Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-03
GILLM0RE'S SWAMP ANGEL
THE GUN THAT POURED SCREECH-
ING MISSILES INTO CHARLESTON.

ING MISSILES INTO CHARLESTON.
The First Messenger from tho MASKED
Battery In the Marsh-Accuracy of the
Gunners-Incidents of the Ca1-osaGing.
A Fuse Shell.
There are good many people in Craris1
! ton, who had an intimate but somewhat I'm
pleasant acquaintance with the Swamp
Angel One calm night in August, 1868, a
strange noise was heard in the air 1t was a
noise that some people had become familiar
with, but one that to the women and chill
dren in Charleston was entirely unknown.
Some people compared it to the blast OF the
last trump, others to the howl Of the hyena,
! and others to the concentrated noise OF TO-
COO locomotives rushing through tunnel in
the air and condensed into q scream of tho
most narrowing intensity.
1t was the first Swamp Angel messenger
sent into Charleston by the late Gen. Gill
more The watchman at st. Michael's
steeele sounded the alarm, and the fremen
and other people hurried out In haste. The
shell came from masked battery, which
Gen Gilmore had erected in the marsh at tho
extreme south end of Morris Island, and on
the southern borders of the creek which sepa-
rates Morris from Folly Island. In q straight
line it was over five miles distant from the
city. The battery had been constructed I'M
der the greatest difficulties, and in what was
considered an impossible place. The idea OF
a gun throwing projectile distance OF five
miles had not at that time penetrated the
minds of the average public, and the arrival
of the first messenger from the Swamp Angel
was as unexpected as it was unpleasant
The battery was the famous Swamp Angel
It consisted of single Sinch Parrott rife
mounted in the marsh and surrounded by an
earthwork Of circular shape. It burst at
the thirty-sixth round, and that was the end
of the Swamp Angel proper. After this the
bombardment was directed from the bat
teries on Morris Island 1t IS said that the
elevation of the guns was SO great that they
could only be used to fire half dozen times,
and as a matter of fact the people who re-
manned here during the bOmbardment be-
came so accustomed to the sound that they
could tell by the sound when gun had
burst.
Gen Gillmore's gunners soon attained
wonderful accuracy in firing their guns It
was said that the Swamp Angel shells were
loaded with "Greek fire, bat this was never
verified. Fires frequently occurred, and tho
aremen always promptly turned out taking
the chances Of the shells. A fire at night in
variably awoke theSwamp Angel to renewed
activity. The shells were sent in generally
at an average rate of one every fifteen or
twenty minutes Occasionally when a gun
would burst there would be a suspension Of
operations at the Swamp Angel end Of the
line, sometimes for several days. This in
variably followed fire in the city. The light
from the blaze would give the gunners at the
Swamp Angel good mark, and they would
fire more rapidly, which probably cost them
several guns, and then the people Of Charles
ton would have a rest until tho burst guns
were replaced.
The accuracy which the Swamp Angel gun
ners attained was remarkable. On one occa-
sion the buildings on Browns wharf were
fred during tho day. The fire department
was promptly on the spot and set to work to
extinguish the flames. The building was on
the water front, and the dense columns Of
smoke offered a splendid target to Gen. Gill
more's marksrnen. There are perhaps a
dozen men in Charleston today who will re-
call the incident and who will testify to the
fact that during the progress Of that fire at
least three shells were thrown into the burn
ing building The accuracy with which the
Swamp Angel guns were fred. in fact, gave
color to the statement subsequently made that
the gunners Intentionally refrained from fir-
ing at St Miohaal's steepie, which was never /
hit during the entire two years Of the bonn
bardment.
Percussion shells were used by the Swamp
Angel gunners for over . year. During this
time the people of Charleston had abundant
time to study the peculiarities of the percus-
sion PARROT she'll The shell, Of coursa.
could only be exploded when it came In con.
tact with hard surface, and was, therefore,
only dangerous under these conditions In
nine cases out of ten q percussion shell that
struck a wooden building simply buried
itself in the earth and remained there Tho
only danger TO life or limb, therefore, was in
being struck by the shell on it passage, and
most people soon learned TO avoid thia
In 1854 there was . startling change in tho
condition Of things. By this time those who
were compelled to remain In the city had
become used to the Swamp Angel Up
70 this time not more than two or threa
,eopie had bean killed. Notwithstanding tho
act that fully Eve :houaAnd bad been almost
constantly andAr 6rs, to say nothing Ok tie
exposure Of the frernen, Who. besides doing
military duty g. night along the water front,
we're called upon frequently 70 subdze The
James in the shelled district On tie night
II Sept Q. 1854. building was fired in the
over wards The alarm was sounded. and
n I've minutes toe engines were on their way
o the scene Of the conhasratioa
The boon, Of tbs alarm bell and tie bright
.iars OF the fire invariably caused The
swamp Angels TO wake up and r-doohls
heir attentions to the doomed city An
ngtue. the Phoenix, vas On its way TO Tie
ire. dragged by dozen or moro men n
iayne street an obstacle Vas met a mes-
enger from the Swamp Angel plunged into
he earth directly in front Of tbe men, and
baking hole six feet wide and a. many fees
sep, buried Itself IN tie ground A halt do
En- men were precipitated into tho cxcava-
ION. and tie engine. '-QA BaE.11-s fniaoHa