The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-28
&.4ssAuL + ON Ba1rEnY IA aS1,,s.

Il HfF i
i How tho Seventh Connecticut Regiment
was Rostr3 n Fight a La Jomi,,i- The
4 Seventh, south Carollna Battali on. s strate-
i sy Against Numbers.
X GCol. Jas. III Ron IN tho Weetly iVe,cs.
4, Allow motto suggest TINT there are
many who took part in our latc war,
who could contribute very interesting
nlatter to your columns, ifinstcud VI
restricting themselves to tho detailed
history OF brigade or regiments or
tho full account Of q campaign or bat
tie. they would allow themselves to
indulge in
INCIDENT WRITING.
| hmoaO many who could recount
some worry interesting incidents of the
war, that would perhaps not occupy
one-tourlh of ono of your columns !;
but do not do so, because they think it
would not come. up to the dignity of
one of the more lengthy and apparent
ly complete narratives that are con-
tributcd TO your paper. But it is the
brief, pointed incident that renders
history Interesting and instructive. |
hope that my suggestion may lead to
some contributions which will furnish
valuablc materials for the future his
torian. But now for
| MY INCIDENT.
| On tho morning of July 10, 1868,
tho enemy effected q landing on tho
southern end Of Morris Island. They
were opposed by field artillery in
inconsidcrable earth works, manned
by two companies of our Regulars.
AS soon as practicable four companies
OF tho Seventh South Carolina Bat
TALON were sent to the island and
marched at once to meet the attack
Soon after three more companies Of the
same command followed, one company
having boon left in charge Of the bat
tories at Church Flats.
The battalion, after q desperate fight
against great odds, had to fall back ,
having lost heavily in killed, wounded
and captured. They stopped at Bat
terry Wagner, where l shortly after
Joined them, haying been on detached
service.
When I reached the battery, every
thing seemed in desperate plight.
The attack had been q surprise, and
our small force there had been badly
used up. The battalion and artillery
manned the works us ostculatiouslv as
their numbers would permit, and VIC
were pounded all day by the ironclads
and gunboats.
ONLY LITTLE DASH
OH the part of tho Union army would
have given them the whole island. All
they had to do was to press on with
even onc-half the troops they had land.
ed. In my opinion appearances did
not justify their excess Of prudence.
Fortunately, however, 1t saved us.
at dark, Coils. Graham, Yates and
Nelson consulted together. Al agreed
that the battery would be assaulted
that il would he taken unless rciif,rcc-
mcnts arrived, or luck again juTorcd
us.
carried out all Of the battalion who
were iii for duty. | assured Col. Gra-
ham that ! would hold the enemy in
check as long as practicable, and would
fall back into the battery by way of
the south sallyport, and begged linn to
sec that wc were not free. upon BY
our own men when returning.
My determination was to mako
! FIGHT a LA JOM1NI,
as advised by him in his Art of War
when a hasty retreat from superior
force becomes necessary. will here
state that during the night we were
I,GQml0rtcd by Col. Yates sending a
thh"ss"go to tho following effect: sAYo
have been reinforced, the battery is
full Of Gcorgians; all ! wait is for
L, you TO hold them back long enough
for me to change my solid shot for
grape"
| THREE DISTINCT YOLLEYS,
Col Charles II. Olmstcad, of the
First Georgia Regiment, giving an
account of the assault, (Vol. NI.,
Southern Historical Papers, y. l22, J
says: 'At the first peep Of dawn, on
the lith, We were wakcncd by q few
StragS ling shots in our front, followed
Dy ringing cheer and three distinct
Voilcys Of muskctry from the picket
line. Tho anticipated assault was
upon lis. In an instant the garrison
was aroused, and as tho men had slept
in position they had only to spring to
their feet and wo were ready. Now
we could sec our pickc,s, their duty
having been faithfully performed, re-
tlrlng rapidly towards our right, in
accordance with the Instructions they
had received, so as TO uncover the ad
vanciny columns Of the enemy"
10 Il civilian this paragraph appears
to contain nothing unusual but every
old soldier must be struck with tho
strange circumstance Of pich,et liut
firing MStinct rOUcyS. But Col. Ohm
stead is correct. | had tried ,JoDin,
on the Fcdcrals. Notice diagram: