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position as a guard-boat, in advance of the forts, as far as practicable to-night, and thereafter every night, for the present.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
Thinking also of the reinforcements he might have to order from
General Walker's district, he, on the same day, instructed the
President of the Charleston and Savannah Railroad to keep in readiness, at Pocotaligo Station, a train of cars capable of carrying a thousand men. On the 2d
General Walker was written to, and advised as to the course he should pursue to protect the trestlework across the
Savannah River and hold the railroad line to
Charleston.
‘All your movements,’ he was told, ‘must look to the final defence of
Charleston, where I shall concentrate all my troops when required.’
The enemy had evidently some design to accomplish up the
Ogeechee River, for, on the 28th of February, he again attacked
Fort McAllister, with an ironclad, three gunboats, and a mortarboat.
The engagement was another disappointment to the naval officer commanding as, after two hours cannonading, which only resulted in the crippling of the Confederate steamer
Rattlesnake, then aground a short distance off, the attacking vessels
ceased firing and dropped down the river.1 The attempt was renewed on the 3d of March by three of the enemy's monitors—the
Montauk being one of them—and was kept up for more than seven hours, but without damaging our battery, which, upon inspection by
Major Harris, after the engagement, was found ‘in good condition in every respect.’
2 Alluding to this affair,
General Beauregard, from
Charleston, March 4th, 1863, forwarded the following telegram to
General Cooper:
Fort McAllister has again repulsed enemy's attack.
Ironclads retired at 8 P. M. yesterday; mortar-boats shelled until 6 o'clock this morning.
All damages repaired during night; 8-inch columbiads mounted, and fort good as ever.
No casualties reported.
Result is encouraging.
Enemy's vessels still in sight.
Reduced as were
General Beauregard's forces at that time, he was nevertheless called upon to reinforce other points of his Department.
His letter of March 4th to
Major H. C. Guerin, Chief
