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SAVANNAH — SAVANNAH TO GOLDSBORO

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Secretary of Savannah Board of Trade. SAVANNAH, Mo., city, county-seat of Andrew County, on the Chicago Great Western and the Kansas City, Saint Joseph and Council Bluffs railroads, 13 miles north of Saint Joseph. It was settled in 1842 and was incorporated as a city in 1854. It is the centre of an agricultural, fruit-growing and stock-raising region, and has a flour mill and a creamery. The city has a public high school with a school library of over 700 volumes. Pop. (1920) 1,831.

SAVANNAH, a river formed by the junction of the Tugaloo and Seneca rivers, and which, from its source, forms the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina. The length of the channel from its source to its mouth is 450 miles, but from the source to the mouth in direct line is only 250 miles. The area of the drainage basin is about 8,500 square miles. The. current in the upper part of its course is rapid; considerable quantities of silt are brought down each year, and bars form in the broad portions of the stream where the current moves slowly. The tidal wave ascends to a point about 25 miles above Savannah. At Savannah the rise and fall of the tide is six and one-half feet. The river is navigable for small vessels to Augusta, 230 miles, and for large vessels as far as Savannah.

SAVANNAH (Ga.) OPERATIONS AGAINST, in the American Revolution. Since operations in the North had been barren of results, the British determined to renew the attack on the South, beginning the campaign at Savannah. Late in November 1778 Col. Archibald Campbell sailed from New York, landing three weeks later near the mouth of the Savannah River, and quickly dislodging a small force of Americans who attempted to dispute the British advance. Gen. Robert Howe (q.v.) with 800 American troops encamped between the landing place and the city, but a negro apprised Campbell of a by-path by which he could gain the rear of the American camp, and in the battle that followed the Americans found themselves between a cross-fire. Hence they retreated, leaving 100 of their number dead and wounded and about 400 in British possession. The Americans fled up the Savannah River and crossed into South Carolina, while the British occupied the city and remained in possession until the close of the war. Meanwhile, in November 1778, Comte d'Estaing (q.v.) had sailed with a French fleet to attack the British West Indies, after which, at the solicitation of the Americans, he went to Savannah, arriving 1 Sept. 1779 with 22 ships of the line and other smaller vessels. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln (q.v.) with 1,000 troops, reinforced by troops under Count Pulaski (q.v.), and Colonel

McIntosh and a detachment of 3,000 French troops, lay siege to the city by land while d'Estaing carried on the naval operations. The city was defended by Gen. Augustine Prevost (q.v.) with about 2,500 troops. On 23 Sept. 1779 siege works were begun and on 1 October the various batteries opened the bombardment, which continued for several days without effect. Despairing of capturing the city by this method the allied forces decided to storm the British works. Accordingly, on 9 October, 4,500 French and Americans advanced in three columns, but were met with such a galling fire from the British batteries that, though successful in planting standards on the redoubts, they were repulsed with considerable loss. With 200 troops Pulaski endeavored to strike the garrison in flank, but he was killed and his troops dispersed. Unable longer to withstand the British fire, the attacking forces retired, the French having suffered a loss of 640 killed and wounded and the Americans 450. The British loss was comparatively small. On 18 October the siege was abandoned, the Americans recrossing the Savannah at Zubly's Ferry, and taking position in South Carolina, while the French embarked on their ships and sailed away. Consult Stedman, Charles, American War (Vol. II, pp. 121134); Lossing, 'Field-Book of the Revolution' (Vol. II); Lee, Charles, Memoirs of the War' (Vol. I, pp. 99-112); Carrington, H. B., 'Battles of the Revolution' (pp. 478-482); McCrady, Edward, 'South Carolina in the Revolution (pp. 403-417); Mahan, Alfred T., The Influence of Sea Power upon History) (pp. 374375); Georgia Historical Society Collections' (Vol. V, Pt. I); Moultrie, Memoirs (Vol. II, p. 41); Ramsay, David, 'Revolution in South Carolina (Vol. II); Wiley and Rines, 'The United States' (Vol. III. pp. 159-171); Lowell, E. J., 'Hessians in the Revolution.'

