^.s. ^< 
 
 -^' 
 
 .'*■ 
 
 -^.■i' 
 
THE 
 
 WILUAM R. PERKINS 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 DUKE UNIVERSITY 
 
 Rare Books 
 
 'iw 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/reportofbrigadieOOconf 
 
(%. 
 
IlEP»0]RT 
 
 or 
 
 BRIGADIER GENERAL R.S.RIPLEY, 
 
 OF OPERATIONS 
 
 FROM AUGUST 21, TO SEPTEMBER 10, 18G3. 
 
 WITH 8U1MIEP()RT8. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF CONGRESS. 
 
 RICHMOND: 
 
 r. M. SMITH, rUHLIG FRINTEi:. 
 
 1864. 
 
deny r 
 rfC><ut- 
 
 MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT. 
 
 Richmond, Va., January 7, 1864. 
 
 To the Senate and House of Representatives : 
 
 I herewith transmit, for your information, a communication from 
 the Secretary of War, covering a copy of the report of Brigadier 
 General R. S. Ripley, "of operations from August 21 to September 
 10, 1863." 
 
 JEFFERSON DAVIS. 
 
 COMMUNICATION OF SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 Confederate States of America, ^ 
 
 War Department, v 
 
 Richmond, Va., January 6th, 1864. ) 
 
 To the President of the Confederate States : 
 
 Sir : I have the honor to forward, for the information of Congress, 
 copies of Brigadier General Ripley's report of operations from Au- 
 gust 21 to September 1(1, 1863, with sub-reports. 
 
 I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 JAMES A. SEDDON, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 
IIEPOBT OF GENERAL V. S. RIPLEY. 
 
 • IlEAnqUARTERS FiRPT MiMTARY DiSTRTCT, ) 
 
 Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, v 
 Charleston, September 22d, 18C3 ) 
 
 Gf.ner\l: On the morning of the 2I:5t of August, the enemy 
 opened heavily against the cast face of Fort Sumter, from his land 
 batterie.^^, rnlilixding it, and by half-past seven had succeeded in dis- 
 abling one ten-inch gun and a rifled forfy-two-nounder. ■ The can- 
 nonade was continued throughout the (Jay. Four hundred and sixty- 
 five shot and shell struck Fort Sumter outside, two hundred and 
 fifty-nine inside, and two hundred and nineteen passed over, nine 
 hundred and forty-three in all. The eifect was to batter the easicrn 
 face heavily, doing consi^lerable damage, and to disable the guns al- 
 reaiy mentioned, one eight-inch col'umbiad and a ril'cd forty-two- 
 poundcr. Seven men were wounded in the fort — three dangerously. 
 In the evening, the Ironsides frigate came A\ithin range. Five eleven- 
 inch shot were fired at her, when she withdrew.^ Brigadier Gcp.eral 
 Ilagood relieved Colonel Keitt in command of our troops on I^Iorris 
 Island, at two o'clock on the m^n-ning of the 2 1st, At half-past two, 
 he opened fire on the enemy's advance, then within about four hun- 
 dred and fifty yards, to which the enemy responded vigorously. The 
 practice was kept up until daylight. During the or^.rly part of the day, 
 the enemy's land batteries were employt^-d upon Fort Sumter, and 
 fired but littlo upon \Yagner. A monitor and two wooden gun-boats, 
 during the aficrnoon, opened upon the battery and the troops on the 
 hills. This firo was replied to by a ten- inch gun from Wagner and by 
 Battery Gregrr, Towards evening, the heavy land batteries com- 
 menced upon Wagner, adding thoir annoyance to that of the sharp- 
 shooters, which bad been constantly kept up during the day. 
 
 At dusk a large force of the enemy was observed approach^inr, with 
 the apparent in!,ention of assaulting the rifle-pits. He was received 
 with a brisk fire; and General Ilagood itnmediatelv reinforcing his ad- 
 vance, drove back the assault. 
 
