Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-08-07
THE IR0N-CLA IN LINE.

II N,
ing their way along; but as they passed,
vessel after vessel, their progress was incrcas.
ed. The Montauk led off with the Admi.
rails flag flying, followed closely by the Iron
sides, monstrous moving black mass, with
her port .holes opened promisingly-- a
craft as timid forts must dislike to see an.
preaching. Then came the Catskill, the
Weehawken, the Patapsco and the Nahant.
Slowly they stretched out in line, one after
another coming up in position, the Montauk
on the right, creeping up gradually.
THEY OPEN FIRE.
They stopped when three. fourths of mile
or more of Fort Wagner, and the Montauk
fired the first gun from the iron feet. 1t
wen! ricocheting over the water and burst
just short of the rebel work Then the Mon
itor on the left of the Tronsides sent second
one, in similar style, spinning along, the
fragments throwing up dust from Wagners
seward walls. But the Ironsides was yet
to speak. In few moments smoke pulled
from all her portfolios on her port side, and
almost every shell, or its fragments, touched
Fort Wagner somewhere. Some ricocheted
and exploded directly over the Fort. Some
sent the dirt flying from both parapets and
traverse or two, and burst in the marsh be-
J
working. The other Monitors were sending
in their compliments, and soon there was
such cloud of smoke that, as the Ironsides
sent broadsidc after broadside, the fort had
an Internal look, enveoped in smoke, and
throwing out tongues of fame as shells ex.
ploded in the cloud.
... WAGNER STOPS FIRING.
AS. our guns and mortars increased the
rapidity Of their fire, and the iron-clads con-
centrated their efforts upon her, few wild
shots in all directions were flying from Fort
Wagner, those at the feet going nowhere
near them, and then her firing stopped en-
tircly. But through the smoke and fire we
could occasionally see the rebel flag still fly
ing, SO we knew they had not surrendered
Fort Sumter belched forth as rapidly and flu
riously as possible, like an angry hen with
chicken in danger, and the other forts chimed
in at intervals, but scarcely any casualties
occurred on our side.
. THE REBEL coLoRs DOWN.
At half past o'clock shell! burst close
to the rebel flag in Fort Wagner, the frar-
ments flying through and all about it, The
top of the staff disappeared, the halyards
were cut, and the colors came down in the
dust. They did not appear Immediately, and
some supposed the fort had surrendered, but
in a moment shell was fired, for the first
time in many minutes, from casemated gun
on the sea shore side, rather defantly, but
very inaccurately. Soon a squad Of rebels |
were seen running up battle flag on Jury
mast, stuck in the parapet sThen rebel flag !
appeared beside it, and together they waved |
through the terrific bombardment till evening
sometimes torn, but never brought down |
again.
OUR GENERALS
Before the bombardmcnt commenced Gen.
Gilmore and his staff had been to the front. |
With glance the commanding Generals
critical eye had swept the works He made |
suggestions and gave general directions, rid
ing from one point to another in plain sight !
of the rebels, without being hit from their
shells, though in easy range. When all the
were completed, he went back
to the new observatory erected by US, a high |
bluff near the last Of the captured rebel bat !
tcries, and took his position where he could
view the whole field, and where, by signal
he could receive communications from his
Generals, the feet and all of our positions
Several rebel shells had previously burst in
this lookout; but fortunately they did not
make mark of it on this day.
VIGOROUS ARTILLERY ASSAULT.
As part of the plan, the land batteries
and iron-clads now made furious assault
on the fort, firing with the greatest possible !
rapidity, and giving the spot where their fire
more and more internal look
Smoke completely enveloped it, and the
flashing of the bursting shells came out like
the tongues of flame from burning volcano
Large columns Of smoke lowered upward
till they were swept away in clouds by the |
breeze. The pufis Of vapor from exploded |
shells foated around like little balloons, grad.
ually expanding and mixing into the mass of
smoke. TIE roar from the guns and NOR
tars was almost deafening. Under this cover
the two brigades advanced.
CHARGE OF srRoNG's BRIGADE.
Strong's brigade marched in column up
past The old building on the right of our bat
terles; then deployed and advanced in line
a short distance, then deployed again, and
marched up the beach in close column, Put.
mans brigade following at supporting dis
lance, and hating at point where they had |
been ordered to step. Fort Sumter saw the |
movement, and pitched her shells over among
the troops; but hurt none of them. When
otlohss t'ooPS, iSu ny tiieiT Sailail NSileTal |
had got two-thirds of the distance to the fort,
the cannonading ceased, to avoid niuring our
own troops, and then the rebels in Fort Wag- |
ner came out in full strength
A thousand Muskets flashed almost to- |
gether, and poured deadly fire into our
troops. The guns were brought to bear on
them, and grape and canister hailed down
upon them. With shout they advanced,
at word from the General, on a double
quick, unfalteringy directly up into that ter
rible fire. Musketry ratteled, Sumter's shells |
burst all around them, bullets whistled, can
lister hummed, grape plowed along the
ground, the fort was lighted up almost con-
stantly with the fire from howtzers, rifles
and muskets-not in ftful flashes, but with
steady, cleaning sheets of flame. They
never taggered-never wavered-did not
stop for the many who fell or listen to the
means Of the wounded Theyreached the
ditch and crossed it, some on planks, some
rushing down in and toiling up, some seek.
ing better entrance to the left, where the
ditch was, however, filled with water. As |
they were making the crossing, howitzers in
the bastions kept up a raking fire, prostrat
ing many bodies, but not deterring the mass.
Over they went, and elambered up the para
pets. But the grape met them everywhere, |
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