The daily gazette., 1877-08-22
The Siege of Morris Island, SC
General GtilmOr'es Oper atfons against
Fort Wagner and FOrt Sumter
This UnsuccessfaIl Charges,

DOL
General GiilmOr'ss Operations against
Fort Wagner and F0rt sumter
This Unsucoessfall Charges.
From the Philadelphia Times, by General
w. W. IL. Davis.
After the failure of the attack on Fort
Sumter, 10 April, the government dtter.
mined to place Bngadier Generel @ liucy
Gilmore in charge of the operation about
TO be renewed against the defences before
Charleston. Al the time he was at the head
OF division 10 the field In Kentucky. He
was called to Washington. After listening
to the views OF the administration aDd fully
understanding their wishes, he agreed to
accomplish three things, If placed In CON-
mand OF the land operations, viz possess
and hold the south end of Morris Island,
reduce Fort Wigner, and destroy Sumter
for offensive purposes. The Secretary of
the Navy gave him to understand that ii
these things were accomplished, the iron
clads would 20 in and finish what remained
to be- done In the capture of Charleston.
General Gilmore reached Hilton Head
on the II 2.h OF June, 1868, at winch time v Q
had small force ON Folly Island, holding
1T MS base OF future operations. The gen.
ersl Immediately proceeded hither 10 exam
Inc the situation. From the jungles on the
north end of the island he looked across the
inlet Gu tue spni>hills of Norris, Gro wded
with rebel guns. From where he stood
sumter was In plain view. He saw every
thing with the eye OF a practical engineer,
and decided AT glance where to erect his
ba teries. aud the use he would make of
them. Necessity compelled their erection
within few hundred yards OF vgilant
enemy discovery would defeat the enter
prise. The engineers were Immediately set
to work, and d,nse thlcket served t. con-
ceal our operations The laborers, materi-
ais, guns, and in fact every thing used IN con-
structing the batteries were taken to the
front at night. Tns greater part of the
work was done under fire, for the enemy
suspected We had force at the head of the
island, and they spelled. il continually.
Troops were landed under cover of the dark.
ness, and bsfofe the morning dawned they
they were concealed IN the timber and bush
es. and the transports that brought them
we're sent to sea again. The island was
carefully picketed to prevent the enemy's
spies landing to discover what we were
dong.
In twenty days the batteries were flu
ished, mourning forty-eight guns and NOR
lars, with all the appliances OF bomb-proofs
magazines, elc., aud each piece supplied
with two hundred rounds of ammunition.
So well had all our movements been con-
cealed from the enemy that he did not
dream of the existence Of our batteries until
thep opened fire upon them, The assault
was made on Morris Island the morning of
the 10Th CT July. 1t was combined ats
tack by infantry in boats, Consisting of
General Srong's Brigade, and heavy can
nonade from our batteries. The infantry
embarked during the night OF the Oh in
+ oily river, and at daylight in the morning
lay IN Light House inlet OF the SOUTH west~
ern point OF the island. General Sc, mour
came into the batteries just before daylight,
imp pAtient for the bombardment to open.
The night before the brush In front OF the
batteries had been cut away and the en-
brssures opened. Seymour asked the off
Ger in command Of The three thirty-pounder
PARROTS on the right If he could see GER
tain gun Of the enemy moanted among the
sand-hills distinctly enough to take aim ut
1t. On the officer replying IN tle negative
the general called party of engineers to
shovel the sand away from the embrasure.
Day broke before they had flushed, and
the general remarking, at will never do TO
let them get The first fire." called in the ems
gineers and directed the officer to "blazs
away" Immediately the quiet of the
morning was broken by the roar OF artil-
lery. 1he infantry moved up about the
same time, and O little while eft cted a
landing, and carried tue enemy's rihe-pits.
General Strong, in his anxiety TO land,
stepped overheard in seven feet OF water
but this mishap did not prevent hun mount
lug a rebel horse, without saddle, aud bare
footed, and join III pursuit OF the ioe his
o triotlsm received the double baptism OF
fire and water. The reveille had Just SOUNDS
ed in the enemy's camp, and they had turn
ed out for roll~call, when our shot and shell
went tearing through their ranks. Ohicers
and men were killed b, fore they had time
TO dress, The iron-clads passed The bar at
day light and after we had effected land
ing they moved up and rolled their ponder
GUS shells oyer the island. at the Beacon
House our troops came within reach OF the
guns OF Wagner, when halt was made,
aud some intreuchhmenis thIown up. IT 9
day was intensely hot, and the troops We're
completely Frustrated. Our loss were small.
THUS had General Gilmore redeemed his
first pledge. At this period III the opera
Ions fatal mistake was made. Fort Wag-
ner should have been Immediately aSsailed,
and would then have fallen into our hands
without much opposition. The assault was
delayed until the next day, when we were
repulsed with considerable luss. While these
these OpcTuJiOuS WeI0 BOinS Ou, iSFiSioh
OF troops was sent over to James Is aud to
engage the enemy's attention IN that direc-
tIou. where a spirited action was fought on
the Ii h of July, IN which the Federal f.rc
were victorious.
The failure OF the attack on the llth sat
| fled General Gl lmore that siege of opero-
nous must be commenced against Wagner
Ground was broken on the night OF the
I3 h, and the work was pushed with such
vigor that the first parallel, at the distance
of thirteen hundred and fifty yards, was
completed on the 17Lh. 1t mounted twenty |
five rihed guns aud mortars. An assault
was arranged for twilight the next evening,
and two additional brigades were added TO |
our forces During the day our batteries,
III coniunctom with the navy, kept up
warm cannonade on on the tori. and by |
4 D. IN. the euemy's guns were slieuced.
pne troops chosen for tue assault We're the |
brigades OF seymour, Strong and Putnam,
the whole under command OF General
Seymour. They moved up the beach about
shutdown, and advanced upon the WORK IN
deploved Ines. AT % distance OF nearly
a n,le the enemy op-ned upon them with
shot and shell, which they changed TO grape,
canister aud musketry at closer range.-
The troops steadily advanced IN spite of this
iron aud eadeu hail, with SCORES OF men
4 .I;n,r lillad a nd wnundat at eVpTV stan |