The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1863-07-31


places before word was received that the CO.
lumns Of the enemy were advancing to the
attack.
Cooped up as our troops had been all day,
and breathing the impure air of crowded
bombproof, the summons met with cheerful
response, and they quickly repaired. to their
respective positions. The lines of the Fede-
rails, several hundred yards distant, could
now be deserted advancing through the gloom,
bearing towards the beach, as if to make an
attack on that side of Battery Wagner. II
was about quarter to o'clock,
Five minutes more and the column was
plainly in sight, appearing, according to the
statement given the writer, to be seven lines
deep.
Our batteries remained silent until the ene-
my reached the vicinity of our rifle pits, when
grape and canister was thrown into their
ranks with fearful precision and execution
Checked for an instant only, they closed up
the ragged gaps in their lines and moved
steadily on until within less than eighty
yards.
i Barely waiting the Federals to get within
destructive range, our infantry opened their
fusilade. and from a fringe Of fire that lined
the parapet leaped forth thousand ,nessen-
gers of death. Staggering under the shock,
the first line seemed for a moment checked,
but pushed on by those in the rear, the whole
now commenced a charge at a double quick"
Our men could not charge back, but they
gave Southern yell in response to the Yam
kee. cheer, and awaited the attack. On they
came over the sand hills, tripping and Stun
bling in the huge pits their own shells had
dug, until they reached the ditch of the Bate
ry: then it was but a moments work tor those
who survived our terrible fire of musketry to
Chamber up the sloping sides OF the fortlhca-
ton, and attempt effect a lodgment. But
the men who met them on the parapet were
as desperate as themselves, and the contest
that ensued was brief and bloody. The an
tagonists were breast to breast, and Southern
rifles and Southern bayopets made short work
of human life. We could stop to take no pri-
soners then. The parapet was lined with
dead bodies. white and black. and every Sc
cond was adding to the number. 1t was one
of those rencounters in which one side or the
other mustquickly yield or fly. The enemy
took their choice.
In less than five minutes probably, the first
line had been shot. btyanetted or were in
full retreat-roling into the ditch or drag
ging their bloody badies through the sand
hills on their hands and knees. But another
line came, and another and another, each re-
inforcing it's predecessor, until the battle wax
ei hot fierce and bln,iy. Finally. however,
the whole were driven back, either into the
broad trench at the base Of the battery, out Of
reach of our gans, or scamperingg OUT OF view
in the darkness of the night.
Our total loss is estimated at twenty-f,tur
killed and seventy Wounded. The returns
are not all in, and we can accordingly only
furnish the list published below.
Out Of seven line officers in the detachment
from the First Sonths Carolina Regulars, lAr-
tilleryl two only escaped unhnrf-Lieutenant
Gourdin. of company f., and Lieut.. Young
blood. Of company.
The loss of the enemy is variously named !;
some placing the figures as high as fifteen
hundred killed and wounded They have
PROBABLY five hundred killed. Two hundred
and thirty-one of their wounded were IN the
city last night, intending several neg, oes.
OF white prisoners we have taken six COM
missioned officers and ninety-fuur privates.-
OF blacks it is said we have over twenty, OF
whom several are severely wounded. A
wounded negro is to be put into every ward
of the white Yankees. The latter kicked at
the base alliance but the Surgeons have
plainly told them that if they put themselves
.on par with the negroes as soldiers, the
same relation mnst be maintained under all
while they are in our hands
The negroes are a mongrel set of trash, and
very fair representatives of the common type
of the free Northern negro.
The .whele force was commanded by Briga-
der General Strong, who led the charge in
person. The report that he was woun ded IN
the assault of the l1th instant, was incorrect.
It was believed by the Yankee officers that
the troops in Battery Wagner were perfectly
exhausted fron the bombardment, and that
a bold, .sadden. assault, or coup de man,
would effect IT'S capture.
The slaughter was particularly severe in
the Connecticut and Ohio regiments. The
Third New Hampshire and negro regiments
broke at the first or second fire; their officers
finding it impossible to rally or bring them
up to second assault
The enemy's feet consisted of the Ironsides,
four monitors, one frigate and four gunboats
Yesterday the enemy sent flag ct truce
for che body of Colonel Halderman S. Put
man, Third New Hampshire, acting Brigadier
General in the assault on Saturday, and also
asked permission to bury their dead. The
latter request was refused, as the dead had
been nearly all already buried. The body of
Colonel H. S. Putnam, which was identified,
was delivered into their hands. Colonel Put
man was formerly Of the old army, attached
to the corps of Typographical Engineers
Among the dead on the field, identified by
the prisoners, was the body of Colonel Shaw,
commander of the 54th Massachusetts. (ne-
gro.
Late from Charleston.