During the late winter of February/March 1864 the defenses of Savannah were relatively quiet. Ft. McAllister was one of the southerly bastions in this network of fortifications protecting the city some 15 miles away. It sits on the first high bend on the Ogeechee River known as “Genesis Point.” The fort is primarily made of earth and sand and its utilitarian appearance belied its immense strength in absorbing shot and shell from the Union Naval Blockade. These ships have already steamed up the Ogeechee River from the Atlantic Ocean several times to try and destroy the fort to no avail.

Besides these naval actions and a few alarms of Federal landing parties further to the south, life along the Georgia coastal defenses is rather mundane. But the garrison at the fort prides itself in drill in both infantry and artillery tactics. The garrison has consisted of two infantry companies and a cavalry command that was billeted not far away from the fort. The infantry companies had rotated some, but for a majority of the fort’s existence the Republican Blues company of the 1st Georgia from Savannah had manned the earthen ramparts of the fort. Captain William Dixon was the Republican Blues’ commander at this time period. The fort’s second garrison company in early 1864 was Company G of the 63rd Georgia commanded by Captain David N. Martin. This company was also a veteran of the extensive Savannah defenses. These men had most recently been at Ft. Thunderbolt closer to Savannah. They hailed from Spalding and Marion Counties. Major George Wayne Anderson, Jr. was the fort’s commandant at this time, and had also been the commanding officer of the Republican Blues before Captain Dixon.

From combating ironclads, to repetitive drill on the coastal guns of the fort these men had been these men had done their duty with little glory, but at the same time they had prevented the Union military from gaining another foot hold on the Georgia coastline for more than two years. Ft McAllister at Genesis Point had been a key point in Savannah Defenses.

Below is a list of sources regarding the history of Ft. McAllister. We highly recommend that participants use these sources to help better understand the historical scenario and to put themselves “in the mindset” of the soldiers stationed at the fort.

References

Books
Roger Durham, who is a former ranger at Fort McAllister, has written/edited the trio of books that are a good starting point for research. While this list is not the end all for information about Ft. McAllister the event staff feels that it represents a sound starting point

Durham, Roger S. Images of America Fort McAllister. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2004.

Durham, Roger S. Guardian of Savannah: Fort McAllister, Georgia in the Civil War and Beyond. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 2008.

Dixon, William D. and Durham, Roger S. The Blues in gray: the Civil War journal of William Daniel Dixon and the Republican Blues daybook Voices of the Civil War series. Knoxville, Tn: University of Tennessee Press, 2000.

Websites:

Ft. McAllister State Park Website

Ft. McAllister Web Album

List of engagements at the fort with small synopsis of each action

ORs

Jan 3, 1863 Naval Attack on Ft. McAllister

March 3, 1863 Naval Attack on Ft. McAllister

Destruction of the CSS Nashville aka Rattlesnake

Info regarding the Republican Blues:

http://www.nwinfo.net/~jagriffin/1st.htm
http://factorswalk.com/militia/toc4.htm

Info regarding Company G, 63rd Georgia:

http://factorswalk.com/militia/toc4.htm
http://www.jayharden.com/63rdcombathistory
http://www.jayharden.com/castofcharacters