All thoughts seemed to have been turned to us in Georgia, cut off from all communication with our friends; and the rebel papers had reported us to be harassed, defeated, starving, and fleeing for safety to the coast.

I then asked for pen and paper, and wrote several hasty notes to General Foster, Admiral Dahlgren, General Grant, and the Secretary of War, giving in general terms the actual state of affairs, the fact of the capture of Fort McAllister, and of my desire that means should be taken to establish a line of supply from the vessels in port up the Ogeechee to the rear of the army.

As a sample, I give one of these notes, addressed to the Secretary of War, intended for publication to relieve the anxiety of our friends at the North generally: ON BOARD DANDELION, OSSABAW SOUND, December 13, 1864--11.50 p.m.
To Hon.E.M.STANTON, Secretary of War, Washington, D.C.: To-day, at 6 p.m., General Hazen's division of the Fifteenth Corps carried Fort McAllister by assault, capturing its entire garrison and stores.

This opened to us Ossabaw Sound, and I pushed down to this gunboat to communicate with the fleet.

Before opening communication we had completely destroyed all the railroads leading into Savannah, and invested the city.