| Headquarters Forces |
| Camp Young, Ga., February 12, 1863 |
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| Brig. Gen. Thomas Jordan, Chief of Staff, &c. |
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| General,
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| In obedience to instructions requiring
me to report the length of time, &c., occupied by my command in
traveling by rail from Wilmington
to Savannah
is respectfully submitted.
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| On Wednesday evening, the 4th instant,
at five o'clock, I received orders to move my command from
Masonborough, 8 miles from Wilmington, to Savannah, the division
quartermaster, Major Green, of Brigadier-General Gist's staff,
having arranged for the transportation by railroad from Wilmington.
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| In obedience to orders the Twenty-fifth
Georgia Regiment was in Wilmington
ready to take the cars at 10 o'clock p.m. of the 4th, and the
Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Georgia Regiments (the remainder of the
command) on the following day at 12 m.
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| Three hours after the arrival of the
Twenty-fifth Regiment at the depot at Wilmington
the train upon which that regiment was placed attempted to leave,
but in consequence of the weakness of the engine could not proceed.
The three rear cars of this train were then detached by the managers
of the road and the balance proceeded toward Florence, at which
point they arrived about 6 o'clock p.m. on the 6th instant, and they
would not have reached that place at that time had not an engine of
the Northeastern Railroad, which had been waiting at Florence to
carry this train to Charleston, been sent down the road toward
Wilmington in order to bring up the train. The three cars detached
as above stated did not leave Wilmington
till about 10 o'clock on the night of the 5th, at which time a train
composed of these cars and enough others to carry 300 men of the
Thirtieth Regiment left. This train suffered no delay except that
caused by a defective engine, and arrived at Florence
at 12 m. on the 6th. After a delay of three hours at Florence of
each of the above-mentioned trains they left that place for
Charleston respectively at 3 and 9 p.m. on the 6th, and arrived at
Charleston about 8 a.m. on the 7th, both arriving about the same
time. After arriving at Charleston
these troops were forwarded without delay to Savannah, where they arrived at 1 a.m. on the 8th. The balance of the
command, to wit, Twenty-ninth Georgia Regiment and about 300 men of
the Thirtieth Georgia, were kept at the depot at Wilmington waiting
transportation from the time of their arrival there, to wit, at noon
of the 5th until 2 a.m. of the 6th, at which time they were placed
on board of two trains and were kept waiting without any ostensible
reason until 9.30 a.m. of the same day, when they left, and arrived
at Florence at 9 a.m. of the 7th. This train was delayed something
more than an hour by the running off the track of a freight train
going toward Wilmington. The rest of the detention after leaving
Wilmington
was caused by weakness of the engines, they at times appearing to be
too weak to move the trans at all. The troops of these two last
trains left Florence at 11 a.m. of the 7th; arrived at Charleston
about 11 p.m. Left Charleston at 2.30 p.m. on 8th instant and
reached Savannah about 11 p.m. same day. The delay in Charleston was
unavoidable, in consequence of the time of arrival there, the want
of transportation of baggage through Charleston at night, and the
necessity of procuring provisions for the troops there, they have
been without rations for twenty-four hours by reason of the delays
in Wilmington and the detentions beyond Florence.
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| The first train, which left Wilmington
with eight companies of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, was passed by the
second train, which left Wilmington about seventeen hours after the
first, at Fair Bluff, only 40 miles from Wilmington; and the engine
which left Florence after the second train arrived there to bring up
the first train met the first train only about 12 miles from Fair
Bluff.
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| I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
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| C. C. Wilson
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| Colonel, Commanding First Georgia Brigade
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| {The roads involved were the
Wilmington & Manchester, the Northeastern and the Charleston
& Savannah.}
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