Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-08-06
The Recent Battles near Charleston
THE FIGHT ON JAMES ISLAND
THE sToRMING of FORT WAGNER

The New York Herald has a full ana
clear account of the recent contests near
charleston from which we have space
only for a few extracts. It seems that
alter our first assault on Fort Wagner the
rebels thought they would try the offensive
and accordingly on the 10th attacked cur
troops on James Island near the Stone
river. They came down in considerable |
force and drove in our pickets. They at
tempted flank movement which was
prevented by the gunboat PaDnee and
after an hours fighting the rebels fled in
great confusion, leaving knapsacks, mus
kets and equipmen behind in their haste.
Ouy loss was only s killed and "a wound
ed The colored regiment from Massa-
chusetts here had its first experience under
fire. Of It's behavior the Herald CORES
pondent thus speaks:
The Fifty-tourth Massachusetts fought
very bravely. | do not learn that single
prisoner was taken from their regiment
Not myself believer in the arming of ne
groes, free or cOntrabend, as soldiers, l
must do this regiment the credit OF fight
ing bravely and well. The rebels attacked
them with the cry of emo quarters" and
they accepted the condition of the fight.
Several fell pierced by many bullets while
fighting singly with half dozen of rebels,
who were trying TO capture them. One
black man bayonetted an officer who was
Of q
thrust which wounded a sergeant, just as
he was falling, with five bullets through
his body. Another, whose arm had been
shot off, brought bis musket off the field
in the other hand, carrying it till he fell
down and bled to death. The Massachu-
sets negro regiment is evidently made of
good stuff, if they are darkeys, and no
better fighting can be asked for than they
did on James Island, when so furiously at
tackled at their picket station.
Preliminary to the assault on Fort Wag-
ner, a furious fire was kept up during most
of Saturday, the 18th, from our land bat
teries and the iron clads and guaboats. An
immense number of shot and shell struck
Fort Wagner, badly tearing up it's earth
works, shooting away its colers, and, for
the time being, silencing its guns. Finally
orders were given for the storming of the
works, of the attempt and the repulse the
HerGzds correspondent gives the following
account:
THE sTORMING FORCE.
Gen. Strong had orders to march his
|, a. +1,o To-, ~ Il loo IL
near the old house at the right of our
works; and for this movement the Fifty
fourth Massachusetts, Col. Robert Shaw,
was added temporarily to his command.
His other regiments were the Sixth Cons
necticut, Col. John L. Chatfeld Ninth
Maine, Col. Sabine Emory the remnant
of the Seventh Connecticut battalion,
Capt. Sylvester S. Gray (not with the
storming partly; Forty eighth New York,
Col. William B. Barton; Seventy sixth
Pennsylvania, commanded by Capt John
Littell, and the Third New Hampshire,
Col. J. II. Jackson.
COL III. S. Putnam was ordered to adj
vance with his brigade to the rear of Gen.
Strong's. His brigade had been on the
beach, under the bluffs, all day, and con-
sisted of the Seventh New Hampshire,
Lieut.. Col J. @. Abbott in command
One Hundreth New York, Col. Dandy;
Sixty-seyenth Ohio, Col A. @. Voris, and
the Sixty-second Ohio, Col. Howell.
Brig. Gen. Stevenson was also ordered
towards the front with his fine brigade as
a reserve.
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 posi-
BILE rapidity, and giving the spot where
their fire concentrated a more and more
Internal look. Smoke completely envel-
oped it., and the flashing of the bursting
shells came out like the tongues OF flame
from q burning volcano. The roar from
the guns and mortars was almost deafen-
ing Under this cover the two brigades
advanced.
CHARGE OF sTRONG's BRIGADE.
Strong's brigade marched in column up
past the old building on the right of our
batteries then deployed and advanced in
line short distance. then deployed again,
and marched up the beach in close column,
Putnam's brigade following at supporting
distance, and hating at point where they
had been ordered to stop. Fort Sumter
saw the movement, and pitched her shells
over among the troops, but hurt none of
them. When Strongs troops, led by their
gallant general, bad got JwO.thirds the
distance to the fort the cannonadng ceas-
ed, to avoid injuring our own troops, and
then the rebels in Fort Wagner came out
in full strength. A thousands muskets
flashed almost together, and a deadly fire
into our troops. The guns were brought
to bear on them, and grape and canister
hailed down upon them. With a shout
they advanced, at a word from the Gene
raj on double quick, unfalteringly d.
rectly up into that terrible fire. Musketry
ratified, Sumter's shells burst all around
them, bullets whistled, canister hummed,
grape ploughed along the ground, the fort
was liz hted up almost constantly with the
fire from howitzers, rifles and muskets-
not in fttul flashes, but with steady,
cleaning sheets of flame. They never
staggered-never wavered-did not stop
for the many who fell, or listen to the
means of the wounded. They reached
the ditch and crossed it, some on planks,
some rushing down in and toihng up,
some seeking better entrance to the lett,
where the ditch was, however, filed with
water As they were making the crossing
howitzers in the bastions kept up a rak-
ing fire, prostrating many bodies, but not
lettering the mass.
Over they went, and clambered up the
parapets. But the grape met them every
where, sweeping the ditch, the curtins
outside, the parapers above, and the rebel
infantry, seeing all but unseen themselves,
nennered them with bullets and gave them