 The casualties at Wagner were Captain Robert Pringle, of Lucas' 
 battalion of artillery, (who died nobly at his post,) killed, and seven 
 wounded. Batteries Cheves ami Simpkins kept up a continuous fire with 
 columbiads and mortars throughout tbo day on tl;e enemy's advance. At 
 twelve o'clock the enemy sent a flag of tiucc to battery Wagner, with 
 a communication to the commanding general. This Brigadier Gen- 
 eral ILigood retained, there being no immediate communication with 
 the city until iho evening, when it was delivered to the commanding 
 general, who visited Morris' Island at that time.* At about half-paet 
 
 *NoTE. — Itbcin^ at nif:bt, with no proper Tight at ti»nJ, the oumraanicitions were sent un- 
 Fejiled, by the Batno lu'jg.-cngcr, to my hpadijanrteri. 
 
 G. T. OKAURSaARD, General commanding. 
 
 I 
 
two o'clock, on tlie morning of the 22d, an officer was sent to Morria 
 Island, returning the dispatch enclosed to the commander of the en- 
 my's forces for signature, which had been omitted. 
 
 Soon after three o'clock, the enemy opened from a new battery, 
 constructed in the marsh, a little to the west of Thomas' Island, at 
 lono- range, upon the city of Charleston, several shots reaching the 
 city, but doing no damage whatever, beyond the desfruction of a few 
 medical stores, and injuring one or two walls slightly. 
 
 During the night of the 21st, the twentieth South Carolina volun- 
 teers was relieved from duty at Morris Island, by the sixty -first North 
 Carolina regiment; and different detachments of artillery were also 
 replaced by fresh troops. Captain Gaillard's company of artillery 
 was relieved from Fort Sumter, and stationed at Sullivan's Island. 
 
 A considevable quantity of artillery implements, and nine thousand 
 seven hundred pounds of powder, with subsistence and other stores, 
 w^ere also shipped from that fort during the night. 
 
 The enemy opened heavily from his land batteries on Fort Sumter, 
 at six o'clock, A. M., on the 22d, directing his fire, as before, princi- 
 pally at the east face, and continued it throughout the day, throwing 
 six hundred and four shots, of which two hundred and three struck 
 outside, two hundred and sixteen struck inside, and one hundred and 
 ei"hty-five missed. The effect during the day was to disable the re- 
 maining barbette guns, except one eleven and one ten inch gun on 
 the eastern face, demolish the arches of the northwest face, (of which 
 five and the terreplein fell in,) and scale the eastern face severely. 
 One private was wounded. 
 
 While continuing the fire against Fort Sumter, at an early hour in 
 the morning two monitors opened upon Battery Wagner, shelling for 
 about two hours, when they were replaced by the Ironsides, and she 
 again, reinforced by two other monitors, keeping up a heavy connonade 
 until about two o'clock, when they all withdrew. They all kept at 
 lon<y range, but had the effect of preventing a continued fire from the 
 battery on the advancing works of the enemy ; although it was kept 
 up for about one hour-and-a-half during the morning. The sharp- 
 shooters recommenced their fire as soon as the fleet withdrew. Bat- 
 tery Gregg returned the fire of the monitors until they were out of 
 range, when the guns were turned upon the enemy's stockade and 
 advance wOrks, to which his land batteries replied. 
 
 A flag of truce was sent by steamer Spaulding, with a communica- 
 tion from the com.raanding general and certain consuls, to the enemy, 
 during the evening. 
 
 Batteries Simkins and Cheves kept up a continued fire upon the 
 works of attack. 
 
 On the morning of the 23d, at about half-past three, the enemy's 
 iron-clad fleet came up the channel and engaged Fort Sumter at short 
 distance, firing sixty-one shots, of which twenty-nine struck outside, 
 fifteen inside, and seventeen missed, doing considerable damage to 
 the eastern parapet and wall. The fire was replied to by the guns of 
 Fort Sumter, capable of service ; and the proper signals having been 
 made, Colonel Butler, commanding artillery on Sullivan's Island, 
 
