As troops under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman continued their March to the Sea in December 1864, they attracted dozens, then hundreds and, ultimately, several thousand former slaves who had escaped their masters in the confusion and upheaval of the Federal advance across Middle Georgia. The stragglers — men, women and children — followed closely behind their supposed liberators. But their gratitude was not reciprocated, and one commander simply wanted to be rid of them.
Nearing the outer defenses of Savannah, one of campaign’s atrocities occurred Dec. 9. After his troops had safely crossed Ebenezer Creek, Maj. Gen. Jefferson C. Davis ordered the pontoon bridge cut. Stranded on the far bank, the former slaves feared for their lives. They knew, or had heard from the soldiers, of the rapidly approaching Confederate cavalry of Maj. Gen. Joe Wheeler.
Fearing a return to bondage or worse if captured, hundreds of the African-American refugees plunged into the deep waters of the Ebenezer. Most could not swim, and in the terror of the moment, the situation quickly escalated into all-out frenzy. The Federals watched in horror and began throwing ropes, felling trees and tossing anything the struggling victims might cling onto to survive. Most did not.
A fortunate few believed themselves lucky to have made the crossing. But they faced the same action later in the day, when Davis again ordered the pontoons cut, after crossing Lockner Creek. By nightfall, Davis had disposed of most of the slaves he feared would slow his progress.
The general who had previously gotten away with murder – Davis had killed his commanding officer, Maj. Gen. William “Bull” Nelson, during an argument in 1862 in Louisville, Ky. – never faced charges for his actions in either state.
Many soldiers in Davis’ corps were still recovering from the shock of the previous day when lead elements of Sherman’s force reached the outer defenses of Savannah on Dec. 10. This ended the marching portion of the campaign. Sherman immediately began reconnoitering the area.
Combining his own keen eye for terrain with intelligence reports from Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, Sherman quickly ascertained the importance of capturing Fort McAllister.
Covering the water-based approach along the Ogeechee River south of Savannah, McAllister, an earthen fortification, had previously proved formidable against Federal naval attacks. However, the fort had one major weakness: Its designers never anticipated a land-based attack. All the heavy guns pointed seaward.
Sherman discussed the situation with Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard. They developed a plan of action, and Sherman ordered it executed posthaste. Brig. Gen. William B. Hazen was assigned nine Federal regiments and told to take the fort, held by Confederate Maj. George Anderson and a garrison of approximately 120 soldiers.
With the war late in its third year, no regiments numbered the initial muster strength of 1,000 men; at this point, most contained only a few hundred men. Yet even with attrition, Hazen still led a superior force against Anderson.
Anticipating a Federal attack from the land side, the Confederates had planted land mines in the fields leading to the fort. These “torpedoes,” as soldiers of the time called them, would produce the majority of the Federal casualties.
Watching from a nearby observation post, Sherman grew increasingly nervous. If he hoped to establish a connection with the Federal naval vessels awaiting outside Savannah and receive supplies, he must remove the threat of Fort McAllister.
Shortly after 4 p.m. Dec. 13, Hazen’s men advanced. Several of Anderson’s men rolled artillery pieces into the open and started firing canister against the bluecoats, but Federal sharpshooters quickly dropped them. Absent the protection of redoubts, the gunners were easy targets for the blue-clad marksmen.
Advancing across the fields, several soldiers tripped the mines. When the fort fell after 15 minutes of fighting, the Federals had suffered 134 casualties. Anderson — injured during the fight — counted 71 of his own men dead or wounded. Entering the fort, Hazen rounded up some unscathed Confederates and had them dig up the remaining land mines so the rest of the Federals could safely approach the fort.
Rear Adm. John Dahlgren awaited word regarding the fate of Fort McAllister. Once assured of the safety of his men, Howard, via signal flags, communicated the fall of the fort.
Sherman was elated. He penned a dispatch to Maj. Gen. Henry Halleck in Washington. After describing the day’s action, he closed by stating, “I regard Savannah as already gained.” Not quite yet, as we will learn next week.
Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, author and lecturer. He can be contacted at: www.civilwarhistorian.net
For more on the Civil War in Georgia, follow the AJC: http://www.myajc.com/s/battleofatlanta/
About the Author
