Today in History:

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

Page 389 Chapter XL. OPERATIONS ON MORRIS ISLAND, S. C.

plished officer, who was killed by a shell from the enemy's fleet while faithfully performing his arduous duties.

Battery Cheves was opened on the morning of the 17th, at 9 o'clock, with four 8-inch columbiads and four 8-inch navy guns on ship carriages. The fire was kept up throughout the day with the columbiads at the enemy's works on Morris Island and working parties in the marsh, having the effect of annoying the former and dispersing the latter. The four 8-inch navy carriages were found to be inadequate to stand the elevation and range, and dismounted their guns after about an hour. They were directed to be remounted on columbiad carriages and reprepared for service as speedily as possible. Battery Haskell also opened on the enemy's working parties between Morris and Black Islands.

During the night of the 17th, the enemy remained comparatively quiet. The troops on Morris Island were resupplied, and a large quantity of ammunition and stores were removed from Fort Sumter to Sullivan's Island.

Early on the morning of the 18th, the Ironsides, two monitors, and the enemy's land batteries opened upon Fort Sumter and Battery Wagner. The battery and fort replied slowly. Batteries Simkins and Cheves also opened upon the enemy, annoying them to a considerable extent, but, on account of the miserable quality of our fuses, only by the striking of the shells; but few burst. Before 2 o'clock the Ironsides and monitors retired, the land batteries alone keeping up the cannonade, with the effect of causing the wall on the northwest face of Sumter to project and cutting well away into the gorge.

During the afternoon, the Ironsides and five monitors took up position in line, and, with the land batteries, kept up a heavy fire, taking the northwest face in reverse, disabling the remaining guns and two 10-inch columbiads on the northeast face; two guns remaining on the west face were also disabled, besides the 7-inch Brooke gun in the southwest angle. The enemy ceased his fire about 7 p. m., having thrown 876 shot and shell, of which 452 struck outside, 244 inside, and 180 went over. One man was seriously and 2 slightly wounded. At Battery Wagner a rifled gun and a 10-inch columbiad were disabled, but the damage to the works otherwise was not serious. One monitor of the enemy was observed undergoing repairs during the night.

[On the 19th,] the enemy's land batteries commenced firing at 4.30 o'clock in the morning, principally on Fort Sumter, but firing from mortars and small guns on Battery Wagner. By 10 o'clock the cannonade on Sumter had become more serious than hitherto, damaging the walls seriously, killing 1 and wounding 4. All the gorge guns had been rendered useless, and the first shot passed through the gorge wall just under the crown of an arch west of the main gateway. The fire continued steadily during the afternoon, with its usual effect. The western quarters of Fort Sumter having been demolished, the walls were torn down by the garrison. One 10-inch mortar mounted in the parade of Fort Sumter was dismounted in the afternoon. The width of 20 feet of the gorge wall fell during the night, leaving the protection on that side through the upper arches only the sand and cotton with which the casemates were filled. The damage to other parts of the fort was in proportion. One man had been killed and 4 wounded at Fort Sumter. The fort received 780 shots - 408 outside, 241 inside, and 131 over. The enemy's fleet made


Page 389 Chapter XL. OPERATIONS ON MORRIS ISLAND, S. C.