Travelsmartplanet

Cannon showing stakes around the moat

Photo; Stan Posner

You can still see the best preserved earthwork fortification of the Confederacy along the banks of the Great Ogeechee River, just south of Savannah, GA. It played an important role in the defense of Savannah during the Civil War, when the Union navy blockaded the Georgia coast. The sand and mud earthworks of Fort McAllister were attacked 7 times by the Union’s ironclad ships, but did not fall until captured in 1864 by General William T. Sherman during his infamous “March To The Sea”.
The beauty of the concept behind this fort was that the mud absorbed the shells and the walls could be rebuilt overnight. Underground were the barracks, officer quarters and a hot shot furnace for cannonballs. You may be surprised to find out that cannonballs were red-hot out of the furnace when they were fired – the point was not to punch a hole in the target, but to start a fire, especially if the enemy was in a ship in the river.

When Sherman’s army finally took the fort, it was only because they unexpectedly invaded from behind. Instead of coming down the river, they approached from the land side and “blind-sided” the enemy, who were vigilantly watching for an attack by sea.

The fort and its surroundings have become a State Park, with a Civil War Museum and shop, camp sites, picnic tables, cottages, fishing, playgrounds etc. The small museum has artifacts from the fortifications and a short orientation movie. If you’re lucky enough to visit on the right day, there are re-enactments of Civil War battles held on site periodically, including soldiers and their families having lunch cooked on an open fire, drilling and marching. Experience the sights and sounds of Civil War living as well as the smell of battle.

Hours: Daily 7 am to 10 pm (Museum 9-5). Park: 912-727-2339

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