manned his batteries and opened fire on the nearest monitor. A dense 
 fog soon set in, however, which prevented effective practice at so 
 small a mark. From Fort Moultrie the firing was only kept up by 
 throwing shell to interrupt any rcconnoissance which the enemy 
 might make of the obstructions, until about half-past six, A. M., 
 when the fog rose, and the enemy retired, after receiving a few shots. 
 At Battery Wagner, during the night, all the damages which had 
 been done to the battery were repaired ; but notwithstanding a con- 
 stant fire from the advanced pickets, the enemy succeeded during the 
 night in pushing his sap about forty yards. At an early hour in the 
 morning, however. General Ilagood opened upon them with three 
 guns, and succeeded in interfering with his wnrk almost entirely 
 during the day, and seriously injuring what had been accomplished 
 during the night. The enemy's land batteries opened upon Wagner 
 in the morning and afternoon, but gave their heaviest fire during the 
 day to Sumter. The Ironsides attacked about seven o'clock, but being 
 replied to by Battery Gregg and the sea front of Wagner, she retired, 
 after about an hour-and-a half One of her boats, a fine launch, was 
 cut away, secured by volunteers from the garrison, and sent to the 
 city of Charleston, where it has since been employed in transport 
 service. At about twelve o'clock, a flag of truce came in from the 
 enemy, with a communication for the commanding general and 
 foreign consuls. The casualties at Battery Wagner during the day 
 ■were seven wounded, amongst whom was the gallant and distinguished 
 Lieutenant Colonel P. C. Gaillard, the commander of the Charleston 
 battalion, who lost his left hand, while in the faithful and unflinching 
 discharge of his duty. The fire from the enemy's land batteries was 
 kept up on Sumter during the whole day, throwing six hundred and 
 thirty-three shot and shell, of which two hundred and eighty-two 
 struck outside, two hundred and ten inside, and one hundred and 
 forty-one missed. 
 
 The eff"ect was to disable the 10-incli columbiad remaining and the 
 three rifled 42- pounders in the northern salient of the second tier. 
 The eastern face was very badly scaled and the parapet seriously in- 
 jured. The flag staff was twice shot away, but the flag each time 
 immediately replaced. The casualties in Fort Sumter -were seven 
 wounded, including Lieutenants Boyleston, Ficklin and Scanlan, 
 severely, and private Davis, company C, mortally. The enemy 
 opened with Parrott guns on Fort Johnson, during the day, annoying 
 working parties to some extent. Batteries Cheves and Simlcins kept 
 up their regular fire upon his land approaches against Battery Wag- 
 ner, and upon his marsh battery at night ; but, nevertheless, at about 
 midnight the enemy opened upon the city of Charleston with a heavy 
 Parrott rifled gun and upon Battery Cheves with a mortar. The 
 damage, however, was slight, and the rifled gun, having either burst 
 or been struck on its muzzle by a shot from our batteries, ceased its 
 practice from that time. 
 
 On the morning of the 24th, fire was opened upon Sumter from the 
 land batteries, but only one hundred and fifty shots were thrown 
 during the day, having principally the effect of scaling and damaging 
 
8 
 
 the eastern scarp, making one or two penetrations in tlie lower case- 
 mates, which were speedily filled up with sand bags. No casualties 
 occurred at Sumter. 
 
 At Battery Wagner the work of repair and preparations went on 
 during the day, and a mortar practice was kept up against the 
 enemy's working parties. Direct fire was also opened whenever prac- 
 ticable, but it was ordinarily of short continuance, owing to the 
 surpassing accuracy of the enemy's practice against the embrasures, 
 rendering great care necessary to preserve the pieces. Sharpshooters 
 were busily engaged on both sides. Batteries Simldns, Cheves and 
 Haskell were engaged fr.om time to time in firing upon the enemy's 
 advance during the day and night. The nineteenth Georgia regiment 
 relieved the Charleston battalion during the evening of the 24th. 
 
 The enemy had commenced building another battery in the marsh, 
 south of that from which he opened fire upon the city. Fire was 
 opened upon it from Simkins and Cheves, but soon discontinued, cir- 
 cumstances showing it to be a sham. 
 
