Savanah was not just a Christmas Present for Lincoln – it was also a welcome break for the soldiers. Jacob was able to enjoy a stroll around town on Christmas of 1864, and on a few other occasions, playing the part of tourist well.
Near Savanah, Ga.
Dec 25th, 1864
Dear Mary
Once more I am permitted to address a few lines to you and the friends at home. I am well and hearty. The trip form Atlanta agreed with me remarkably well as you may know when I tell you that I weigh 181 lbs at this time. It would be useless for me to tell you that Savannah is ours as you have got the news no doubt before this. I informed you in my last letter that we had the city surrounded complete and I thought at that time we had and it appears now that if Gen Foster of Hilton Head had come up to Gen Sherman’s orders we would have captured the whole force at Savannah, but as it was they barely escaped across the River into South Carolina in the swamps with nothing but their small arms. They left on the night of the 20th and our forces took possession early the next morning or the 22d. Our Division moved up to within about two miles of the City and went into camp near the R.R. and put up good comfortable quarters of plank that we tore form houses and fences nearby. We are camped in a beautiful place but the water is desperate, black, and swampy.
Yesterday I visited the city and spent the whole day strolling around to see what I could and to say the least of it. Savannah is a large city and in former days has been a place of immense wealth and a place of great business. But alas, their glory has departed. A great many of the houses have an old appearance and styles out of date. And there are many very large and stylish buildings that would do credit to any of our northern cities. But the most remarkable feature that I noticed in the arrangement of the city is the good width of the streets and the most delifghtful manner in which they are shaded. On the sides of all the principle streets there is rows of live oak and some of the wider sts have a third row in the center of the st. And I amy add that the Live Oak is the prettiest shade tree formed by nature. They are always green and never shed their leaves. They grow low and have wide spreading branches. I have seen some Live Oaks here that were not higher than an ordinary apple tree and yet they were branced out so as to thickly shade a space of over one hundred feet in diameter. But in these sts of Savanah the Live Oak branches completely cross and intermingle over the streets with their dark green foliage and their long horizontal branches thickly hung with the long grey Spanish moss waving in the breeze. I can’t describe it so that you can form anything like a correct idea of the gruandure of the signt. There are a great many citizens there and many ofthem are loyal. I went into the city by way of the R.R. Here is two of the largest depots I have ever seen. The Charleston & Savannah and the Central. There is at these Depots some twenty Engines and cars according probably over 200. The Depots were empty of all except some horse fed and a lot of Ammunition. Everything was left uninjured from the Depots. I went thorugh the city to the river and all along the landing. I found that some 5 or 6 steamers had fallen into our hands uninjured. The gunboats they had partially destroyed. They had also destroyed the shipyard. But there was some rams, torpedoes and infernal machines left unfinished that were great curiosities to me and others.
Tide water runs up to this landing. It raises and falls from four to six feet, but it was down when I was there. From the bank of the River I could look down the river as far as the eye could see. The River is about a mile wide at Savannah and widens very fast towards the coast. 2 miles below the city I could see Fort Jackson, formerly held by the Rebels but then I could see the stars and stripes proudly and defiantly floating over its heavy walls and armaments. Further down on the Carolina side, I could see Ft Pulaski and opposite it could be seen our fleet unabale to come up the river on account of obstructions in the channel that are not yet removed but soon will be as they are busy getting them out.
The importance of Savannah to us cannot be overestimated as a military post. And the amount of ordinance and other stores captured here has no parallel in this war. I can’t learn how many pieces of artillery we captured here but I know we captured 17 pieces in Ft. McCalister on the Ogeechee River and 9 others at other times before. And I have seen 20 here along this Railroad and I can’t say how many I saw along the landing. It is rumored that we took in all over 300 pieces of cannon and they are nearly all in good condition and an immense amount of ammunition. Of commissaries we have teken an immense amount of meal and rice and many other articles too tedious to mention. But I shall close on this subject and let the papers put on the comments. If I get time I shall write more this evening.
A Thousand Thunders 