The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-26
THE FACTS IN RELATION TO THE
SURRENDER OF FORT GAINES.

i The following is a private letter giving Q
true recital of the circumstances causing the
surrender of Fort Gaines, written to lady
of this city by Col. Reynolds. 1t will be
found very intere sting to all who take an in
terest in the incidents and episodes of ouI
late civil war;.
U. S. PRISON, CARoNDELET STREET
New Orleans, Sept. ~, 1864.
Mrs H. Chiffon:
Dear Lady-I have seen 50 many state.
ments, and all of them so false, in relation to
the surrender Of Fort Gaines, that 1 have de-
termined to draw up brief account of the
facts and incidents as they really occurred,
that my beloved countrywomen of New Or
leans may know that the garrison was not
lacking in patriotism, in courage or devotion
to the holy cause of Southern Independence.
To proper understanding Of these occur
rences, it is necessary to state the number OF
men and the amount and calibre of the guns
at that post during the attack, and at the time
of its surrender. The garrison was composed
of fragments of the 2lst Alabama regiment;
Lockhearts battalion, Culpepper's battery,
and the Pelham Cadets, comprising force OF
about five hundred effective men. The num-
Der and calibre of the guns were as follows:
Three 10-inch columbiads: One of these
in bastion No. (east); one of these in bastion
No. 8 (southeast) ; one on south curtain
(south).
| Thaco p1,p oil dicoh1a1 fx,o he
4th Of August and one on the 9th of August.
On west curtain Two smooth-bore 80
Founders, two smooth-bo 24-pounders,
three smooth bore 18-pounders.
South curtain, bearing on the Gulf: Two
old smooth-bore 32-pounders, rifed, but not
banded one 80 pounder, smooth bore.
Southeast curtain: Two old smooth-bore 49,
Founders, rifed, but not banded.
Northeast curtain: One smooth-bore 49,
FOUNDER.
North curtain: One smooth bore 49,
FOUNDER.
This was the only gun that could be brought
to bear on the fleet except the 1O-inch Col
umbiad (bastion No. p, and which was dis
abled on the 9Th August. These sixteen guns
were an barbette; the other guns were how
itzers, which being in the classmates were not
available, and are, therefore, not counted.
This, then, was the amount of effective
men, and the number of guns at Fort Gaines
on the 5th August, 1864. Now let us in
quire as to the number of men, guns and
ships by which it was assailed.
On the evening of August 2 Gen. Granger
debarked his troops on Dauphine Island,
about four miles from Fort Gaines, drove in
our pickets on the Sd, and established bat
terry of eight Parrot guns and one of mortar
guns at distance of one mile from the fort.
His force was estimated by us at from three
to five thousand men. At the time of the
force amounted to 5000 men.
On the morning of the 5th of August Ad-
miral Farragut, in command of the feet,
passed Fort Morgan, ard, after capturing the
Tennes and Selma, and driving away the
Morgan and Gaines, came to anchor in the
bay. This fleet consis ed of eighteen ships,
three of which were monitors their number
of guns, as stated by one of their officers, was
two hundred and forty. On the evening of
that day one of the monitors attacked Fort
Powell. The cistern was soon demolished,
thus depriving the garrison of water, and
rendering the Fort untenable. 1t was at this
moment that Gen. Page signaled from Fort
Morgan to Lieut. Colonel Williams, in COM
mand of Fort Powell, that if the Fort was un-
tenable to save the garrison.
One of the publications on this subject,
which have seen, says that order was sent
by Col. Anderson, and charges him with not
only betraying his trust at Fort Gaines, but
of sacrificing Fort Powell Now the only
means of signaling Fort Powell from Fort
Morgan was by way of Fort Gaines, and the
message sent to Lieut.. Col Williams was
merely transmitted through Col. Anderson by
Gen. Page.
Fort Powell was evacuated and blown up
on the night of August 5. The next day Fort
Gaines was attacked by one of the monitors,
many of the shells bursting in the fort, killing
S few men, and doing some damage to the
officers quarters
The fort replied from the columbiad at the
east baStlOn, but she was disabled at the
second shot, her braces having given way,
and the only gun now left on the north
front of the fort was a smooth bore
49, FOUNDER, which was not fred at all, as it
could not have made any impression on such
an antagonist. From this moment-that is,
from the time when the columbiad was dis
abled-the tort was at the mercy of the fleet,
which could have laid it in ruins in half an
hour.
1t was in this condition of afflirs that Col.
Anderson signaled Gen. Page that he would
have to succumb. No reply or signal was re-
turned, but that night two officers came to
Fort Gaines from Fort Morgan, and after
consulting with Col. Anderson, left on their
return without having given any definite in
structions, nor did Col. Anderson ever re-
ceive from Gen. Page, by signal, or by any
other channel. any orders to hold the fort;
the publications, therefore, which have been
made, saying that he did SO, are all entirely
false
Just after the off GERS from Fort Morgan
left on their return, the commissioned officers
of the garrison on duty at Fort Gaines met in
council and wrote letter to Col. Anderson,