 The practice against Fort Sumter commenced about half-past nine 
 o'clock, and continued throughout the .25th. One hundred and 
 seventy-five shot and shell were thrown, of which sixty-two struck 
 outside and thirt^'^-six inside. The damage was only to increase the 
 debris and explode an ammunition chest. There were no casualties. 
 At Battery Wagner the enemy was unusually quiet, firing but few of 
 his land batteries, until about three o'clock in the afternoon, when he 
 opened an incessant fire from his mortars upon the fort and the space 
 between it and th'3 rifle pits. Towards evening he was observed, 
 from the observatories in the city, to be accumulating forces in his 
 works of attack, and orders were sent to Batteries Cheves and Sim- 
 kins and Fort Moultrie to open upon them. Soon after dark he 
 advanced upon the rifle pits in front of Wagner, but General 
 Hagood's forces were fortunately prepared to receive him. His 
 mortar practice ceased, and his infantry assaulted fiercely, but the 
 position was held with courage and spirit, and ssuccess crowned the 
 efi"orts of the brave men of the sixty-first North Carolina and fifty- 
 fourth Georgia regiments, who constituted the advanced pickets and 
 reserve. The latter regiment hcd been on duty during the day and 
 bad just been reinforced by the sixty-first, going to its relief, under 
 Colonel Devane. 
 
 Captain Roberts, of the fifty-fourth, a gallant soldier, was mortally 
 wounded. The casualties were five killed and nineteen wounded. 
 Colonel Harrison of the thirty- second Georgia, relieved Brigadier 
 General Hagood in command of the forces on Morris Island at ten 
 o'clock on the evening of the 25th ; Lieutenant Colonel J. Welshman 
 Brown relieving Major Warley as chief of artillery. 
 
 Twelve thousand pounds of powder and a large quantity of ammu- 
 nition and material were transported from Fort Sumter during the 
 night. Companies C and F, of the^ first regiment of artillery, were 
 transferred to the new batteries near Fort Johnson, their places being 
 supplied by one hundred and fifty men from Brigadier General Col- 
 quitt's brigade. 
 
The enemy commenced against Fort Sumter at six, A. M., on the 
 26th, but his fire was inexact and slow, doing but little damage, 
 except increasing the debris. The garrison and laborers were em- 
 plojed in repairing damage^?. A quantity of ten inch shells were 
 shipped during the night, with other ammunition. 
 
 At Battery Wagner, Colonel Harrison kept up an irregular firedu- 
 ri-Dg the night of the 25th, and also during the day, but several of 
 his guns were badly damaged, and his supply of ammunition, from 
 deficiency of transportation and other causes, not full. The enemy 
 returned the fire from a number of guns, generally giving four shots 
 to one, and, about the middle of the afternoon, increased the cannon- 
 ade against Wagner and Gregg. About five o'clock, he concentrated 
 all his fire on Battery Wagner and the rifle-pits. Meanwhile, mass- 
 ing his troops in his works of attack, just before dark, he threw f.jr- 
 ward an overwhelming force on the advanced pickets, notwithstanding 
 the fires of Batteries Simkins, Gregg and Cheves, and succeeded in 
 overpowering them before they cculd be supported, capturing the 
 greater number. lie attempted to advance beyond the rifle-pits, bat 
 having exploded three torpedoes, and being received by a warm fire 
 from Wagner, his advance was checked for the time. 
 
 The sixty-first North Carolina regiojent and the artillery detach- 
 ments on duty at Mori i.s Island, were to be relieved during the night, by 
 the eighth North Carolina, and three detachments of artillery from 
 three respective regiments. 
 
 Upon the enemy's attack: the relieving party was strengthened by 
 the twentieth South Carolina volunteers, and Colonel Harrison wa3 
 ordered to retain the troops to be relieved. 
 
 During the night of August 37tj;i, the enemy had recourse again 
 to his regular approaches, and succeeded in making some progrcsa. 
 At dawn of the 2Tth, he was opened upon by Wagner, which was re- 
 plied to by the enemy's Barrett guns, making it impossible to use our 
 imperfect artiillery with good effect. The sharpshooters were kept at 
 work, and at dark the artillery fire was renewed. 
 
