Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1863-08-20
THE sEIGE OF FORT WAGNER.
On Sunday morning last the Otta

The SEIGE OF FORT WAGNER.
On Sunday morning last the Ottawa,
Lieut.. Commanding Whiting, and one
Monitor, took their position of Fort Wag-
ner, to indulge in little shell practice
and keep the gunners in the work in
quiescent state so that our men in the ad-
vanced trenches should not be annoyed by
their fire. The practice from the Ottawa's
one-hundred FOUNDER Parrott was exceed
ingly fine. Nearly every shot was
plunged into the rebel work, and the gar
rison were kept in their bomb proofs.
Fort Sumter attempted, with her large
rifed gun, to drive the impertinent an
noyance away. but without avail. The
rebel shot fell in the water all about the
Ottawa, but did not in single instance
strike her. The latter paid no attention
to the wrathful salutations of Sumter, nor
to Moultrie, that essayed to put the
plucky little Ottawa to fight. With the
utmost coolness and precision bolt after
bolt was pitched into Wagner, until it
seemed to have been covered with smoke
and dust. Fort Wagner occasionally re-
sponded with her ten-inch columbiad, but
was able to accomplish nothing. Finally
shot from the Ottawa either dismounted
gun or blew up small service maya
zine in Wagner and woke up the garrison
In their rage they sprang to their guns,
opened fire upon our works and upon the
Ottawa, and for couple of hours the ERE
was more intense and rapid than ever be-
fore proceeded from that work. Our bat
tcries instantly responded with the great
est rapidity. The rebel works on James
Island caught up the deafening refrain,
and beloved forth their noisy salutations
while Moultrie and johnson joined in the
Internal chorus. The fire was unexam-
pied in rapidity and generally in accura-
cy. Wagner was covered with bursting
shell and enveloped in smoke and dust ;
but the rebels stood by their guns with
the greatest steadiness. Our trenches
we're cleaning with the fttul fires of ex-
ploding she'll, and the air impregnatcd
with sulphurous fumes, was alive with
the whistle of solid shot, the hum Of
she'll, the shrek of projectiles, and all
that variety of strange sounds that pro.
ceeds from hundred flying missiles
The work in our trenches was necessari.
ly slackened, as the men found it essen.
tial to safety to take to cover very fire.
quently. ..a
This laundering cannonade had contin
ued an hour or more, when the New
lronsides hoisted anchor and moved n a
jestically to her old position off Wagner
where she again anchored and brought
her port broadsides to bear on the rebe
work. In moment she fired sho
from her riAed gun forward, and, getting
the range she let fly a broadside at th'
fort from her two hundred pound rife
and elevcn-inch guns. Her fire thu
opened, continued with steadiness ant
accuracy. The effect of her fire was sooI
manifest, The rebel guns, one after anoth
er, became silenced, and finally an occa
sional shot from the ten Inch columbiad
at the noble frigate, indicated the fac
that the fort was still occupied. Sum
ter fred some spiteful shots at the Iron
sides, but did not strike her. The rebe
fire from Wagner being subdued, the Iron
sides ceased shelling, and at about moor
all was again silent, save an occasional
shell from Fort johnson which did nt
damage. We suffered no casualties du
ring the day.