was straight, leading into Savannah, and about eight hundred yards off were a rebel parapet and battery.  I could see the cannoneers preparing to fire, and cautioned the officers near me to scatter, as we would likely attract a shot.  Very soon I saw the white puff of smoke, and, watching close, caught sight of the ball as it rose in its flight, and, finding it coming pretty straight, I stepped a short distance to one side, but noticed a negro very near me in the act of crossing the track at right angles.  Some one called to him to look out; but, before the poor fellow understood his danger, the ball (a thirty-two-pound round shot) struck the ground, and rose in its first ricochet, caught the negro under the right jaw, and literally carried away his head, scattering blood and brains about.  A soldier close by spread an overcoat over the body, and we all concluded to get out of that railroad-cut.  Meantime, General Mower’s division of the Seventeenth Corps had crossed the canal to the right of the Louisville road, and had found the line of parapet continuous; so at Savannah we had again run up against the old familiar parapet, with its deep ditches, canals, and bayous, full of water; and it looked as though another siege was inevitable.  I accordingly made a camp or bivouac near the Louisville road, about five miles from Savannah, and proceeded to invest the place closely, pushing forward reconnoissances at every available point.

As soon as it was demonstrated that Savannah was well fortified, with a good garrison, commanded by General William J. Hardee, a competent soldier, I saw that the first step was to open communication with our fleet, supposed to be waiting for us with supplies and clothing in Ossabaw Sound.

General Howard had, some nights previously, sent one of his best scouts, Captain Duncan, with two men, in a canoe, to drift past Fort McAllister, and to convey to the fleet a knowledge of our approach.  General Kilpatrick’s cavalry had also been transferred to the south bank of the Ogeechee, with orders to open communication with the fleet.  Leaving orders with General Slocum to press the siege, I instructed General Howard to send a division with all his engineers to Grog’s Bridge, fourteen and a half miles southwest from Savannah, to rebuild it.  On the evening of the 12th I rode over myself, and spent the night at Mr. King’s house, where I found General Howard, with General Hazen’s division of the Fifteenth Corps.  His engineers were hard at work on the bridge, which they finished that night, and at sunrise Hazen’s division passed over.  I gave General Hazen, in person, his orders to march rapidly down the right bank of the Ogeechee, and without hesitation to assault and carry Fort McAllister by storm.  I knew it to be strong in heavy artillery, as against an approach from the sea, but believed it open and weak to the rear.  I explained to General Hazen, fully, that on his action depended the safety of the whole army, and the success of the