 Brigadier General A. H. Colquitt relieved Colonel Harrison, in 
 command of the island, at twelve o'clock, on the night of the 27th- 
 The enemy's operations against Fort Sumter consisted only in 
 throwing four shots at the flag. The garrison was employed in stop- 
 ping breaches and embrasures. During the night, a nine-inch, n 
 Dahlgren gun and a ten-inch columbiad were thrown from the walls, 
 to be transported by a party under Mr. J. Frayser Mathews. The 
 Dahlgren was brought to the city, with a large quantity of imple- 
 ments and ammunition. 
 
 The enemy was very quiet during the 2Sth, throwing only six shots 
 at Sumter. The tides had apparently damaged some of his works, 
 which he was engaged in repniring. He continued his advance, by 
 his regular approaches, on Morris Island, on which ho was retarded 
 by the artillery fire from Batteries Gregg. Simkins, Cheves and Has- 
 kell, and the infantry fire from Battery Wagner, during the day and 
 night. At Fort Sumter, a nine-inch Dahlgren gun was thrown over 
 'tho^parapet, but badly injured in the fall. The ten-inch columbiad, 
 
10 
 
 sent down the night before, with a large supply of ammunition, was 
 shipped. No casualties occurred. The sixty-first North Carolina 
 regiment was relieved from Battery Wagner. 
 
 No firing occurred against Sumter on the 29th. During the night, 
 company D, of the first South Carolina artillery, was sent to Charles- 
 ton, being replaced by fifty men of General Colquitt's brigade, A 
 seven-inch Brooke gun and a forty-two-pounder rifie were thrown 
 from the parapet. The Brooke gun and a large quantity of miscel- 
 laneous ammunition and implements were shipped. On Morris Island, 
 the enemy were engi'gcd in strengthening their works, annoyed and 
 retarded by the fire from the batteries en James Island, and Fort John- 
 son, and frbm Fort Moultrie, which, although at a great range, was 
 reported, by General Colquitt, as quite efl"ective. The guns at Bat- 
 tery Wagner did good service. An irregular fire was kept up on 
 both sides ; no serious damage was done to Wagner, but the nine- 
 inch gun, (Dahlgren) at Battery Gregg, was dismounted. During 
 the evening, Lieutenant Randall, A. D, C, to General Colquitt, a 
 highly distinguished and meritorious young officer, received a very 
 severe and dangerous wound. 
 
 The fifty-fourth Georgia regiment was relieved, as well as artillery 
 detachments, by the thirty-second Georgia, and other troops, during 
 the night. 
 
 On the morning of the 30th of August, the enemy opened a rapid 
 fire, from four guns, on Fort Sumter, wounding four men, throwing 
 about the debris and disabling the three ten-inch columbiads on the 
 sea face, which had been repaired. This was kept up until about five 
 o'clock in the afternoon, and, by that time, three of the casemate 
 arches on the northeast face, had#been demolished, and two breaches 
 made in the scarp wall of the eastern face, exposing the sand with 
 v/hich the arches were filled. On Morris Island, the enemy was 
 quietly engaged in driving his saps, in which they were opposed by 
 the James Island batteries and Wagner ; and attempted a new ap- 
 proach on the left, but was compelled to desist. During Ihe day but 
 little firing took place, except from sharpshooters, but at evening, a 
 brisk mortar practice was commenced on Battery Wagner, and a fire 
 from Parrott guns on Battery Gregg, apparently to cut oif supplies 
 and the relieving troops. These were sent down in the steamer Sum- 
 ter, the naval force being unable to co-operate with boats ; and, the 
 weather. being favorable, it was determined by the quartermaster in 
 charge, to make the attempt to commnnicate direct. The twenty- 
 seventh and twenty-eighth Georgia regiments and Captain Johnson's 
 company of artillery, with the supplies and stores for Morris Island, 
 had been safely landed, and the twentieth South Carolina and twenty- 
 third Georgia regiments and Captain Mathews' artillery received on 
 board. So much time had been taken up, however, that the tide had 
 fallen so low as to necessitate going by the main channel, and unfor- 
 tunately the necessity had not been provided against, by giving infor- 
 mation to, and establishing a signal with the batteries on Sullivan's 
 Island. The steamer had run safely to the enemy's fleet, and was 
 coming up the channel, when, being observed from Fort Moultrie,' fire 
 was opened upon her. 
 