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SAVANNAH TO GOLDSBORO, Sherman's Campaign from (including the battles of Averasboro and Bentonville). Sherman's March to the Sea (q.v.) culminated in the capture of Savannah 21 Dec. 1864. It was a brilliant campaign, but of minor importance compared with that upon which he immediately prepared to enter. He says: "Were I to express my measure of the relative importance of the march to the sea, and of that from Savannah northward, I would place the former at one, and the latter at 10, or the maximum.» Before the capture of Savannah, Sherman had received from General Grant a letter, dated 6 December, in which he had given his idea of Sherman's further movement, which was establish a base on the sea-coast, fortify it, leave all artillery and cavalry, and enough infantry to protect them and threaten the interior, so that the militia of the South would have to be kept at home, and with the remainder of his command take transports for James River, join Grant before Richmond and participate in the destruction of Lee's army and the overthrow of the Confederacy. Sherman replied: "I had expected, after reaching Savannah, instantly to march to Columbia, S. C., thence to Raleigh, and then to report to you." After the surrender of Savannah, Grant (27 December) accepted Sherman's plan and instructed him to start on his expedition northward without further delay, break up the railroads in South Carolina

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and North Carolina and join the armies operating against Richmond as soon as he could and by the route he deemed best. Sherman hastened his preparations; General Grover's division of the 19th corps was detached from the Army of the Shenandoah and ordered to Savannah as a garrison, and General Foster, commanding the Department of the South, was instructed to follow Sherman's inland movements by seizing in succession Charleston and other points on the coast, which might be abandoned. Ammunition, rations and clothing were accumulated, and 14 Jan. 1865 the 17th corps, General Blair, took transports at Savannah for Hilton, S. C., and moved to Beaufort, thence to Pocotaligo, on the Charleston and Savannah Railroad, thus threatening Charleston. Later the 15th corps, except Corse's division, joined the 17th. The left wing, 14th and 20th corps, under General Slocum, with Corse's division and Kilpatrick's cavalry, moved up the Savannah River, 40 miles, to Sister's Ferry, thus threatening Augusta. When Slocum arrived at Sister's Ferry the river had overflowed its banks and submerged the adjacent lowland, and there was a delay of some days before the waters had fallen sufficiently for a crossing. On 1 February, when the general movement began, the army was composed of two wings: the right wing, under Gen. O. O. Howard, consisted of the 15th corps, Gen. John A. Logan, and the 17th corps, Gen. F. P. Blair; the left wing, under Gen. H. W. Slocum, consisted of the 14th corps, Gen. J. C. Davis, and the 20th corps, Gen. A. S. Williams. The cavalry division, under General Kilpatrick, moved with the left wing, as also, at first, Corse's division of Logan's corps. The strength of the army 1 February was 53,923 infantry, 4,438 cavalry and 1,718 artillery, in all 60,079 men with 68 guns. There were about 600 ambulances, 2,500 wagons and provisions for 20 days, mostly of bread, sugar, coffee and salt. Beef cattle were driven and it was expected that a good supply of cattle, hogs and poultry would be gathered on the march. The disposition of the forces from Sister's Ferry on the left to Pocotaligo on the right menaced Augusta, Columbia and Charleston and left the Confederates in doubt as to the true point upon which Sherman was to move. The Confederates, under General Hardee, whose headquarters were at Charleston, and who had about 16,000 men, occupied the line of the Salkehatchie River, while Wheeler's cavalry operated on the heads and flanks of the advancing column. On 1 February the movement began. Howard's right wing marched from Pocotaligo for the Beaufort and Rivers' bridges of the Salkehatchie for the purpose of pushing on to the Edisto River, thus flanking Charleston. There was a sharp engagement (3 February) at Rivers' bridge, in which two divisions of Blair's corps waded breast deep through the swamp and carried the bridge with a loss of 88 killed and wounded, the Confederate loss being 52 killed and wounded. The Confederates, driven from the line of the Salkehatchie, retreated to Branchville, behind the Edisto, burning the bridges behind them. The left wing, under Slocum, marched through Barnwell, and on 10 February both wings were in the vicinity of Branchville on the Charleston and Augusta Railroad. Kilpatrick on the left went as far

