Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1863-07-24
THE STRUGGLE FOR MORRIS ISLAND.


THE STRUGGLE FOR MORRIS ISLAND.
About o'clock, 4he desultory canon
ade with which the experience of week
and made our community familiar was
again heard. For nearly three hours the
tnem's lire WAS maintained with the usual
dehberation; but about eleven o'clock it
was noticed that the reports came in far
more rapid succession. by noon it became
well understood that the foe was resolved
I" subject our position TO an ordeal much
more severe than any which, up to that
time, it had encountered. At that hour, as
we learn by accou..ts from Morris Island,
the converging fire of the enemy against
the battery had become truly fearful. Five
sMonilors, the fri gate Ironsides, seven wood
en- gunboats, with the land batteries which
the Yankees had thrown up on the lower
portion of the island, kept up 2conslant
ram Of shot and shell into our works No
less than sixty.fve heavy guns and eight,
mortars are known to have been in play
against US. at one time, so rapid was the
fire that t! e reports averaged t,Ucniy Scrcn
per minute. One Of the Monitors Law
northeast of Battery Wagner and two to
the southeast, while the others, with the
1ronSides, kept position nearly opposite
the sea lace Of the battery. The wooden
gunboats man@uvrcd at some distance out
side the line OF ''tursetted molHters." rely
ing chiefly upon their long range, riflcd
siege guns. There were two Yankee ,bat-
ter'es on Morris 1slands@o consisting Of
two guns and mortar, was located al
Craig's Hill, within eight hundred yards of
our battery; the other was beyond Gra-
hams House, und hal an armament of
eight rif1sd shell guns. 1t is estimated that
during the day, no less than nine thousand
shells were fired at the battery.
For eleven consecutive hours the bonn
bardment ragged with more or less violence
About dusk the fire, which during the
afternoon had been ince>saint probably
with the design Of dcmoralizing our men
and uniting them for the expected nights
work, began to slacken considerably, and
at dark ceased almost entirely. The re-
suits, thus far, had been Of CHARACTER TO
give US good cause fo1 encouragement and
graduation. Tie damage to our Battery
was significant and Of kind easily and
speedily reparable. The bomh- proofs.
had afforded efficient protection to :: large
portion of the garri on, aud our casualties
at seven O'Clock, p. n.., We're four killed
and fourteen wounded. Of the eueuy's
losses from our fire, if any, we have, Of
course, no trustworthy account. Fot
Sumter, whrh bore part in the action,
sent several shells into the Craig Hill Bar.
teries, and also into t,e camp OF the erc...v
about three and half miles distant, it is
believed, with good eject.
THE NIGHT ATTAC!;.
AT few minutes before eight o'clock
our pickcls gave notice that the enemy. in
heavy force was moving to the assault.
The attack was not unrxpccicd, and our
men, though much jas'ed by the ftigues
and exposure Of the day, sprang to their
places with zeal and alacri!y. The enemy
advanced iii two columns Of about 5000
men each, the whole under the Command
Of Brig. Gen. Strong. The column whic!,
attacked oar right was composed partially
Of negro troops, who were pitt il :!.:a ad.
vance. On our left, the other column
advanced with spirit, under severe fire
from the Dablsren guns and conmaia.ls Of
Bort Sumter. As the column advanced
at the double quick, the guns of Battery
Wagner also op"ncd. When the enemy
bad reached a point about sixty yards
distant, our infantry, posted behind the
parap4t, poured II CALLING fire Into tho
moving masses; the fnnkces, nevertheless
in Cons derahIe force, succeeded in gaining
the trench, AMI began to cIimbe up the.
sides Of the Battery. At this iaomeut,
L'ut. Waties. OF Bakers battery, who was
IN charge OF two brass howitcrs belonging
to detachment Of artillery under Capl.
Del'ass, of Whites ba,lalion) opened a
raklng fire which swept the trench, play.
ing terrific havoc in the ranks Of the assaiI,
ants. The howitzers had bcaa assigned
to this position which they occupied So
advantageously for ns, at the instance OF
Col. Harris, Of the Engineers, all the lor.
ses belonging to the section having been
put hors du comJat during the day. Twice
the enemy was driven back at this part of
our works (the left, anu ths trench file
with the enemy's dead attest the severity of
the conflict there.
In the centre OF our lines small body of
the enemy succeeded in gaming lodg,tent
III salient, the gun of which had been
disabled. Here they maintained their
position for more than an hour. 4 gallant
but unsuccessful attempt was made to
dislodge them, in which Capt. Ryan fell,
and it was not untiI-a small force OF Ge"r-
gians had ascendod the magazine and thus
gained position 10 command the salient
that the audacious' Yankees surrendered.
AT the time that this occurred the firing
elsewhere had ceased, and the Georgians
accomplished their purpose without firing
gun. The movement by WHICH this was
effected was undertaken at the suggestion
of Col. Harris.
TIE RELATIVE LOSSES.
The fight lasted from 3 until II p. m,
and was of n desperate character through
ons. The enemy's losses were very heavy.
Il killed and wounled must have been
at least 1900. The number of his dead
lett on the field AMI buried by lis yester-