Tuesday, 3d—The First Division of the Seventeenth Army Corps embarked this afternoon on an unknown expedition.[1] They had to march down to the coast below the city in order to take ship. It is reported in camp that the rest of the corps, together with the Fifteenth Corps, is to follow in a few days, while the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps, with Kilpatrick’s cavalry, are to cross the Savannah river above the city and start on a grand raid through South Carolina. They are to move through North Carolina and Virginia, and finally land at Richmond.
[1] We learned later that the expedition sailed for Beaufort, South Carolina.—A. G. D.
Monday, 2d—The weather is quite cool. I was detailed this morning to work on the fortifications. We are building the platforms, upon which will be mounted the large cannon, just outside of the forts and rifle pits. These are elevated from five to ten feet above the common level of the ground and then floored so that in wet weather the gunners will not have to be in the mud. A few nice residences have to be pulled down to make room for the works, but nothing like that we had to do at Vicksburg.
Sunday, 1st—This is New Year’s Day and my fourth in the army.1[1] We did not have to work on the fortifications today, and as the weather was cloudy and cool we remained close to our “ranches.” At 4 p. m. we had company inspection. We are still on two-thirds rations.
[1] The common belief among the men was that this would be the last New Year’s Day spent In the army. Everything pointed to an early end of the war.—A. G. D.
Saturday, 31st—Still in camp and on short rations at that, the quartermaster having cut us down to one-half rations. We cannot understand why this should be, though there must be a good reason for the order. The fire department of the city came out this morning for inspection by General Sherman, and made a fine appearance, considering that the city had been captured only ten days before.[1] Our men commenced today to fortify the city. They are throwing up heavy earthworks ten feet through, protected by a ditch on the outside, ten feet deep by twenty feet wide at the top and ten feet at the bottom. The fortifications are built just inside the city. We have to tear down a great many houses in order to get lumber to support the earth thrown up, and with which to make platforms for the artillery.
And so this is the end of the year 1864. It has been a year of hard, active service for our brigade, as also for the entire corps. The Eleventh Iowa has done its part and suffered severely, Company E alone having lost seven men by bullet in the siege of Atlanta, besides a number having been severely wounded.
[1] It seems that there was the best of understanding between the people of Savannah and General Sherman. They tried to make it as pleasant for the Union army as they could, and Sherman treated them with great consideration.—A. G. D.
Friday, 30th—The Twentieth Army Corps was reviewed by General Sherman at 9 a. m. They came out with their flying colors and brass bands, making a big showing. But when there’s a fight on hand they are not as forward as they might be; it suits them better to garrison a place after it has been taken. We have company drill once a day, and the substitutes have to drill twice a day when in camp. The Thirteenth and Sixteenth Iowa and the Thirty-second Illinois, moved their camps this afternoon to make room for the fortifications planned. Sherman has ordered Savannah to be strongly fortified. Heavy guns will be mounted so that no enemy can get close enough to do any harm with the ordinary field guns. The engineers went to work today laying out the places where the forts are to be built.
Thursday, 29th—The weather continues pleasant but cool. The glorious old Seventeenth Army Corps was reviewed at 9 a. m. by Major-General Sherman. The corps performed nicely and looked fine considering the campaign through which they have gone, and also considering the fact that they have not yet drawn new clothing. We formed our lines in the streets down in the city and the general rode along the lines to inspect them. We then marched along Front Street, where the general was stationed to review us. General Foster was also present as we passed in review. We got back into camp at 2 o’clock, having had a fine day for the review. Things are very quiet and there is no news of any importance. Small boats come up the river every day to bring rations and other army stores.
Wednesday, 28th—It was cloudy with some rain, though it cleared off in the afternoon and turned quite cool. Things are very quiet in camp, and our duty is light; we do not have even picket duty, as the cavalry are doing that on the outskirts. Nearly all the citizens inside of our lines have taken the oath, swearing that they will not aid the Southern Confederacy. All of them express the view that the war will come to a close soon. We hope their view will prove true.
Tuesday, 27th—All is quiet. There is no news of any importance.[1] The Fourteenth Army Corps was reviewed at 9 a. m. by General Sherman. The troops looked fine. The Fourteenth is a good corps. I sent in my subscriptions today for three papers: the Missouri Democrat at $2.00 per year, the Theological Journal, $2.00, and Harper’s Weekly, $4.00. I think I shall have enough reading matter now for 1865, if I succeed in getting all my papers.
[1] The foragers or bummers, as they came to be called, presented at times some odd and amusing situations. Starting out early in advance of the command, they would do their pillaging, return to the main road to await the arrival of the command, and along in the afternoon we would find them, often loaded down with good things for their comrades to eat. They sometimes came upon rich plantations where the owners had about everything they wanted, including a well-filled larder. When there was no wagon at hand, they would look the premises over and, finding the family carriage and horse, they would load it down and start for the main line of march. I have often seen them with a fine family carriage filled with smoked meat, and on the outside were tied chickens, turkeys and geese, or ducks. Then, to cap the climax, one fellow would be seated in the carriage dressed in the planter’s swallowtail coat, white vest and plug hat, while another one would be astride a mule and dressed in similar fashion.—A. G. D.
Monday, 26th—Everything is quiet this morning, though for a while last night there was quite an excitement in town when a fire broke out. We are still lying in camp, with no particular duty to perform, though we are expecting orders every day to move down the river to Ft. Johnson, below Savannah. We are on half rations now, but today got large quantities of fresh oysters, all we can make use of. They were in the shell and were hauled into our camps by the wagon load, and sold to the boys by the peck or bushel. Governor Stone of Iowa arrived in camp today from Morehead City, North Carolina. He came to issue commissions to the officers of veteran regiments, and also to see that the sick and wounded Iowa soldiers in the field hospitals of the South were receiving good care.
Sunday, 25th—This is a cloudy, cool day and a lonesome Christmas. We are on one-third rations now and poor prospects of getting more soon. We still have plenty of rice, although in the hull, so we can get along. Large foraging parties were sent up the Savannah river to obtain rice straw for our beds and they brought in large quantities of rice still in the sheaf to feed the horses and mules. There are some very large rice plantations along the river and there is a great deal of rice not yet threshed. We had company inspection this evening. All is quiet.
