Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-09-06
Yt|istellaneu11s &eading.
THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE STRUGGLE FOR NOR.
RIs ISLAND.

"REMINISCENCES OF THE STRUGGLE FOR NOR
RIs ISLAND.
The siege of Morris Island, or, as it will be
known in history, "the operations against the
defences before Charleston" is, in many re-
spects, one of the most wonderful in military
annals. In the future the students of militia
ry science will study it with marked atten.
tion and interest. Here was first developed
the power of the modern long range gun, and
the experiments proved the Parrott rifed
projectile to be superior to any other in the
world. Instead of battering down the walls
of masonry at the distance of few hundred
yards, Gilmore taught the world that Ameri-
can gums could do it at nearl y three miles.
Who ever before heard of first class fortii-
cation being destroyed over the head ofinter.
mediate works, two miles removed from it p
Aud wherever do we find city bombarded
from battery that was five miles distant?
This was the first operation in modern times,
on land, where guns of heavier calibre than
the one hundred FOUNDER we're used to any
extent. It introduced the two hundred and
three hundred-pounder rife never before
used in siege operations, and demonstrated
their great superiority over every other arm
in use. 1t was all that was required to make
the United States the first nation in the world
in all things that pertain to the art of war.
That part Of the operations devoted to Sum-
ter opened new chapter in military engineer
ing. Hitherto batteries to breach walls of
masonry had seldom, if ever, been erected one
mile from the place to be battered down, and
gun that carried projectile that weighed
sixty.four pounds was the heaviest metal used.
In the days of Vaubsn, in his time the first
military engineer in the world, and almost the
father of the present system of permanent for
tifcations, as we'll as the system of attack and
defence of fortified places, it was laid down as
rule that the first parallel should not be
opened at q greater distance than six hundred
yards from the salient angle of the covered
way. With him it was customary to estab-
lish preaching batteries on the glacie. Gen.
Gilmore overturned the theories and practice
of the schools, and set at naught the teachings
of the oldest masters. He erected his breach
ing batteries miles away from the point of at
tack, and under the most favorable circum-
stances did not wish to approach nearer than
mile before be let the enemy feel the weight
of his metal. He looked upon the old forty
twos and sixty.fours as discarded engines of
war, fit to be laid up as "bruised monuments" !"
but no longer to figure in wars active opera
tions. He chose instead the new projectiles Of
Parrot, and hurled at this proud fortress of
the sea shot and shell that weighed two and
three hundred pounds each. His operations
astonished both friend and foe. Then again,
Wagner was approached over ground much
less in width than the front of the work, thing
very unusual, if not almost entirely unknown.
A narrow sand ridge, bounded on each side
by the sea, and only few hundred feet across
in its widest part, was all the space to develop
the trenches and parallels. There was anoth-
er pecuiarity in these operations; the COM
municat tions of both parties we're open to the
rear, and could not be interfered with. When
I rue nisrUry WIT COMES 20 D6 Wf1tCeE
Gen. Gilmore will be pronounced its foremost
engineer, and his operations on Morris Island
considered one of its most creditable perfor-
mances.
After the failure of the attack Oh Fort Sum-
ter. in April, the government determined to
place Brigadier. General Quincy A. Gilmore
in charge of the operations about to be re-
newed against the defences before Charleston.
At the time he was at the head of division
in the field in Kentucky. He was called to
Washington. After listening to the views of
the administration and fully understanding
their wishes, he agreed to accomplish three
things, if placed in command of the land ope-
rations, viz Possess and hold the south end
of Morris Island, reduce Fort Wagner and de-
stroy Sumter for offensive purposes. The
secretary of the navy gave him to understand
that if these things we're accomplished, the
iron.clads would 60 in and finish what re.
mained to be done in the capture of Charles
ton.
Gen. Gilmore reached Hilton Head on the
18th of June, 1868, at which time we had a
small force on Folly Island, holding it as
base of future operations The general i'm.
mediately proceeded thither to examine the
situation. From the jungles on the north end
of the island he looked across the inlet on to
the sand hills of Morris, crowded with rebel
guns. From where he stood Sumter was in
plain view. He saw everything with the eye
of practical engineer, and decided at a glance
where to erect his batteries, and the use he
would make of them. Necessity compelled
their erection within few hundred yards Of
vigilant enemy discovery would defeat the
enterprise. The engineers we're Immediately
set to work, and dense thicket served to con-
ceal our operations. The laborers, materials,
guns, and, in fact, everything used in con.
structing the batteries we're taken to the front
at night The greater part of the work was
done under fire, for the enemy suspected we
had force at the head of the island, and they
sheled it continually. Troops were landed
under cover of the darkness, and before the
morning dawned they were concealed in the
timber and bushes, 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
we're doing.
In twenty days the batteries were finished,
mounting forty eight guns and mortars, with
all the appliances of bomb-proofs, magazines,
&C., and each piece supplied with two hun.
dred rounds of ammunition. So well had all
our movements been concealed from the enc.
my that he did not dream of the existence of
our batteries until they opened fire upon him.
The assault was made on Morris Island the
morning of the 10th of July. 1t was com.
biped attack of infantry in boats consisting
of Gen. Strongs Brigade, and heavy can
nonade from our batteries. The infantry en-
barked during the night of the 9th in Folly
river, and at daylight in the morning lay in
Lighthouse Inlet, off the southwestern point
of the island. Gen. Seymour came into the
batteries just before daylight, impatient for
the bombardment to open. The night before