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

corespondeneeor Of the New York Tribune,
THE ATTACK ON FORT wAGNER--A BLOODY
NIGHT ATTACK AND REPULsE.
Morris ISLAND, S. c., July 19.-Again
Fort Wagner has been assaulted and a.
gain we have been repulsCd, and with,
regret to say, much more formidable
loss in killed, wounded and missing,
than in the first attempt.
The first assault failed, as stated in
my last letter, on account of the tardiness
of the 10th Pennsylvania and 9th Maine
to properly support the successful assault
Of the 9Th Connecticut who were left
alone on the parapet and within the ditch
es of the fort TO battle the whole rebel
garrison.
In the assaultof the 11th inst, but one
brigade, and that a very small one, under
the command OF General Strong, were
engaged; in that of last evening a whole
division, consisting of three full brigades,
were drawn out in line TO take part in
the action, but on account Of some mis-
understanding of orders but two actually
participated in the fght.
Since the engagement Of the 11th Gen.
Gilmore has strained every nerve to
strengthen his position on Morris Island,
and so far as human foresight can discern,
has made his lines of defense impregn-
able before advancing TO the attack.
Three fourths of the Island in our
possessi0n; five batteries have been
erected, in all containing nine so poun d
and four 20 pound Parrots, and ten 10
inch mortars on the left, with two 80
pound PARROTS, ten 10 inch mortars, and
three full batteries of light artillery on
the right. The earth works protecting
these guns have been erected by the New
York Volunteer Engineers, under the
direction of Capt Brooks and Lieuis.
Mirche and Suter of Gen. Gilmore 8
staff. During the action of yes erday,
Lieut.. Col Jackson, Chief of Artillery
ON Gen. GillmOre's staff commanded on
the left, and Capt. Langdon of the 1st
L. S. Artillery, Company M, on the
right. The extreme right rests on tho
ocean beach; the extreme left, on the
edge Of a swamp about 500 yards from
the small creek separating Morris Island
from James Island, The whole line OF
batteries sweeps in the form Of semi
circle, and is at all points about 1,60O
yards from Fort Wagner Nearly oil
the guns upon the left arc abqut 1000
yards from Fort Sumter; but being OF
light caliber compared with the one on
that formidable structure, were not
brought to bear upon her az any time
during the action.
Gen. Gilmore designed TO commence
the bombardment of the Fort at day
light yesterday morning, but or account
of terrific thunderstorm, which COM
menced early in the evening and contin-
ued uutil morning, delaying the work
of the engineers and dampeniDg the
ammunition, the action did not open
until half-past 12. At that hour Admi-
raj Dahlgren signaled that he was ready
and in q few moments the Montank, (hie
flag ship, the Ironsides, the Katsl1ill
tine Nantucket, the Weehawken and the
PatapsoO moved into line in the order
in which have named them, and hurl-
ing their heaviest shot and shell around
upon, and within the fort, and with in
tervals of but very few minutes, con-
tinued this terrible fire until one hour
after the snn had gone down. During
all the afternoon the iron fleet lay about
one mile off from the fort, but Just at
the close of the engagement, and but s
few moments before the first assault
was made by Gen. Strong, the admira
ran the MOntauk directly under th,
guns OF Fort Wagner, and, within PSI
yards, fired round after round from hi
lb.ineh gun, sending, as every sho
struck, vast clouds of sand, mud an,
timber high up into the air, making on
huge sandheap of that portion Of th
fort facing the sea, and dismountinl
two of the heaviest guns
Deserters and prisoners tell as tha
Fort Wagner mounts thirteen rifle
guns Of heavy ealiber, but during al
this furious bOmbardment by land an
sea, she condescended to reply with bu
two one upon the whole fleet Of iron
clads, and one upon the entire line Q
land batteries. She may possibly hav
fired one shot 10 our one hundred, but
think even that number is large esti
mate There were no casualties on th
Monitors or Ironsides, and but one ma
killed and but one slightly wounde
within the batteries. The firing wa
almost entirely from our own sid
With the most powerful glass, but yer
few men could be seen in the fort A
half past two, q shot from one of OF
guns on the left, cut the halyards on Il
staff and brought the rebel flag fluttel
ing TO the ground.
In moment, almost before we had b,
gun TO ask ourselves whother they ha
really lowered their flag, and were upc
the point Of surrenderiDg or not, the oI
b red battle flag, which the Army of u
. Potomac has so often had deiiantly sh,
g ken in its face, was run up about (,
feet above the parapet little cluster
men rallied around il, cheered, way,
their hats, and then disappeared, Al
I were not again seen during the da
Fort sumter, the moment the rebel iil
e came to the ground, sent a shot over Of
heads 10 assure us that it had been lov