The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-08-24

the secret of the great resisting power of
this work. A navy shell that looked as big
as barrel would strike the bomb-proof
traverse fairly, scattering the sand in all
directions, and then be DETECTED without
doing very much damage. The minute grains
| of sand would not be scattered far, owing to
their small mass and the resistance of the
| air, and would fall not very far from their
original positions. Theslight furrow made by
the first shot would be filled up by the next,
and as scarcely any penetrated deeper the
destructive value of their explosions was
ENTIRELY LOST.
Had single shot reached the timbers of
the bomb-proof out would have come the
garrison, and Wagner would have been un-
tenable. Finding that the navy fire was so
| accurate, and the head of the sap so safe
| during its continuance, l got four colored
soldiers, and with their assistance proceeded
to drive the sap ahead.
To my qualification / succeeded in turn
| ing very difficult angle and gained IL
yards on the new return. Making such
good progress l went back for stronger de-
tail, and to my surprise, the navy fire hav-
| ing ceased for some time, found that the
guards of the trenches had not been returned
| to their positions; so that we five men had
been working quite unconcernedly for
some time without having any of our own
troops within supporting distance, thus
| illustrating not the folly of wisdom but the
| ignorance of bliss. But what an oppor-
tunity the enemy lost in this instance, for
| they might have regained, at no cost what
| ever, the greatest advantage.
Just at dusk we again had a repetition of
the severe artillery fire on the head Of the
sap, and at noon of this day the leading sap
per cut into the decayed bodies of our COM
rades that fell on the assault of the 18th of
July, and which had been buried by the
rebels in great pits on the glacis of the fort.
| Under such circumstances it is no wonder
that the story of this siege is of the most
heroic type. But the last day of this strug-
| gle had come. At about IL o'clock on the
night of the 9th Walker was pushing a
| branch of the sap towards the ditch and /
was driving the other along the sea-faee,
| hoping that our troops would bag the enemy
| early on the morrow; and, if / remember
| correctly, some one of our brave fellows, sus-
| pecting that an evacuation was in progress,
had made his way across the ditch and
| scaled the sea-face of the work. To make
| certain of his assertion Walker and eau
| tiously followed, pulling from the counter
scarp couple of the pixies that were planted
as obstacles against an escalade, and in q few
minutes we were in
POSSESSION OF THE FORT
for which so much had been sacrificed. It
had been evacuated by the enemy but
short time. In passing through the sally
port / noticed rather lifelike looking
corpse, which a prod from my pike de-
veloped into a rather lively rebei-the last
of the garrison of Fort Wagner. 1t was
with grateful appreciation of our informa-
tion that Gen. Gilmore greeted me as /
awakened him from a sound slumber at
Headquarters at 2 a. N. on the 7tb, with the
gratifying news of our final success
l have Intentionally made no reference to
the pre-eminent services of the artillery, for
/ could not even begin to do justice to its
merits in a paper of this character. They
were Of the highest professional and techni-
cal value. To no single period of the war is
the artillery more indebted for its subsequent
advancement, and to no single individual
more than TO that modest, brave and ac-
complished officer, Gen. John W. Turner,
Chief OF Artillerists.
And therefore l sincerely hope that some
one of our comrades will give us a mono
graph on this particular subject at some
future meeting, in which the distinguished
services Of the Sd r. l. II. A., the 7th Conn,
the 11th Me-, and the 18th n. Y. as artil-
lerists may be distinctly recognized and
properly commended. Daily association
with such men as Hamilton, Langdon Henry,
and Wilson, of the Regulars; Brayton,
Strahan, Comstock, Shaw, Colwell, Holbrook,
Greene, Gray, Skinner, Atwell, Sellmer,
Wiley, Ashcroft, and Birchmire, of the vol
unteers, could not fail to impress US with
their professional skill, their superb bearing
in action and their heroic devotion TO duty
under the most trying circumstances. The
renewal of these old associations in such
gatherings as these revives our early adj
miration of their gallant conduct in trying
times and keeps alive our
EVERLASTING GRATITUDE.
Shortly after the war when / heard the
statement made that its true history could
not be written for 25 years / did not believe
it. now acknowledge that / was in error.
The Official Records of the Union and Con-
federate armies, now in process of publica-
ton and nearly completed, supply us with
authentic documents which iIlumine the
story of every contest in all the vast field of
operations
And besides, of at least equal importance,
we are rapidly passing away from the era of
prejudice and unreasonable hero-worship,
and coming more and more to recognize the
larger stature of the true American soldier
in respect to his native intelligence, his un-
selfish devotion and his unhinching patriot
ism in the service of his country. For these
reasons we are better able now to investigate
the conduct Of operations and to estimate
their results at their true value
Such consideration Of the operations on
the South Carolina coast after the event
naturally leads US to inquire whether the
game was worth the candle. The history of
these operations is full of the noblest ex-
amples of heroism, skill, bravery, pluck and
endurance on both sides. After the most
stubborn resistance our opponent yielded
the ground only inch by inch, and we gained
at the cost Of immense sacrifice miserable
strip of sand, but from which we We're en-
abled TO reduce the only permanent work in
the harbor of Charleston, and gained, practi-
cally, nothing else UnquesiionabIy, grave
mistakes were made On both sides.
The Coniederates confess that their
MOST SERIOUS BLUNDER
was the abandonment of Coles Island, at
the mouth of the Stono. This opened the
way for us 10 advance either by James Or
by Morris Island. Greatly to their satisfac-
ton, we chose the latter route. VITA the
magnificent troops that displayed such gal
lantry in the assaults on Morris Island, what