Winchester journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1862-1863, 1863-10-09
LETTER FROM CHARLESTON.
(coXcLUDED.)
Folly ISLAND, ). Gu
Sept. I, 1868.
same work


years in constructing. This is the
strongest fortified position in the
:. Confederacy," and has been con
sidered almost impregnable. They
have a larger number of troops than
we have. This is warm country,
and the hottest season and sickliest
of the year. Have patience, good
people. We are but human,-give
us little time.
I see that the ~ Y Herald, (whose
Editor ought to be tarred and feath
cred and shipped into Dixie, com
plains loudly about the slowness of
the siege; blaming the President,
Secretary Welles, the Abolitionists,
and the Lord only knows whom else.
He saws our lines are now within a
short distance of Wagner, why not
charge the Fort again? j could not
wish all such sapheads any worse
harm than to have attempted TO make
their way into Wagner had there not
been a man or gun there TO oppose
their ingrcss. 1t would have been
almost total humiliation to any col
umn to have attempted second as
sault on this Fort till our lines were
against it. No body of men could
have withstood the blowing up"
they would have received while en-
route. And this same villainous Ed
itor blames the Government for not
sending more troops here,-turning
round In the very next article and
condemning it for enforcing the draft
in order to get men 10 sent here, and
to end the war
The same cry is raised in regard
to the iron clads: Why are they not
. rushed mp under the conccntric FIRE
of all those rebel batteries, tOrpc-
does, Instructions, etc, and have
them smashed to pieces a. soon as
possible. 1t would be glorious, even
. if they were all blown to atoms Oh
disabled BY going little slower
we make the thing certain and sure
1t were better not TO try any rash
experiments at present.
At noon | stood in the outermosi
trench, within six PAGES Of the moat
around Wagner. Very wide thi,
was, and filed partially with water
l know not to what depth. 1t mus
have been fearful place to cross
with the raking fire that the rebels
had upon it. As / was returning tc
2 my place, a Corporal in Co. G.. was
: shot in the shoulder by rebel sharp
{ shooter just as ! was passing him
E which made rather an ugly wound
/, He had been standing head anG
! shoulders above our works, reckless
ly exposing himself as our men usu
ally do. Indeed, half our losses her,
have been caused by needless an,
uncalled for exposure of person I,
the enemy's sharpshooters. This i!
! one great difference between Uniol
. and Rebel soldiers. | don't say bu
{; that Southerner viii fight just a
! bravely as a Northern man, wheI
' called upon to do it; but he is yer,
2 chary of needlessly exposing his per
son out Of mere curiosity, or to &c
good shot, or in spirit Of bravo
do. They always keep under cove
as much as possible But curiosit,
will get the better of Yankees dis
cretion. He must stick his head NJ
to SEQ what is going on. even at tn
> risk of getting an extra hole put in
: to it.
Some where about o'clock =. NJ
q as | was looking through the sight
r OF my rifle at a butternut, { a ncgr'
sharpshooter that the rebels had il
the Fort, most powerful explosion
Jared the earth like to an earth
I quake. Looking hastily up, | saw
sand and pieces of wood fyin:
around in all directions. How ar
, you, Mr. Torpedof says I, as 1 saw
several of the boys blowing like 81
a many PROPOSES IN order to clea
I their mouths and thrOats from tn
sand that had been Knocked int
them by the flying pieces. Hasten
ing around to the other side of on
parallel, saw a couple of negroe
q just picking themselves up out of tn
sand. They had been blown thirt,
yards, over a couple of parallels, am