The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-18

Having been requested by The Far mer to tell of some half century event, of the great civil war, [ will ask the attention of your readers to the part taken in the famous charge on Bat tery Wagner by the 9th Conn. regt- ment. I am in 8 position to do this without egotism, as at the time, was enjoying an outing for my health, and being lodged. and dieted on rice soup and corn bread, in the Charleston prison, as a prisoner of war. very for tunately escaped the fury of that charge which if it had been successful, would have been heralded by the press as one Of the most fearful of the war.
 Folly Island, located just south of the entrace to Charleston harbor, was occupied in May; the labor of erecting batteries was immediately commenced facing Morris Island, to be used in re- ductng the rebel works, when the or der should be given to advance on Charleston. The work was performed at night, and the greatest caution was necessary. Orders were given in whis-| pers, as discovery would have defeated the plan; the heavy guns of Sumpter and Wagner would have driven us from our position. The hauling Of by hand and placing them in position was exceedingly laborioue; the shovel ing in the construction of beds for mortars and parapete had to be done very cautiously to avoid clicking of sE1ovels, so as not to arouse suspicion The work was done behind thick screen. of undergrowth and Gen. Beau regard was severy denounced in the Southern press for his lack of vigil lance in alleging this to be done. He1 had never made a reconnaissance of our outposts Oh Folly Island, but A.
 ted the building or construction of al base of operations, actually within speaking distance of his pdckets. It Is true that we threw up earthworks and mounted heavy guns under al screen of thick undergrUwths but 1t isl to the last degree surprising that our forceS could have succeeded in placing in battery forty-seven pieces of heavy artillery so near to the Confederate lines that 8 single loud work must have reeva1eds the work.
 Another thing, blockade runner was chased onto the beach near Light house inlet and a company of Confed- withinA easy pistol range Of oI1r works. entirely sJxnconscfous of the c1ose prox- unity of their grim nefghbors. A foot hold was effected the fore part of July, our forces being taken at night across the creek in boats; each man wore a WAASo SbAAP VI SAOt1 tACo oAO HIS arm, so as to distinguish them in the dark. After a slight resistance, the pickets were driven back toward Fort wagner and our troops with slight loss, landed on Morris Island. Rifle pits were constructed and our posi- ton held to await further orders which came on the 18th of July 1868, just fifty years ago this evening, the order being to form g. charging party.
 The 9th Conn was assigned to lead the right, 54th Mass. the center. the 3d New Hampshire the left At a gtv- en signal the pioneers on Folly Island piled their axes with a will, smashing those forty-seven heavy guns; the iron cIads drew in toward shore, every gun bearing on the fort sent it's hail of iron into and around it. For hours the fire was kept up with such fury no living thing could be seen on their works: all had sought safety in their bomb