The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-01-10

growing in. ide the fort. intend to pay visit
shortly to Lookout Mountain and Mission
of those battleields. j. L. RANDLE.
LONDON, Tenn.
A MEMORABLE CHARGE.
An Ohio CoIoneI's "reminiscences Of the Assault
on Fort Wagner.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Sitting ON sand-hill to-day, in the South
Loup Valley, of Nebraska, and looking for
game, with field-glass in my hand there
looms up before me q mirage of Charleston
harbor = Forts Sumter, Moultrie, Wagner,
Gregg, Castle PinckRey, Battery B, and the
gunboats. / fancy / can hear the booming of
the cannon, the screeching of the shell, and
the whistling of the grape and canister, as dis
tinctly as twenty years ago. For ! was at the
siege of Morris Island, in the summer of 1863
as a member of that famous Western brigade
consisting of the S5th Pennsylvania, 18th Illi-
nois, ed and 9th o. V. |. My regiment 1.-THE
9th o. v. l. did not take part in the charge
OF July II, and | shall confine my reminis-
cences to the attack of a week later, when the
brigade was composed as follows Tooth New
York, Colonel Dandy; 4th New Hampshire,
Colonel Putnam, commanding brigade; 62d o.
" J., Iieutenant-C Colonel Steele; 9th o. Y. l.,
Colonel A. G. Voris.
The organization of the other brigade which
took part in the charge if my memory serves
me, was as follows: 54th Massachusetts (col-
oredl 9th and 18th Connecticut, 46th New York,
Sd New Hampshire, 10th Pennsylvania and
9th Maine.
The description Of the cl.crge, given by the
Confederate General Taiaferro and published
in The TRIBUNE, is in the main, correct as to
the desperate characterize the work before US,
but the general was not cognizant of all that
was transpiring on the other side. I quote
i Il
dated Morris Island, July 81, 1863:
1t is impossible to conceive of anything more ter
rife than the fire sustained by regiment in
marching TO the fort, and, although we started sew
apet. closely followed by the cd o. V. l. Amid
the confusion oecasioned by other regiments break
ing and running back through our ranks, the eth,
If impelied forward by the uncomfortable
spirit which ii has shown upon every battle
field heretofore never wayered for moment; yet
our ranks were rapidly thnned by the showers of
! grape and canister. With fixed bayonets, steady
nerves and cool hearts we moved on as though our
/ destiny was ever forward and onward.
| / well remember the charge Of Captain Ryon
and the fate that befell him, for IN the rebound
! ] was carried into the main body of the enemy
/ in the fort, and my identity being disclosed,
| three members of the 5lst North Carolina raised
! their muskets to shoot me. Fortunately, every
! gun missed fire, aud / slipped into the second
/ entrance to the bomb-proof, and along the sec
ond traverse 10 the sea front and thence along
| the paTapet to the southeast bastion, where
met Colonel Putnam, my brigade commander,
! just coming into the fort ! briefly explain
ed TO him the situation as we both stood
Oh the parapet. He turned to me and said :
| Major, we had better get out of this" These
were the last words he ever spoke. he was shot
dead on the parapet. Calling Lieutenant Cate,
of his stat, l told him TO get the colonel OF If
possible but as the latter stopped down to ex-
anime him, he was also shot dead and fell
across his body. brief inquiry revealed the
fact that was the only field-officer in the fort,
and / at once took what command it was posi-
bic to take under the circumstances. i first
ordered all colors sent out of the fort, and di-
| rected Captain Taylor, of the gid o. Y. l., to
take charge of whatever troops he could at the
| entrance of the bastion, to prevent repetition
of Ryon's charge. then sent Lieutenant
| Coehrane Of the 9th o. v. T., with mes
sage to General Gilmore, requesting him to
send another brigade to our support, and the
message was faithfully delivered, but General
Gilmore did not approve, and next called for
volunteers to creep along the glacis and silence
| the guns that were enflading the ditch sur
! rounding the southeast bastion. This move
! 1nent was partially successful OF these vol
| unteers one, | remember, was a colored SER
| geant of the 54th Massachusetts, and another
Sergeant Miner, of the 9th O. Y. /. Both
j came away wounded.
/ again quote from my letter Of same date:
After keeping up the unequal contest for two
hours and half, during which time we were COM
PEELED to act the defensive found il impossible
to advance any farther in the fort with the small
force at my command. the fire upon us being very
destructive. and having held the fort double the
length of time which would be required TO move q
| brigade-wheh knew to be lying in line just out
of range-to our support in order to many
o. our lives possible, reluctantly gave the or
der 10 retire.
/ directed Captain Cowan, of the 4sth New
fr1fra4 ct nd oil
wounded and all who would go TO the rear,
while / remained on the traverse with the men
that Were firing. He came back in about twenty
minutes. and said he had got all out that would
/ or could go. We then relieved the men, and left
the fort together, and all who remained there
did SO after they were notified that we were
prepared to eyacuate. Thus ended as severe a
contest as was ever waged upon the parapets
Of any fort IN any war. With heavy hearts for
the loss of cur brave companions we marched
cut, after holding a portion of the fort two
hours aud half
General Taliaferro is also mistaken in saying
:" that none got away that got into the fort''
Referring TO my letter again, | see that among
the officers Of my own regiment who entered
the fort and got safely out again were Captain
Hunt, Captain Girty, Lieutenant Cochrane
Lieutenant Briggs. Lieutenant Ward, Lieuten-
ant Emerson, Lieutenant Bell, and Lieutenant
kief. AS for other officers remember only the
services OF Ist9laln ldyl0r, OIL the I'D ONO, who
was afterwards killed in front of Richmond, and
Captain Cowan, of the 4Sth New York Per.
haps there were others who did equally as
well whose names have escaped my memory al
this date. / do not wish to dispute the claims
of any regiment TO their share of the glory oil
that charge tif there was any III it,, although al
the time it was believed that there were more
men and officers IN that fort from the two Ohio
regiments than from any other regiments that
participated in that charge. The roll-call Of
my regiment after the charge, disclosed The
fact that out Of 24l men and officers who parti
cipated in the charge 126 were dead, wounded
and missing. The question as to what regi
nent the men belonged to who were captured in
the fort is answered by the rosters OF the regi
ments engaged. As General Taliaferro has
been pleased To compliment the courage of the
assailing party, it is but just that / notice q
special order Of General p I. Beaureeard. un
der date Of July q, 1863, (if / am correct as e
, date,) directing that special care be taken o.
the wounded captured at Wagner, as men who
were brave enough to go in there, deserved The
respect of their enemies. Another act O.
: courtesy: The effects, money and papers, be
longing 10 members Of the 9th regiment @. "
l., who died in Charleston hospital, were sent
through tie lines by flag of truce. | should like
to hear from some of the officers of the 1otI
corps who We're IN the fort on that menlorabl,
night.
LEWIS BUTLER,
Major 67th O. Wv. j. and Col. 1924 @. ". !
SOUTH LouP VALLEY, NEB.
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