Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-07-30
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON.
SECOND ASSAULT ON FORT WAGNER.
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.

Roy al and Charleston Bar (havng e inc al'o Paco On
Thursday EVENING" arrived at New York on SUNDAY alter
nooD bringing nearly three hundred passengers Among
the na,s,nper. are Brig Gen Truean Seymour, Brig.
Gen George c. Strong. Col Jackson, Of The Third New
Hampshire and rut Col Rodman, Of the Sixth Connect
cpt all wounded and :. me ether wounded officers.
The inlelIgelcs by the Arago confirms the kilograms
already published from rebel sources respecting the
second assault upon Fort Wagner, Morris land, by
Gen GilmOIes forces aud the mentors mortar schooners
aud gulboats under Admiral Daigren.
After the first unsuccessful assault the 10Th instant
Gen. Gilmore lost no time in throwing up batteries on
Morris Island within eight hundred yards of Fort Wag
Ier in order to reduce it by siege
Ga the morning Of the 18th instant twelve or fifteen
heavy guns in position, beside eight or ton morara
Gen. Gilmore therefore, Determined to commence tie
attack, which opened at IL O'Clock A. M.
The mbardment was conducted in spirited manner,
Gimore's batteries initiating the work. and Admiral Dahl
green's FIVE Monitors the Ironsde two mortar schooners
and three wooden gunboats quickly joining in the engage
ment.
The enemy replied briskly from Fort Wagner and Bat
terry Bee, just beyond the Cummings Point, while Fort
Sumter kept up sharp fire from the guns of her south
face among which two red pieces Of heavy
cabre Most Of the fire Of the rebels directed upon
the Monitors and other naval vessels only occasional
shell being towards the batteries Although the
cads repeatedly struck they suffered ve,y little real
damage aud the only osses 10 the batteries leu
tenant OF the Seventy Pennsylvania regiment who
was killed by chance shot, and the woundng of six Of
tae gunLers.
Soon after four o'clock the firing from Fort Wagner
ceased. II was then known that brave fellows had
succeeded 10 dismountng gun and it also pretty
well ascertaned that another of the rebel Pieces had
burst These facts led the suppostion that the enemy
had TAD tn
its occupation For this purpose two brgades consisting
of the Seventh Connecticut regiment the Third New
Hampshire, The Ninth Maine the Seventy sixth PeInsy
vania, and the Fory-eig New York. under Brig Gen.
Strong, aud the Seventh New Hampshire Sixth Connec
ticut, Sxysecond Ohio, One Hundredth New York, and
Fftyfourth Massachusetts,, (coored under Col Putnam
who had been under arms all day, screened from the
enemy behind range of sand hills in the rear of our
works were ordered forward.
This at duck and both brgsdes formed in lice
the beach the regiments being disposed in columns ex
cep the coored regiment which for some reason was
given os honor and Of danger the and
drawn up in line of battle, exposing its full front to the
enemy This of the roops obs rived by Sum
ter, and Ere was at opened upon then happily with
out doing injury the shells the heads Of the
men.
Gen Stropg's hs AIDE under this fire moved along the
beach at slow time for about three quarters OF mile
when the ordered to lie down. In this position
they remained half hour, Sumter meanwhile beng Join
cd in the cannonaie by the iebes in Battery Eee bu,
without effect upon troops
1t quite dark aud the order was given FOR boil
brig AIDES to advance Gen. Strongs leading and Col Put
mans within supporting distance The troops went for
ward at quick time and deep silence, unit the Fifty
fourth Massachusetts,, led by its gallant Col Shaw
within two hun Ire yards OF the work nhsE se mea gays
fierce yell aud rushed up the gIacs, closely followed by
the other regiments of the brigade.
TIE enemy, hitherto silent the grave, while our men
swarming The eacs opened upon them furious
ly with grape, canister aud continuous slsde Of small
The gallant negroes. however plunged on regard.
less Of this muderous reception and many them
cd the ditch although contained four feet of water gain
ing the parspet They disodged however in a few
minutes with hand grensdes and retired heller .kelter
leaving than onehalf Of their number including their
brave colonel dead upon the field The Sixth Connecticut
regiment under Lieut. Com. Rodman, next in support
Of the Fifty fourth AID they slso suffered terribly beng
compelled to retire aft,r stubborn contest The Ninth
Name which next in line, broken up by the pas
sage Of the remnant of the repulsed colored regiment
through its nes and retired confusion excepting three
companies which noby stood their ground.
1t now devoved upon the Third New Hampshire Repi.
ment to push forward and led by Gen Strong and Col
jackson in person the gallant fellows dashed up against
the fort Three compaoies actually lined the ditch and
wadng through the water found shelter against the
bankment Here the critical point Of the assault and
the seconl brigade which should have been up sGd ready
to support their comrades 81 the first were unaccouut
ably delayed Gen. Strong then gave the order to fall
back and lie down the gacis, which obeyed with
out confusion.
1t while waiting here, exposed r. the heavy Ere
that Gen. Strong wounded fragment Of shell en-
tered his thigh, passing enely through the aeshy pa t.
and making serious wound. although the bone escaped
fracture Finding that the supports did not come Gen
Strong gave the order for his brigade to retire. and the
men left the field 10 perfect order.
little while afterwards the other brgades came up and
made for their apparent hardness by glorious deeds
vaor Rushing mpstuousy up the gacis, ucdeterred by
the fury OF The enemy whose FIRE not ntermted for
second, several Of the regiments succeeded in
the DITCH scaling the paraprt and descending the fort
Here q baDdto-band conflict ensued Our man fought
with desperation and able to drive the enemy from
aide OF the work 10 seek shelter between the
while tLey held possession for something more than an
hour. This unparalleled piece Of galantry was unfortu
Datey Of no advantage The enemy rallied, and having
received large reinforcement made charge upon the
band Of heroes aud expelled them from their nob
position by the sheer force Of numbers One Of the reg
ments engaged in this brilliant dash the Forty
New YORK. Col Barton, and it out almost 6eciuat
cd The most distressing part Of s disastrous treatment
10 that the enemy did not nct the damage IL was the
result Of a mistake nj ma az .,r ANN