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garrisoned by two hundred men, under Major Anderson, artillery and infantry, and having one mortar and twenty-three guns en barbette.
At about this time Sherman and Howard reached Cheves's rice-mill, used as a signal station, where, for two days the officer in charge had been looking anxiously in the direction of Ossabaw Sound, for a Government steamer.
Hazen and Fort McAllister were then exchanging shots, the former with the hope of thereby attracting the attention of the fleet.
With their glasses the two commanders could see Hazen's skirmishers approach the fort, and very soon that leader signaled that he had invested it. Then Sherman signaled back that it was important to capture it at once.
Meanwhile the smoke-stack of a steamer had been seen in the dim distance, at the mouth of the Ogeechee.
The vessel soon appeared, and signaled that she had been sent by General Foster and Admiral Dahlgren to communicate with the National army, but was in doubt whether Fort McAllister was in the hands of friends or foe.1
That doubt was soon removed.
Hazen had signaled back to Sherman, “I am ready and will assault at once.”
He did so. It was toward evening of a beautiful day. His bugles sounded a charge, and over abatis and every other obstruction his troops swept impetuously, in the face of a heavy storm of grape and canister shot, up to the parapets and over them,2 fighting hand to hand, and after a brief but desperate struggle won a victory.
Before sunset Fort McAllister, its garrison and armament, were in the hands of the Nationals, the Union flag was planted upon it, and the way was opened to the sea. The triumph was gained at the cost of ninety patriots killed and wounded.
The Confederates lost nearly fifty men.
Sherman saw the entire conflict from the rice-mill; and when the smoke Boated away, and the National flag was seen waving over the redoubt, and the shouts and feu dejoie of the victors were heard, he entered a boat, and with Howard, was rowed quickly down to Fort McAllister, unmindful of the danger of torpedo explosions in the river.
He tarried there a moment to offer congratulations to Hazen, and then pushed on to meet the tug, from which he had received a message by signal.
She was the Dandelion, whose commander, Captain Williamson, told Howard that his scout, Captain Duncan, had passed the fort and communicated with Foster and Dahlgren, whom he then hourly expected in Ossabaw Sound.
The capture of Fort McAllister was a brilliant ending of the Great
1 General Foster was in command of the coast islands of South Carolina when Sherman was engaged in his Georgia campaign, and he was directed to make a demonstration in his favor, when, as it was expected, he would approach Pocotaligo, on the Charleston and Savannah railway, between the two cities, at the close of November. He could spare only 5,000 men from his various garrisons, for this purpose, and at the head of these he ascended the Broad River on steamers, and landed at Boyd's Neck on the 30th of November. From that point he sent General J. P. Hatch to seize the railway near Grahamsville. Having missed his way, Hatch did not reach his destination till the next morning, when he was met by a strong Confederate force intrenched on a hill covering Grahamsville and the road. This position he assailed, when an obstinate fight ensued, which resulted in his defeat, and retreat at evening, with a loss of 746 men. Foster then sent General E. E. Potter, with two brigades, across the Coosawhatchie, to Devaux Neck, when he advanced and seized a position
Dec. 6, 1864. |
2 A novel way for scaling the parapets was exhibited in this assault. The front line of soldiers rushed forward and leaped into the ditch, and their shoulders formed a bridge for those who followed.
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