The National tribune., 1910-11-24

left and parallel with our last parallel
Is q ridge of sand that the enemy is
holding as line of rife pits. When
you get the order to charge you are to
go over those works, cross that field and
take that ridge and hold it. You must
hold II at all hazards. Capt. Redding
and / will go back into the front paral-
lei and order the artillery to open fire
on Fort Wagner, and they will keep it
up for 20 minutes; then you will get
the orders to charge, and remember
you must hold that ridge. As soon as
you are in possession of it the balance
of your regiment will come up with
shoyels and turn the work to face the
other way"
Dropping Shells.
As the two Captains turned to leave
US Fitzgerald, one of the wild Irishmen
of our company, said: AN, Captain
can We yell?" "Yeil?" repeated Capt.
Redding; yes, yell like devils" Almost
as soon as the officers disappeared into
our parallel all our artillery broke loose
on Fort Wagner. The coehorn mortars
commenced passing their shells over
the field In our front. We could see
them and hear the whish, whish. of the
burning fuse and the explosions as they
dropped along that ridge on which our
thoughts were centered.
None but those who have been in a
similar situation can appreciate our
feelings as we stood there, knowing
that regiment had attempted to take
that position the previous night and
were repulsed We felt sure it would
be a slaughter and perhaps a repulse.
The 20 minutes came to an end. The
firing suddenly ceased.
Capt. Redding came into the trench
swinging his sword and shouting:
Charge, Charge" Then the scram-
bling commenced to get over our earth
works The sand gave way under our
feet; the rear rank had to help the
front rank over, and when we were all
over we scattered like a flock of sheep
don't claim to have been the first man
on that ridge, for / was in the rear
rank, and so was one OF the last.
know that we must have been 20 feet
from the foremost to the rearmost.
The ridge was gentle slope on our
side. but on their side, where our COM
psny struck it, it was almost perpen-
dicular and about 10 feet down to the
men, who stood there in an almost
daZed condition. We stood looking at
each other. and we yelled: Surrender"
They shook with fear as they said: I'VE
surrender! We surrender" We or
dered them to drop their guns and
come up, which they did with great
aiacrty. About 20 of their number,
when they heard the yelling of that
1rishman, dropped their guns and struck
a double-quick for their fort. As soon
as We found the remaining men had
surrendered we opened fire on those
retreating, and a few of them we're
killed and wounded. About dozen of
them reached the fort apparently un-
harmed
The balance of the regiment soon
came mp with shoyels, and one-third of
us held the muskets while the other
two-thirds used the shCyels. / hea-d
Lieut.. Belle sing out: Here, give these
rebels some shOvels. They can work as
well as any of US" lot of them
grabbed shovels. and I never saw men
work Iiyelier than they did. They knew
as we'll as we that Fort Wagner would
soon open on us, and they were in as
much danger as we were.
The first shot from Wagner soon
came. charge of grape. One of them
struck Lieut.. Perkins, of our company,
and killed him. He was commanding
another company that night They had
Few men on watch, who fired on us as
we We're charging across that field. and
my terminate, Luther Spooner. was
killed. We had another killed and some
three or four wounded. The rebels lost
fully as many killed and wounded be-
sides IS prisoners.
Beauregard's Report.
In the Rebellion Records Gen Bean
regard says: Until p. m of Aug. 25
the enemy's fire was principally direct
ed against Fort Sumter. After that
Il time Battery Wagner was fiercely bonn
barded. as well as the space between