Today in History:

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

Page 540 S.C. AND GA. COASTS, AND IN MID. AND E. FLA. Chapter XL.

South Carolina Volunteers, Lieutenant Brown, 10 men. Total, 63 men.

Upon the withdrawal of my support under Lieutenant-Colonel Pressley, Hunter's and Kanapaux's artillery will be also withdrawn, Captain Kanapaux falling back upon the rifle-pits and assisting in serving the artillery there stationed. He will not are until certain the forlorn hope under my command has reached him, and receives the command to fire from proper authority. As soon as Colonel Pressley has had time to pass the rifle-pits, the remainder of the garrison will be withdrawn as quietly as possible, the precise time to be fixed to-night. Up to the time of withdrawal of the troops, a fire will be kept up by the 10-inch mortar and right carronade, and sharpshooters posted in the chambers on the left flank. Fire will not be opened until after the support has taken its position, except an occasional mortar fire and perhaps carronade.

Respectfully submitted.

T. A. HUGUENIN,

Captain 1st S. C. [Regular] Inf. [3rd Art.], Chief of Artillery.

CHARLESTON, September 7, 1863.

MAJOR: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of the artillery at Battery Wagner while under my command:

On September 4, while in command of Battery Gregg, in pursuance to orders, I reported at Battery Wagner as chief of artillery. As soon as I arrived, I made a minute inspection of all the artillery, ordnance, and ordnance stores. I found the artillery troops much exhausted, some companies having been necessarily at the guns for several days and nights. The guns were all in fighting condition, excepting one 8-inch shell gun and done 10-inch columbiad. The 8-inch was fixed that day, but the 10-inch could not be fixed so as to fire any length of time, as the chassis had been nearly cut in two by a shot.

During the afternoon, the engineer reported that the enemy had recommenced their work at the approaches, and I ordered a brisk fire to be opened upon the trenches by all the guns that would bear. This was kept up until next morning just after daylight, when the enemy opened on us from a battery of four rifled guns, five mortars, and from the Ironsides, at the rate of from 5 to 7 shot and shell per minute. This fire was so accurate that, after an inspection with you of all the batteries, I reported to Colonel Keitt that if we continued our fire the enemy would dismount our guns, and therefore we could not be able to repel an assault. He sanctioned this, and I had the embrasures filled with sand-bags. The detachments were, however, kept at the guns under as much cover as possible. The bombardment continued without intermission during the day, cutting away the parapet of the salient angle, wounding many of the cannoneers, and cutting up the gun carriages on the land curtain and the curtain next to the beach.

In consequence of a portion of the garrison having been sent to repel an attack upon Battery Gregg, the usual night fire was reduced to mortar firing, which continued throughout the night and at intervals on the 6th. The fire of the enemy was slackened a little during


Page 540 S.C. AND GA. COASTS, AND IN MID. AND E. FLA. Chapter XL.