The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-12-19
MONROE COUNTY oHIo TUESDAY, DECEMBER 49,

lion, each one able to hurl its missile in
to the fort These gans we're backed
BY more than division of infantry, and
there lay Admiral DahIgren's feet, of six
iron-clads, with their terrible guns.
The garrison of Fort Wagner consis-
ted of l,400 men, with heavy guns, a
battery of light artillery, and bomb
proofs enough to shelter the entire gar
rison.
OPENING TIE FIGHT.
Soon after noon on the 18th, the sea
being smooth and the day perfect, the
iron clads moved forward and took po-
sltioDs about seven-eighths of mile
from the beach and opened on Wagner
1t was believed by both Dahlgreen and
Gilmore that the iron-clads could knock
Wagner to pieces before sundovn, and
THAT nothing would be left for the Fed.
eral infantry except to hurry the dead
This was the Admiral's first wrestle with
q sand fort. He was to gain some val
uab'e experience.
ON BOARD THE FLEET.
Each iron.clad vent right to business
as soon as getting into position, using
shell alone. Wagner was fair targe
at easy range, and before the feet har
been engaged half an hour prediction.
were made that the fort would surrende
within two hours The firing was steady
and regular, one great shell after ano,he
screaming over the water to bury itsel
in the parapet and gil the air With cloud
OF dust.
ON THE ISLAND.
Gilmore's fifty guns opened fire a
soon as the fleet was stationed, and thre
Of the four faces of Wagner were swep
bv fercer fire than was bestowed upol
any other fort during the war. Th
screaming and shrieking of missile
were deafening. and every foot Of Nor
ris Island kept up constant trembl
under the concussions.
IN FORT WAGNER.
1t was we'll understood in the fort tha
the bombardment would be followed b.
an assault. 1t was wise policy, there
fore, that sent all the infantry and mos
Of the gunners into the bomb-procf
within FIVE minutes after the fight open
ed. Only three guns we're manned, ant
these were ordered to fire only at inter
walls of four or Eve minutes, more t.
prove that the fort was not deserted
than from any expectation Of infictinl
any harm on the enemy.
Fort Wagner would not have beel
built Of sand had other material been a
haad. 1t was not built for any thin.
more than battery to mount three o
four guns. which should have the rang
OF vessels coming into the hsrhor.
received half q dozen shots during th
first Federal bombardment OF Sumter
and the Confederates were quite pleased
TO find that it was not plo~ed down oil
aiesel with the island. When it wa
found that Gilmore wanted to get neare
Sumter and Charleston by occupying
Morris Island Wagner had to b.
strengthened to oppose him, and agar
there was no material at hand save sane
aud few timbers These we're used q
a matter of dire necessity, and withou
a thought that the events Of the mex
fortnight would upset the theories of /,
600 years of war.
There is not to-day a sea-coast fort il
the world, no matter how massive no
what its cost, which can stand a bonn
hardment with ssnd-fort thrown up j,
twenty -four hours nv regiment of sol
diers The American war tried forts a
they had never been tried before, and
while the hig guns Of the iron-clad
could pulver za brick and strne to pow
der, they could scarcely defsce the wall
OF sand.
When the bomhardment bad laste
four hours it vas believed both by th
feet and land forces that Fort Wagne
had been dism antlrd and deserted, an
that its garrison had heen driven to tax
refuge behind the sand-heaps outside
From the moment the first she'll hs
struck, the spot had heen half-hidden b
a cIond of dust, and the only sign of lii
was the occasional firing of gun, whic
seemed more like signal Of dietres
than token Of defianc,. Atfour o'cloc
in the afternoon, had the iron-clad
hauled of, Gilmore would have move
to the assault.
THE GARRISON.
While men who we're among the gal
rison of Fort Wagner on that day agre
that it was the most terrible fire the
ever experienced, human life inside th
works was as safe as on board one @
the monitors. The bomb.proois wei
crowded, hut there was no danger. tn
sand walls could have been leveled do vi
and yet the men in the dark holes unde
ground would have been perfectly saf'
Great shells from the mortars descend
ed inside the fort with thud which jal
red the ground for yards around, an
exploded with sound which made on
think that the sandy island was bein
river, but it was waste Of powder
During the worst of the bombardmer
not more than dozen men were le
outside the homb-proofs. These she
tered themselves to watch and note pre-
ceedings, and they witnessed the fu
,errors nf concentrated fire from sver
ty-five guns and mortars.
THE BIG SHELLS.
| Gi!mnre's land artillery co1ld not hav
inflicted scar on the fort, and his fir
would not have necessarily driven
single man to shelter, but the shells froI
the big fifteen-inc guns on the iror
caas we're filed with destruction. The
we're driven with force which ser
them into the parapet distance OF eigt
or ten feet, and when they exploded
seemed as if the whole island lifted u
self up foot or two. One who hi
not seen the awful work OF these gre,
shells can form no idea OF their powt
for destruction. In one spot, where I'll
fire seemed to he concentrated for ha
an hour, at least thousand tons Of san
we're moved a distance of fifty feet Til
bursting of a single shell would lift thre
or four tons OF sand and hurl the clou
all over the fort. There we're a dos
places where the mOat was filed up vi
, ill on level with the crest Of the pa:
, pet.
More or less timber had been use