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Assault on Fort Wagner
New York Times Article

The following is transcribed from the New York Times, dated July 27, 1863:

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           The United States steam transport Arago HENRY A. GADSDEN, commanding, from Port Royal, S.C., at 10:30 A.M., and Charleston Bar at 5 P.M., on Thursday, July 23, arrived at this port yesterday afternoon, bringing 100 first, and 172 second class, passengers, the usual mails, and having the prize steamer Emma in tow. The intelligence by the Arago confirms the telegrams already published from rebel sources, respecting the second assault upon fort Wagner, on Morris Island, by Gen. GILLMORE's forces and the monitors, mortar schooners and gunboats under Admiral DAHLGREN. After the first unsuccessful assault on the 10th inst., Gen. GILLMORE lost no time in throwing up batteries on Morris Island, within 800 yards of Fort Wagner, in order to reduce it by siege. On the morning of the 18th, twelve or fifteen heavy guns were in position, beside eight or ten mortars. Gen. GILLMORE, therefore, determined to commence the attack, which was opened at 11 o'clock A.M. The bombardment was conducted in a spirited manner, GILMORE's batteries initiating the work, and Admiral DAHLGREN's five monitors, the Ironsides, too mortar schooners and three wooden gunboats, quickly joining in the engagement. The enemy replied briskly from Fort Wagner and Battery Bee, just beyond the Cumming's Point, while Fort Sumter kept up a sharp fire from the guns of her southwestern face, among which were two rifled pieces of heavy calibre. Most of the fire of the rebels was directed upon the Monitors and other naval vessels, only an occasional shell being sent towards the batteries. Although the iron-clads were repeatedly struck, they suffered very little real damage, and the only losses in the batteries were a Lieutenant of the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania regiment, who was killed by a chance shot, and the wounding of six of the gunners. Soon after 4 o'clock the firing from Fort Wagner ceased. It was then known that our brave fellows had succeeded in dismounting one gun, and it was also pretty well ascertained that another of the rebel pieces had burst. These facts led to the supposition that the enemy had evacuated the work, and it was determined to attempt its occupation. For this purpose two brigades, consisting of the Seventh Connecticut regiment, the Third New-Hampshire, the Ninth Maine, the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania, and the Forty-eighth New-York, under Brig. Gen. STRONG, and the Seventh New-Hampshire, Sixth Connecticut, Sixty-second Ohio, One Hundredth New-York and Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, colored, under Col. PUTNAM, who had been under arms all day, screened from the enemy behind a range of said hills, in the rear of our works, were ordered forward. This was at dusk, and both brigades were formed in line on the beach, the regiments being disposed in columns, excepting the colored regiment which for some reason was given the post of extreme honor and of danger in the advance, and was drawn up in line of battle, exposing its full front to the enemy. This movement of the troops was observed by Sumter, and fire was at once opened upon them, happily without doing injury, as the shells went over the heads of the men. Gen. STRONG's brigade under this fire moved along the beach at slow time for about three-quarters of a mile, when the men were ordered to lie down. In this position they remained half an hour, Sumter meanwhile being joined in the cannonade by the rebels in Battery Bee, but without effect upon our troops. It was now quite dark, and the order was given for both brigades to advance, Gen. STRONG's leading and Col. PUTNAM's within supporting distance. The troops went forward at quick time and in deep silence, until the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, led by its gallant Col. SHAW, was within two hundred yards of the work, when the men gave a fierce yell and rushed up the glacis, closely followed by the other regiments of the brigade. The enemy, hitherto silent as the grave, while our men were swarming over the glacis, opened upon them furiously with grape, cannister, and a continuous fusilade of small arms. The gallant negroes, however, plunged on regardless of this murderous reception, and many of them crossed the ditch, although it contained four feet of water, gaining the parapet. They were dislodged, however, in ??? few minutes with hand grenades, and retired helter shelter, leaving more than one-half of their number, including their brave colonel, dead upon the field. The Sixth Connecticut Regiment, under Lieut. -Col. RODMAN, was next in support