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

upon principally to prevent this very con-
| tingency, j. e., to cover all ground on Morris
| Island that could be occupied by the Union
forces available for the reduction of Sumter I;
and now comes this redoubtable engineer,
who, though unable to acquire possession
within the forbidden grounds, has the au-
dacity to establish his preaching batteries
beyond all suspectable distance, and to sue
cessfnlly reduce one of the most formidable
permanent werks to a mass of shapeless
ruins, although he could not seriously dam
age the defensive powers of one of its tenn
porary outworks three times as near. Con-
currently with the establishment of the
preaching batteries against Sumter the
| trenches were opened for the reduction OF
Wagner by regular approaches, and then be-
gan one of the most famous sieges which
| history has ever recorded.
For full 20 days the sappers and guards oil
the trenches were continually exposed to
calling and
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE
of artillery and musketry, the only protec-
| tion afforded being that of the slight sand
parapets of the trenches and the simple
splinter-proof shelters constructed In the
few available positions that the contracted
site afforded. As recall the eight months
spent on that narrow strip of sand beach,
and remember the eenstant and unremittlng
strain, both mental and physical, to which
every one of us was subjected, wonder at
the recuperative power of the human system
as exhibited in the vigorous frames of the
veterans here present tonight.
1t would be impossible to recount here
the details of this memorable 20 days Of
siege. These are recorded in fullness In the
reports of both sides in the published rec
ords of the war, and they will ever prove
rich mine of the highest professional value
to the military student. But the exciting
and deeply-interesting personal experience,
which seldom finds its way into official re-
ports, is that which will have the most i'm
mediate and abiding interest to us, when
ever we come together in such gatherings
as these to fight our battles over again in
recollection and in story.
UnquestiOnably the central engineer in
the siege Of Wagner is our gallant cOmrade,
Col T. B. Brooks. Ordinary language can
not do full justice to his self-sacrificlng de-
votiOn in the dangerous and difficult service
to which he was assigned, nor to the full
measure of his manhood in its successful
performance. Endowed with an active
mind, an extraordinary nervous energy and
flSOIOuS pDySlCdI pONOIs, thcSO hcAO SOh-
tinually drawn upon until he had almost
reached the limit of human endurance. He
was a most indefatigable worker, peculiarly
fertile in expedients and in emergencies,
indifferent to personal danger when duty
demanded it, and, in every respect, an in
spiration to the whole command.
/ am confident that this just tribute will
find a responsive assent in the minds of
those brave men who were with him day
after day
IN THE TRENCHES
Walker Farrand, Suess, Wilcken, Parsons,
McGuire, Talcott, Baldwin, Eaton, and
Graef of the Engineers, and Pratt, Adams
and others OF the infantry.
Day after day and night after night these
men, his able Lieutenants, were to be found
at the head of the sap pushing it steadily
forward despite the destructive and some-
times overwhelming rain Of shot and shell
that was poured into it from the short
ranged batteries of the enemy. Never was
an inch of it yielded to the enemy, though
we often paid tribute to the robber winds
and the rapaciOus sea from the scantiest
store of precions sand.
Often slight indeed was the covering that
could be given to the brave guards of the
Trenches mere screen from the direct
vision of the watchful enemy-and / am
sure that had the sand given out they
would have taken their chances behind
covering of brown paper. Our tall friend,
Parsons, | remember always had great diff
Guilty in getting under cover in his move
ments along the trenches, for he never was
much on the stoop, as his still erect figure
now testifies, and he much preferred to take
his chances on the run. That he survived
the siege is direct contradiction of the
doctrine of probabilities.
Col. Brooks having become physically ex-
hausted, and needing some rest to recuperate
/ was temporarily assigned to the charge of
the trenches in his place, and from personal
experience can bear witness to the
CONSTANT EXPOSURE,
the physical and ntal strain and excessive
danger attending this difficult service, and
which he had endured for so consecutive
days and nights.
At this time the sap had reached the mid
die of the long approach just in rear of the
marsh. The constant and accurate fire of
the enemy's sharpshooters, combined with
the effective fire Of their artillery OH the
head of the sap at such short range, and
the impossibility of continuing the use Of the
sap-roller because of the torpedoes thickly
OD tu6 RldClsy 1OTcSG 10 CODbl0tF
what was best now to be done. The only
ground that was available for the approach
toward the front was the narrow neck ofsand
between the marsh and the sea, and as this
was but % yards wide the difficulties attend
ing its passage appeared insuperable.
The only other alternative was the con-
struction of lines of parapet in rear of the
marsh, so as to gain the greatest possible
deVelopment from which a fire conld he
delivered to cover another assault But
owing to the contracted nature of the ground
it was not possible TO get development
equal to that of Wagner, and the serious
objection against that which we could obtain
was that portion of our troops would be
subject TO the dangerous fire of those in
rear, always demoralizing in time of exciting
action.
Furthermore, it was well known that the
artillery freOf Wagner had not yet been mate
rally silenced, and it was certain that at the
instant our troops debouched from our lines
for the assault, canister and grape would be
poured into them with destructive effect.
These difficulties forced us 10 consider the
continuance of the regular approaches, and
TO definitely decide the matter, the consult
ing Engineer, Capt. Reese, of the EOgineer
Corps, U. S. Army, and myself sat down at
the head of the sap on the 31st of August
TO study the ground and estimate the chances
of its successful accomplishment Wecould