The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1896-04-18

the storming column i'll front of Fort
Wagner Up to that date it had seen
garrison service only, and that but a
few months.
"From our position on the beach, says the
adiutant, 1--WE could see the shells bursting in
and around the fort, the clouds of dust rising
high in the air, as they plunged into the loose
sand Of which il was built. Twice the enemy's
colors were shot away, and twice few daring
men came out upon the parapet and raised
them again; but ignorant as every one, from
our commanding general down, was of the con-
struction of the fort, it seemed as if the shower
of ponderous missiles, bursting all around 1t,
must destroy or drive away the garrison. We
were soon to be undeceived Long and dreary
seemed the hours of the afternoon as we lay
upon the hot sand Of the beach, scorching in
the rays of an unclouded sun and specializing
upon the results of the bombardment. About
shutdown General Gilmore called up his bril-
gade commanders, and upon Colonel Putnam's
return we learned that an assault had been de-
termined upon, contrary to his advice he said.
i told the general, said he, Il do not think we
can take the fort so, but Seymour overruled
me. Seymour is devil of a fellow for dash.
To Major Henderson the colonel remarked,
we are all going into Wagner like flock Of
sheep"
Colonel Haldiman S. Putnam was
colonel Of the Seventh but a day or two
before the battle had been appointed
commander Of the brigade, the Second
brigade Of Seymour's division. General
George c. Strong commanded the First
brigade, and as he had led an assault
up TO the ditch Of Wagner one week
previous he was given the post Of honor
and Of danger in the second grand at.
tack. Putnam was to support Strong i'll
his attack, which means that if it came
to tough work Putnam men might get
the worst Of it. Strong's fight, if not to
the death for the enemy, would be like
a tread on a tigers tail.
Adjutant Weber continues:
"Coloncl Putnam directed that the caps
should be removed from our rifles, as our de-
pCndence must be on the bayonet should we
come to fighting. In the regiment behind us
this order was neglected, its colonel saying
that his men never fired without orders,
statement sadly disproved within an hour.
Our brigade then moved up the beach, deploy-
ed in column of regiments short distance in
rear Of our land batteries. Strong's brigade
moved forward, and, to cover its advance the
fire Of our ordnance increased. The broad
side of the Ironsides flashed "a continual flame,
and from the monitors, gunbOats and land bat
terics every gun that bore on Wagner was piled
with the utmost rapidity, and the reply of the
heavy ordnance from Sumter and James island,
and the constant bursting Of the shower of 8,
10, and 10 inch shells, joined in the terrific up
roar.
"At a signal the fire of our cannon ceased on
sea and land. The stormers were so near tho
fort as to be endangered by the fire of their
friends, and for a moment nothing broke the
silence but the tramp of the marching column
and the swell Of the surf upon the sandy beach.
Then as if aroused from sleep, Wagner opened
its guns. Heavy siege pieces hOwitzers and AZ
FOUNDER carronades, the spoil of Uncle Sam
navy yards, poured n crossfre of grape and
canister upon the narrow neck of sand along
which the crowded column of stormers must
advance, while the profile Of the parapet was
outlined in sparkling fire against the dark
thunderclouds rising behind, by the rifles Of
the garrison, who, secure in their immense
bombproof during the long hours Of lombard
ment had mounted the parapet to repel the
expected assault
"COlonel Putnam now dcployed his brigade
TO column of regiments, we having reached
the edge Of the fire, but small as were the num-
bers of the Seventh, so narrow the neck Of
solid ground upon which we were advancing,
that the six companies only had dressed upon
the line when the salt marsh dividing Morris
and James islands prevented farther extern
sion of the line in that direction, and four
companies remained en- echelon in the rear.
The order was now given TO lie down, and,
though the missiles whistled over our heads
or cut the grass around us, no one was touched.
"Stragglers came running back from the
front, where the yells and cheers swelled high
amid the roar of artillery, some wounded,
some panic stricken, who, when denied pas.
sage through our line, plunged into the swamp
and made their way around Colonel Putnam
now called to us, Seventh New Hampshire!
Forward Springing up the line pushed on
into n storm of shot that seemed to fill the air
like the drops of a summer shower, What's
that they are shooting at us2 said a man to
me as passed along the line to my post. 1T
looks bigger than hogshead, coming This
was grape from a AZ FOUNDER carronade. The
regiment moved at first in excellent order, but
the shots moved great gaps in its ranks,
and, the flying remnants Of the First brigade