of the Fifty-fourth, and they also suffered terribly, being compelled to retire after a stubborn contest. The Ninth Maine, which was next in line, was broken up by the passage of the remnant of the repulsed colored regiment through its lines, and retired in confusion, excepting three companies, which nobly stood their ground. It now devolved upon the Third New-Hampshire regiment to push forward, and led by Gen. STRONG and Col. JACKSON in person the gallant fellows dashed up against the fort. Three companies actually gained the ditch, and wading through the water found shelter against the embankment. Here was the critical point of the assault, and the Second ???rade, which should have been up and ready to support their comrades of the First, were unaccountably delayed. Gen. STRONG then gave the order to fall back, and lie down on the glacis, which was obeyed without confusion. It was while waiting here, exposed to the heavy ???re. ??? Gen. STRONG was wounded. A fragment of shell entered his thigh, passing entirely through the fleshy part and making a serious wound, although the bone escaped fracture. The breast of Col. JACKSON's coat was torn off at the same time by a piece of shell, slightly wounding him. Neither of these brave men would lie down to escape the rain of metal, but stood unflinchingly throughout, eliciting the unbounded admiration of their men. Finding that the supports did not come, Gen. STRONG gave the order for his brigade to retire, and the men left the field in perfect order. A little while afterwards the other brigades came up, and made up for their apparent tardiness by glorious deeds of valor. Rushing impetuously up the glacis, undeterred by the fury of the enemy, whose fire was not intermitted for a second, several of the regiments succeeded in crossing the ditch, scaling the parapet and descending into the fort. Here a hand-to-hand conflict ensued. Our men fought with desperation, and were able to drive the enemy from one side of the work to seek shelter between the traverses, while they held possession for something more than an hour, This unparalleled piece of gallantry was unfortunately of no advantage. The enemy rallied, and, having received large reinforcements, made a charge upon the band of heroes, and expelled them from their nobly-won position by the sheer force of numbers. One of the regiments engaged in this brilliant dash was the Forty-eighth New-York, Col. BARTON, and it came out almost decimated. The most distressing part of its disastrous treatment is, that the enemy did not inflict the damage. It was the result of a mistake on the part of one of our own regiments. The Forty-eighth was among the first to enter the fort, and was fired upon by a regiment that gained the parapet some minutes later, under the supposition that it was the enemy. About midnight the order was given to retire, and our men fell back to the rifle-pits outside of our own works, having engaged in as hotly contested a battle as has ever been fought. Our casualties, as may reasonably be expected, were very large. The list of killed, wounded and missing foots up fifteen hundred and thirty. Among the killed are Col. PUTNAM, of the Seventh New-Hampshire; Col. SHAW, of the Fifth-fourth Massachusetts; Lieut.-Col. GREEN, of the Forty-eighth New-York; Adjutant LIBBY, of the Third New-Hampshire. Gen. SEYMOUR was wounded in the foot, while directing movements in the field. Col. BARTON, of the Forty-eighth New-York, was wounded in the thigh by a ball, which flattened against the bone. Lieut.-Col. RODMAN, of the Sixth Connecticut, was seriously wounded. Lieut.-Col BEDELL, of the Third New-Hampshire, was taken prisoner. The day after the fight, the steamers Cosmopolitan and Mary Benton were dispatched to Hilton Head with the wounded, and every house in Beaufort is now occupied as a hospital. Our dead were buried on Monday, at least that portion of them that were on the field within the limits that our burying party was allowed to approach the rebel works. Those who fell on the glacis and the ditch were interred by the enemy. Individual instances of heroism during the contest were numerous. Among others it is mentioned that the color-bearer of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts stood nobly up on the glacis with his flag, endeavoring to rally the men, and finding the task useless, he walked to the rear, still holding the flag aloft with remarkable deliberation, regardless altogether of the fearful fire. The siege has not been suspended. Operations are still in progress, which Gen. GILLMORE is sanguine will result in success. Among the passengers by the Arago are Brig.-Gen. TRURAN SEYMOUR, who is stopping at the A???ior House, Brig-Gen. GEORGE C. STRONG, Col. JACKSON of the Third New-Hampshire, and Lieut.-Col. RODMAN of the Sixth Connecticut.

