Guardian of Savannah: Fort McAllister, Georgia,
Cmdr. John J. Worden, formerly of the USS Monitor, observed on Monday, Jan. 25, 1863, “the fog hung with us most of the morning, during which I called the commanding officers together and arranged our plan of attack.” Thus, began a series of encounters between the protector of Savannah, Fort McAllister, and Union ironclad gunboats. Fort McAllister was constructed at the entrance of the Great Ogeeche River protecting the city of Savannah, Ga. Guardian of Savannah is an important addition to Civil War naval history because, in the words of its author, “to date no comprehensive study has been made that focuses on the history of this facet of that great conflict.” Well-written and meticulously researched, this study is comprehensive and will remain the standard work on the activities centered around Fort McAllister during the Civil War. Guardian of Savannah concentrates on how a small earthen battery of four 32 pounders evolved into a full-fledged fort by December 1864 that housed 22 artillery pieces. An appendix visually chronicles changes in the fort’s design in a series of eight schematic drawings. A second appendix, equally fascinating, is the author’s analysis of 26 contemporary photographs of the fort. Durham describes two important innovations that had a direct impact on the construction and history of Fort McAllister. These developments were the rifled cannon and the ironclad warship. The naval actions involving Fort McAllister were significant for several reasons — primarily, it was a testing ground for the Confederates to perfect the earthen fort; second, during the attacks the Union navy observed the use of ironclads versus forts; third, Sherman needed to capture this fort to complete his march to the sea; and, finally, the modern survival of this structure owes its existence to the interest and capital invested by automotive mogul Henry Ford. Roger Durham has had a long interest in the development of Fort McAllister. Director of the U.S. Army Heritage Museum at Carlisle, Pa., Durham has authored two previous books, High Seas and Yankee Gunboats: A Blockade-Running Adventure from the Diary of James Dickson and The Blue and Gray: The Civil War Journal of William Daniel Dixon and the Republican Blues Daybook. Guardian of Savannah is part of the well-respected Studies in Maritime History series published by the University of South Carolina Press. The book is a pleasing blend of primary sources woven in to the narrative. As Durham observed, “I have made extensive use of quotes to allow the participants themselves to speak directly to the reader.” The author effectively used a great variety of previously unpublished first-hand accounts. When possible, Durham provided perspectives by both Union and Confederate participants of the same event. Daily life, battles and the struggles against the elements and insects are part of this story. Detailed accounts of several of the seven unsuccessful naval attacks along with the final land attacks that finally captured Fort McAllister and Savannah furnish a heroic tale. Following the war’s conclusion, the fort was abandoned and fell into ruin. Durham continues his narrative into the present relating how Henry Ford developed an interest in Fort McAllister as he attempted to reconstruct and salvage it in the 1930s. Today the site is a Georgia state park, which was opened to the public in 1963. Guardian of Savannah is highly recommended for its fast-paced narrative and the thorough study of this aspect of the Civil War. This is a welcomed addition to Civil War maritime history and the evolution of naval warfare. Reviewer: Michael Russert, a member of the North Shore Round Table of Long Island and the Company of Military Historians, has a MALS plus 60 hours in American Studies. He is Coordinator of The New York State Veteran Oral History Program.
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Illustrated, maps, appendix, endnotes, bibliography, index, pp. 282, 2008. The University of South Carolina Press, 718 Devine St., Columbia, SC 29208. $39.95 plus shipping.