Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-08-01


three quarters of u mile, when the men were
ordered to lie down. In this position they
remained half an hour, Sumter meanwhile
being Joined in the cannonade by the rebels
In Battery Bee, but without effect upon our
troops. 1t was now quite dark, and the
order was given for both 5rigades to advance
Gen. Strong's leading and Col Putnam's
within supporting distance. The troops
went forward at quick time and in deep
silence, until the Fifty fourth Massachusetts
led by its gallant Col Shaw, was within two
hundred yards of the work, when the men
gave n fierce yell and rushed up the glacis,
closely followed by the other regiments of
the brigade
The enemy, hitherto silent rs the grave,
while our men were swarming over the
glacis, opened upon them furiously with
grape, canister, and a continuous fusilade
of small arms.
The gallant negroes, however, plunged
on regardless of this murderous reception,
and many of them crossed the ditch, al
though it contained four feet OF water, gain
ing the parapet. They were disloGged,
however in few minutes with hand gre
nades, and retired heller sketer leaving
more than half their number, including their
brave colonel, dead upon the field.
The 9th Connecticut regiment, under Lieu
tenant Colonel Rodman, was next in sup
port of the 54th, and they also suffered ter
ribly, being compelled to retire after stub
born contest The 9th Maine, which was
next in line was broken up by the passage
OF the remnant of the repulsed colorcd regi-
ment through its lines, and retired in CON
fusion, excepting three companies, which
nobly stood their ground
1t now devolved upon the 3d New Hamp-
shire regiment to push forward, and led by
General Strong and Colonel jackson in per
son, the gallant fellows dashed up against
the fort The companies actually gained
the ditch; and wading through the water
found shelter against the enbankment.--
Here was the critical point of the assault
and the second brigade, which should have
been up and ready to support their COM
rades OF the first, were unaccountably delay
ed. General Strong then gave the order to
| fall back, and lie down on the glacis, which
was obcyed without confusion
1t was while waiting here, exposed to the
heavy fire. that Gen. Strong was wounded
A fragment of shell entered his thigh, pass
ing entirely through the ileshy part and
making serious wound, although the bone
escaped fracture. The breast of Col. Jack
sons coat was torn off at the same time by
a piece of shell, slightly wounding him.
to escape the rain of metal, but stood un.
tlinchingly throughout, eliciting the un-
: bounded admiration of their men. Finding
that the supports did not come, General
Strong gave the order for his brigade to
retire, and the men left the field in perfect
order.
n little while afterwards the other bri
) gades came up, and made up for their ap.
| parent tardiness by glorious deeds of valor
, Rushing impetuously up the glacis, unde
tered by the fury of the enemy, whose fire
was not intermitted for second, several OF
the regiments succeeded in crossing the
ditch, scaling the parapet and descending
f into the fort Here hand-to- hand conflict
t ensued. Our men fought with desperation
and were able to drive the enemy from one
side of the work to seek shelter between the
traverses, while they held possession fol
9 something more than an hour. This un.
= paralelled piece of gallantry was unfortu
nately ofn advantage The enemy rallied
and having received large rcinforccments
: made charge upon the band of heroes, anG
expelled them from their nobly won posi-
ton by the sheer force of numbers. One O
the regiments engaged in this brilliant dasl
was the 4Sth New York, Col. Barton, ant
it came out almost decmated The mos
distressing part of its disastrous treatmen,
is, that the enemy did not in1ict the damag,
1t was the result of mistake on the part o
4 one OF our regiments. The 4Sth was among
the first to enter the fort, and was fred upor
by regiment that gained the parapet somI
= minutes later, and the supposition that i
Vas the enemy.
About midnight the order was given t.
retire, and our men fell back to the rifle pitt
outside Of our own works, having engaged
in as hotly contested battle AS has eve
been fought.
Our casualties, as may reasonably be ex
/, pectcd, were very large. The list of killed
t wounded and missing foots up fifteen hun
! dred and thirty.
: Among the killed are Col Putnam, of III,
: Seventh New Hampshire Col Shaw, of thu
/, Fitty-tourth Massachusetts; Lieut. Colone
: Green, of the Forty-eighth New York
Adjutant Libby, of the Third New Hamp
5 shire.
] Gen. Seymour was wounded in the foot
J while directing movements in the field
i Col. Barton, of the Forty-eighth New
+ York, was wounded in the thigh by ball
j which flattened against the bone.
Lieut.. Col. Rodman, of the 9th Connect
C cut, was seriously wounded.
4 Lieut. Col. Bedcll of the Third New IIamp
shire, was taken prisoner.
r The day after the fight, the steamers Cos
1 mopolitan and Mary Benton were dispatch
e cd to Hilton Head with the wounded, anC
= every house in Beaufort is occupied as
: hospital
| Our dead bodies were buried on Monda,
at least that portion of them that were oil
a the field within the limits that our buryinl
+ party was allowed to approach the rebe
c works. Those who fell on the glacis anC
: the ditch were inferred by the enemy.
J Individual instances of heroism during
the contest were numerous. Among other
: 1t is mentioned that the color bearer of til,
: fitty-fourth Massachusetts stood nobly upoI
p the glacis with his flag, endeavoring to rally
, the men, and finding the task useless, h
= walked to the rear, still holding the has
S aloft with remarkable dcliberation, regard
r less altogether of the fearful fire
: The siege has not been suspended Oper
e ations are still in progress, which Genera
: Gilmore is sanguine will result in success.
unnnrtnna