George Wayne Anderson
| Major George Wayne Anderson | |
|---|---|
George Wayne Anderson
|
|
| Born |
August 5, 1839 Savannah, Georgia |
| Died | August 10, 1906 Savannah, Georgia |
| Place of burial | Laurel Grove Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 Confederate States Army
|
| Years of service | 1861–1865 (CSA) |
| Rank |
 Major (CSA)
|
| Commands held | 1st Georgia Volunteer Infantry Co C, The Savannah Republican Blues Chatham Artillery Fort McAllister |
| Battles/wars |
Battle of Fort McAllister (1863) Battle of Fort McAllister (1864) |
Major George Wayne Anderson, (August 5, 1839 – August 10, 1906) was an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He commanded the Republican Blues and later Fort McAllister near Savannah, Georgia before its capture in 1864.
Anderson attended the University of Virginia 1858-1859. He enlisted in the Georgia 2nd Infantry Company (Republican Blues) on 31 May 1861, as a 2nd lieutenant. The Blues were a military company formed in Savannah in 1806, and served during the War of 1812 in Florida. Unlike most Confederate units formed during the Civil War, the Republican Blues had been an existing militia organization for over fifty years before the war started. They recruited from the most prominent families in and around Savannah. The Blues visited New York City in 1860, hosted by their counterparts in the city. There was much goodwill expressed during the visit, as reported in the New York Times.
They fought in all the nation's wars after The Civil War as part of the Georgia National Guard, with the lone exception being The Spanish-American War. Anderson was promoted to command the Blues after his uncle, John Wayne Anderson, retired in 1862. The Blues served under the U.S. flag before taking up arms against it, and after the war they continued their existence in the National Guard of the reunited nation.
Anderson and the Blues were assigned to Fort McAllister in 1862 to bolster its defenses. This reunited him with his older brother, Colonel Robert H. Anderson, who was leading Fort McAllister's garrison before a promotion would send him to lead the 5th Georgia Cavalry in support of General Wheeler. George Wayne Anderson was placed in command of the fort following the death of Major John B. Gallie on February 1, 1863.
McAllister was one of three forts protecting Savannah, the others being Fort Pulaski and Fort James Jackson standing in Confederate defiance of the Union naval blockade. The southeast coast of the United States was the place where both combatants tested the latest in naval artillery and coastal defenses. Fort McAllister was the key to unlocking the defenses around Savannah, one of the most important Confederate ports on the Atlantic Ocean. The battles to come would prove to be pivotal in the war, with President Abraham Lincoln winning reelection as one result.
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