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THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON

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          A Second Assault on Fort Wagner on the 18th.Repulse of Gen. Gillmore's Forces.Desperate Bravery of the Assaulting Party.The Interior of the Fort Gained, but Not Held.Our Loss About 1,500 Killed, Wounded and Missing. GENS. SEYMOUR AND STRONG WOUNDED The Siege Operations Still Progressing

          The United States steam transport Arago HENRY A. GADSDEN, commanding, from Port Royal, S.C., at 10:30 A.M., and Charleston Bar at 5 P.M., on Thursday, July 23, arrived at this port yesterday afternoon, bringing 100 first, and 172 second class, passengers, the usual mails, and having the prize steamer Emma in tow.

The United States steam transport Arago HENRY A. GADSDEN, commanding, from Port Royal, S.C., at 10:30 A.M., and Charleston Bar at 5 P.M., on Thursday, July 23, arrived at this port yesterday afternoon, bringing 100 first, and 172 second class, passengers, the usual mails, and having the prize steamer Emma in tow.

          The intelligence by the Arago confirms the telegrams already published from rebel sources, respecting the second assault upon fort Wagner, on Morris Island, by Gen. GILLMORE's forces and the monitors, mortar schooners and gunboats under Admiral DAHLGREN.

          After the first unsuccessful assault on the 10th inst., Gen. GILLMORE lost no time in throwing up batteries on Morris Island, within 800 yards of Fort Wagner, in order to reduce it by siege. On the morning of the 18th, twelve or fifteen heavy guns were in position, beside eight or ten mortars. Gen. GILLMORE, therefore, determined to commence the attack, which was opened at 11 o'clock A.M.

          The bombardment was conducted in a spirited manner, GILMORE's batteries initiating the work, and Admiral DAHLGREN's five monitors, the Ironsides, too mortar schooners and three wooden gunboats, quickly joining in the engagement.

          The enemy replied briskly from Fort Wagner and Battery Bee, just beyond the Cumming's Point, while Fort Sumter kept up a sharp fire from the guns of her southwestern face, among which were two rifled pieces of heavy calibre. Most of the fire of the rebels was directed upon the Monitors and other naval vessels, only an occasional shell being sent towards the batteries. Although the iron-clads were repeatedly struck, they suffered very little real damage, and the only losses in the batteries were a Lieutenant of the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania regiment, who was killed by a chance shot, and the wounding of six of the gunners.

          Soon after 4 o'clock the firing from Fort Wagner ceased. It was then known that our brave fellows had succeeded in dismounting one gun, and it was also pretty well ascertained that another of the rebel pieces had burst. These facts led to the supposition that the enemy had evacuated the work, and it was determined to attempt its occupation. For this purpose two brigades, consisting of the Seventh Connecticut regiment, the Third New-Hampshire, the Ninth Maine, the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania, and the Forty-eighth New-York, under Brig. Gen. STRONG, and the Seventh New-Hampshire, Sixth Connecticut, Sixty-second Ohio, One Hundredth New-York and Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, colored, under Col. PUTNAM, who had been under arms all day, screened from the enemy behind a range of said hills, in the rear of our works, were ordered forward.

          This was at dusk, and both brigades were formed in line on the beach, the regiments being disposed in columns, excepting the colored regiment which for some reason was given the post of extreme honor and of danger in the advance, and was drawn up in line of battle, exposing its full front to the enemy. This movement of the troops was observed by Sumter, and fire was at once opened upon them, happily without doing injury, as the shells went over the heads of the men.

          Gen. STRONG's brigade under this fire moved along the beach at slow time for about three-quarters of a mile, when the men were ordered to lie down. In this position they remained half an hour, Sumter meanwhile being joined in the cannonade by the rebels in Battery Bee, but without effect upon our troops. It was now quite dark, and the order was given for both brigades to advance, Gen. STRONG's leading and Col. PUTNAM's within supporting distance. The troops went forward at quick time and in deep silence, until the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, led by its gallant Col. SHAW, was within two hundred yards of the work, when the men gave a fierce yell and rushed up the glacis, closely followed by the other regiments of the brigade.

The enemy, hitherto silent as the grave, while our men were swarming over the glacis, opened upon them furiously with grape, cannister, and a continuous fusilade of small arms.

          The gallant negroes, however, plunged on regardless of this murderous reception, and many of them crossed the ditch, although it contained four feet of water, gaining the parapet. They were dislodged, however, in ??? few minutes with hand grenades, and retired helter shelter, leaving more than one-half of their number, including their brave colonel, dead upon the field.

