The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-21

by the heavy traverses. I asa &c
ouired q detachment to man the 49,
poleon In the real OF the left sAaient y
all hazards, and the two Napoleons 10
b run out and used In front or tine
central sally-port whenever the nre OF
the feet rendered Il practicable. ! had
placed the portions Of the Twenty-frst
and Twenty-nfth South Carolina regt-
ments. which reported just previous To
the assault In q bombproof, about loo
feet In the rear and to the left OF the
central sally As soon as the
enemy threw their shc -~pshooters for
ward / ann the parapets with
strong detachments of s~harpshooters
to return their fire n prevent IL pos
sihle an advance. This was done des-
pite the destructive fire of the fleet.
When mis- fire ceased am the steam
whistles sounded for the charge, / or
dered the reserves 10 man the parapets
and the South Carolina regiments to-
double quick to the resr of the left
salient. between which and the river
shore. there was a OF some 90
feet. protected only by a shallow ditch.
the remnants OF n palisade and one
Napoleon. i went to meet the column
a~ssauiting my northeast salient, the
| success OF which would have been
fatal. as IL would capture the centre
| OF my work. and / sent my aide. Cap
tain Blocker. With the South Carolina
| regiments, to report TO Major Riley on
the left.
TESTIMONY OF ADMIRAL PoR-
TER.
I will now let the gallant officers who
captured my fort say whether they
walked into the fort without resis-
| lance, not a shot being fired at them"
While they We're very naturally not
I disposed to extol the gailantry or their
enemies, I prefer to give heir version
instead OF that OF my officers or my
own. Admira Porter in his official re-
| port says:
II detailed 1000 sailors and 400
marines to accompany the troops In
the assault. the sailors to board the
sea face, while the troops the
I land side. All the arrangements
on the part OF the sailors had been
we'll carried out. They had succeeded
in getting UP to within a short dis
lance OF the fort and lay securely In
their bitches. We had but very few
killed and wounded up to this point.
The marines were to have held the
rile-pits and cover the boarding party.
which they failed to do. On rushing
through the palisades, which extended
from the fort to the sea, the head OF
the column received a murderous fire
Of grape and canister. which did not,
however, check the officers and sailors
who were leading. The ~parapets now
swarmed with rebels. who poured in a
destructive fire of musketry. At this
moment, had the marines performed
their duty, every one of the rebels
would have been killed. j Witnessed
the whole affair, saw how recklessly
he rebels exposed themselves and
Ia an advantage they gave our
sharpshooters, whose guns were scarce
ly fired, OF fired with no precision.
Notwithstanding the hot fire, officers
and ailor in the lead rushed on, and
some even reached the parapet, a large
number having reached the ditch. The
advance was swept from the parapet
like chaf, and Notwithstanding all the
efforts made by commanders OF COM
panies to stop them, the men in the
rear, seeing the slaughter in front
and that they were not covered by the
marines, commenced to retreat, and as
there is no stopping a sailor il he falls
on such occasion on the first rush L
saw the whole thing had to be given
up"
THE GALLANT DEFENSE.
In regard to the assault on the left
of the work / refer the reader to Gem
eral Terry's official report, which Is
easily accessible. General Terry's tes-
tinony must stamp forever as false the
charge that they THE federals) Walk
ed into the fort without resistance, not
a shot being fired at them, our men
(the confederates) all being I'm the
bombproofs." I had about 500 men
with me on and near the redan or
northeast salient, repulsing the sailors
and marines. This heroic column from
the fleet struggled with us for 80 minu-
ties or more and did not retreat until
about 300 officers and men fell dead or
There were in the western
salient (Which was an uninclosed bat
tery) about $50 men. The South Caro-
linians ordered there would have made
ooo men, but they did not move up
promptly and did not reach the work.
Ihe go officers and men had to with
stand the shock Of two of General
Ames' Brigade - more than ten
TO one. My officers there claim that
they twice repulsed the assault on the
parapet, and that all of the original
detachment at the Napoleon were
Killed and wounded, and that Captain
brady detailed men from his
to take their place, and these were
Killed, or captured at the
gun, whose carriage was riddled with
bullets. When Captain Melvin surren-
dered the survivors,, some two hundred,
they were enveloped by Curtis
brigade in front and Pennypacker's
Brigade in the rear and besides the
two guns at Battery Buchanan had
commenced to fire upon this salient,
killing and wounding friend and foe
indlscriminately. War never Witness
ed more determined bravery, and the
fact that these brave men continued
at their posts until overwhelmed. in
stead of r~etreating into the main work
before the formidable assault, as they
could honorably ave done, proves
each as much a hero as though victory
had crowned their efforts.
There were three lines of mines =,
front o< the work and 1 intended at the
moment OF assault TO explode one of
them and thus paralyze the assailants.