Thursday, December 8, 1864

H. W. SLOCUM, M. G., Army of Georgia, Head Qrs., Left Wing, Springfield, Dec. 8, 7 A. M.

Genl. Davis,

Genl. Sherman has information that the line of defense around Savannah is about four miles from the city. He desires to take the road extending from Cherokee hill through Silk Hope to Litchfield, as our first position. Your corps should be at or near Cherokee hill to night.

Yours very respectfully,


MAJ. JAMES A. CONNOLLY, 123rd Illinois Infantry, In the field, near Ebeneezer Creek, Georgia

Division moved forward again at 7 o’clock, everybody tired, sleepy and worn out. I don’t think I could stand this kind of soldiering more than a month or two without some rest.

After marching about 3 miles, and crossing a small creek, we were compelled to halt, Carlin’s and Morgan’s Divisions which were in front of us being detained by the destruction of the "Ebenezer Creek” bridge.

Early in the afternoon the cavalry which was in our rear, was pressed by a superior force of the enemy (as they said). The enemy continued during the day to threaten an attack, and thus kept us on the alert all day, which was very annoying as we were all very sleepy.

At 12 ½ midnight we withdrew in the utmost silence, not a bugle being sounded nor a loud command being given, and resumed our march, crossing Ebenezer Creek and encamping just south of it now. This night’s work was harder than that of last night, and I never was so utterly exhausted and worn out as am after crossing Ebenezer Creek.

The enemy was just in our rear, undoubtedly listening for every sound that would indicate a movement on our part, and to cross the creek we had to pass through at least a mile of the most gloomy, dismal cypress swamp I ever saw, on a narrow causeway, just wide enough for a wagon to drive along. If the enemy had discovered our movement and had planted a piece of artillery in the road to rake that causeway while we were on it, they could have killed or wounded three-fourths of the men in the division, and we should have been utterly helpless to defend against it. If there were no other road to approach Savannah except by this one over Ebenezer Creek, five thousand rebels could defend the city against the world. I don’t believe they thought we would be foolish enough to try to cross here.

When the head of the column reached the “Ebenezer Causeway” I went ahead with one of Genl. Davis’ aids who had come back to point out our ground for camping, and as I reached the bridge, I found there Major Lee, Provost Marshal of the Corps, engaged, by Genl. Davis’ order, in turning off the road, into the swamp all the fugitive negroes that came along. When we should cross I knew it was the intention that the bridge should be burned, and I inquired if the negroes were not to be permitted to cross. I was told that Genl. Davis had ordered that they should not.

This I knew, and Genl. Davis knew, must result in all these negroes being recaptured or perhaps brutally shot down by the rebel cavalry to-morrow morning. The idea of five or six hundred black women, children and old men being thus returned to slavery by such an internal copperhead as Jeff. C. Davis was entirely too much for my Democracy; I suppose loss of sleep, and fatigue made me somewhat out of humor too, and I told his staff officers what I thought of such an inhuman, barbarous proceeding in language which may possibly result in a reprimand from his serene Highness, for I know his toadies will repeat it to him, but I don’t care a fig; I am determined to expose this act of his publicly, and if he undertakes to vent his spleen on me for it, I have the same rights that he himself exercised in his affair with Nelson.

I expect this will cost me my Brevet as Lieut. Colonel, but let it go, I wouldn’t barter my convictions of right, nor seal my mouth for any promotion.