11 
 
 Before the officers in charge had learned this error, several shots 
 took effect, sinking the boat and ct\using the loss of arms and equip- 
 ments. The troops on board were rescued by the garrison of Fort 
 Sumter, under Col. Alfred Rbett, and boats sent down by the navy. 
 Eight men were reported missing the next morning, and it is feared 
 were drowned. Special reports have bean made to headquarters on 
 this unfortunate occurrence. 
 
 During the night of August 3lst, in spite of a heavy fire from 
 Battery Wagner, the enemy continued strengthening his approaches, 
 replj'ing to our fire with his mortars. The batteries on James Island 
 continued their practice, oftentimes with good effect, but from the near 
 approach of the enemy to Battery Wagner, it was, at others, quite 
 dangerous to our own people, and General Colquitt directed them, by 
 signal, to cease. Occasional shots were thrown by the enemy in the 
 morning, and their sharpshooters were especially active. About 
 half-past three in the afternoon, four monitors came up and com- 
 menced firing at Battery Gregg, Fort Moultrie aad Fort Sumter, and 
 the wreck of the steamer sunk the previous night. This was re- 
 turned by the batteries on Sullivan's Island and Battery Gregg, and 
 the monitors were repeatedly struck from both sides. At dark they 
 withdrew. The fire upon Fort Sumter was quite slack during the 
 day, and did no damage. 
 
 At night the troops rescued from the Sumter were transported^, 
 to their respective posts, and shipment of stores and ammunition con- 
 tinued 
 
 The enemy was engaged on his works on ^lorris Island during the 
 night of the 31st, under a brisk fire from Battery Waguer, along his 
 front. lie succeeded in advancing his lines but a short distance. 
 
 At daylight he opened with his mortars upon that battery, and kept 
 up the bombardment, at intervals, throughout the day. The long- 
 range land batteries opened early against Fort Sumter, and kept up 
 a regular and destructive fire, injuring the fort very seriously, and 
 disabling the remaining guns en barbette. 
 
 The entire terreplein of the northeastern face, with the exception 
 of two arches near the eastern salient, fell in under the fice. At 
 forty minutes past eleven o'clock, P. .M., six monitors steamed up 
 and took position, varying from eight hundred to fifteen hundred yards 
 from Fort Sumter, and opened a heavy cohaonado upon the eastern 
 face. Fort Moultrie and the batteries adjacent on Sullivan's Island 
 and Battery Gregg, opened upon them in return, striking them fre- 
 quently and heavily. Two or three soon retired, and remained at long 
 range. 
 
 The Ironsides moved in at half past one, on the morning of the 2d 
 of September, and taking a position at from about fifteen hundrq^ to 
 eighteen hundred yar Is from tke Sumter, opened her broadside. She 
 was too far from Moultrie for effective practice, which wa.s ordered to 
 be kept up and concentrated on the loading vessels. This wa.** done 
 until four forty, .'V. M., when the fleet retire 1, two monitors apparently 
 injured and requiring assistance. 
 
 Their fire had been principally directed against Fort Sumter, appa- 
 
12 
 
 rently with the intention of doing as much damage as possible. This 
 was effected to the extent of demolishing nearly the whole of the eas- 
 tern scarp, but only three casualties, all slight wounds, took place in 
 the fort. Two men of the fifty-first North Carolina weVe killed on 
 Sullivan's Island, by the explosion of a shell from the fleet. 
 
 The twenty-fifth South Carolina was to have relieved the thirty- 
 second Georgia and eighth North Carolina, on duty at Morris Island, 
 but, owing to the engagement, the communication was interrupted, 
 and only a detachment effected a landing. 
 
