Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-02-11

1T was there the war began" and,
before stating one OF the most interests
ing incidents of personal bravery and
excellent service of volunteers under
extraordinary circumstances, / should
like to refer more particularly to that
remarkable situation where the wax
,, was kept up from the first shot with
a tenacity and perseverance on both
sides that were never excelled any
where and where the result was fin
ally determined by the fianking move
ment of Sherman's army, which caused
the withdrawal of the Confederate
forces from Charleston and all its de-
lenses Probably nowhere else was the
blockade maintained at so much cost
along the two thousand miles Of block
AIDED coast were so many contraband
cargoes successfully run in under the
guns of the Union fleet. The harbor
was early INSTRUCTED by the sinking
Of stone-laden vessels, and the channel
leading to the city was obscure and
dangerous; it was commanded by guns
from half dozen islands and shores,
and the approaches to the cradle of
the rebellion were so lined with de-
tense that it became no empty boast
that Charleston could never be taken
by direct attack. It was not taken
in that way, as l have stated. Almost
the whole monitor fleet of turreted
ironclads was assembled in the har-
Dor! tons of solid shot and she'll were
poured upon Fort Sumpter, making of
it nothing but heap of broken stone
and brick. Still it resisted every form
of attack, and assaulting parties sent
to occupy it were beaten off or cap
tured. The assault on Fort Wagner,
on one of the outlying islands, was
gallant, costly, and Intellectual, and the
siege went on by slow approaches. I'm
ion batteries were erected in swamps,
where it seemed impossible to gain or
keep a footing. 1t was done by the
most patient and wonderful labor in
making a foundation on which to place
heavy guns Gin spite Of Colonel Ser
rells protest that he could not do 1t
without a detail of soldiers each
twelve feet long,. But when this
"Swamp-Angel" battery was planted
securely, and its heavy guns began to
demolish exposed positions of Charles
ton, at distance of four miles, with
200-pound shells, a most astonishing
feat was performed, the like Of which
had never before been known in war.
And still the city would not surren-
der! 1t seems to me that every sur
vivor Of the great confiict-North,
South, East and West-ought to be.
able to read the story Of that long and
obstinate warfare about Charleston
with feeling that the heroism Of the
American soldier was illustrated both
by the attack and the defense.
I wonder how many of the readers
of these sketches have ever heard Of
the boat infantry" that was so i'm
portant part of the Union efforts to
capture Charleston?
It Is my belief that nowhere was
better scouting done, or better results
obtained by it, than that of Colonel
Lewis S. Payne in Charleston harbor,
with details of his regiment, the One
Hundredth Regiment New York Vol
unteers.
I knew Colonel Payne almost since
my boyhood. He was very free to talk
of the stirring days and nights of
1868, when he penetrated the works
and inlets Of the harbor with his boats
and brought back information Of the
utmost valve, which could not be in
any other way obtained. | have heard
him tell how he learned in this way
that large detachment of Confeder-
ates had been withdrawn from Seces-
sionville, one of the suburbs Of Charles
ton, and the difficulty he had in con-
vincing General Vodges of the fact,
although those very troops fought at
Charlottesville. He has told me how
he came on board Admiral Dahlgren's
flagship with important information;
he, wet, muddy and tired as he was,
being most politely welcomed to the
Admira's coZy cabin, where that off,
Ger was cutting big watermelon, quite
at ease. His most difficult and dan
gerous duty, however, and that in
which he was finally taken prisoner,
was to go out at night, locate the po-
sitions Of the enemy and the routes of
their vessels in supplying their gar
risons with provisions and ammuni-
ton, and then to send up a rocket to
guide the fire Of the Union mortars.
He made himself so troublesome to
the Confederates in this way that
shrewd plans were laid for his cap.
ture, which at last succeeded.
From a history of the One Hun
dredth Regiment, New York Volun-
teers, written by Major George H.
Stowits, of that regiment, / am per-
mitted to make the following interest
ing extracts upon this subject:
Previous to the disposition of the
necessary forces for an assault on Nor
ris Island, Colonel Payne had given
his opinion as to the number of rebel