Today in History:

171 Series I Volume XXVIII-I Serial 46 - Ft. Sumter - Ft. Wagner Part I

Page 171 Chapter XI. GENERAL REPORTS.

The fleet at Port Royal is reported one steam cutter, two iron-clads, six wooden gunboats, and sixty-nine transports.

November 27, 1863.-Major Elliott, at Fort Sumter, reports that 169 rifle shells were fired at Sumter last night, and that 92 missed.

No casualties have occurred in the fort during the past twenty-four hours, nor has the work sustained any further serious damage.

Captain [J. A.] Roe and the detachment of 100 men from the Nineteenth, Twenty-third, Twenty-seventh, and Twenty-eighth Georgia Regiments were relieved by Captain [W. J.] Jordan with 6 officers and a similar detachment from the same commands.

The engineers have nearly completed extension of traverse over loop-holed blindage at entrance of battery; blocked up western sallyport within and without; continued and nearly completed the filling of the ordnance store-room, second tier southwest pan coupe; finished barrier of sand-bags at north end of hospital casemates, and continued mining for passage, from center bomb-proof through lower gorge rooms toward south magazines.

During the day, Battery Gregg and the adjacent mortar and other batteries fired on Simkins, Sumter, and Fort Johnson. Battery Simkins replied slowly from both mortar and gun. One hundred and six rifle and 105 mortar shells were fired at Sumter, of which 53 rifle and 40 mortar shells missed. One of the two heavy guns at Gregg bearing on Sumter has been ascertained to be a 10-inch columbiad, and its shell practice against the southwest angle was very good and rather effective. Fragments of a 13-inch mortar shell were picked up to-day in Sumter.

This morning Private James Tupper, Company D, Twenty-seventh South Carolina Volunteers, observing that the flag had been shot down, walked along the whole extent of the gorge wall on the parapet, and endeavored to raise it; finding, however, that the staff was too short he procured an additional piece of spar, and (with the assistance of C. B. Foster, same command, and Corpls W. C. Buckheister and A. J. Bluett, Company B) succeeded in splicing and planting the staff; not, however, before it had been again cut away while in their hands. This act of distinguished gallantry was noticed by the commanding general, in orders.

At 11.25 a.m. the enemy once more opened on the city, and fired 9 shells at intervals of about five minutes. They cease firing at 12.10 p.m.

The enemy have at Port Royal two steam frigates, two sloops of war, one cutter, two iron-clads, six wooden gunboats, and seventy-two transports.

November 28, 1863.-The usual practice with light Parrott guns was continued by the enemy last night against Sumter, which was struck one hundred and twenty-one times; 136 of those fired passed over or exploded prematurely.

In the bombardment of the fort to-day, one of the monitors assisted and fired 22 shots, 8 of which missed; the land batteries 97 shots, of which 43 missed, and 21 mortar shells, of which 6 missed. No casualties occurred.

Fort Moultrie, Battery Simkins, and Fort Johnson also came in for a share of the enemy's attention to-day. The first-named work sustained a bombardment from mortar shells and 300-pounder Parrott guns, and, although struck several times, was not injured in the least. Captain J. Valentine, commanding post, was severely, and 2 private slightly, wounded. To the 87 shots fired by the enemy, only


Page 171 Chapter XI. GENERAL REPORTS.