The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-08-01

4sth N. Y, Col. Barton, the Sd N: II
Col. jackson, the 76th Penn, and the
OH Maine Col. Emery, 20 advance 60
the assault Az that instant the line
was seen slowly advancing in the dusk
toward the fort, and before double
quick had been ordered, = tremendous
lire from the barbette guns on Fort
Sumter, from the batteries on Cummings
Point and from all the guns In Fort
Wagner, opened upon il. The guns
from Wagner swept the beach, and those
from Sumter aud Cummings Point en-
iiladed 10 on the lefk In the midst of
this terrible shower of shot and shell
they pushed their way, reached the fort,
portions Of the bath Mass, the 9th Conn
and the 18th n. Y, dashed through the
bitches, gained the parapet, and engaged
in hand-to-h hand fight with the enemy,
and for nearly half aR hour held their
ground, and did not fall ba'k until
nearly every commissioned officer was
shot down. AS on the morning of the
assault OF the llth inst, these brave
men were exposed TO 4 most CALLING fire
of grape aud canister, from howitzers,
raking the bitches from the bastions of
the fort, from hand grenades, and from
almost every other modern implement of
warfare. The rebels fought with utmost
desperation, and so did the larger por-
ton of Gen. Strong's brigade, as long as
there was an officer to command it.
When the brigade made the assault
Gen. Strong gallantly rode At its head
When it fell back, broken, torn and
bleeding, Major Plimpton of the Sd New
Hampshire was the highest commits
stoned officer TO command il. Gen.
Strong, Col. Shaw, Col. Chatfield, Col.
Barton, Col Green, Col. jackson, all had
fallen; and the list send you will tell
how many other brave officers fell with
them. Stories are flying about that this
regiment and that regiment broke and
run; that but for the frightened 54th
Massachusetts, (negro) we would have
carried the fort; that the 9th Maine did
not reflect much honor upon the gallant
State she represents, and Thousand
other reasons which care not to emu
merate. IL is absurd to say these men
did not fight and were not exposed TO
perhaps the most deadly filc of the war,
WbNN ~ Ahaiy OiiNoAo Ahh ~ many VI
the rank and file were killed. II must
be remembered too, that this assault
was made in the night--a very dark
night-even the light of the stars was
obscured by the blackness of heavy
thundrr storm, and the enemy could be
distinguished from our own men only
by the light of bursting shell and the
flash of the howitzer aud the musket.--
The 54th Massachusetts, (negro,) whom
Copperhead officers would have called
cowardly if they had stormed and car
ried the gates of hell, went boldly into
the battle for the second time, Command
ed by their brave Colonel. but came
out of il led by no higher officer than
the boy, Lieut.. Higginson.
TIE 1st brigade, under the lead of
Gen. Strong, failed to take the fort. 1t
was now the turn of Col Putnam, COM
manding the I'd brigade, composed Of the
9Th N. H., the 62d Ohio, Col Steele, the
9th Ohio, Col. Voorhees,, and the 100th
N. Y, Col Danley, to make the attempt
But alas the task was too much for
him. Through the same terrible fire he
led his men 60, over and into the fort,
and for an hour held one-hAlf Of il, fight
ing every moment Of that time with the
utmost desperation, and, as with the lst
brigade, il was not until he himself fell
killed, and nearly all his officers wound
ed, and no re- endorsements arriving, that
his men fell back, and the Rebel shout
and cheer of victory was heard above
the roar of Sumpter and the guns from
Cummings Point.
In this second assault by Col. Putnam's
brigade, Colonel Turner, Of General
Gillmore's staff, stood at the side of Col.
Putnam when he fell, and with his voice
and sword, urged on the thinncd ranks
TO the FINAL charge. But il was too late.
The Sd brigade, General Steyenson's,
was not on hand. 1t was madness for
the I'd TO remain longer under so deadly
a fire, and the thought of surrendering
in body TO the enemy could not for q
moment be entertained. To Gght their
way back 20 the entrenchments was all
that could be done, and in this retreat
many poor fellow fell, never 70 rise
again. ..
Without doubt, many Of our men fell
from our own fire. The darkness was
30 lnNtuNts Aut IOuN VI bhi AlhAAtAH ~
loud, the flight of grape and canister
shot so rapid and destructive, that il
was absolutely impossible to preserve
order in the ranks of individual compa-
MES, TO say nothing Of the regiments
More than half the time we were in
the fort, the fight was simply hand to
! hand one, as the wlunds received by
many clearly indicate. Some have sword
thrusts, some are hacked on the head
some are stabbed with bayonets, and a
few were knocked down with butt end
of muskets, but recovered in time TO gel
away with swollen heads. There wal
terrible fighting TO get into the fort, and
terrible Lighting TO get out OF IT, Inc
cowardly stood no better chance for then
lives than the fearless. Even if they
surrendered, the shell of sumter were
tbickly falling around them in the dark
ness. and as prisoners, they could not b'
sale' until victory decisive and unques'
toned, rested with one or the other bel
ligerent.
The battle Is over; il is midnight; The
ocean beach is crowded with the dead
the diving and the wounded. lt Is will
difficulty you can urge your horse
through to Lighthouse Inlet Fain
lights arc glimmering in the sand hole
and rifle pits TO the right, as you pas
down the beach. In these holes manJ
a poor wounded aud bleeding soldie
has laid down 10 his last sleep. Friend
are bending over them 10 staunch thei
wounds, on bind up their shattere'
limbs, but the deAthly glare from sunke
eyos tells that their kind services are al
in vain.
In this night assault and from II