The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-12-19

struck ten times minute for eighthours,
and as the sun went down the Federals
were justified in believing that body
of infantry could occupy the works with.
out resistance.
WAITING.
As the boom Of the last gun from the
feet died away orders were given in Fort
Wagner which brought over 1000 men
from their graves. as it were. Cocped /
up for seven or eight hours in the foul
smelling bomb-proofs. the men were
only too glad to get out and face the
coming danger. Only two of the guns
had been 'lismounred, and the others
were speedily manned, the garrison post
ed, and then they waited. That bonn
bardment meant an assault by infantry,
but Gilmore was to gain another painful
experience.
THE ADVANCE.
1t was growing dark when the Federal
column Of assault formed on the beach
in plain sight of Wagner, Sumpter and
other Confederate works. 1t consisted
of the Ninth Maine, Third New Hamp.
shire, Sixth Connecticut, Seventy. sixth
Pennsylvania, Fortv-eighth New York
and Fifty fourth Massachusetts. Tue
last was colored regiment, and was
led bg Colonel Shaw. Il had heard the
whistle of bullets only once Indeed.
there was not asingle regiment in the
column which could be depended on, as
only q few men had been under fire
Why the colored troops should have led,
when it might be fairly doubted it they
would follow, is question to be settled
along with Burnslde's blunder at the
Petersburg crater. The moment the
column moved out It was under fire from
Cummings Point, Fort Sumter. Wagner
and the Redan, and before it had march.
ed fifty yards it was known that Wag-
ner was alive to the situation and pre-
pared to receive them.
TIE ASSAULT.
As soon as within musket-range OF
! Wagner the assaulting column made .
rush which carried it fairly mp to the
works Had there been no bombardment
they would have stood better show of
success. They found themselves tum-
bling into deep pits, falling over sand
ridges, and utterly confused bv the work
of the shells The moat was full of
water at one point and filed with sand
at another, and the parapets we're simply
hanks full OF caverns. The lines Of for.
nation we're broken up, the darkness
was confusing. and in ten minutes those
able to withdraw made hasty retreat
It wae the most foolhardv assault OF the
war There was no show whatever, no
matter what bravery was exhibited. and
the confusion was added to by the action
of the colored troops. They no sooner
cav what sort OF trap they were in
than dozsns Of them shouted ont: "Hold
on! Don't shoot-I surrender" Twelve
hundred Confederates, cool and fresh
and safely protected, had only to fire
awav at brigade OF Federals, broken.
confused and tnmbling over each other
That brigade did not stand there "for
nearly half an hour" as stated by Fed
eral historians. 1t did not stay there
twelve minutes. Ten minutes more of
the murderous fire would not have left a
man alive.
BLUNDER.
Gilmore had excuses for his first as
sault, but, in the face OF the terrible re-
pulse and the statements of survivors
that the fort was intact and full of men,
the second assault was a slaughtering
hIunder for which history should hold
him responsible.
The second column was composed Of
the Sixty.second Ohio. Seventh New
Hampshire, Sixty-seventh Ohio AMI One
Hundredth New York. This column
. began to stumble over the deaf hodies
of Federsls before it had traversed half
the distance to the fort, and was like
wise subject to such front and emilia.
ding Fl as to almost disorgsniza t.
Sheer pluck carried it through to the
fort, and d desperation held it there twen-
. ty.fve minutes to ba decinated. 1t
stood no more show to capture Wagner
than one barge.load Of men would have
stood to capture Sumter, bnt even
, though every man fully realized this ev-
cry company stood square up to its
work and every man died like hero.-
AT one moment, desperate and deter
mined, over half OF that brigade swept
into the fort, hut in five minntes they
| at
they took up the fight from the parapet
When the retreA was sounded a third
of the brigade was wounded. Gilmore's
mistake wet the parapets OF Wagner
with blood. His blu,der' left the dead
: and mangled in such heaps that the
hravest veterans we're appalled,.
: NJ. QuAD.
The charge was not blunder. Not,
withstanding the terrible FIRE from the
forts and batteries, and force in Wag-
ner, the Seconi Btiga lie occlpie the
fort and hell it for half an hour. The
Division in reserve. comm IN led by Gen
STEVENSON, of Massaciusetts, faile to
,, advance to the support of the assaultine
column, which was the cause of the fail.
ure to hold the capture work. Had the
reserve csme up promptly there woulf
not have been anv further annovanct
from Fort Wagner after Jaly Is. 1853
The writer was a member of the 81
Ohio Regiment aud was wounded wher
about thirty yards from the fort While
going to the rear we met Gen. STEVEN
SON and urged him to go to ths aid oI
/ the men at the fort, but be simply re-
marked that be had not received any or
der from Gen. GILMORE to move his D..
vision and should not do so until he hsd
> received such an orler. Hs never did
f advance, and the brave boys at the for
stood their ground until driven back BY
double their nunher. Inch By inch they
! contested the ground down the beacl
D until they reached the batteries whicl
: opened on the victorious Confederate
i. and compelled them to retire. The as
saulting column numbered about 500
4 mon of which fully 700 were killet