Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 17.djvu/81

 The Siege and Evacuation of Savannah, Ga, 73

State line troops, was under the command of Major- General Gustavus W. Smith. Twenty guns were in position on his front.

The command of Major-General Lafayette McLaws embraced the batteries at the Central railroad and Louisville road crossings, and extended from that point to the head of Shaw*s dam. On his front twenty- nine pieces of artillery were posted.

Major- General A. R. Wright commanded the left, extending from Shaw's dam all the way round to the Atlantic and Gulf railway bridge over the Little Ogeechee river. Thirty-two pieces of artillery were * in position on his front.

Lieutenant- General William J. Hardee was in general command, with his headquarters in the city of Savannah.

By the evening of the 9th of December, such Confederate forces as could be concentrated were assigned positions along the newly con- structed western lines. Care had been taken to remove all service- able rolling stock belonging to the several railroads converging at Savannah.

In coming into position before Savannah, the Federal corps were distributed as follows : General Williams' 20th corps held the left of the Union line resting upon the Savannah river near Williamson's plantation, in advance of Pipe- maker's creek, its right extending across the Charleston and Savannah railroad to the Central railroad, where it joined the left of General Jeff. C. Davis's 14th army corps.

This 14th army corps, constituting the right of the left wing, extended from the Central railroad to the 17th army corps, whose left rested beyond the Savannah and Ogeechee canal, near Lawton's plantation.

Shortly after this development of the left wing, the right, under Major-General Howard, came into the following position. The 17th corps, commanded by General Frank P. Blair, Jr., lay next beyond and to the right of the 14th army corps, while General Osterhaus's 15th corps, extending to the Atlantic and Gulf railroad near station number one, formed the extreme right of the Federal investment.

After crossing Ebenezer creek on the 8th of December, General Kilpatrick concentrated his cavalry on the Monteith road, ten miles south of Springfield ; and, until the 13th, moved in rear of the 17th army corps, with detachments covering the rear of the other army corps.

King's bridge having been burnt by the Confederates, Kilpatrick crossed the Great Ogeechee on a pontoon bridge on the afternoon of the 13th, and moved in heavy force, through the counties of Bryan