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No. 43. Reports of Major General Frank P. Blair, Jr., U. S. Army, commanding Seventeenth Army Corps. HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Savannah, Ga., December 31, 1864.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of this command during the campaign from Atlanta to this point:

The command started from Atlanta on the 15th of November on the McDonough road, and moved, via McDonough and Jackson, to the Ocmulgee River, at Planters' Factory. We crossed the rive on the night of the 18th of November, and continued our march, via Monticello and Blontsville, to Gordon, on the Georgia Central Railroad, which point we reached on the 22nd of November. On the 23rd of November we continued our march along the railroad to the Oconee River, where the enemy were found in some force on the opposite side. Brigadier General Giles A. Smith's division (the Fourth) was sent to the railroad bridge, and a battalion of the First Alabama Cavalry to the crossing on the Ball's Ferry road. This battalion succeeded in crossing the Oconee River, but on proceeding a short distance on the other side were attacked by a strong force of the enemy. They succeeded in holding their position until their ammunition was expended, when they were obliged to fall back, with the loss of 21 killed and wounded. On the next morning I moved my entire command to the river and found the enemy intrenched at Ball's Ferry crossing. I succeeded in effecting a crossing above the road, and sent over about 200 men during the night. Upon this force striking the road, about daylight the next morning, they found the enemy just retiring from the river. During the day I crossed my entire command and moved along the railroad to Station 9 1/2, where we crossed the Ogeechee River on the pontoon bridge, meeting no obstructions from the enemy.

On the 2nd of December we reached Millen, crossing Buck Head Creek, and using the pontoon bridge. Upon striking the Little Ogeechee River, on December 3, we found the enemy intrenched on the opposite side, their force estimated at 5,000. The next morning I sent a skirmish line of the First Division down to the river, driving the enemy's skirmishers across, and upon crossing a force found the works evacuated. We continued our march, without interruption, until the 9th, when we struck the enemy near Station 1, where they had a force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. During this day and the next we drove them without difficulty, up to a point within three miles and a half of Savannah, where we found the enemy strongly intrenched. Here I deployed the Fourth Division, Brigadier General G. A. Smith commanding, on the Louisville road, and the First Division, General Mower, on their right, on the south side of the canal. On the 11th instant my command was relieved by the Fourteenth Corps and moved to a position on the Ogeechee road, where the Third Division was placed in position on the left of the road, with the right resting on the Fifteenth Corps. The Fourth Division, Brigadier General G. A. Smith commanding, was sent to King's Bridge, and furnished details for the building of the wharf on the Ogeechee River and the unloading of vessels. The First Division, Major General J. A. Mower commanding, was sent on the Gulf road, and destroyed eighteen miles of the road. I now commenced preparations for the assault on the enemy's works, but on the morning of the 21st of December, as my arrangements were approaching completion, the pickets of the Third Division found the enemy retired from their works and without opposition we entered the city, where we are now encamon from the enemy throughout our entire march was comparatively nothing. The country marched through was well supplied with provisions, and the forage parties, as organized in accordance with orders from the army commander, kept the troops well supplied. Our transportation, which on starting was very poor, was brought up to a fine condition by the abundance of forage and by animals captured. My command destroyed 93 miles of railroad and marched 285 miles. There was destroyed by this corps during the march, in accordance with orders, 1,735 bales of cotton.

The losses in the command, including 20 of the First Alabama Cavalry, during the campaign were as follows: Killed, 16; wounded, 73; missing, 19.

I forward herewith the reports of my division commanders.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

FRANK P. BLAIR, Jr.,

Major-General.

Captain SAMUEL L. TAGGART,

Asst. Adjt. General, Department and Army of the Tennessee.