Killed        Wounded         Missing       Captured
Officers/Men   Officers/Men   Officers/Men   Officers/Men
10    93        24   404       1    277       77  1,261

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON, December 16, 1864

Major-General Sherman (via Hilton Head).

General:  Lieutenant-General Grant informs me that, in his last dispatch sent to you, he suggested the transfer of your infantry to Richmond.  He now wishes me to say that you will retain your entire force, at least for the present, and, with such assistance as may be given you by General Foster and Admiral Dahlgren, operate from such base as you may establish on the coast.  General Foster will obey such instructions as may be given by you.

Should you have captured Savannah, it is thought that by transferring the water-batteries to the land side that place may be made a good depot and base of operations on Augusta, Branchville, or Charleston.  If Savannah should not be captured, or if captured and not deemed suitable for this purpose, perhaps Beaufort would serve as a depot.  As the rebels have probably removed their most valuable property from Augusta, perhaps Branchville would be the most important point at which to strike in order to sever all connection between Virginia and the Southwestern Railroad.

General Grant’s wishes, however, are, that this whole matter of your future actions should be entirely left to your discretion.

We can send you from here a number of complete batteries of field-artillery, with or without horses, as you may desire; also, as soon as General Thomas can spare them, all the fragments, convalescents, and furloughed men of your army.  It is reported that Thomas defeated Hood yesterday, near Nashville, but we have no particulars nor official reports, telegraphic communication being interrupted by a heavy storm.

Our last advises from you was General Howard’s note, announcing his approach to Savannah.  Yours truly,

H. W. Halleck, Major-General, Chief-of-Staff.

Headquarters of the army
Washington, December 18, 1864.

Major-General W. T. Sherman, Savannah (via Hilton Head).

My dear general:  Yours of the 13th, by Major Anderson, is just received.  I congratulate you on your splendid success, and shall very soon expect to hear of the crowning work of your campaign—­the capture of Savannah.  Your march will stand out prominently as the great one of this great war.  When Savannah falls, then for another wide swath through the centre of the Confederacy.  But I will not anticipate.  General Grant is expected here this morning, and will probably write you his own views.

I do not learn from your letter, or from Major Anderson, that you are in want of any thing which we have not provided at Hilton Head.  Thinking it probable that you might want more field-artillery, I had prepared several batteries, but the great difficulty of foraging horses on the sea-coast will prevent our sending any unless you actually need them.  The hay-crop this year is short, and the Quartermaster’s Department has great difficulty in procuring a supply for our animals.