The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-08-06

The afternoon passed, and the heavy
roar of the big guns on land and see
gradually ceased. Slowly and sullenly
the Monitors, with the exception of the
Montauk, moved back to the auchorsgs
ground of the morning. The music Of
the sublime chants, was again heard
along the shore the sun went down,
not in golden glory, but in clouds of
bIackness and darkness. and mutteriugs
of thunder and flashes of lightning,
In the slight internal between the css-
sation of the sannonade and the assault
at the point of the bayonet, the artillery
of Heaven opened all along the western
horizon, and in peal after peal demon
strated how Insignificant is the power
of man when compared with that of
Him who holds the elements in the hol:
low of His hand.
For eight hours the Monitors and the
Ironsides have kept up continuous
fire, and Fort Wagner has not yet sur
rendered. For eight hours City four
guns from the land batteries have
hurled their shot and shell within her
walls, and still she faunts the red bat
tie flag i'm our face.
"Something must be done, and that,
too, quickly, or ip few days We shall
have the whole army in Virginia upon
u.s." said an officer high in command.
"Ws must storm the fort tonight and
carry it at the point of the bayonst J"
In few moments signals are made
from the top of the lookout, and soon
Generals and Colonels commanding
divisions and brigades were seen gal.
loping to the headquarters Of the eem-
manding General. A few words in
consultation, and Gems. Seymour
Strong, Stevenson, and Coils. Putnam
and Montgomery, are seen Fastening
back to their respective commands.
Officers shout, bugles sound, the word
of command is given, and soon the sol
disrs around upon and under the sand
hills of Morris Island spring from their
hiding places, fall into line, march to
the beach, are organized into new
brigades, and in solid column stand
ready to move to the deadly assault.
Not in widely extended battle line,
with cavalry and artillery at support
ing distances, but in solid regimertal
fcelumn, on the hard ocean beach. for
half mile before reaching the fort, ia
plan sight of the enemy, did these
three brigades move to their appointed
work.
Gen. Strong, who has so frequently
since his arrival in this Department,
braved death in its many forms Of at.
tack, was assigned to the command Of
the lst brigade. Col. Putnam, of the
7th New Hampshire, who, although Of
the regular army, and considered one
of the best officers in this Department.
had never led his men inte battle nor
been under fire, took command Of the
I'd, and Gen. Stevenson, the Sd, con-
stituting the reserve. The 64th Mas.
sachusetts (colored regiment|, Col:
Shaw, was the advanced regiment in
the lst brigade, and the Cd South Car.
olina (colored), Dol. Montgomery, waa
the last regiment of the reserve. The
selection of the 54,h Massachusetts, to
lead the charge was undoubtedly made
on account of the good lighting quail
tiles it had displayed . few days be-
fore on James Island.
i These brigades, as l have remarked
before, were formed for this express
duty. Many of the regiments had
never seen their brigade commanders
before I; some of them had never been
under fire, and, with the exception OF
three regiments in the lst Brigade,
none of them had even been engaged
in this form of attack. All had fresh
in their memories the severe rspulss
we had met on the morning of the llth
inst. For two years the Department
of the South had been in existence,
and until the sterming of the batteries
on the seuth end of Morris Island, the
army had won no victory fairly &C!
knewleaged by the 'ehemy,
Just as darkness began to close in
upon the scene of the afternoon and the
evening, Gen. Strong rode to the front
and ordered bis brigade, consisting of
the 54th Mass, Col. Shaw fsolored rs.
gimsnt), the 9th Conn.,, Col Chat6eld,
the 4sth N. Y, Col. Barton, the Sd N.
H., Col. jackson, the 7eth Penn, and
the 9th Maine, Col. Emery, to advance
to the assault, At the instant, the line
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