The Washington herald., 1914-12-20
CONFEDERATEs EVACUATE
SAVANNAH.
December 20.


Fifty years ago today the Confederate
army under Gen. W. II. Hardee eyac-
uated the city OF Savannah, which was
to be occupied by Gen. Sherman's Fed
eral army the next morning before day
light
The fall Of Savannah was one Of the
greatest moral blows the Confederacy
sustained. Though the city had long
been blockaded by the Federal fleet. IL
still had been a port Of call for occa-
sional blockade runners Its possess,on
Dy the Confederacy-even though the
country in its rear may have been held
by Federals-was believed to give the
South prestige in European eyes. .
| sherman was not at Savannah when
the Federsls marched in. He mad gone
a Few days before to visit Gen. ]. @.
roster. commanding the Department Of
inc SOUTH with headquarters at Port
| Royal to gain his cooperation in a
| movement against the city. Sherman
planned that Fosters troops should move
inland in South Carolina and block Gen.
Hardee's only line Of retreat north from
/ Savannah. He believed that il he CShar-
mani should send part Of his own army
to the north bank of the Savannah River
TO cut on Hardee's retreat that the lat
I ter might sally out from his defenses
and defeat the FederaIs in detail.
Sherman was on his way back from
| Port Royal by boat when he received
news that his men were in Savannah andg
that Hardee had escaped north toward
I Charleston.
I Mayor Surrenders City.
| Every preparation had been made to
| assault Savannah when Fosters men
should have blocked the Confederate re-
! treat Fascines had been made to nil
up bitches and swamps, and heavy ord
nance had been brought to bear upon the
Confederate defenses.
| On December Is. when Sherman had
started for Port Royal, a brigade of Fed
erals under Col Ezra 4. Carman, COM
prising the 10Th and 10th New York.
Thirteenth New Jersey, Second Massa-
chusetts and Third Wisconsin regiments.
had been ferried from Argyle Island. in
the Savannah River. 10 the South Caro-
lima bank. where the troops occupied a
rather precariOus position amidst the
rice swamps.
Gen. Hardee looked upon the movement
OF Federals to the South Carolina bank
of the river as a direct threat upon his
. IL
the Union Causewsy which ran north to-
ward Charleston. So he made Immediate
preparations to evacuate his position.
believing that his troops could better
serve the Confederacy in the field than
in an invested city which eventually musI
capitulate.
All able-bodied negroes were sent on
during the 2Oth. and at nightfau the
troops started to march out There was
ir1n HarHaa halt 70 or
his heavy guns, and he hesitated to de-
stroy his remaining stores lest IL should
warn the Federals Of his retreat.
1t was about o'clock the folloWnC
! morning when col. Henry \ BarnUnI
! of the 18th New York infantry. com
manding the Third briEad" uf ,ieary
division Of the Twentieth Corps. became
convinced that the works in front Of hts
position on the south bank of the Sa-
vannah River were vacated 10y thC
enemy
He picked ten men from the l02d New
York Veteran Volunteers. and with them
and capt. S. B. wheelOCk, Of the lS5th
New York regiment. proceeded forward
toward the Confederate defenses. At 30
the little force entered the enemy :
works. and Col Barnum at once sent
back word to Gen. Geary that the Con-
fedcrates had gone.
Geary division was at once put in
motion toward the city. BarnUms brig
ade in advance. Gen. Geary was met at
40 a. m. by Mayor X. D. Arnold and
a delegation OF citizens who surrendered
the place TO him. the general accepting
in the name of Gen. Sherman. A messen-
ger was sent back to acquaint Gen. \. :.
Williams. commanding the Twentieth
Corps. of the fall of Savannah. but ="
quietly had Geary moved forward that
haH
OF it and for while suspected the mes
senger OF being Confederate emiSSary.
Capture $1,000 Bales of Cotton.
In the meantime" wrote Geary in his
official report. my entire division en-
tered the city of Savannah at early
dawn. and before the sun first SiIdcd
the morning clouds our national colors,
side by side with those of my own dtyi-
sion. were unfurled from the dome Of tn"
exchange and over the United States
custom-house'
Col. Barnum's brigade was at once set
to patrol the city and prevent lootinc
or riotinG. 1t was found that many ni
the stores had been piliaEed before the
Federals entered. Guards were placed
over these and others So that further
damage could not be done.
The Confederates. before the final
evacuation. had destroyed the navy yard
and several small vessels lying there. 4
force dispatched to take possession of
some of the detached forts downstream
from Savannah found the Confederate
ironclad Savannah in the stream. She
fired few harmless shots toward the
city, and in the following night was
abandoned and destroyed.
4 great store OF public military prop
erty was found in the city. Though Har-
dee had carried of his light guns, there
were more than 80 pieces OF heavy ord
nance left behind, besides a considerable
amount Of ammunition and supplies. and
no less than $1,000 bales OF cotton.
Sherman. delayed by bad weather in
his return journey from Port Royal. was
met toward evening OF December q in the
lowed Ogeechee River by a quartermas-
ter's tug. bearing dispatches announcing
the fall OF the city. That night he was
at his headquarters outside Savannah.
and the following morning rode into the
citys streets.
He finally took up his headquarters at
the residence of an Englishman named
Charles Green. who had come forward
and offered the use Of his home, a spa
cious dwelling. From there the affairs
Of the army were directed. The city
was poIiced by the troops, but the mayor
and city council were instructed to do
administration affairs as usual.
In a short time things resumed their
normal course, and. indeed. there was so
little disturbance from the beginning
that a blockade runner came up the river
1T