillery were then withdrawn, the Second Massachusetts landing on Argyle Island, and the artillery, loaded on a barge, being ordered to land on the island.

they were held in check. At sunset, the Thirteenth New-Jersey volunteers crossed, and Colonel Hawley, commanding Third Wisconsin, with the skirmish-line, was left to the delicate task of withdrawing under cover of darkness. At eleven During the entire march from Atlanta to this P.M., the skirmish-line crossed, and without the place, the brigade has subsisted entirely upon loss of a man captured. During the severe skir- the country. (For statement of stores captured, mishing of the afternoon, Colonel John H. Ketch- see Appendix C.) We have travelled three hunam, commanding One Hundred and Fiftieth New-dred and twenty-three miles, have not lost a man York volunteers, a valuable officer, was severely by sickness, and have now only eleven (11) on wounded in the thigh; he had but two days be- the sick list, or less than one per cent. fore joined his command while we lay on Argyle Island.

For list of casualties, see Appendix A. For list of prisoners captured, see Appendix B. For list of property captured and destroyed, see Appendix C.

. December 22.-Crossed from Argyle Island to main land and took position on the right of the First brigade of the division about two miles north of the city of Savannah.

On withdrawing from South-Carolina and Argyle Island, about one hundred and fifty negroes came with my brigade.

In closing this report, I cannot forbear to say

that, in my opinion, the position taken and held by this brigade on the South-Carolina side of the river, had much to do in accelerating the evacuation of the city of Savannah.

Accompanying this report, I submit the reports of my regimental commanders.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
E. A. CARMAN,
Colonel Commanding Brigade.

APPENDIX B.

List of rebel prisoners captured: December ninth, at Monteith Swamp, three enlisted men; December tenth, on steamer Ida, one commissioned officer and twelve enlisted men; December eleventh, on steamer Resolute, five commissioned officers and nineteen enlisted men; total, six commissioned officers and thirty-four enlisted

men.

APPENDIX C.-Property captured and appropriated to the use of the brigade:

Five horses,. 44 mules; corn, 177,118 pounds; fodder, 205,500 pounds; sweet potatoes, 95,000 pounds; fresh meat, including poultry, 95,000 pounds; rice in the sheaf, 20,000 pounds; rice threshed, 500 bushels; syrup, 13 barrels; sugar, 1000 pounds; salt, 6 barrels; bacon, 1000 pounds; meal and flour, 1500 pounds; whisky, 2 barrels; tobacco, 1500 pounds.

Property captured and turned over.-Eighteen hundred bales cotton, taken by Colonel William

:

1

WOUNDED.

1

2

1 committed suicide.

5

8

2

3

19

6

6

3

2

4

CAPTURED AND
MISSING.

21

1

52

12

17

9

93

53

12

3

17

9

94

pikes, burned; 1500 cutlasses, burned; 15 boxes United States standard weights and measures, burned; 170 fixed artillery ammunition, thrown into the river; 200 kegs powder, thrown into the river; also a quantity of saddles, harness, etc., destroyed during the march.

Five cotton-gins, 400 bales cotton, 2 steam sawmills; four railroad bridges, framed and ready for use, 1,500,000 feet; captured on the Savannah River by Captain Gildersleeve, One Hundred and Fiftieth New-York volunteers, and burned, confederate steamer Ida.

Captain J. R. Lindsay, Acting Assistant Adju-ton
tant-General, Second Brigade:
CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that on
the occupation of Atlanta by the Twentieth corps,
September second, the Second Massachusetts in-
fantry was assigned to duty in the city as pro-
vost-guard, in which position it remained until
November sixteenth, when it started on the
march in rear of the Fourteenth corps, being the
last of the army to leave town. Camped at night
about five miles beyond Decatur.

November seventeenth, marched in rear of December 15th.-Crossed the Savannah River Fourteenth corps wagon-train to Conyer's. For-on flat-boats, and camped on a rice plantation on aged about eight head of cattle.

November twenty-sixth, marched through San-land, but a heavy wind prevailing, were blown The regiment attempted to cross to the main dersville, skirmished with cavalry, marched to down river to King's Island, and recrossed the Tennille Station, and destroyed half a mile of regiment to Argyle Island in small boats with much difficulty.