Port Wentworth in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Battle Between Confederate Gunboats and Union Field Artillery
(December 12, 1864)
Photographed By Mike Stroud, October 5, 2008
1. Battle Between Confederate Gunboats and Union Field Artillery Marker
Colerain Plantation, as these lands were then known, had been occupied on December 10, 1864, by units of Sherman's army. Anticipating an attempt by a Confederate naval flotilla, which had been engaged in protecting a railroad bridge further upstream, to return to Savannah, Captain C. E. Winegar's battery was posted on a bluff about one mile East of this marker.
Early on the morning of December 12, 1864, the CSS Sampson and Macon and their tender, the Resolute, attempted to run past the Federal battery. There a "terrific fire" from both sides, according to John Thomas Scharf, a midshipman on the Sampson who later became a well-known historian of the Confederate States Navy. The gunboats were struck several times.
Unable to get past the battery, the vessels turned about. In doing so the Resolute collided with the gunboats and drifted helplessly upon Argyle Island where she was captured by troops of the 3rd Wisconsin Regiment. With the aid of barrels of bacon thrown in their furnaces, the two gunboats were able to steam out of range. They escaped to Augusta.
Erected 1961 by Georgia Historical Commission
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society, and the Sherman’s March to the Sea series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1864.
Location. 32° 8.525′ N, 81° 9.426′ W. Marker is in Port Wentworth, Georgia, in Chatham County. Marker is on South Coastal Highway (State Highway 25) near Oxnard Drive, on the right when traveling north. Located at the Savannah Sugar Refining Company. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Port Wentworth GA 31407, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Indian Trading Post: Home of Mary Musgrove (here, next to this marker); Savannah Sugar Refinery Explosion (approx. 0.4 miles away); Georgia Ports Authority (approx. one mile away); Savannah River Plantations (approx. 1˝ miles away); Atlantic Coastal Highway Through Georgia (approx. 1.6 miles away); Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. (approx. 2.4 miles away); Laurel Hill Plantation (approx. 2.9 miles away in South Carolina); Plantation Cistern (approx. 3 miles away in South Carolina). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Wentworth.
More about this marker. The riverfront and immediate area, all owned by the Savannah Sugar Refining Company,
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008
2. Battle Between Confederate Gunboats and Union Field Artillery Marker
Near Oxnard Drive at the Savannah Sugar Refining Company, along the South Coastal Highway (GA25).
Also see . . .
1. CSS Resolute. in company with Sampson and Savannah, under Flag Officer Tattnall, weighed anchor from under the guns of Fort Pulaski, S.C., and made a brief attack on Union vessels at the mouth of the Savannah River. On January 28, 1862, accompanied by Sampson and Savannah, she delivered supplies to the fort despite the spirited opposition of Federal ships. (Submitted on October 18, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
2. The Rebellion Record; 1864-1865, By Frank Moore, pages 87-88. Colerain Plantation excerpt (Submitted on October 18, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008
3. Battle Between Confederate Gunboats and Union Field Artillery Marker
Beyond the trees is today's Savannah Sugar Refining Company and the Savannah River, once the Colerain Plantation, and the Mary Musgrove Indian Trading Post.
Photographed By David Seibert, August 15, 2005
4. Duplicate Battle Between Confederate Gunboats and Union Field Artillery Marker
This is duplicate marker, which stands (stood) near the guardhouse at the end of the road leading to the Imperial Sugar Refinery, formerly the Dixie Crystals refinery. The refinery exploded on February 7, 2008. The buildings were extensively damaged, and 14 people were killed. The area where this marker stands is no longer accessible.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,896 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 18, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 4. submitted on October 19, 2008, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
