aid of a gunboat (I had left many of my own regiment sick and on duty
in Beaufort, and Colonel Montgomery had as yet less than one hundred and
fifty); but to hold it, and also to make forays up the river, certainly
required a larger number. We came in part to recruit, but had found
scarcely an able-bodied negro in the city; all had been removed farther
up, and we must certainly contrive to follow them. I was very unwilling
to have, as yet, any white troops under my command, with the blacks.
Finally, however, being informed by Judge S. of a conversation with
Colonel Hawley, commanding at Fernandina, in which the latter had
offered to send four companies and a light battery to swell our
force,--in view of the aid given to his position by this more advanced
post, I decided to authorize the energetic Judge to go back to
Fernandina and renew the negotiation, as the John Adams must go thither
at any rate for coal.

Meanwhile all definite display of our force was avoided; dress-parades
were omitted; the companies were so distributed as to tell for the
utmost; and judicious use was made, here and there, of empty tents. The
gunboats and transports moved impressively up and down the river,
from time to time. The disposition of pickets was varied each night to
perplex the enemy, and some advantage taken of his distrust, which might
be assumed as equalling our own. The citizens were duly impressed by our
supply of ammunition, which was really enormous, and all these things
soon took effect. A loyal woman, who came into town, said that the Rebel
scouts, stopping at her house, reported that there were "sixteen hundred
negroes all over the woods, and the town full of them besides." "It was
of no use to go in. General Finnegan had driven them into a bad place
once, and should not do it again." "They had lost their captain and
their best surgeon in the first skirmish, and if the Savannah people
wanted the negroes driven away, they might come and do it themselves."
Unfortunately, we knew that they could easily come from Savannah at any
time, as there was railroad communication nearly all the way; and
every time we heard the steam-whistle, the men were convinced of their
arrival. Thus we never could approach to any certainty as to their
numbers, while they could observe, from the bluffs, every steamboat that
ascended the river.

To render our weak force still more available, we barricaded the
approaches to the chief streets by construc