Theybeggedhard，butIreiteratedtheorder，andcouldhardlyhelplaughingattheirsteppingsogingerlyalongtheroad，whereitwassupposedsunkentorpedoesmightexplodeateachstep，buttheyfoundnoothertorpedoestillnearFortMcAllister。ThatnightwereachedPooler’sStation，eightmilesfromSavannah，andduringthenexttwodays，December9thand10th，theseveralcorpsreachedthedefensesofSavannah——theFourteenthCorpsontheleft，touchingtheriver;theTwentiethCorpsnext;thentheSeventeenth;andtheFifteenthontheextremeright;thuscompletelyinvestingthecity。
Wishingtoreconnoitretheplaceinperson，IrodeforwardbytheLouisvilleroad，intoadensewoodofoak，pine，andcypress，leftthehorses，andwalkeddowntotherailroad—track，ataplacewheretherewasaside—track，andacutaboutfourfeetdeep。Fromthatpointtherailroadwasstraight，leadingintoSavannah，andabouteighthundredyardsoffwerearebelparapetandbattery。Icouldseethecannoneerspreparingtofire，andcautionedtheofficersnearmetoscatter，aswewouldlikelyattractashot。VerysoonI
sawthewhitepuffofsmoke，and，watchingclose，caughtsightoftheballasitroseinitsflight，and，findingitcomingprettystraight，Isteppedashortdistancetooneside，butnoticedanegroverynearmeintheactofcrossingthetrackatrightangles。Someonecalledtohimtolookout;but，beforethepoorfellowunderstoodhisdanger，theball（athirty—two—poundroundshot）strucktheground，androseinitsfirstricochet，caughtthenegroundertherightjaw，andliterallycarriedawayhishead，scatteringbloodandbrainsabout。Asoldierclosebyspreadanovercoatoverthebody，andweallconcludedtogetoutofthatrailroad—cut。Meantime，GeneralMower’sdivisionoftheSeven—
teenthCorpshadcrossedthecanaltotherightoftheLouisvilleroad，andhadfoundthelineofparapetcontinuous;soatSavannahwehadagainrunupagainsttheoldfamiliarparapet，withitsdeepditches，canals，andbayous，fullofwater;anditlookedasthoughanothersiegewasinevitable。IaccordinglymadeacamporbivouacneartheLouisvilleroad，aboutfivemilesfromSavannah，andproceededtoinvesttheplaceclosely，pushingforwardreconnoissancesateveryavailablepoint。
AssoonasitwasdemonstratedthatSavannahwaswellfortified，withagoodgarrison，commandedbyGeneralWilliamJ。Hardee，acompetentsoldier，Isawthatthefirststepwastoopencommunicationwithourfleet，supposedtobewaitingforuswithsuppliesandclothinginOssabawSound。