The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-25
Y EVENING TELEGRAPR-PH MONDAY JULY 25 1870

lLADELPHIA MONDAY,
of the Admiral as to The practcabity of an assault
and the time of making It. was fully approved by the
action OF General Gilmore, who it seems contem-
plated q. proceeding almost exactly similar; on
leaning which the Admiral determined that his own
column should only go forward in company with
that OF the troops. Some questions arose in adjust
ing the arrangements for acting iu concert, which
Induced him finally to send his acting chief of stan
to General Gilmore for more prompt solution.
AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT.
Meanw hile an unfortunate accident had
deprived the assault OF an essential
aid. The monitor which was TO aGord a
base to our column, and to cover its movement,
grounded in the night IN the shoal water sum-
ter, and was discovered in this situation when the
day broke within fair range of the formidable bat
teries ON Sulliyans Island As the tide fell the thin
IRON bottom below the armor became exposed, aud
in this helpless situation the enemy cannon opened
a heavy fire upon the monitor. There was no
remedy but to interpose the entire ron.cad force in
done. After severe cannonade OF three hours the
enemy was beaten from his guns, and about p. M.
the Weehawken was foated of.
THE ASSAULT ON SUMTER.
Whilst the action YVES going on the arrangements
for assault that night were being made, as already
stated, and about IL O'Clock the chief of staf having
returned f1om General Gilmore, with full UNDER
standing as to the cooperation OF the columns left
to take his place as volunteer with that Of the
navy. Soon after the flag steauierwas put in motion
and steered Tor Fort Sumter to overlook the action
anchorng as near 1t as the shoa water permitted in
le darkness OF the night. Just as the Admiral was
about to step into his barge, perfect blaze OF light
Illuminated the fort, whilst the screeching OF the
snots from johnson and Moultrie, and an iron-clad
inside, filed the air above. Nothing dauuted, the
leading seamen followed their officers, and ran up
the slope, at the head of which they were stopped
by The bare wall rising above the DEBRIS that In all
probability had been cleared away for the purpose
The Iepulse was complete; some OF our men were
killed, some became prisoners among them the
gallant Williams no went down with his ship, the
Preston who gave his p life SaS at Fort FsSer Ieate
ants Remy, Brewer, Meade, and Bradford; Ensigns
Porter and Dayton; Mates Hovey and McCarty;
m
column came not, when its presence had been so
far relied on that the naval column would assuredly
not have gone forward without 1t.
THE FAILURE.
Thus failed the only effort in the Admiral's power
to open the way into the haroor for his small and
battered force Of ron-clads, and with the additional
damage Unexpectedly incurred, it was out of the
question to make any further attempt, unless In con-
Passc ssG sabeS the
had been towed out Of action, and the Weehawken
had received some ugly damage under water. which
could not be reached unless hauled up The iron
bottoms of all were so foul as to diminish the
speed too much for necessary maneuyres. e
Gu,LMoRE's 8 RIDICULOUS ApPREHENsIoNs.
Pending this state OF things, of the monitors
got into dificuty that had liked to prove serious.
| ON the 10th OF November General Gilmore tee-
Seavy IRE en on Cummings, Point Win So1 have ] some
OF your vessels move up so as TO prevent an attack
| by boats on the sea-face Of the point?" Nothing
could have been more supremely ridiculous than the
apprehension conveyed by this request SO certain
must have been the swift destruction of the enemy
|
been made to prevent it. Imagine boats filed with
| troops, far away from succor, pulling for beach
! lined with batteries, and close at hand numerous
regiments-the water entirely controlled by our
vessels
| THE MONITOR LEHIGH AGROUND.
AS refusal would have been misunderstood or
misrepresented, the Admiral sent monitor (the Le-
high to take care Of Gilmore and his batteries, 1t
being quite dark, and the water OFF the north point
of Morris Island dangerous with shoals, the Lehgh
grounded, and the next morning being discovered
in this situation, became target Tor the formidable
| line OF batteries on Sulltvans Isand. But three
other monitors were present-the Passac, Nahant
and Montauk. They were ordered up, one to help
the Lehigh off, the other two to divert the enemys
| fire, Under storm of shot and shell hawser was
sent by boat from the Nahant to the Lehigh. Both
pressed their steam-the hawser parted. 1t was re-
| steam-the hawser was shot away. Again renewed
and now the critical moment came. The tide was at
its height, and would cease to flow in few minutes.
monitor called out OF action and placed ahead
Of the Nahant The enemy's shot were coming
thickly and seemed to fall within the space betw cen
the vessels. Steam was brought gradually on the
hawser-it began to unstrand under the enormous
EFFORTS of the two monitors. At the last moment the
Lehigh started suddenly II launched, and noated
in deep water, when the iron-clads quietly steamed
out of range. The Lehigh had been hit five feet
below the water, and the water came in so rapidly
as to make it necessary to send her to Port Royal
! for repairs.
THE END OF THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON.
Late in February, 1864, the Secretary of the Navy
signined his wish to see the Admiral at Washington,
where he arrived ON the I'd of March, only to hear,
to his great disappointment, that no reinforcements
could be sent. The new vessels were more needed
elsewhere, and so ended the idea of entering the
harbor OF Charleston.
1t is not to be supposed that without the aid OF
a suitable military force the vessels could have made
any permanent IMPRESSION nor that this would have
been the most judcious application OF such CON-
bined force, as 1t amounted to an attack on the
strongest side and neglect OF the weaker SO OF
the ahlest naval opinion could be offered in this
spect That of the great military strategist OF the
day will, however, be accepted as fully sufficient.
General Sherman thus wrote Admiral Dahlgren -
GENERAL sHERMAN's OPINION OF DAHLGREN
s'From a residence at Fort Moultrie during the
years 1s42-3-4-5 and 6, had acquired knowledge
OF the water and land round about Charleston Har-
Dor, and therefore feel competent to express an
opinion on the points you make.
81 would not have advised you to run the iron
clad fleet past Fort Sumter, into the inner har-
Dor OF Charleston on the theory that by bringing the
| City under your guns, the enemy would have eva
cuated both city and forts. ! don't believe the
forts would have been evacuated, but that
the feet would have been subjected to a
terrific fire from the circle OF batteries thai
fleet useless for other purposes. The enemy could
well have afforded TO exchange the city OF Charles
ton for the feet"
'sWhen you and were in Savannah about Christ
mas OF 1864 we discussed freely all these points, and
you win recall my opinions then expressed most en-
phatically First. That Charleston was place OF
military importance at al that the labor spent in
the attempt to reduce II was useless; that all the
attacks from the sea front were playing into the
hands OF the enemy, who OF course had reason to
joice at every attack from that quarter, etc.
II now thank you In person for not having made
the hazardous experiment, for when the time did
come TO act seriously, your fleet was perfect well
manned, and admirably suited to aid me in the exc
eution OF the plan which did accomplish the fall OF
Charleston, and more too"
FURNACES.