          The Sixth Connecticut Regiment, under Lieut. -Col. RODMAN, was next in support of the Fifty-fourth, and they also suffered terribly, being compelled to retire after a stubborn contest. The Ninth Maine, which was next in line, was broken up by the passage of the remnant of the repulsed colored regiment through its lines, and retired in confusion, excepting three companies, which nobly stood their ground.

          It now devolved upon the Third New-Hampshire regiment to push forward, and led by Gen. STRONG and Col. JACKSON in person the gallant fellows dashed up against the fort. Three companies actually gained the ditch, and wading through the water found shelter against the embankment. Here was the critical point of the assault, and the Second ???rade, which should have been up and ready to support their comrades of the First, were unaccountably delayed. Gen. STRONG then gave the order to fall back, and lie down on the glacis, which was obeyed without confusion.

          It was while waiting here, exposed to the heavy ???re. ??? Gen. STRONG was wounded. A fragment of shell entered his thigh, passing entirely through the fleshy part and making a serious wound, although the bone escaped fracture. The breast of Col. JACKSON's coat was torn off at the same time by a piece of shell, slightly wounding him. Neither of these brave men would lie down to escape the rain of metal, but stood unflinchingly throughout, eliciting the unbounded admiration of their men. Finding that the supports did not come, Gen. STRONG gave the order for his brigade to retire, and the men left the field in perfect order.

          A little while afterwards the other brigades came up, and made up for their apparent tardiness by glorious deeds of valor. Rushing impetuously up the glacis, undeterred by the fury of the enemy, whose fire was not intermitted for a second, several of the regiments succeeded in crossing the ditch, scaling the parapet and descending into the fort. Here a hand-to-hand conflict ensued. Our men fought with desperation, and were able to drive the enemy from one side of the work to seek shelter between the traverses, while they held possession for something more than an hour, This unparalleled piece of gallantry was unfortunately of no advantage. The enemy rallied, and, having received large reinforcements, made a charge upon the band of heroes, and expelled them from their nobly-won position by the sheer force of numbers. One of the regiments engaged in this brilliant dash was the Forty-eighth New-York, Col. BARTON, and it came out almost decimated. The most distressing part of its disastrous treatment is, that the enemy did not inflict the damage. It was the result of a mistake on the part of one of our own regiments. The Forty-eighth was among the first to enter the fort, and was fired upon by a regiment that gained the parapet some minutes later, under the supposition that it was the enemy.

          About midnight the order was given to retire, and our men fell back to the rifle-pits outside of our own works, having engaged in as hotly contested a battle as has ever been fought. Our casualties, as may reasonably be expected, were very large. The list of killed, wounded and missing foots up fifteen hundred and thirty.

          Among the killed are Col. PUTNAM, of the Seventh New-Hampshire; Col. SHAW, of the Fifth-fourth Massachusetts; Lieut.-Col. GREEN, of the Forty-eighth New-York; Adjutant LIBBY, of the Third New-Hampshire.    

          Gen. SEYMOUR was wounded in the foot, while directing movements in the field.

          Col. BARTON, of the Forty-eighth New-York, was wounded in the thigh by a ball, which flattened against the bone.

          Lieut.-Col. RODMAN, of the Sixth Connecticut, was seriously wounded.

          Lieut.-Col BEDELL, of the Third New-Hampshire, was taken prisoner.

          The day after the fight, the steamers Cosmopolitan and Mary Benton were dispatched to Hilton Head with the wounded, and every house in Beaufort is now occupied as a hospital.

          Our dead were buried on Monday, at least that portion of them that were on the field within the limits that our burying party was allowed to approach the rebel works. Those who fell on the glacis and the ditch were interred by the enemy.

          Individual instances of heroism during the contest were numerous. Among others it is mentioned that the color-bearer of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts stood nobly up on the glacis with his flag, endeavoring to rally the men, and finding the task useless, he walked to the rear, still holding the flag aloft with remarkable deliberation, regardless altogether of the fearful fire.

          The siege has not been suspended. Operations are still in progress, which Gen. GILLMORE is sanguine will result in success.

          Among the passengers by the Arago are Brig.-Gen. TRURAN SEYMOUR, who is stopping at the A???ior House, Brig-Gen. GEORGE C. STRONG, Col. JACKSON of the Third New-Hampshire, and Lieut.-Col. RODMAN of the Sixth Connecticut.

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