142 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



pend the bombardment until 11 o'clock p. M. to-mor- 

 row, thus giving you two days from the time you ac- 

 knowledged to have received my communication of the 

 21st instant. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



Q. A. GILLMORE, 

 Brigadier-General Commanding. 



The effect of the shells first fired at Charles- 

 ton is thus described by a citizen : " Between 

 one and two o'clock, Saturday morning, the 

 enemy commenced firing on the city, arousing 

 the people from their slumbers. Twelve 8-inch 

 shells fell into the city, thirteen in all having 

 been fired. Fortunately no person was injur- 

 ed. Several shells flew in the direction of St. 

 Michael's steeple, and fell either in the vacant 

 lots in the burnt district on King street, or 

 more generally struck in Queen and Rutledge, 

 where an 8-inch shell tore up the plank-road, 

 and dug a large hole in the ground. Another 

 shot entered the warehouse of G. "W. Williams 

 and Co., at the corner of Ilayne and Church 

 streets, entered the roof, and exploded in the 

 upper story, making a large opening in the 

 brick wall of the Medical Purveyor's store- 

 house next door, and scattering things in great 

 confusion. Some loose straw or packing was 

 set on fire by the explosion, which caused the 

 alarm bell to ring, and brought out the firemen. 

 It was extinguished with little effort before it 

 had made any progress. Four shells fell in this 

 locality. One large piece was picked up and 

 exhibited at the guard-house, where it was the 

 subject of much curiosity. There was a good 

 deal of excitement and some surprisefexpressed 

 at the enemy being able to reach the city from 

 his present position. The battery is located in 

 the marsh between Morris and Black Islands, 

 distant fully five miles from Charleston." 



On Wednesday, August 26th, Gen. Gillmore, 

 having completed a fourth parallel and sap, 

 which extended very close to Fort Wagner, 

 determined to possess a ridge of sand which in- 

 terposed, and was necessary to the success of 

 his operations. It was constantly occupied by 

 a strong body of the enemy's pickets, and at 

 night by a force protected by rifle pits. A bom- 

 bardment of the position was made just before 

 dark, after which it was carried by the 24th 

 Massachusetts. One company of North Caro- 

 lina troops was captured. On the 7th of Sep- 

 tember, Morris Island was evacuated by the 

 enemy, which is thus reported by Gen. Gill- 

 more: 



DEPARTMENT OF TITB SOUTH, HEADQUARTERS ix i 

 TH FIELD, September 1th, 1868. J 

 Mai.-Gen. JI. W. ffalleck, General-in-Chief: 



GENERAL: I have the honor to report that Fort 

 Wagner and Battery Gregg are ours. Last night our 

 sappers mined the counter-scarp of Fort Wagner on its 

 sea point, unmasking all its guns, and an order was is- 

 sued to carry the place by assault at 9 o'clock this 

 morning, that being the hour of low tide. 



About 10 o'clock last night the enemy commenced 

 evacuating the island, and all but seventy-five of them 

 made their escape from Cummiugs's Point in small 

 boats. 



Captured despatches show that Fort Wagner was 

 commanded by Col. Keitt, of South Carolina, and gar- 



risoned by 1,400 effective men, and Battery Gregg by 

 between 100 and 200 men. 



Fort Wagner is a work of the most formidable kind. 

 Its bomb-proof shelter, capable of containing 1,800 

 men, remains intact after the uiosjt terrific bombard- 

 ment to which any work was ever subjected. 



We have captured nineteen pieces of artillery and a 

 large supply of excellent ammunition. 



The city and harbor of Charleston are now com- 

 pletely covered by my guns. 



I have the honor to DC, General, very respectfully, 

 your obedient servant, Q. A. GILLMORE, ' 



Brigadier-General Commanding. 



On the night of the *Tth, an assault was made 

 by an expedition on Fort Surnter. The flotilla 

 consisted of between twenty-five and thirty 

 boats, manned by over one hundred sailors, 

 under Lieutenant Commandant Williams, and 

 a hundred marines, under Capt. McCawley. 

 The entire force was commanded by Com- 

 mander Stephens, of the Patapsco. The boats 

 were towed within a short distance of the fort, 

 when they advanced. Three boats, under Com- 

 mander Williams, Lieut. Eemey, and Ensign 

 Porter, landed, and the parties attempted to run 

 up the ruins to the parapet, when they were 

 fired upon by musketry, and hand grenades were 

 thrown down upon them. The slope was so 

 sharp that they were unable to reach the parapet. 

 The signal was given from the fort, and in an 

 instant all of the batteries of the enemy opened 

 on the fort and shelled it terribly. Three boats 

 were smashed, and all who landed were either 

 killed or captured. Lieut. Bradford, of the 

 marines, was mortally wounded and captured. 

 Among others captured were Commander Wil- 

 liams, Lieut. Eemey, Lieut. Preston, Lieut. 

 Bower, Lieut. Bunco, Dr. Wheeler, and Ensign 

 Porter. Forty or fifty sailors and marines were 

 killed and wounded. The entire list of casual- 

 ties was about eighty. The remainder of the 

 command retired safe. 



The captured forts on Morris Island were en- 

 larged and new batteries erected by Gen. Gill- 

 more, which effectually commanded Fort Sum- 

 ter, and could aid any naval attack on Charles- 

 ton. But little further progress, however, was 

 made in the siege during the remainder of the 

 year. The forts of the enemy were occasion- 

 ally bombarded severely, and the shelling of 

 Charleston at intervals, during day and night, 

 was continued. The portion of the city within 

 the reach of the shells was greatly injured, aud 

 entirely abandoned by its inhabitants. An at- 

 tempt was made by the enemy to blow up the 

 frigate Ironsides, with a torpedo, on the night 

 of October 5th. It failed of success, and did no 

 serious- damage to the vessels. 



Some further operations took place in the 

 Department of the Gulf during the year. Af- 

 ter the capture of Vicksburg, Gen. Banks was 

 reenforced by Gen. Grant, and an expedition 

 was fitted out under Gen. Franklin to occupy 

 the mouth of the Sabine river, in Texas. It 

 consisted of a force of four thousand men, and 

 the naval steamers Clifton, Sachem, Arizona, 

 and Granite City. The squadron was under the 

 command of Lieut. Crocker. The defences at 



