St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-31
Prepared Exclusively for the St. Paul
Sunday Globe From Entirely
Original Sources.
Maj. Gen. W. B. Hazen Thrillingly Re-
counts the Storming Of Fort
AcAllister.
A Stronghold Defended With I'm
usual valor by Young South
ern Gentlemen.
An Important Incident of Sher'
mans March From Atlanta
TO the Sea.



known as Genesis Point, on the right bank
Of the Great 0geechee, where it enters the
sea marsh, and is about thirteen miles from
Savannah, Ga. The Ogeeehee is navigable
for some distance, and to close 1t to AN
enemy was one of the early necessities OF
proper defense Of that coast; especially so
since a force might ascend it quite
to the rear of Savannah. The develop
ment Of monitors and guns Of great power
and range awakened the Confederates TO
the increased danger TO their ports and
cities. so that these coast defenseS were
pushed forward with vigOr. This one was
a large earthwork of irregular plan, con-
forming to the nature of the ground, with
/ guns In barbette and the usual magazines,
bomb-prOOfs and traverses. In the winter
of 1858. when it first specially attracted the
attention of the Union blockading squad
ron. ii was substantially completed work.
garrisoned by a detachment OF young men
| from Savannah, and in command Of Col.
Anderson. son of a well-known citizen
and the mayor of that city. At that time
IL had an effective armament of heavy guns
and the officer commanding
THE BLOCRADING SQUADRON
on that coast-Admiral DnpOnt-seems TO
tice his new monitors and guns. even if the
effort to capture the fort did fail. In jan
uary Commander John A. L. WOrden. al
ready famous. was sent with the Montauk
TO capture McAllister, and then try TO de-
stroy the Nashville, a large Confederate
steamer. lying in the Ogeechee above the
fort. loaded with cotton. ready TO run the
blockade. Afterward he was TO destroy the
bridge Of the Gulf railroad, still further up
the river
Worden arrived on the oath of January,
and was supported by the war vessels SEN
eca. Wissahicken. Dawn and Williams; but
on account of the heavy fog he could not
attack till the Goth, when the MOntauk
anchored just out of range. During the
night reconnaissance was made in small
boats, disclosing a line of piles across the
river to which tOrpedOes were attached. At
Z o'clock next morning the vessel moved up
to within $50 yards of this obstruction, and.
with the whole feet in range. the action be-
gan. After continuing it with remarkable
precision till nearly noon, and expanding
/ his ammunition without noticeable effect,
| Worden Withdrew out of range. Although
/ the fire of the enemy was excellent, the
vessels of the fleet being frequently struck,
il caused no material damage, and there
were no casualties.
Again, on the 1st of February. the Mon
/ tauk, with the same supporting vessels, adj
vanced to within about six hundred yards
and repeated the previous attack, with sim
liar results, Commander Worden reporting
that the only effect upon the fort seemed to
be the tearing up of its earthworks. But,
as was afterwards learned, one officer was
killed, seven men were wounded and one
gun disabled The MOntauk was struck
civ hut do
sustained, and no one seemed TO have been
hurt.
A wATCHFUL EYE
was kept upon the Nashville. which, after
waiting for some months for an opportunity
TO escape with her cotton, withdrew higher
| mp the river, and again appeared fitted as a
cruiser, hoping to still elude the vigilance of
-Worden and finally reach foreign waters to
prey upon our commerce. During this time
the fort was greatly strengthened, and on
the I'd of March the Nashville was finally
destroyed.
On the 9th of February. in moving down
| toward the fort, she ran aground in bend
of the river, only about LOO yards across
the level country from the old position of
our fleet Worden at once advanced with
all his vessels. each taking up its familiar
| place, and began a vigorous bombardment.
/ which in twenty minutes set the Confederate
vessel on fire, exploded her magazine, and
destroyed her. Although the fort kept up
a steady fire upon the fleet. it did no dam
age. and the ire of the consort vessels upon
il was likewise harmless. In Withdrawing,
the Montauk ran upon torpedo, which
exploded, causing a bad leak and making it
necessary, when well out of range. to run
her aground. She was patched, and float
ing with high water, did good service after
wards, as long as ships were required on
that coast
On the I'd all the available vessels, in
Guiding the Passaic, Patapsco and Nahant.
renewed the attack, aided by the mortar
| schoOhers, throwing thirteen-inch shells at
a range of 1,20o yards; and it was kept up
for eight hours. The only effect upon the
fort which could not be repaired by the gar
riSon in a few hours was the disabling of
two guns, while the feet was somewhat
damaged. both by the shock of its own guns
and the shots of the fort. The Passaic was
struck thirty-four times. This closed
THE ATTACKS FROM THE SEA
upon Fort McAllister, which were always
most CALAMITY met, and furnished fair ex-
ample of the almost insurmountable advan-
tages in a naval attack which earthworks
must always have when a few men with
spades can each night easily repair all
damage ordinarily effected by days hard
fighting. The excellence of our officers
here engaged, with the good quality of
their vessels and equipment, leave little
more than was done here 10 be expected
from this kind of attack.
Fort McAlIister was now TO have pro-
longed rest, and not until the approach OF
Sherman in the beginning of December,
| 1864 was IL to be mOleSted.
His approach began on the 18th of Octo
Der, when ne left Atlanta. and was a men,
ace upon the rear of McAllster. No one
of that army, however, knew or thought
much about such a fort That movement
was so uneventful as to lead to little besides
the routine of marching, making and break
ing camp, and foraging our living from the
country. Very little thought was given by
subOrdinates to what would happen after
reaching the coast.
To communicate with the fleet was in
dispensable. Our supplies in wagons were
of necessity limited. and while we were
moving forward into new neighborhOOd
each day the difficulties of securing food
were not great. But on reaching the
vicinity of Savannah. and settling down
there. a very few days sufficed to eat up
everything in that thinly-populased country.
Before starting out, Sherman had arranged
to have
a FLEET WITH SUPPLIES
awaiting him in the vicinity. and that the
blockading squadron should look out for it.
and communicate with him as early as pos
sible somewhere in the vicinity of OssabaW
sound, into which the Ogeechee empties.
This, with the necessity OF securing suit
able landing for the feet, made it imper.
alive that some point possessing these adj
vantages be selected and secured.
On the 18th Fitzpatrick had been sent with