Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-07-31
Operations Against ChnrIcston-Rcb.
ell Accounts-Tcrrific Bonn ba r ment
OF Battery wagner.

OF Battery wagner.
The following is from the Charleston Mercury
ofJuIy 20.
Saturday last was day which will he forever
memorable in the history OF Charleston The
heavy rains had moderated the excessive heat OF
the preceding fortnight the morning sky WAS
cloudless and the light breeze scarcely ruffled the
placid waters Of the harbor
BoxBARDNEST OF BATTERY wAeSER.
About eight o'clock the desultory cannonade
with which the experience OF week had made
our community familiar was again heard. For
nearly three hours the euemys hre was main
tanned with the usual deliberatiCn; but about II
O'Clock it was noticed that the reports came in
far more rapid succession, by noon it became
we'll understood that the fte was resolved 10 sub
ect our position 10 an ort.eal much more severe
than any which, up to that time, 1t had en-
cOuntercd.
At that hour as We learn by accounts from
Morris Island. the converging hre OF the enemy
against the battery had become truly fearful.
Five Monitors. the frigate lronsides, seven
wooden gunboats, with the land batteries which
the Yankees had thrown up on the lower part of
the island. kept Up constant rain OF shot and
shell into our works No less than sixty FIVE
heavy guns aud eight mOrtars are known TO have
been in play against At one time So rapid
was the fire that the reports averaged twenty
seven per minute One of the Monitors lay north
east Of Battery Wagner and two to the south
east, while the Others, with the lrOnSides kept
position nearly opposite the sea face OF the bat
terry The wooden guubOats maneuvered at some
distance outside the line OF the rurreted monsters.
relying chiefly upon their long RANGED rifed siege
guns. There were two Yankee batteries on Mr.
ris Islsnd-one consisting OF two guns and
mortar. was located on Craig Hill. within a oui
eight hundred yards of our battery; the other ~as
beyond Graham's House, and had armament
OF eight rifled she'll guns
IL is estimated that during the day no less
than nine thousand shells were fired at the
battery
! THE COMMANDMENT, AS VIEWED FROM THE CITY.
was a grand terrible sight. The horizon. from
! Fort Moullrie To Vinegar Hill, was crowned with
the shifting masses of the smoke OF the confct
| Each moment the enemy's shells. sometimes sn-
civ. sometimes in clusters, could be seen burst
! ing just above the site of Battery Wagner; but
when, nj intervals, the clouds of white smoke
| lifted for time from the scene the hng of the
brave garrison could be seen still waving defanty
in the breeze, while with grim regularity and de
liberation our guns kept replying to the foe
For eleven consecutive hours the hc~.,ard-
ment ragged with more or less violence About
dusk the fire. which during the afternoon had
been ince>sant (probably with the design of de
moralizng our men and uniting them tor the
/ expected nights work. began To slacken consid
erably and at dark ceased almost entirely. The
results, thus far, had been of character TO give
US good cause for encouragement and gratula
ton. The damage to our battery was insignih
cant and of kind easily and speedily reparabe
The bombproofs had afforded efficient protection
To large portion OF the garrison, and our caSual
ties at seven o'clock p NJ were but four killed
and fourteen wounded OF the enemy's losses
| from our fire. if any, we have. of course no
trustworthy account Fort Sumter. which bore
part IN the action. sent several shells into the
Craig Hill batteries. and also into the camp of
the enemy, about three aud a quarter miles dis
tant. it is believed. with good effect
THE NIGHT ATTACK
At Few minutes before eight O'Clock our
pickets gave notice that the enemy in heavy force
was moving to the assault. The attack was not
unexpected, and our men, though much jidrd By
the iatigues and exposure of the day sprang to
their places with zeal and aacrty The enemy
advanced in two columns of about tn ee thou
sind men each, the whole under command Of
Brgadier General Strong. The column which
attacked our right was composed partially of
negro troops, who were put in the advance. On
our lett the other column advanced with spirit
under fire from the Dahlgren guns and
columblads from Fort Sumter. As the column
advanced at double-quick, the guns of Battery
Wagner also opened
When the enemy had reached point sixty
yards distant our infantry, posted behind the
parapet, poured Calling fire into the moving
masses the Yankees, nevertheless in considera
bic force. succeeded in gaining the trench, and
began 10 Chamber up the sides Of the battery At
this moment Lieutenant Waties. of 8hke's bat
ierv. who in charge Of two brass hOwiizers
(oeloueing to detachment OF artillery under
Capt. DePaSs. OF White. batttlion.) opened
rakng fire which swept the trench PLAYING terri
bic havoc in the ranks of the assailants The
howitzers had been assigned to this position which
they occupied 40 advantagsouSly for Us at the
instance of Col. Harris of tie engineers all the
horses belonging To the section being put hors du
combat during the day Twice the enemy were
driven back at this part Of our works (the left
and the trench filed with the enemy's dead at
tests the severity of the conflict there
On the ight the negro troops were met with a
terrible cross fire OF mu- kerry Here was posted
with other troops the Charleston battalion. and
these gallant men behaved in manner worthy
the fame their organization hid so dearly won at
SecessionvIlle. The second assault was still
more desperate than the first but il WIS met and
repulsed IN the same gallant style by the brave
uoops-Georgians. North Csrolnians, and sons
of our own city who stood shoulder 10 shoulder
in the fight.
ereny succeeded in gaining a Judgment in ga
lent. the gun of which had beer Disabled Here
they maintained their position for more than an
hour A gallant but unsuccessful attempt vas /
made to disiodge them. in which Can't RYAN fell, /
and it Was not until a small force of Geurgians
had assembled the magazine and thus gained
position 20 commtnd tho salient tha, the auda. I
cious Yankees surrendered At the time this T
occurred, the firing elseN here had ceased and 4
the Georgians accomplished their purpose without 1
firing gun. The movement by which this was
effected was undertaken at the suggestion of Col. /
Harris
THE HEAVY IossUs.
The fight lasted IRON eight until eleven NJ,
and was Of a desperate character throughout.
The ehemys losses we're very heavy. His killed I
and wounded must have been a, least 500 /
The number of his dead left on the field and +
buried oy IA Yesterday exceed GOO We cap !
tuted over 20O prisoners. including few Of the 7
reno troous.
Our owa losses were comparatively LIGHT IL T
Is estmlied that our killed and wounded " III not
exceed 100 Among these, however, were some f
valuable officers, such a Lieutenant Colonel
Simkins and Captain Tatum, of the lst South
Carolina infantry, and Captain RYAN. of the
Charleston battalion. killed and Major Ramsay. :
OF the Charleston ba,t-liou. severely wounded
Wounded-Capt-in Warren Adams company
II. in the back and head: Lieutenant / II
wigs. Inspector General General Talisfer-
hx all