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

ssoehsd the fort. portions Of the 54th
Massachusetts,, the 9Th Connecticut and
the 4sth New York dashed through
the bitches, gained the parapet, and
engaged in hand to hand fight with
the enemy, and for nearly half an
hour held their ground, and did not
fall back until nearly every commits
stoned officer was shot down. As on
the morning of the assault of the 18th
inst, these brave men were exposed to
q most CALLING fire Of grape and canis-
ter, from howitzers, raking the bitches
from the bastions of the fort, from
hand grenades and from almost every
other modern implement Of warfare.
The rebels fought with the utmost des-
perstion, and so did the large portion
Of Gen. Strong's brigade, as leng as
there was an officer to command it.
When the brigade male the assault
General Strong calamity rode at its
head. When it fell back, broken, torn
and bleeding, Major Plimption, Of the
Sd New Hampshire was the highest
commissioned officer to command it.
Gen. Strong, Col. Shaw, Col. Chatfeld,
Col. Barton, Col. Green, Col. Jackson,
all had fallen and the list send you
will tell how many other brave officers
fell with them. Stories are flying
about that this regiment and that re-
giment broke and run /; but that for the
FRIGHTENED saith Massachusetts (negro)
we would have carried the fort; that
the Ninth Maine did not reflect much
credit upon the gallant State she repre-
sents, and a thousand other reasons
which care not TO enumerate. 1t is
absurd to say these men did not fight
and were not exposed to perhaps the
most deadly FIRE of the war, when SO
many officers and so many of the rank
and file were killed. 1t must be re-
msmbered, too, that this assault was
made in the night-a very dark night
even the light of the stars was OBJ
scursd by the blackness Of q heavy
thunder storm, and the enemy could be
distinguished from our own men only
by the light of the bursting shell ard
fash of tho howilzer and musket. The
54th Massachusetts, (negro) whom Cop
psrhead officers would have called cow
ardly if they had stormed and carried
the gates of hell, went boldly into bat
tie, for the second time, commanded
by their brave Colonel, but came out
of it led by no higher officer than the
boy, Lieut.. Higginson.
The lst Brigade, under the lead of
Gen. Strong, failed to take the fort.
1t was now the turn of Col. Putnam,
commanding the I'd Brigade, CON-
posed of the 7tb N. H., the 62d Ohio,
Col. Steele, the 67th Ohio, Col. Vor.
hses, and the lo0th N. Y, Col. Dane
lily, to make the attempt. But alas the
task was too much for him. Through
the same terrible fire he led his men to-,
over and into the fort, and for an hour
held one half of it, fighting every mo-
ment Of that time with the utmost des-
peration. and, as with the 1st Brigade,
it was not until he himself fell killed
and nearly all of bis officers W wounded,
and no re-inforcements arriving, that
bis men fell back, and the rebel shout
and cheer of victory was heard above
the roar of Sumter and the guns from
Cummings Point.
In this second assault by Col. Put
MANS brigade, Col. Turner Of Gen.
Gillmore's staff, stood at the side OF
Co. Putnam when he fell, and with
his voice and sword urged on the thin
ned ranks to the final charge. But il
was too late. The Sd brigade. Gen.
Stsvenson's, was not on hand. 1t was
madness for the I'd to remain longer
under SO deadly fire, and the thought
of surrsndering in body to the enc.
my could not for moment be enter.
tsrtaind. To fight their way back to
the entertainments was all that could
be done, and in this retreat many a
poor fellow fell, never to rise again.
Without doubt many of our men
fell frem our own fire. The darkness
was SO intense, the roar OF artillery SC
loud, the flight OF grape and canister
shot SO rapid and destructive, that il
was absolutely impossible to preserve
order in the ranks of individual COM
panies, to say nothing of the regiments.
More than half the time We were in
The fort. the FIGHT was simply a hand IN