On the afternoon of the 9th of December, when our column was within fourteen miles of Savannah, our passage was disputed by a rebel battery planted at the crossing of two roads.
Two regiments of our brigade, the Eighty-sixth and 125th Illinois, were deployed as skirmishers, with orders to advance until they found the enemy's works. By the time these orders were executed, night drew on, and under its cover the rebels retreated. This battery was captured, however, having mistaken the roads and running into other of our forces.
The Eighty-sixth regiment, in this skirmish, lost two men wounded. One from Company A, the other from H.
After the skirmish, our division marched to the Ten-mile House and went into camp, giving the road to the 20th Corps.
The next day, the command moved on to within three or four miles of Savannah, taking up position around it. The siege of this place may be said to have begun on the 11th of December.
The forces under rebel General Hardee in the works around Savannah numbered about fifteen thousand men.
The face of the country in this vicinity, was level and swampy, so that a large force well handled would make a formidable resistance.
Our works were built close up to the enemy's, and constant skirmishing went on.
On the 13th, two days after the siege began, the 2nd division of the 15th Corps, charged on Fort McAllister and took it. This gained us communication with our fleet, and a short time after we eat hard tack from the great sea.
During the siege, the Eighty-sixth did not go on the front lines, but remained in camp in the rear, spending most of its time pounding rice or seeing it well done by the natives.