outside of his fortified line (which is a full quarter of a mile within the three-mile post), and I have the evidence of Mr. R. R. Cuyler, President of the Georgia Central Railroad (who was a prisoner in our hands), that the mile-posts are measured from the Exchange, which is but two squares back from the river.  By to-morrow morning I will have six thirty-pound Parrotts in position, and General Hardee will learn whether I am right or not.  From the left of our line, which is on the Savannah River, the spires can be plainly seen; but the country is so densely wooded with pine and live-oak, and lies so flat, that we can see nothing from any other portion of our lines.  General Slocum feels confident that he can make a successful assault at one or two points in front of General Davis’s (Fourteenth) corps.  All of General Howard’s troops (the right wing) lie behind the Little Ogeecbee, and I doubt if it can be passed by troops in the face of an enemy.  Still, we can make strong feints, and if I can get a sufficient number of boats, I shall make a cooperative demonstration up Vernon River or Wassaw Sound.  I should like very much indeed to take Savannah before coming to you; but, as I wrote to you before, I will do nothing rash or hasty, and will embark for the James River as soon as General Easton (who is gone to Port Royal for that purpose) reports to me that he has an approximate number of vessels for the transportation of the contemplated force.  I fear even this will cost more delay than you anticipate, for already the movement of our transports and the gunboats has required more time than I had expected.  We have had dense fogs; there are more mud-banks in the Ogeechee than were reported, and there are no pilots whatever.  Admiral Dahlgren promised to have the channel buoyed and staked, but it is not done yet.  We find only six feet of water up to King’s Bridge at low tide, about ten feet up to the rice-mill, and sixteen to Fort McAllister.  All these points may be used by us, and we have a good, strong bridge across Ogeechee at King’s, by which our wagons can go to Fort McAllister, to which point I am sending all wagons not absolutely necessary for daily use, the negroes, prisoners of war, sick, etc., en route for Port Royal.  In relation to Savannah, you will remark that General Hardee refers to his still being in communication with his department.  This language he thought would deceive me; but I am confirmed in the belief that the route to which he refers (the Union Plank-road on the South Carolina shore) is inadequate to feed his army and the people of Savannah, and General Foster assures me that he has his force on that very road, near the head of Broad River, so that cars no longer run between Charleston and Savannah.  We hold this end of the Charleston Railroad, and have destroyed it from the three-mile post back to the bridge (about twelve miles).  In anticipation of leaving this country, I am continuing the destruction of their railroads, and at this moment