The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1864-12-20
SAVANNAH AND IT'S DEFENCEs
Position Of General Shernan's Army
Before the Ciiy.sLnnd md Water
Defengss Constructed by the Rebels.

AT the latest adviees. General Sher
mans entire force, before the attack on
Fort McAllisteI, was gathered at point
whence the most effective demonstrations
could be made against Savannah He
occupied the entire peninsula formed by
the OgeChee on the right and the Savan-
nah on the left His rear was well
guarded for the railroad, for miles, was
destroyed, and the country desolated
Communication had been opened with
the feet upon the coast and he was Ger
tain of cooperation in that quarter. The
eyer-active scouts, and news from deser-
ters and friendly citizens, informed him
that General Foster was cooperating IN
q most resOlute manner OH the line OF
the Charlest on and Savannah road. Thus
assured. General Sherman must have felt
entirely confident of victory as he recon.
noitered the position previous To making
the grand. attack He had force of
quite fifty thousand men, all veteran
soldiers, and flushed with the excite
ment of their successful march His
army consisted of the Fourteenth corps
under General jeff C. Davis; the Tenth
corps under the vigorous fighter, Oster
haus; the Seventeenth corps under Gen.
eral BlaiI;'th Twentieth under the brave
Slocum; and fifteen thousand cavalry
under the youthful and distinguished
Fitzpatrick The foe is understood to
have beeniundeI the command Of Gen
eral Beauregard who had hastened from
the West after committing to Hood the
responsibilities Of the campaign in Ten
nessee, and almost solitary passed
through a country already devast ated by
the march of Sherman, to take command
Of troops in fortlhcations erected upon
plans which had exhausted his utmost
engineering skill The force over which
he assumed control consists doubtless
Of the best available troops of the Con
federacy, assisted by the rapidly gath
cred levies from Savannah and its enyi-
rons The batteries were hastily con
structed, and extended to as great dis.
tance from the city as was practicable
| Considerable reliance was doubtless
placed upon the protection Of the swamps
in the rear and TO the northwest Of the
city would afford in, al least, retarding
the advance of the enemy:
Savannah is valuable point in the
South. Its strategic Importance can
scarcely be over-estimated II Is the key
| to Augusta, as its fall would insure the
navigation Of the Savannah river as far
as that point, and thus the successful ad-
vance Of naval force be assured beyond
doubt In measure, the capture of
| Savannah would weaken the defences Of
Charleston, and thus, BY this simple sue
cess. the entire chain of railroad commu-
nication with tbe South would be ire
! trieyably broken The rebels, early in
the war, placed high estimate upon the
military valne Of Savannah and CHARLES
ton, and spared neither pains noI expense
in fortifying them in the most impregDa.
ble manner At Savannah particularly
the forts in existence at the mouth Of the
river werestrengthened The numerous
inlets and streams, which thread the
country between Savannah and the sea
coast, were well guarded by the erection
Of fortificafions, which were intended to
eventually bar the progress of any foe ad-
yancing by means Of these channels
Besides Fort Jackson, the river is
lined with huge siege guns, which
command the channel, and is
blockaded with'heavy timber, laid up in
the shape Of log house, the interior Of
which is filed with stone and brick, and
these distractions are ali fastened to one
another, with heavy cable chain, leay.
ing only one passage WIDE enough for a
boat Just above this entrance lie two
non elads, pretty well manned Above
these, at intervals. are torpedoes their
situation Is known BY the shaTp-pointed
projection Of log about six inches from
the surface. Guns are mounted on the
bank, and earthworks thrown up for the
protection afthe men. OFF from the river
about half mile this side Of Fort Jack
son, Is another extensive fort. Beaure
gard has spent many an hour in laying
the foundation and getting the range o.
this point of the river These guns, to-
gether With the obstTuetions in the river