Saturday, October 17, 2015

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, December 31, 1864

Still in camp and on short rations at that, the quartermaster having cut us down to one-half rations. We cannot understand why this should be, though there must be a good reason for the order. The fire department of the city came out this morning for inspection by General Sherman, and made a fine appearance, considering that the city had been captured only ten days before.1 Our men commenced today to fortify the city.

They are throwing up heavy earthworks ten feet through, protected by a ditch on the outside, ten feet deep by twenty feet wide at the top and ten feet at the bottom. The fortifications are built just inside the city. We have to tear down a great many houses in order to get lumber to support the earth thrown up, and with which to make platforms for the artillery.

And so this is the end of the year 1864. It has been a year of hard, active service for our brigade, as also for the entire corps. The Eleventh Iowa has done its part and suffered severely, Company E alone having lost seven men by bullet in the siege of Atlanta, besides a number having been severely wounded.
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1 It seems that there was the best of understanding between the people of Savannah and General Sherman. They tried to make it as pleasant for the Union army as they could, and Sherman treated them with great consideration.—A. G. D.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 242-3

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