Fort Wagner II
| Battle Name: | Fort Wagner II |
|---|---|
| Other Names: | Second Assault, Morris Island |
| State: | South Carolina |
| Location: | City of Charleston |
| Campaign: | Operations against Defenses of Charleston (1863) |
| Dates: | July 18-September 7, 1863 |
| Principal Commanders: | Maj. Gen. Quincy Gillmore [US]; Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard [CS] |
| Forces Engaged: | 6,800 total (US 5,000; CS 1,800) |
| Estimated Casualties: | 1,689 total (US 1,515; CS 174) |
| Description: | After the July 11 assault on Fort Wagner failed, Gillmore reinforced his beachhead on Morris Island. At dusk July 18, Gillmore launched an attack spearheaded by the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, a black regiment. The unit’s colonel, Robert Gould Shaw, was killed. Members of the brigade scaled the parapet but after brutal hand-to-hand combat were driven out with heavy casualties. The Federals resorted to siege operations to reduce the fort. This was the fourth time in the war that black troops played a crucial combat role, proving to skeptics that they would fight bravely if only given the chance. |
| Results: | Confederate victory |
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