The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-03-16
AN ASSAULT ON WAGNER
JUDGE 7W!GGS OF GEORGIA DE
scRiBES THE MEMORABLE FIGHT.

JUDGE 1W!GcS OF GEORGIA De
scRiBEs The MEMORABLE FIGHT.
For Eleven Hours the Guns Poured Forth
1here Destructive Etre--The FIerce AS
sauIt and Its Bloody Repulse Tribute to
tho Srsve Men Who Fell
| The following is review of an ad-
dress delivered before the Confederate
Veterans of Savannah recently by
Judge II. D. D. Twiggs:
Judge Twiggs began his address
with description OF the detenses
around Charleston, and the positions
OF the opposing forces, the federal
forces beseiging Charleston, the har-
Dor OF which was defended by Forts
Sumter, Moultrie, Gregg, Battery
Wagner, and other fortifcations. The
battery was very strong earthwork,
located on the upper end OF Morris
Island. the work having been construc
| ted under the direction of the best en-
gineers of the Coniederacy. There
was considerable preliminary lighting
Heading up to the main attack. The
Federals had constructed batteries IN.
der the direction of Gen. Gilmore on
the other end OF Morris lslard and
were preparing to make things decid,
Iedly uncomfortable for the Confeder.
ates. An attack on the fort on July
II was repulsed with severe loss to tie
Federals. Col. Charles &. Olmstead
and the Savannah troops participated
in the defense on that occasion.
Gen. ". +. Taliaferro, of Virginia,
whose death was recorded recently,
was in command of the fort, and
Judge Twjggs spoke feelingly OF his
old commander. He was assistant in
spector general on the staff Of which
Lieut.. Henry G. Cunningham and
DR.. Joseph Clay Habersham OF Sa
vannah, we're also members.
Besides the batteries which General
Gilmore had constructed q on the island,
the enemy had number Of monl
tors and gunboats in the river, which
daily shelled the fort and made things
as unpleasant as possible for the Con-
fedarates. The garrison was compos-
ed OF less than I, 500 men from North
Carolina, South Carolins, and Geor.
gia. Opposing them were the enemy
with over 1000 men, fortytW large
seige guns in their four land batteries,
ard number Of S, 10, II and Is inch
guns on their monitors.
The day was one which will never
be forgot, Judge Twiges said. Early
in the morning he breakfasted with
DR.. Harper of Augusta, one OF the
surgeons, their breakfast consisted OF
hard crackers and butter, the latter
being considered treat. Their meal
was interrupted by Parrot she'll
which buried itself in the earth out
side the door and then exploded,
throwing up large amount of earth
filing the pail containing the butter
with sand. It was the beginning OF
the bonn bardment. They foresaw that
the for. was to be assailed by the en-
tire land and naval force OF the ere.
my. The whole seventy guns OF the
enemy opened, and for eleven hours
the air was filed with shot and shell
Of every description. The Conteder-
ates replied as fast ss they could but
their armament was far inferior to
that of the enemy, and many OF their
guns were soon disabled. The infant
~ rssorted to ths bombproofs, the
roofs of which were almost torn away
by the constant explosion OF the shells
which fell within the fort. The
wooden buildings in the fort which
had been used for officers quarters
and medical supplies were torn into
splinters. It was a hot July day and
the men in the bomoproofs were most
uncomfortable. Gaillard's batallion
from Charleston prepared to remain
on the outside. sheltered under the
wall ofthe parapet.
The blazing July sun was o5scured
by the clouds of smoke from the
bursting shells. The fort shook like
q ship in the grasp CT a storm. All
the heavy guns on the sea face OF the
fort were soon disabled and but for the
boomproofs and the parapets the gar
rison would soon have been annihilat
ed. The halliards were cut by the
shot and the garrison flag fell. 4 score
of men ran for it at once. -Four officer
seized hold of it carried it back to the
parapet and ran it up again. This
occupied some little time. Capt. Rob.
ert Barnwell, seing that the flag had
fallen, seized a regimental battlehag
and rushed GU. upon the ramparls,
held it there while the garrison colors
were replaced. The scene OF Sergt.
Jasper's exploit at Fort MoUltrie was
in full view of this scene. There
was one Jasper st Moultrie, " said
Judge Twigg. There was score at
Wagner"
Thousands Ct people st the Battery
and on the housetops st Charleston
watched the bombardment with eager
interest. When the garrison flag fell
their hearts fell with 1t, for they fear
ed the garrison had surrendered.
When the flag was replaced shout
went up from thousands of threats
and thousands of women waved their
handkerchiefs towards the men IN the
fort.
Judge Twiggs' remarked upon The
sentiment attached to flag Of ones
country aroused greatappfause. ''Hsd
the Confederate states" ne said, "ad
hered to the Stars and Stripes thous'
ands would have licked to their cause
who remained away and other thcus
ands would have refused 10 fight
against it. The Stars and Stripes are
again the flag OF our united country.
Long may It wave over the land Of the
free and the home of the brave. It is
the symbol of a union that will never
be sundered. The people Of the South
are as loyal to that flag TO day as are
those who live to the northward.
There was further applause When
L T