Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-01

doubtless his pride and confidence were
high as he beheld- '%
Down the long and dusky line
Teeth CLEAN and eyeballs shine.
The Federal bombardment on land
and sea suddenly ceased. A great
calm ensued, but it was portentous and
terrible. 1t seemed as If the heart of
nature. stood still, awed by prescience
Of the impending and fearful catastro-
phe. Gradually the smoke Of the can
nonade, swathed about the fort for
hours, so far lifted that the enemy
were seen debouching: from their first
parallel and advancing over the mar
row approach between it and the fort.
Then from the bombproof and sand
hills the garrison quickly gathered
along the ramparts. Field pieces were
ranged, the artAlerists double shotted
their guns. and
Each gunner movelees by his piece with
rigid aspect stands,
The ready ianyards firmly srasped in
bold. untrsrnbiins hands:
30 noveless In their marble calm. their
stern heroic guise,
They look like forms Of statued stone
win burning human eyes.
ION rushed the Federals at double
quick, saluted by q simultaneous out
break OF hot shot, an implacable,t con-
centrated fire from Sumter, Gregg aud
James island. Couspicuous in the van,
on came the misguided and unfortu-
nate Colonel Shaw his long hair wav-
Ing behind him as be led his sable en-
fants perdus. A portion followed him
over the ditch and planted their flag
on the ramparts, where the colonel was
shot and instantly killed. The others,
however. could not endure the sight of
that gaping ditch or the revolving SEN
sation Of winged metal viciously near.
''Sone Of the frightened creatures
ran like deer, others In the base paraly-
sis OF terror Frustrated themselves
upon the ground, crawling along on
hands and feet. Then a grand deed
which the old northmen would have
called deed Of dernng-do was per-
formed BY the men Of the ever domi-
nant Caucasian race, the thought OF
which as write, q quarter of a CEN
tury after it's occurrence, makes my
heart beat and my pulse throb tumultu-
ously. Across the narrow and fatal
stretch before the fort, every inch of
which was swept by a hurricane Of
IRE, a bosom Of destruction. the Sixth
Connecticut land Forty-eighth New
York; charged with such undaunted
resolution upon the southeast salient
that they succeeded In the very face of
hell, one may say, in capturing it."
The commandant Of Fort Wagner,
General w. B. TnNaferro. describing
the charge, surpassed in fervor the en-
thusiasm of the poet Hayae. Said he:
The Confederates, with the tenacity
Of bulldogs and fierce courage arous-
ed almost to madness. poured from the
.ramparts and embras,Nes sheets OF
fame and tempest Of lead and iron.
Yet the intrepid assailants rushed on
like the waves of the sea by whose
shores they fought. They fell by hun
dreds, but they pushed on, Keeling I'm.
der tho frtghtful blasts that almost
blew them to pieces, up to the Con-
federate bayonets."
AAO OAA&4a ouO
eighth New York belonged to General
Strong's brigade. It was 8 O'Clock and
fully dark when the assailants, to the
number OF 700. entered the bastion.
Soon after dark Colonel n. 8: Putnam
charged with the Seventh New Hamp-
shire in the wake Of Strong and ip the
confusion and darkness assaulted the
very point held by Strong's men. The
bastton was held for three hours. when
the survivors, 40 in all. surrendered
to party Of the garrison led by Cap
tain W. n. Ryan, who was killed in
the counter assault.
Continuing his description, Mr..
Hayne says: The history Of war, rife
with terrible conflicts, can show no
more terrific strife than this. 1 have
conversed with old Confederates in re-
gard to the night succeeding this great
assault and have remarked how sea-
soned vetera MS shudder when they re-
call its horrors. YEARLY the dark
hours passed, and Sabbath morning