The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-01-21
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
FORT WAGNER.
"CzrIeton's, Account of the Assault Sharply
Criticised.

To THE EDITOR: In your valuable paper Of
Oct. y there appears chapter OF " CaTletons
history, which treats Of the assault on Fort
Wagner. July i, 1853. IN il he says: 81 am
writing history; but if that is MS purpose
many OF his statements Should rot so uEchal-
lengci. aud trust that you will rs ever before,
lend your columns fer the purpose
Carleton" says: " Soulh OF Folly Island was
Stone River running up TO Charleston This
is incorrect rs a glance at the map will satisfy
anyone. OF Fort Wagner it IS stated that it
"stood on one OF the highest sand hills"
Incorrect also, as is well known: tie high
hills falling into low ground 1000 yards
south of the work. Relating the operations OF
.Lnly "Carleton" says: The ironclads opened
fire then came the boom OF IeTry's guns, etc.
Terry had no guns en- tia: date, nor for several
days after. Further along find written
"South OF Wagner $50 yards, when n GIT comes,
the soldiers laying aside their gums and KNAPP
sacks, begin with shovcls." Not so again; the
line thrown up was about 1850 yards south of
Wagner Alain: The fort reaches from the
sandy shore OF The Atlantic across the island TO
the green marshes OF Folly River" In fact. its
boundary on the west WAS Ninccnts Creek.
carleton" is again Ont liz his topography sew
eral miles The statement is made pending
the assault Of July Is: The Confederate sen
tincis send word that the Union troops are adj
vancing, when they had no sentinelS, did not
require any, and every man by looking over
the work could see the column OF assault.
Carleton states as the garrison Of Wagner
July Is, 1890 of them waiting for the assault,
when We have TIE authority OF its commander
for placing the Number at about LOO. Giving
the column Of assault as composed byTcgImentS,
the 1th Conn. hattery Is mentioned, when IL
served guns that day and was not engaged.
Still further Ola it Is stated: The BIS. Ga. had
been sent in hot haste TO Wagner Nc; So Ii
was the SD Ga. Further, he says: Co.'s. Chat
cid md loft ia
field" Col. Cbatfe!l died in Connecticut, but
from wounds received at this assault. The
body Of Col. Putnam, beautiful in death, was
readily given up" Is another historical state
ment Of our writer. The body of Putnam was
not given up; another body was, but 1t proved
not to be his.
So much for the minor historical errors of
our writer. l do net care to attempt here to
prove my statements at the expense of brevity
in your valuable space, but shall be pleased to
do so at any time if required.
The maiu purpose Of my letter is to assert
the improbabilty OF the statements Carleton"
makes regarding the alleged effect OH the 9th
Bic, and 18th Pa. by reason of a supposititious
breaking of their ranks by retiring 54th men.
This statement is inconsistent with the situa-
ton and events as they occurred. Gems. Gill
more aud Seymour both give color to it in their
reports, but they certainly had no personal
knowledge of the matter, the former not being
at Tie 'front.', uelIneE the Ialter-SO lar can
learn ust when 1t must have occurred, if at
all. 1t could not have been seen if it occurred
for black man was not diStingusiable from
q white in the darkness. This assault is little
understood. There were three distinct assaults.
First that Of the 5ith alone; second, Of the
main body of Strong's Brigade; third, that of
Putnams Brigade. There was considerable
interval of time between each.
When the second assault was made the lead
ing regiment was the 9Th Conn, followed by
the 4Sth n. Y, beth gaining the southwest
bastion. Now, neither OF these regiments ever
complained of being broken by retiring troops,
yet the nature OF the ground was such that if
any regiment suffered from the demoralized
retirement Of the 5ith, the leading regiments
would have first felt it.
Granting, for example, that the supports of
the 5ith were close behind it,-which was not
the case,-had they reacted disadvantageously
on the supports it would not bavc been strange
nor unusual. The whole matter is thus summed
up in the review OF Gen. Gillmores book on
the operations made years ago: It is not usual
to say, IL preparing brief narrative of some
railway collision, that the Leading car was
thrown into state OF great disorder The
leading car takes the brunt of the shock pre-
cisely because it Is in that position and so does
tie lending regiment. How well the 54th bore
the test is recognized by its being apparently
included in the final admission that the be-
hayior OF the troops under the circumstances
was unexceptionable' Had Brig Gen
Strong lived to tell the story of that night, it
would have been stated less diplomatic2lly than
by aj.-Gen. Gilmore
Fortunately we do know what Gen. Strong
oid say OF tie 5ith TO one person. 1t vas this:
1.-THE 54th aid we'll and nohy; only the death
OF Col. Shaw prevented them from entering the
fort. They moved up as calamity as any
troops could, and with their enthusiasm they
deserved better fate" Strong further said TO
another person: Under cover of darkness
they bad st0rmed the fort, facing stream of
FIRE, Ealtering not until their ranks were broken
by shot ana shell, and in al these severe tests
which wOuld have tried even veteran troops
they fully met my expectations, for many of
them were killed, wounded or captured on the
walls Of the fort"
Prisoners and not casualties in that action
tel the story, and l make bold TO say that anv
regiment which had not men captured that
night were rot in close personal contact with
the enemy on the work. The story OF the
assault, when faithfully written, will bear me
out IN my assertion.
Ascertaining that there was no report of the
Saith relating to this assault on file in the War
Record Once, while In your city last December,
found the following report in the regimertai
books, and having called the attention Of Col.
Scott 10 its whereabouts, received the assurance
that it would appear in its proper place. 1t has
never before been published to my knowledge
aEu as IL VIII De long before IL appears IL the
Records, / crave its insertion IN your columns,
IS z matter Of war history.
HEADQUARTERS 5iTu Mass,
MORRIS ISLAND, 5. e., Nov. l. 1853. {
Eng: Gen. T. SEYMOUR, Commanding U. s. Forces
az Norris Island, 5. c.
GE.N-EAL: In answer 20 your request that /
furnish you with report of the part taken by
the 54;h Mass in the late assault upon Fort Wa;,-
ner, have 10 state:
During the afternoon Of the 18th of July last the
osih bis.s5-, Col! Y. @. Shaw commanding. landed
upon Morris Island and reported al about o clock
p M. 70 Brighten. G.. c. Strong. Col Shay COM
maEd present consisted of a Iieutenant-C Colonel of
the field. a Surgeon. Adjutant and Quartermaster
OF tie stat, eight Captains and eleven sulacrns
OF the line, and GO enlisted men.
Gen. strong presented himself to the regiment
and Informed the men OF the contemplated assault
upon Fort Wagner and asked them if they would
lead It, They answered in the affirmative. The
regiment was then formed in column by wing at q
point upon the beach short distance in the adj
vance OF the Beacon House. Col. r. @. Shaw com
nlanded tie right wing, and Licut.-Col. HaIowell
the left.
in this formation the dusk Of evening came on
the regiment advanced at qucl, time leading the
coluirn The enemy opened on q brisk fire, our
pace now gradually increasing till il became a run
Sooil canister and muskeIry began 10 tell upon us
WIN Col Shaw leading The assault was commenced
Exposed TO the direct lire Of canister and Inusatry
and, 2s tie raHparts mounted TO "A like fire on
OUR tanks, the havoc made IN our ranks was very
great.
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