Unknown to George B. McClellan, February 23, 1862
Port Royal, S. 0., February 23, 1862.
Maj. Gen. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, Commanding U. S. Army:
GENERAL: Yours of the 12th instant was received to-day by the Harriet Lane. We are all very much elated with your brilliant victories in North Carolina and Tennessee, and hope that they will extend farther South and strike a stunning blow to this rebellion.
We have now two batteries on Savannah River of six guns each; one on Jones Island at Venus Point, and the other on the upper end of Bird Island. The river is effectually blocked, but never were batteries put up and maintained under precisely the same circumstances before. The guns were hauled by hand over the soft marsh of Jones Island with the greatest labor the distance of a mile, the marsh knee-deep and covered with water at high tide; indeed, both batteries are actually in the river.
We have taken since yesterday morning some two or three citizens of Savannah endeavoring to get a mail down to Pulaski through a bycreek not far from Tybee. They say that Savannah could very easily have been taken thirty days ago had we gone straight up the river at that time; which fully confirms my opinion, which I endeavored to carry out, but failed in consequence of the unwillingness of the Navy to do it, though they at first agreed to.
The Navy have not yet been ready for Fernandina, but if the weather will suit we shall probably start to-morrow morning. Whilst this expedition is carried out our siege artillery will be arriving and our mortar and columbiad battery erecting on Tybee, when it is hoped that I shall be able to commence operations on Savannah.
The prisoners from Savannah bring word that the news of the fall of Fort Donelson had reached Savannah; that the victory was complete, and 5,000 prisoners taken. We hope it is true and believe that it is.
Very truly, yours, T. W. SHERMAN, Brigadier-General, Commanding.
Pulaski is reported to have trom six to ten months’ provisions for its garrison, about 500 men, but the prisoners say that they have only ammunition enough for two days’ fighting.