Unknown to Joseph Holt, October 20, 1865
SIR :
I have the honor to submit the following report, compiled from my original report to the Chief Engineer, of operations against Fort Pulaski, Ga., resulting in its capitulation to the United States forces under my immediate command on the 11th day of April, 1862:
The two aecompanying maps* are deemed necessary to a full understanding of the report.
This success so fully demonstrated the power and effectiveness of rifled cannon for breaching at long distances—at distances, indeed, hitherto untried and considered altogether impractieable, thus opening a new era in the use of this most valuable and comparatively unknown arm of service—was obtained with such singularly strict adherence to the details of the project as originally submitted by me in the previous December, and has withal in its developed results such an important bearing upon the character of our harbor and frontier defenses, that I feel called upon to enter into some details.
The transfer to another field of labor of Brig. Gen. T. W. Sherman, lately in eommand of the forces on this coast, under whose auspices the project for the reduction of Fort Pulaski was pushed forward to within a few days of its final accomplishment, renders it proper that this report should refer to the preliminary operations directly connected with the siege.
In the capacity of chief engineer on General Sherman’s staff I was present with the investing forces under General Viele when the Savannah River was elosed above the fort by the establishment of the battery on Venus Point, Jones Island, on the night of the 11th of February last. I took no part in the erection of the Bird Island battery, oppoci Venus Point. These two batteries effectually closed the Savannah
In the double capacity of engineer and commander of the forces I was charged with the offensive operations on Tybee Island, where the batteries for the reduction of the work were to be established, and also with the completion of the investment by the blockade of the Wilmington Narrows and Lazaretto Creek passage.
The data for this report will therefore be taken in a measure from my private journal and from official correspondence and orders.
Fort Pulaski.—Fort Pulaski is situated on Cockspur Island, Georgia, latitude 32° 2^ north and longitude 3° 51/ west from Washington, at the head of Tybee Roads, commanding both channels of the Savannah a marsh, and is about one mile long and half a mile wide.
*To appear in Atlas.
Fort Pulaski is a brick work of five sides or faces, including the gorge, casemated on all sides, walls 74 feet thick, and 25 feet high above high water, mounting one tier of guns in embrasures and one en bard The gorge is covered by an earthen outwork (demi-lune) of bold relief.
The main work and demi-lune are both surrounded and separated by a wet ditch. Around the main work the ditch is 48 feet wide; around the demi-lune, 32 feet.
The communication with the exterior is through the gorge into the demi-lune over a draw-bridge, and then through one face of the demilune over the demi-lune ditch by another draw-bridge. The scarp of the demi-lune and the entire counterscarp of main work and demi-lune are revetted with good brick masonry.
At the time of the siege it contained 48 guns, of which 20 bore upon the batteries on Tybee, viz, five 10-inch columbiads, five 8.inch columbiads, four 32-pounders, one 24-pounder Blakely rifle, two 12-inch and three 10-inch sea-coast mortars. A full armament for the work would be 140 guns.
On the 29th of November I was directed by General Sherman to make an examination of Tybee Island and Fort Pulaski, and to report upon the propriety of occupying and holding that island and upon the practicability (and, if deemed practicable, the best method) of reducing Fort Pulaski. I reported as follows: