March 14, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
The Savannah Republican, of yesterday, gives a full and highly interesting account of the late engagement at Fort McAllister, from which we condense the following:
Fort McAllister is situated on the right bank of the Ogeechee, and occupies the farthest point of mainland jutting out into the marsh. The river flows straight from a point about a mile above the fort to a distance of about a mile and a half below, where it makes a bend and runs almost south and behind a point of wood, thence onward to Ossabaw Sound and the ocean. During the afternoon of Monday three iron Monitors – the Montauk, the second supposed, from the descriptions in the N. Y. papers, to be the Passaic, and the third the Weehawken – steamed up from behind the point of wood, rounded the bend and came up to within a short distance of the fort, the Montauk about a thousand yards off and the other two in the rear, some hundred and fifty yards from each other. Here they anchored in line of battle for the next day, and the night was passed in quiet. Around the point, and a little over two miles distant, lay three mortar schooners and an old steamer, which also took part in the fight and kept up a rapid fire throughout. Such was the force and disposition of the enemy. The Montauk and another iron- clad were armed with one 15 inch and one 11 inch gun each, and the third with 8 inch rifle guns. The mortar boats threw 10 and 18 inch shells.
Our battery remained as in the former fight, except that it had been reinforced with a 10 inch columbiad. Another part of our force on the day which should not be overlooked, was a detachment of the Hardwick Mounted Rifles, Captain McAllister, under command of 3d Lieutenant E. A. Elarbee. These men went up the river and crossed over the marsh by night to a point about two hundred and fifty yards from the Montauk, and in full rifle range, where they dug out a rifle pit in the mud, and remained the greater part of the fight, it is believed, not without important success, as will be seen hereafter.
Thus stood matters up to a quarter to nine o’clock Tuesday morning, when our troops, wearied with waiting, opened on the Montauk with the rifle gun. The 8 inch columbiad, 42 pounder and 10 inch columbiad followed suit in the order in which they are named, all directing their fire on the Montauk; indeed, she was the only one of the iron-clads that we shot at during the fight. The rest were doubtless much disappointed in not being […..]. At nine o’clock the Montauk fired the first gun, and was followed by her associates in rapid succession. Thus commenced the firing on both sides, and the deadly strife was kept up steadily for seven and a half hours without the slightest intermission.
It is estimated that the enemy threw some two hundred and fifty shot and shell at the fort, amounting to some sixty or seventy tons of the most formidable missiles ever invented. About midday a 11 inch shell struck the upright post of the 8 inch columbiad and shivered the entire carriage to atoms; the gun was consequently lost to them for the remainder of the day. The main traverse wheel of the 42 pounder was carried away by a shot, and replaced within twenty minutes in the midst of a terrific fire. Private Carroll Hanson, of the Emmet Rifles, distinguished himself by passing out into the yard of the fort, in the direct line of the enemy’s fire, where it appeared impossible for life to exist, and returning by the same route with a wheel for the disabled gun. One of the 32, which battery was gallantly served throughout the fight by a detachment of Sharp-Shooters, under command of Lieutenant Herman, met with a similar accident, but kept up fire to the last.
About a quarter past 4 o’clock p.m., a shot from our 42 pounder struck the body of the Montauk, a volume of steam was seen to issue from her side, and her turret refused to revolve. She immediately weighed anchor, turned her bow down stream, and retired from the fight. The fort gave her a parting salute as she rounded, to which she replied by two random shots, one of which went up the river, and the other across the marsh. In a few minutes the other two rams turned about and followed their file leader, which, on making the bend below, were taken in tow by a steamer, as if in a damaged condition. This conclusion is supported by the testimony of our pickets, who report that her pilot house was taken down, and the men were at work on her during the whole of that night and the day following.
Thus ended the fight, with the exception of a slow but continued fire, which was kept up from the mortar boats from behind the point of wood throughout the night, in order to prevent repairs on the fort. It, however, did little or no damage, nor did it cause a suspension of the work for a moment. At daylight the dismounted columbiad was again in position, all the breaches repaired and the fort in complete order for another trial of strength with her formidable antagonists. At dawn the men were again at their guns, but hour after hour passed, and no enemy hove in sight.
But to revert to Lieut. Elarbee and his adventurous little band, who had taken their position under cover of the marsh, within rifle shot of the enemy. It was one of extreme peril, being not only exposed to a raking fire from the gunboats should they be discovered, but also in a direct line with the fire from the Fort. During the fight, an officer made his appearance on the deck of the Montauk, with glass in hand, and presented the long wished for target. A Maynard rifle slug soon went whistling by his ears, which startled and caused him to right about, when a second slug apparently took effect on his person as with both hands raised he caught hold of the turret for support, and immediately clambered or was dragged in at a port hole. It was believed that the officer was killed. The display of awning on the Montauk the day following, and the funeral on Ossabaw, Friday, give strength to the opinion. As soon as this shot was fired, the Montauk turned her guns upon the marsh and literally raked it with grape shot. The riflemen, however, succeeded in changing their base in time, and avoiding the missiles of the enemy. Not one of them was hurt.