Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-01-12

division had made the crossing so as
to move down toward the fort, our
colps, the 18th, closed up toward the
18th. IN the meantime, the siege Of Sa-
vannah was under personal direction
of General Sloeum. commanding the
4th and Goth corps. 1t was on the
18th of December when Hazen's dtvI-
sion got into position to make the as
sault. General sherman had told
Hazen that upon the success of his
charge upon Fort MeAlister de-
pended the success of the entire
campaign.
1t may be best to let General Sher-
man tell the story of this critical bat
lie himself as he wrote it down in
his Memoirs:
Having seen General Hazen fairly
off, accompanied by General Howard,
rode with my staff down the left
bank of the Ogeechee, ten miles to
the rice plantation of a Mr.. Cheeyes,
where General Howard had estab-
lished signal station to overlook
the lower river, and to watch for any
vessel of the blockading squadron,
which the negroes reported to be ex-
pecting us. because they had nightly
sent up rockets, and daily dispatched
a steamer up the Ogeechee as near to
Fort McAllister as was safe.
"On reaching the rice-mill at
Cheeves' l found a guard and a cou-
pie of 20-pound Parrot guns, of De
Grees' battery, which fired an occa-
sional shot toward Fort McAlhster,
plainly seen over salt-marsh. about
three miles distant. Fort McAllister
had the rebel flag flying. and occa-
sionally sent heavy shot back across
the marsh to where we were; but
otherwise everything about the place
looked as peaceable and quiet as on
the Sabbath.
The signal officer had built plat
form on the ridge-pole of the rice
mill Leaving our horses behind the
stacks of rice straw, we all got on
the roof of shed attached to the
mill wherefrom | could communicate
with the signal officer above, and at
the same time look out toward Ossa-
baw sound, and across the Ogeecnee
at Fort McAllister. At p. m, we OBJ.
served signs of commotion in the
fort, and noticed one or two guns
fired inland; also some musket skirm-
ishing in the woods close by.
Tins betokened the approach OF
Hazens division, which had been
anxiously expected; and soon there
! after the signal officer discovered
about three miles above the fort a
| ignal flag, with which he-conversed
and found to belong to General
Hazen who was preparing to assault
/ the fort. and wanted to know If
were there. on being assured OF this
tact, and that I expected the fort to
! be carried before night, / received by
/ signal the assurance al General
| Hazen that he was making his
| preparations, and would soon attempt
| the assault The sun was rapidly de
/ cliuing, and l was dreadfully impa-
tent At that very moment some
enc discovered a faint cloud of smoke
and en- object gliding. as it We're,
| along the horizon above the TOPS OF
/ the sedge towards the sea, wh,cn
| little by little grew till it was pro
nounced to be the smoke-stack Of a
| steamer coming up the river IT
must be one of our squadron, Soon
the flag of the United States was
plainly visible. and our attention was
divided between this approaching
steamer and the expected assault.
when the sun was about an hour
high, another signal message came
| from General Hazen that he was all
| ready. and l replied to go ahead, as a
friendly steamer was approaching
from below Soon we made out a
group of officers on the deck OF this
vessel. signaling with flag, Who
| are you?' The answer went back
promptly, General sherman. Then
! followed the question, Is Fort Meal
! lister taken?' Not yet. but it viii
be in a minute
Almost at that instant we saw
Hazen's troops come out of the dark
| fringe of woods that eneompassed the
fort. the lines dressed as on parade
with colors flying. and moving for
ward with a quick. steady pace. Fort
| McAlister was then all alive-its bag
guns belching forth dense clouds o.
smoke, which soon enveloped our rs
saulting line. One color went &c" n
but was up in momert- On tbs
! lines advanced, family seen in tbs
white sulphurous smoke: there was s
pause, a cessation of fire; the smoke
cleared away. and the parapets were
blue with our men who fired theii
muskets into the air and shouted 81
] that we actually heard them-or fel
chat we did. Fort McAllister was
taken, and the good news was in
| stantly sent by the signal officer Il
our navy friends on the approaching
-unboat. for a point of timber haC
shut out Fort M-AIlister from thei
view. ard they had not seen the &C
ton at all. but must have heard tn
} canRonading
During the progress Of the as
sauIt our little group on Cheeves
min hardly breathed; but no sooner
al we see our flag on the parape.
I than / exclaimed. in the language q
/ the poor negro at Cobh's plantation
This nigger viii have no sleep this