St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-31

map the SltuallOn OF the fort Inc marcn
from Atlanta had been perfectly successful.
requiring for the completion of so splendid
a movement the possession of our ratIons
then atioat at the mouth Of the Ogeechee.
was to march that night to Kings bridge
and In the morning cross over and down TO
McAllister and assault and capture it.
After nearly a month of marching, al
though attended with very little fatigue and
really sort OF prolonged picnic, we had
naturally looked forward to the rest that
follows such campaigns. l had
made myself comfortable at the plantation
OF Mr.. Floyd, just twelve miles from
Savannah. where L found every comfort:
the men had arranged their bivouacs with
more than usual care for a prolonged occu-
pancy; and there were plenty of straw for
good beds, and boards 10 patch out their
shelters. So. while the troops were ever
ready to do what was required, there was
general
FEELING OF DISAPPOINTMENT
at being so soon turned out to begin all over
again at new camp. This camping mate
rial is necessary TO soldiers comfort. To
an officer of some rank it made little differ
ence. His quarters was in house. His
table, campbell, chairs and few rugs and
toilet articles were carried in wagon or
packed upon horse. and his servant, going
ahead, arranged them so that when he en-
tered he found his room precisely like the
one he left in the morning. with identically
the same furnishing, making it difficult
sometimes TO comprehend that he had
changed his quarters at all.
But we were soon on the road. and
marched back TO the bridge, which had been
burned by the troops that first reached the
river, thus compelling the engineers to work
1s~t,&
the 18th. The command was called at 4
O'Clock, and at the break OF day breakfast
was over, camp was broken. and the wag
ons and command ready to march out. and
long before the sun came up clear and
bright the entire division was over and
making its way along an extensive cause
way reaching across great stretch or rice
marsh TO the firm ground beyond.
There could be no more mirthful, happy lot
of men than my division that morning. Ev-
eryone in perfect health, well fed and clothed
thoroughly in earnest, free from the blcker-
ings that idleness begets, with the peculiar
JOY the early morning gives to active Out-Of-
door work. The men went forward. making
their jokes and telling stories, an example
of readiness and military strength ana eff
cheney seldom seen. They scarcely thought
of or cared for the object of their march,
and in fact no one knew much about it.
There was a general notion that we were
going to aSsail and
CAPTURE SOME OBSTACLE
separating the army from its food and raj
ment But the fact that 1t would cost
fight, where some would fall, although well
enough known, never seemed To enter
their thoughts.
While we were going along the causeway
the column was beset by great crowd Of
rice plantation people, a simple race, small,
ignorant, Of all shades of color, and speak
ing peculiar patos- They were entirely
unique and distinct from any other people,
and their chatter was unceasing and almost
unintelligible. We soon reached beauti-
full shell road upon the hard ground; and,
turning directly to the left, marched rapidly
down TO the fort, just ten miles away.
There were many handsome country places
along this road, but only the servants were
in them, and several bore the unmistakable
mark of the ruthless cavalrymen, who,
struggling away from Kilpatrick's command
the day before. had literally emptied the
houses into the yard for better chance to
inspect their contents. 1t is astonishing
how much of almost every conceivable
thing uncontrolled soldiers will find and
bring out of very small house.
When half way to McAllister we met
Fitzpatrick with his division. He had re-
cOnnoitered the fort, and confirmed what
Gen. Howard was able to tell me about its
situation. The entire country was beauti-
full, and occupied by people of wealth and
culture. The magnolia and live oak, with
wide-spreading branches feStoOped with
long hanging moss. gave to the landscape a
striking, and, to us, an unaccustOmed as
pect, which was
VERY INTERESTING.
When mile away from McAllister my
advance came suddenly upon the enemy's
advanced mounted picket. and a quick dash
by my typographical officer. Mr.. Scupham,
with my orderlies, captured him almost be-
fore he knew we were in the neighborhOOd.
He was posted on a narrow causeway so
common in that section. which proved the
only communication from the mainland to
the point on which the fort was situated.
The picket at once pointed out line of
torpedoes set across this road, and aided us
TO remove them. This humane and proper
act gained for him, as it deserved, the kind
consideration of all Drawing back from
this position to the farm house of Mr.. Mid
dletOn, who proved to be the owner of
Genesis Point, l at once made the DISPOSE
tons for the assault. Knowing the spirit
of the garrison, l thought it Superf1uOus to
make any formal demand for surrender. so
made none, but, taking nine small regi-
ments-abOut three thousand men-I
moved down so as to just be out of musket
range, and, after deploying two regiments
as sharpshOoters, and driving the garrison
into their bOmbproofs, l deplOyed the other
seven regiments into single line, so that it
should reach quite around the fort from the
river to the sea marsh. 1 did not employ
| any artillery. as it could do no more of what
was then needed than muskets, and be-
sides. it would disclose my intention.
After the sharpsh0oters got well at their
work, the guns of the fort, which up to
that time were making great deal of noise,
became silent. and dispositions for the as
sault were made without molestation. Pre-
vious to this, however, we had lost some
men, and among them Capt. John II.
Grose, from Ohio, the Acknowledgement of
one of the brigades, killed by a musket
ball. He was an officer of great merit and
promise. The three brigades were COM
manded by Coils. John NJ. Oliver of Michi-
gan and Wells S. and Theodore Jones of
Ohio, all brave and trusty officers, and their
men
COULD BE RELIED ON.
There was not much time occupied in
posting the left and center brigades, but a
vexatious delay with the right one. The
last injunction of Gen. Sherman was mot
to find myself behind some creek that l
could not cross, when at the last moment /
supposed myself ready to ASSAULT and
now. strangely enough, the right brigade
was in just such situation. gave all the
time could possibly spare. and then as the
sun was Just setting behind the trees, and
failed to get any satisfactory message from
the right, concluded TO assault without
waiting any longer. AT that moment a
message was received at the signal station,
frnm len Sherman lEhn was Watching