The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-01-05
FORT WAGNER, S. C.
Serg't Carney Tells His Experience with
the Colors I'm the Charge.

SeESt SaTney leiS Ills AAPcisHfSo wan
the Colors in the Charge.
IN an article speaking of the charge on Fort
Wagner July H. 1863, S. c. Miller, Color.
Sergeant, Co. II, 10Th Pa, says he was
there on July IL, and also on the 18th,
carrying the colors of his regiment; which is
all right. Then, bo also says he does not want
| to rob Serg't Carney of his honors. [ would
like to ask the Sergeant how near he got to the
fort on the night of July Is; because shall tell
just how near got. While on the charge he
will remember that we came to the rife-pits,
where the pickets were stationed, outside the
fort, and just after crossing the rifie-pt found
the National colors of my regiment unguarded;
that is to say, that the Color-Sergeant had
fallen into the rifle-pit, aud as the regiment
rushed on was trampled over, so far as ! know.
must submit that there was no time for in
vestigation there at that time, and / did not
attempt an investigation, but seeing the colors,
/ grabbed them and rushed on with my regi-
ment; and although the Sergeant says that no
men reached the fort that night. l can describe
the manner in which the 5tth, with Col. Shaw,
and Carney, and the rest, actually reached not
near the slopes. but the ramparts of Fort Wag-
ner. And am sure that if he did not reach
the fort that night, he did not get chance to
inspect it for three long months
Now, on our charge We came to the slope that
he speaks OF. and descended down into the ditch.
We crossed the ditch and assembled the upward
slope, and our men did actually reach the para
pets of Wagner and were killed on the para
pets, and fell inside the fort when killed, as
did Col. Shaw, of which there is an abundant
proof by both Federal and Confederate. /
crossed the ditch with the flag and assembled the
rising slope, which was of sand, until came so
near the top that could reach it with my flag,
and at this time the shot-grspe, canister,
and hand enade-came in showers, and the
columns were leveed. / found myself the only
man struggling and ut this instant halted on
the slope, still holding the flag erect in my
hand. In this position / remained quito q
while, still thinking that there were more to
come and that we had captured the fort.
While in this position ! saw a company coming
toward me on the rsmparts of the fort, and
thought they were Federal troops and raised
my flag and shouted to them at the top of my
voice, but before they saw me discovered, by
the light of discharged cannon, their flag to
be that of the Confederates. Judge for your
self how close | must have been to them on
that dark night. But they did not see me, and
/ rolled my flag around the staff, remaining
still in the position that had held for quite a
while, and finding myself to be the only strug-
Cling man, as all around me, under me, and be-
side me, were dead or dying and wounded.
This was after the retreat for ! did not hear
the order to retreat.
/ thought then / would try to get away, as
/ saw no one standing erect but myself. / de-
scended the slope in the ditch over the dead
and dying, and the ditch that was dry half
or three-quarters of an hour before, when I
crossed it, now comes up to my waist in water;
but. by the help of the Good Father. strug-
gled, and crossed the ditch, and crawled up the
slope OH my return. / still held the flag in my
hand, and reached the top of the slope. going
back. / had not been shot until | reached this
place, where received bullet in the left hip.
II
to the rear, seeing no living man but myself
moving. When little farther on / was chal-
lenged by some one, and, upon answering, he
proved to be a man Of the Tooth n. Y. This
man came to me. The Sergeant speaks of the
words spoken that night / said many things
that night that have never been printed; of
them this:
care you wounded?" he asked, and I told
him / was. "What flag is that you carry?" l
told him the flag of the 54th Mass. He said,
Il am not wounded; l will help You down the
beach," He came to me, and got on my
wounded side, and took me by the arm and
said: Let me carry the flag; you are pretty
badly wounded"
told him / would not give that flag to any
living man that night, save member of the
54th Mass. So on we went till we reached the
rear guard, where we were halted and exam
ined. The officer examined and found me
wounded and he not being wounded was Or
dered back to his regiment. The officer asked
my number and regiment and passed me over
to the Ambulance Corps, with instructions to
find my regiment. which was done.
Another expression that the Color-Sergeant
Of Co. II cannot understand comes forth with
out contemplation, but it is what l actually
said as / reached the remnant of my regiment.
tried to hurrah in fact, did hurrah, and the
boys hurrahed for the flag that had been
brought back to them and the man that brought
it. / said to them, Let US go back to the
fort" And the officer in charge said Sergeant,
you have done enough you are badly wounded;
you had better keep quiet" or words to that
effect; when | replied: Il have only done my
duty; the old flag never touched the ground"
Nor it did not, to the best of my knowledge,
while l had it, although l was struck twice
after that.
This was Saturday night-probably 12
oclock-on Morris Island, and / lost myself;
did not regain consciousness until Monday
afternoon when i had been carried to the hos
pital at Beaufort, S. G. These statements are
absolutely true.
medal, and if had time / would describe it
fully. But suffice it to say that this medal was
lost at Que time and found in the city of Bos-
ton, and when went to obtain it, / carried it
to jeweler, and had patent fastener put on
it. obtained to the best of his Judgment,
what it was made of and since reading your
article have carried it to another jeweler, and
they both agree that it is gold and some other
metal, probably copper and silver, and if it was
assayed, their opinion is that it would probably
assay six caret gold. I have nothing more to
say in regard to the matter. The deed per-
formed. the medal / have and though it was
but lead, l prize iu rs a diamond.-WM. II.
CARNEY, Sergeant. Co. G, 54th Mass, William
Logan Rodman Post, l, Department of Massa-
cbusetts