Today in History:

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

Page 559 Chapter XL. OPERATIONS ON MORRIS ISLAND, S. C.

Rode to Fort Johnson and saw Lieutenant-Colonel Yates, who said we might have one of the guns; and also one columbiad pattern carriage and chassis, provided there went two of them. As there turned out to be only one, of course we could not get it.

At 6 p. m. the Second Battalion, Twenty-fifth Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, Major Glover commanding, was relieved by the Fifty-fourth Georgia, Lieutenant-Colonel Rawls commanding. The battalion of the Twenty-fifth (Eutaw) marched immediately to Fort Johnson, preparatory to going to Morris Island.

At 11 p. m. a heavy cannonade commenced between Fort Moultrie and Batteries Bee, Beauregard, and Gregg, and the Yankee iron-clads. This firing lasted almost all night.

September 2.-At early dawn, four monitors were seen to go off from the neighborhood of Fort Sumter. Some persons assert that there were six of them; but this is far from certain. Their fire appears to have been principally directed against Fort Sumter. During the morning, and again in the afternoon, we fired with the 8-inch columbiad upon Marsh Battery No 1 whenever any persons was seen about it. Generals Beauregard, Taliaferro, and Hagood visited Battery Haskell about 12.30 p. m.

Sent wagon into town to carry the wrought-iron work of two mortar beds to the Charleston Arsenal, to be used with the new iron mortar beds which are being cast for Battery Haskell.

About 8 p. m. a wooden mortar bed was brought to Battery Haskell.

Very quiet during the night; scarcely any firing at all, except occasionally from Battery Wagner.

September 3.-At about 10 a. m. sent carraie and limber of the 30-pounder Parrott which burst at Battery Haskell, August 19, to central ordnance depot in Charleston, together with the chase portion of the exploded gun. Lieutenant-Colonel Waddy, chief of ordnance, had reacted the carriage and limber only to be carried to the city, but, in pursuance of a veal order given by gotten on the carriage was sent also. Lieutenant [W. W.] Legare, ordnance officer, furnished the mules and drivers by order.

Moved the 4-inch Blakely gun from Platform Numbers 7 in Battery Haskell to Platform Numbers 9. Moved the 4.62-inch rifle siege gun, received August 30, to Platform Numbers 7, but accidently it was dismounted while being shifted from the traveling bed to trunnion beds. As we were not provided with the proper blocks, levers, ropes, &c., sent immediately to Lieutenant Legare, ordnance officer, requesting that a garrison gin should be sent down with hands to mount the gun. The gin arrived at Battery Haskell about 7 p. m., but without block and tackle. The labor of shifting guns at Battery Haskell is very great, as the road of communication in rear of the platforms is cut through by open drains between each two platforms, in order to drain the borrow pits; hence, heavy skids have to be moved from drain to drain to pass the guns over.

In the afternoon, fired 10 shots from the 8-inch columbiad at Marsh Battery Numbers 1, about which some of the enemy were seen. Only 1 shot struck the battery, though several went near it. The enemy went off or concealed themselves closely in the battery.

Lieutenant Nesbit went to the city on surgeon's certificate; as he was much prostrated by sickness, four hours' leave of absence was granted to Captain Smith to accompany him to hospital, and make


Page 559 Chapter XL. OPERATIONS ON MORRIS ISLAND, S. C.