The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-09-18
Fort W agner.

Last evening sept 6, an assault was orde
red. Brigadier General Perry was to com
mand, and with two small regiments in
three columns was to make the attack in
front and rear. The troops moved forward
for the work, and as they were nearly read y
q deserter arrived with the information that
the enemy had evacuated the forts. As
soon as the story of the deserter could be
told, Gen. Stevenson sent forward SIN all
scouting party to ascertain its truth. They
speedily returned and zorro Jorated the
news, and our forces Immediately leaped in
to the fort, Cap.s. Walker and Pratt, in
charge of the sappers. planting their flag
upon the parspet. A slow match connecting
with the magazine was discovered and
extinguisbed.
They arrived in season to capture between
forty and fifty stragglers, mostly from South
Carolina regiments, while Major Sanford.
who. as soon as the tide served, had got his
picket boats through the marsh, succeeded
in overhauling a couple of boats containing
a lieutenant and twenty-five men of the rebel
iron clad steamer Chicora, which had been
assisting the garrison in their escape.
In addition to the prisoners taken We cap
tured nineteen guns, fourteen Of which were
in Fort Wagner and the remaining five in
Battery Gregg. The armament Of Wagner
consisted OF two ten-inch columbiads, one
ten.inch mortar. five navy howitzers. noun
ted on seacoast carriages; three carronades,
one rifled gun and two field pieces. Gregg
was armed with three ten-inch columbiads
and two field guns. Nearly all the pieces
had been spiked, but in such a manner that
the spikes can be easily Withdrawn from the
yeats. These guns are nearly worn out.
{ nd are now Of little use except for short
ranges.
INSIDE VIEW OF FORT WAGNER.
The scene which presents itself to the eye
OF a visitor at Fort Wagner this morning is
one of utter wreck and ruin. The broken
parapeis, the dismounted guns. the sand
piled up before the embraces Of the bomb
proof. tie bolts and fragments of exploded
shell With which the terreplein is paved, and.
more than all. the heaps OF rebel slain, some
lying IN the sun and others half buried in
the loose sand, show whist a fearful ordeal
the garrison passed through. The stencil
arising from the decaying dead Is sickening
and overPowering. Many were buried a.
night, just below the surface of the terrsplein,
to be unearthed and torn to pieces by the
missiles which on the following day contin-
ued TO plough through the work. Here an
.srm sticks stifly on. of the ground, and
shers shoeiess foot is visible, while in
another corner are three bodies, one clad in
. majors uniform. laid carefully aside for
burial, but LETT in the hurry Of departure Tor
Us to put away.
Existence must have been terrible while
the oomoardmeut was going on. Even now
the odor OF the apartments is almost intolsra-
bic. The garrison, which consisted of about
400 men. was here huddled like sheep in q
fold, without sunshine to illumiue or air to
breathe. The ceiling. formed Of huge logs.
is SO low q scarcely to afford stan ding room.
Dead bodies are scattered here and there
contributing their afluvia to the horrid
stencil ansing from the accumulation Of
human 9Th and nastiness 1 could only
remain for moment in the place. Officers
and soldiers who enter il fee hurriedIy
away as from plague or pes,ilence.
- The State Fair opens At Indiana
poIis on Monday, the 2s,h.