The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-01-14

Tney were reinforced by the ith ,. =.
In time to cover the retreat. The guns
Of Fort Wagner now had chance, and
for the time being stopped further pur-
suit.
Bat the Union troops had gained a
great advantage. At a. m. the Stars
ard Stripes were floating over Col. Ora
hsm's captured Headquarters. Thus
were the operations against Fort Wagner
inagurated.
"On the first day of carnage the
skilled Engineer, Capt. Landon Cheves,
to whom chiefly Fort Wagner owed its
existence,
LOST HIS LIFE
under especially pathetic circumstances
He was sitting in his quarters when a
soldier communicated the intelligence
that his favorite nephew, Capt. Charles
+. Haskell, had just been killed. The
cannonade without grew sercer, duty
summoned him, and rising he crossed
the Threshold of his door towards one
of the magazines. At that instant a
shell-one of the first lanched especially
at the fort-bursting, scattered its frag-
ments all around. One Of these frag-
ments struck him, and 10 moment his
spirit had gone to join that of his young
kinsman. But his great work did not
perish with him. Artillery which re-
duced the walls of Fort Sumter to a
shapeless mass made but little impression
on this monument of his genius and
labor. Among the great Engineers of
the world assuredly the fame of Lang
don Cheves is destined to be perennial.
Few, perhaps, are aware of the fact that
only two models of Notifications are
used for purposes of instruction to the
West Point Cadets; one is Fort Wagner,
he other Sebastopol."
During the night of the 18th of July
the garrison Of Fort Wagner, suspecting
an assault, was on the qui vive. Every
man. was at bis post The artillerists
slumbered but lightly in their gum
chambers. Near dawn the outlying
picket heard the cautious advance of
stealthily- placed footsteps. Forms vague
ly discerned crept along the sand ridges.
Here was storming party anxious to
effect surprise, but they could not be
accommodated the guns were instanta-
neously manned.
Lieut.. Gilchrist, heading the Gist
Guards, perceived the uncertain proper
tions of human figure against the sky
line.
BE CHALLENGED sTERELY
and quickly. and as quickly the mans
rife was leveled and minie-ball combed
the Lieufenant's hair with uncomforta-
BILE closeness, while the powder black
ened his eyes
Then at signal the whole battery
became transformed, as it were. into
vast earth-cloud, darting lightnings and
believing thunder. The great Colum-
bad pealed forth its bass of death.
Through the smoke-wreaths as daylight
frightened were seen the blue coats
rushing to gain the shelter of the sand
hills A remnant of the 9TH Conn. had
sheltered themselves against the scarp.
When the fire was hottest they crawled
in and surrendered. There We're $50
prisoners, rank and file. Over hun
dred were buried in front Of Wagner,
and $50 wounded were carried to Hill
ton Head.
Gen. Strong reported his losses in the
tive days fighting as 436. The total
loss In the fort was one officer and five
men killed and one officer and 10 men
wounded. Thus it will be seen that the
Tepulse of the Confederates on the pre-
vious day was terribly avenged.
Events now hastened towards the
fercest of the Wagner battles, conflict
70 desperate and murderous and char
acterized by such indomitable valor on
beth sides that it may fairly rank among
the seyerest fights of the Secession or
any other war.
While the Union forces after their
defeat of the 11th were strengthening
their position, council of general Off
GERS was called by Gen. Beauregard "to
discuss the practicability of driving the
enemy from Morris Island" This, with
the limited resources at hand, was found
impossible.
Brig.-Gen. William Talliaferro suc-
ceeded Gen. Graham as Commander-in-
Chief. and was reinforced by the 51st
NC (6s9 mem detachments of the 63d
Ga. Art, the list S. C. Inf. as artillery,
30th \. c. Inf, sections of howitzers,
including Blake's artillery and Lieut..
Walie's Charleston battalion. The Fed
eral forces had also been increased.
-Four powerful batteries, the nearest
within 1,400 yards of Fort Wagner,
were built and magni6oently armed.
Before sunrise on the 18th of July the
mortars opened, and at noon the
FIRE OF SEVEN MONITORS,
combined with that Of the land batteries
was concentrated for eight hours upon
Fort Wagner; 5000 shot, averaging 20
per minute, were expended, in fact
wasted, since the fort stood intact, and
of its defenders but eight were killed