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Aiken and threatened Augusta. From Branchville the railroads in every direction were thoroughly destroyed, and the army started for Columbia, each of the four corps taking a separate road. Howard went by the Orangeburg road, and on the 16th his head of column approached Columbia, which was occupied by Gen. C. L. Stevenson's division of infantry, and Butler's and Wheeler's divisions of cavalry, in all about 5,000 men. Stevenson fell back to Winnsboro, leaving Wade Hampton, commanding the cavalry, to follow. On the 17th the 15th corps marched through the city and encamped beyond it on the Camden road. During the night the greater part of the city was accidentally burned. Slocum, advancing by Barnwell and Lexington, destroyed the Charleston and Augusta Railroad for several miles, and, after menacing Augusta, received orders to cross the Saluda River, at Mount Zion's Church, above Columbia. During the night a bridge was constructed and next day Slocum and Kilpatrick crossed, passed over Broad River and on the 21st arrived at Winnsboro, destroying on the way several miles of railroad north and south of Alston. Sherman, with the right wing, marched from Columbia, on the 20th, on the direct road to Winnsboro, and threatened Charlotte, N. C. He destroyed the railroad between Columbia and Winnsboro, and joined Slocum at the latter place. On the day that Sherman occupied Columbia, General Hardee evacuated Charleston, after destroying the public buildings, two iron-clad steamers, cotton and other property, and with about 14,000 men moved to Cheraw, on the Peedee River, and thence by a long march to Fayetteville, N. C. Next day Charleston was occupied by the Union troops of General Foster, who found 450 abandoned guns. The city had been fired, churches and private residences burned and everything presented a scene of desolation. Sherman, in his march, had made a clean swath of 40 miles, burning bridges, wrecking railroads and devouring nearly everything. Each family was left a reasonable amount of food, but all horses, mules and wagons were taken. From Winnsboro, Slocum destroyed the railroad as far north as Chester, threatened Charlotte, and then, forcing to the left the Confederates who were concentrating to dispute the march on Charlotte, the entire army turned eastward for Fayetteville, Slocum crossing the Catawba River at Rocky Mount and joining Howard, who had marched by roads farther south, at Cheraw (3 March), where were found 24 guns, 3,600 barrels of gunpowder and large supplies of stores, public and private, sent from Charleston for safe-keeping. Hardee made no opposition to the occupation of the place, and retreated to Fayetteville, leaving Wade Hampton's cavalry to cover his rear and burn the bridges behind them. On the 6th Sherman resumed his march on Fayetteville, by four different roads, and reached it on the 10th, Hardee again retreating without a show of defense, leaving Wade Hampton to skirmish with Sherman's advance and burn the bridge over the Cape Fear River. Kilpatrick, covering the movement on Sherman's left and rear, was surprised on the night of the 9th by Hampton's cavalry and pretty roughly handled, being driven from his camps and losing all his guns, which, however, he regained. He lost 183 men,

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of whom 103 were captured. The march through South Carolina had been greatly delayed by almost incessant rains and the swampy nature of the country. Nearly all the way the army was compelled to corduroy the roads before the trains could be moved, in some instances the first corduroying was out of sight before the trains had all passed, and another road was. laid over it. All this was done cheerfully by the men, working in icy water up to their knees. Before reaching Fayetteville it was heard that General Terry had taken Wilmington, and the day after the arrival of the army a Union steamer came up Cape Fear River, confirming the news and bringing mails and dispatches. Having thoroughly destroyed the arsenal buildings, foundries and machine-shops_at Fayetteville, the army crossed Cape Fear River on the 13th and 14th for Goldsboro, the objective point of the campaign, where it was to unite with Generals Schofield and Terry, who were marching on that place from Newbern and Wilmington. It was now known that Gen. J. E. Johnston had been ordered to delayed Sherman's advance, and Sherman estimated that he had 37,000 men for the purpose. Apprehending that Johnston would seek an opportunity to strike him on the last stage of the march, Sherman ordered Slocum on the left to send his trains under a strong guard by an interior road on his right, and to keep at least four divisions with their artillery on the left well in hand, to meet an attack. Under this order Geary's and Baird's divisions were detailed to guard the trains. Slocum, preceded by Kilpatrick's cavalry, advanced on the direct road to Averasboro, to make a feint on Raleigh, and Kilpatrick was then to strike the railroad near Smithfield. Sherman says he "proposed to drive Hardee well beyond Averasboro and then turn to the right by Bentonville for Goldsboro." On the 15th Hardee was retiring, from before Slocum, having for his rear-guard a brigade composed of artillery troops that had garrisoned Charleston, under command of Col. Alfred Rhett. During the evening Kilpatrick, in skirmishing with this rear-guard, near Taylor's Hole Creek, took some prisoners, among whom was Colonel Rhett.

