There were many different battles in the Civil war, but each one
has something special about it. Fort McAllister was an earthen bastion, or a fortress
with a trench in the back. This fort withstood some of the most intense bombardments
of any other fort in the whole Civil War. This fort also withstood almost every attempt
of the Union to dislodge this paticular garrison. The Union's last resort was land
attack, which resulted in the battle of Fort McAllister.
On December 12, 1684, General William T. Sherman's army arrived on Fort McAllister's
grounds. William B. Hazen was ordered to attack the fort. George Anderson was the
fort's commanding officer. At around 4:45 pm, Hazen's men surrendered to the union
forces. The confederate fire was not strong enough to hold the union off any longer.
The battle of Fort McAllister was about15-20 minutes long.
The fort's fall allowed General Sherman to open his line of communication with the
Federal navy which was stationed in nearby Ossabow Sound.
The fort has been restored and is now a state historic park.
