Wednesday, 14th—The capture of Fort McAllister gives us our first communication with the North since the telegraph wires were cut at Marietta, Georgia, on the 12th of November. We have no rations yet, but will have crackers as soon as our men can remove the torpedoes from the Ogeechee river, which is thickly laid with them; then the transports can land provisions. There is great rejoicing in camp, as we have nothing left but unhulled rice. This we hull by placing a handful in our haversacks which we lay on logs and pound with our bayonets. Then we pour the contents from hand to hand, blowing the while to separate the chaff from the grains. All is quiet along the line, except occasional skirmishing. We had regimental inspection this afternoon. The foraging train of the Fifteenth Corps came in this afternoon with some forage. We are now in camp in a large rice plantation about ten miles south of Savannah.
Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry
Tuesday, 13th—We lay in bivouac all day. Our rations ran out today and no more can be issued until we open up communications with the fleet. To do that we shall have to open a way to the coast. Our men have foraged everything to be found. The only thing that we can get now is rice, of which there is a great deal in stacks, besides thousands of bushels threshed out, but not hulled, and stored away in granaries. The Thirty-second Illinois went with a train from our brigade to forage. Fort McAllister was captured late this afternoon by a detachment of the Fifteenth Corps, General Hazen’s Division. Our cracker line is open once more and there is great cheering in camp over the news.
Monday, 12th—Our regiment was withdrawn from the rifle pits, the rebels having left during the night, and with our entire corps we moved about five miles to the right. Our division stacked arms until 3 p. m. when we fell in and marched two miles farther and again stacked arms. We now had to move over a two-mile causeway from ten to thirty feet high, but the rebels having planted batteries within range of the road, we waited to move after dark. Our teams were all sent around about fifteen miles. We ran the blockade under cover of the night, the rebels opening their batteries on us, without doing any damage. We went into camp about 8 o’clock.
Sunday, 11th—The Twentieth Corps relieved our corps this morning and we moved to the right about five miles, taking the position occupied by the Fifteenth Corps, which moved still farther around to the right. We went into camp about 4 o’clock, and the Eleventh Iowa was sent out on the skirmish line, where we have good works built by the Fifteenth Corps. Skirmishing is not very brisk because of the wide swamp between us and the rebels. We are still on two-fifths rations and there is nothing to forage.
Saturday, 10th—We broke camp at 6 o’clock this morning and moved forward five miles, driving the rebels all the way. Our division was in the advance in line of battle and drove the rebels back inside their main works. There was some heavy skirmishing and we had to throw up breastworks. Our loss during the day was fifteen in killed and wounded. We had four men wounded by the explosion of torpedoes which the rebels had buried in the road. General Sherman was riding with our column, and when informed of what had taken place, ordered that the prisoners of our division be placed in front to pass over the road first. The prisoners requested that one of their number be permitted to return to their headquarters to inform their commander of the peril in which they were placed. This was granted and there were no more torpedoes planted in the road after that. The prisoners dug up five torpedoes for us.
Friday, 9th—It is cloudy with a strong northeast wind. We started early again this morning and after laying off ten miles went into bivouac. The Twenty-fifth New Jersey was on the skirmish line today, skirmishing commencing at 10 o’clock and continuing till dark. They lost four men killed and fifteen wounded. The First Division of our corps was in the front, and their quartermaster was killed by a ten-pound solid shot fired from a small cannon on a flat car which the rebels ran up and down the railroad. Our way today was through one continuous swamp, but we had a fine road, a high causeway which runs to Savannah. Our camp tonight lies within ten miles of Savannah.
Thursday, 8th—We left bivouac at 8 o’clock this morning, but owing to the roads, we moved very slowly, making only twelve miles before going into camp. Just before our regiment started into bivouac, we were ordered to stack arms and help our teams across a narrow swamp. We went about a half mile for rails, each man carrying from two to four, to corduroy the road so that the artillery and wagons could cross. Our cavalry had a skirmish with the rebels at noon today, when passing through Marlow Station, and captured a train of cars by cutting the railroad before the rebels could get the train past the station. We drew two days’ rations today, with orders to make them last five days.
Wednesday, 7th—It rained all forenoon today, but because of the sand our road did not get muddy. We started at 7 this morning and after stepping off fifteen miles by 4 o’clock, we went into camp for the night. Our regiment led the advance of our corps. The rebels blocked our road by felling trees at the entrance to every swamp, thus delaying our march, since there were a good many swamps to cross. We had to build four or five small bridges, and also had to do some corduroy work. The First Michigan Engineers in advance of us had charge of the work.
Tuesday, 6th—We lay in camp all day. The day was spent in washing, cleaning and mending our clothes. The long march is beginning to tell on our clothing and shoes. My shoes are whole yet, but owing to so much sand, and wading through water, my feet are sore. My right foot is worn through on the bottom, and my toes are wet with blood every day. We are now within forty-five miles of Savannah, Georgia, and about ninety miles from Charleston, South Carolina. We can hear the large guns roaring from both places. The rebels are still retreating before us without much fighting. We are still in a rich country for foraging. Each regiment sends out its foraging party and we have plenty of sweet potatoes and fresh pork. We will have better roads now for marching as we approach Savannah. All is quiet in the rear of the army.
Monday, 5th—We started out at 6 o’clock this morning, and by 11 our corps had destroyed twelve miles of railroad. We then left the railroad and marching ten miles, over very fine roads, went into camp near Oliver Station. A force of eight thousand rebels left Oliver this morning for Savannah. They came into the town last night and throwing up earthworks made preparations for a fight, but this morning they concluded that they had better move on, or they would get hurt, and the infantry left without firing a gun. Our cavalry had a little skirmish with them this morning. The Fifteenth Army Corps is on the west side of the Ogeechee river, but in advance of us, and perhaps the rebels were fearful of being cut off from Savannah.