Battle of Averasboro.- On the morning of the 16th opposition to the march was quite stubborn, and Kilpatrick, forcing back the Confederate rear-guard, came upon a line of intrenchments, on a narrow neck of swampy land, between Cape Fear and South rivers, and covering the road to Bentonville, along which Sherman intended that Slocum's wing should march to Goldsboro. Kilpatrick's cavalry was moved to the right and Jackson's and Ward's divisions of Williams' 20th corps were deployed in front of the Confederate line, and the two divisions of the 14th corps ordered up on Williams' left. Case's brigade was sent by Williams to the left to gain the flank and rear of the Confederate line, and succeeded in striking it in flank and sweeping it from position, capturing McBeth's Charieston battery of three guns and 217 of Rhett's artillery acting as infantry. Jackson's and Ward's divisions advanced and came upon the Confederates in another line of works about 400 yards in rear of the first. Kilpatrick was sent to the right to seize the Bentonville road, but his leading brigade was driven back by a furious attack of

McLaws' division, upon which the Union infantry advanced directly against Hardee, who also was advancing, and drove him inside his works, and Slocum went into bivouac in his immediate front. During the night, which was stormy and very dark, Hardee retreated, leaving 108 dead and 68 wounded on the field. His entire loss, as estimated, was about 650, of whom 175 were captured. Slocum's loss was 77 killed and 477 wounded. Next morning Ward's division pursued Hardee a short distance beyond Averasboro and ascertained that he had retreated toward Smithfield.

Sherman was now under the delusion that no serious opposition would be made to his march on Goldsboro. "All signs," he says. “induced me to believe that the enemy would make no further opposition to our progress, and would not attempt to strike us in flank, while in motion." Under this impression his commanders were instructed to march their troops in the easiest manner and by the nearest roads to Goldsboro. The left wing marched from Averasboro on the direct road and on the night of the 18th, after driving back Hampton's cavalry to a position selected by Hampton for a battle, the 14th corps in advance, encamped 25 miles from Goldsboro and five from Bentonville, at a point where the road from Clinton to Smithfield crossed the one to Goldsboro. Two divisions of the 20th corps were camped 10 or 12 miles in rear, while Geary's and Baird's divisions were on other roads, with the trains still farther to the south. Howard's two corps were to the south and east, their advance at Lee's Store, more than a day's march distant. Sherman had been with Slocum and the left wing since the 14th and very early on the morning of the 19th started to join Howard, several miles to the east and south, to concentrate his forces and unite with Slocum at Goldsboro, where he expected to meet Schofield and Terry. He had no suspicion that General Johnston with a strong force was then in Slocum's immediate front, and supposed that the only opposition to be met would be from cavalry. When about to leave Slocum he expressed the opinion that Hardee had fallen back to Raleigh and that Slocum could reach Neuse River the next day, in which opinion Slocum concurred. But General Carlin, commanding a division of the 14th corps, and who was nearest the enemy, had observed matters that indicated a large force in front prepared for battle, and sought to impress his own convictions upon Sherman, who made light of them, said nothing but cavalry was in front and rode away to join Howard.

On 23 February Gen. J. E. Johnston had been assigned to the command of all the forces that could be collected to make head against Sherman. At this time Hardee was moving toward Fayetteville, N. C.; Beauregard was directing the march of C. L. Stevenson from Winnsboro to Charlotte; Cheatham, with his division of Hood's army, had come from Augusta, Ga., and was moving toward Charlotte, but on the west side of the Congaree and Broad rivers, and A. P. Stewart, with about 1,000 men of Hood's army, was marching for Charlotte. Johnston's first task was to concentrate these troops, which was done at Smithfield, N. C., where he was joined by Hoke's division from Lee's army at Richmond, which had unsuccess

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