Friday, October 16, 2015

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Friday, December 30, 1864

The Twentieth Army Corps was reviewed by General Sherman at 9 a. m. They came out with their flying colors and brass bands, making a big showing. But when there's a fight on hand they are not as forward as they might be; it suits them better to garrison a place after it has been taken. We have company drill once a day, and the substitutes have to drill twice a day when in camp. The Thirteenth and Sixteenth Iowa and the Thirty-second Illinois, moved their camps this afternoon to make room for the fortifications planned. Sherman has ordered Savannah to be strongly fortified. Heavy guns will be mounted so that no enemy can get close enough to do any harm with the ordinary field guns. The engineers went to work today laying out the places where the forts are to be built.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 242

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