ARMY OPERATIONS. 



47 



explored led into no other channel, but wasted 

 away in a marsh. They got back into another 

 stream. Finally the creeks became so shallow 

 as to be unnavigable for any but the smallest 

 craft. At one point an artificial channel had 

 been constructed about two hundred yards long, 

 called Wall's Cut. This led to the rear of Jones 

 Island, and into both the Mud and Wright rivers, 

 both of which, as stated above, empty into the 

 Savannah, the former about six miles, and the 

 latter about two miles above Fort Pulaski. 

 This cut had, however, been obstructed by 

 three rows of piles driven across its entire 

 width, and by a large brig sunk in the same di- 

 rection, across the channel. At high tide the 

 reconnoitring party were able to get over the 

 piles and pass the brig. The reeds on both 

 banks were very high, and the cut altogether 

 invisible from Savannah, while the marshy na- 

 ture of the region prevented any approach by 

 land. There was danger of meeting pickets or 

 stray parties of sportsmen, shooting wild ducks 

 abounding in those waters. The party remain- 

 ed concealed by the reeds during the day, and 

 at night pursued their explorations. They found 

 the channel of Mud river impassable for large 

 vessels by reason of its shallow water, but got 

 easily through the Wright river, and rounding 

 the point of Jones Island, entered the Savannah. 

 There they remained nearly all night, moving 

 at times under the guns of Fort Pidaski, near 

 enough to hear the challenge of the lonely sen- 

 tinels, or the conversation of the gunners on 

 the parapets before tattoo. They found the 

 depth and bearings of the channel in all direc- 

 tions: went up the river beyond Venus Point, 

 and even passed the entrance of Mud river, and 

 then returned into the Wright, establishing to 

 their own satisfaction that gunboats of ten feet 

 draught could pass by that route into the Savan- 

 nah, without incurring any material risk from 

 the guns of Pulaski, which were at the nearest 

 point a mile and three-fourths distant. 



Upon this report Gen. Sherman caused an- 

 other and fuller reconnoissance to be made. 

 Major Beard of the 4Sth Xew York was sent 

 to remove the obstructions in Wall's Cut. A 

 party of volunteer engineers and a company 

 of the 7th Connecticut accompanied him ; and 

 while some kept a careful watch, others were 

 engaged at the obstructions. They were re- 

 moved in three weeks of unremitting night 

 labor. All the piles were sawn off a foot be- 

 low the bottom of the cut, and the brig turned 

 lengthwise, leaving a passage wide enough for 

 the gunboats. All this was accomplished 

 without awakening the suspicions of the enemy, 

 whose pickets had been withdrawn. All 

 stragglers, white or black, who approached 

 were seized; of these, four or five whites seem- 

 ed to have been hunting, for they were in 

 boats loaded with game; others were slaves 

 who had escaped from Savannah. All were 

 astonished to see their captors there. Xo 

 scouts were ever detected, and no boats passed 

 oa the Savannah river except the steamers 



plying to Fort Pulaski from Savannah. On 

 some nights the rain fell furiously, but the 

 work proceeded. After the obstructions had 

 been removed, a violent storm that lasted for 

 several days rendered any further operations 

 impracticable; still the pickets kept up their 

 watch on the dismal and muddy marsh, and 

 every straggler or spy was seized. 



A naval reconnoissance was now made by 

 Capt. John Kodgers and Lieut. Barnes, in com- 

 pany with Lieut. Wilson. Like all the others 

 it was made in the night. The party were able 

 to pass through the cut, take soundings in the 

 Wright river, enter the Savannah, and ascer- 

 tain all that was necessary to determine the 

 practicability of the passage of gunboats. Capt. 

 Rodgers reported favorably, and was willing 

 to command the movement. It was determined 

 therefore that a reconnoissance in force should 

 be made, and preparations were commenced for 

 that purpose. 



It had always been known that a passage 

 existed on the right side of the Savannah, lead- 

 ing from Warsaw Sound through the Wilming- 

 ton river until it narrows into St. Augustine 

 Creek, and finally empties into the Savannah 

 just below Fort Jackson. This passage was de- 

 fended by a battery. Information was how- 

 ever obtained from negroes of another passage 

 leading up also from Warsaw, but much nearer 

 to the Savannah and entering it lower down 

 than St. Augustine Creek. This second pas- 

 sage is called Wilmington Xarrows. Several 

 reconnoissances were made along its course and 

 the result was a determination by Gen. Sher- 

 man and Com. Dupont to send a force up 

 Wilmington Xarrows, at the same time that 

 operations should begin in the vicinity of Wall's 

 Cut. Accordingly on the 26th of January, 

 Gen. Wright with the 4th Xew Hampshire, 

 Col. Whipple, 6th Connecticut, Col. Chatfield, 

 and 97th Pennsylvania, Col. Guess, on the 

 transports Cosmopolitan, Boston, and Delaware 

 were convoyed by the gunboats Ottawa, Seneca, 

 and others under Capt. C. H. Davis to Warsaw 

 -Sound. The force then proceeded up the 

 Wilmington Xarrows for some miles and in 

 the rear of Fort Pulaski until it arrived at a 

 place where piles had been placed to obstruct 

 its further progress. The gunboats remained 

 at this spot a short distance from the Savannah 

 during the night, while reconnoissances were 

 made on land and water. In the morning 

 Capt. John Rodgers with three gunboats ap- 

 peared on the opposite side of the Savannah 

 in Wall's Cut. Two of these vessels ; 

 into Wright river. About eleven o'clock in the 

 forenoon Com. Tatnall and the five Confed- 

 erate steam gunboats attempted to pass down 

 the river with scows in tow, when fire was 

 opened upon them by the gunboats on each 

 side. The country on each side is so flat that 

 but little obstruction to the sight intervened. 

 In less than half an hour Com. Tatnall and one 

 of his vessels were driven back ; the other 

 three escaped injury apparently and made 



