defenses, and stood triumphant on the top.

Before midnight Sherman was writing his dispatches on board the
U.S.S. Dandelion and examining those received from Grant. He
learned now, from Grant's of the third (ten days before), that
Thomas was facing Hood round Nashville and that the Government,
and even Grant, were getting very impatient with Thomas for not
striking hard and at once. A week later the Confederate general,
Hardee, managed to evacuate Savannah before his one remaining
line of retreat had been cut off. He was a thorough soldier. But
men and means and time were lacking; and the civil population
hoped to save all that was not considered warlike stores. Thus
immense supplies fell into Sherman's hands. Savannah was of
course placed under martial law. But as the wax was now nearing
its inevitable end, and the citizens were thoroughly
"subjugated," those who wished to remain were allowed to do so.
Only two hundred left, going to Charleston under a flag of truce.

The following official announcement reached Lincoln on Christmas
Eve.

Savannah, Georgia, December 22, 1864.

To His Excellency President Lincoln,
Washington, D. C.

I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah,
with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition,
also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton.
W. T. Sherman, Major-General.