 While the cannonade was going on, an occasional fire was kept up 
 on Battery Wagner, and the enemy pushed forward his works of at- 
 tack to v^'ithin about one hundred and twenty yards of the eastern 
 ealicnt. Owing to the difficulty of communication and supply, the 
 garrison was compeDed to husband the ammunition for the heavy 
 guns ; but a fire was kept up to impede their progress as much as 
 possible. The sharpshooters on both sides, on Morris' Island, were 
 busily employed i% the day, but the batteries against Sumpter were 
 idle, and the fleet was apparently employed repairing d .mages and 
 resupplying ammunition. The casualties at Wagner were one killed 
 and six wounded. 
 
 At night the movement of the troops, attempted the previous even- 
 ing, and the supply of Morris Island was effected, and at eleven, P. 
 M,, Colonel L. M. Keitt, of the- twentieth South Carolina volun- 
 teers, relieved Brigadier General Colquitt in the command of that 
 position. 
 
 The night of the 2nd pa'ssed quietly at Battery Wagner, the 
 •enemy pressing forward his works, and our own forces repairing 
 damages and planting torpedoes to obstruct his progress. Early in 
 the morning of the 3rd he opened his mortars, and continued the 
 practice throughout the day. The casualties for the day were one 
 killed and six wounded. 
 
 A. quantity of ammunition and stores were removed from Fort 
 Sumter during the night of the 2nd. The 3rd passed away without 
 the enemy's firing upon that work, and the garrison and hands were 
 employed in reliefs. At night the shipment of ordnance and !',tores 
 was continued. One ten-inch gun, one eight-inch and rifled thirty- 
 two-pounder were removed from the berme of the fort and transported 
 to the city by Mr. J. Frayser Mathews, Lieutenant Julius Rhett 
 succeeded in throwing from the parapet two ten-inch, one forty-two- 
 pounder rifled, one eight-inch, one eleven-inch, and one thirty-two- 
 poundcr rifled guns, during the nights of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of 
 September. 
 
 The night of the 3rd passed with compnrative quiet, the enemy 
 wojking at his approaches and pushing them forward with vigor, 
 covered occasionally by his mortar practice. When morning dawned, 
 he neglected Fort Sumter, but kept up an occasional fire from his land 
 batteries on Battery Wagner, and kept his sharpshooters busy in 
 Bweeping the parapet from the captured rifle pits. The monitor fleet 
 lay quiet, apparently repairing damages and taking in ammunition. 
 About eight o'clock the Ironsides opened fire on Battery Wagner, 
 
13 
 
 which was kept up until about noon, when she hauled off, and regular 
 mortar practice 8uccecde.l throughout the diiy. 
 
 The effect was to increase the casualties seriously. These will be 
 found in the returns accompanyiag this report, but the daily reports 
 were from this date interrupted. During the afternoon Major Fred- 
 erick Warley, second South Carolina artillery, was seriously wounded 
 by a splinter. A boat being sent down with an officer to relieve him, 
 was, on its return, captured, with himself, the coxswain and ten men, 
 at about nine o'clock, P. M., by some of the enemy's barges, which 
 had pushed in under the cover of the darkness. The supply of 
 Morris Island and the relief of the twenty-eighth Georgia regiment 
 were, however, effected during the night without further loss. 
 
 Fort Sumter having been held through the siege and cannonade by 
 the first South Carolina artillery, under Colonel Alfred Rhett, until 
 its armament had been disabled, and the services of the artillerymen 
 being elsewhere required, the commanding general determined thnt it 
 should be held by infantry. Several companies had been before 
 relieved by troops from General Colquitt's brigade, and on tho ui^ht 
 of the 4th the Charleston battalion, under Major Blake, relieved tho 
 garrison; Major Stephen Elliott relieving Colonel Rhett in command 
 of the post. Colonel Rhett was placed in command of the interior 
 batterie^ in and about the city, with Castle Pinckney and Fort 
 Ripley. 
 
 The enemy kept up a continual fire on Wagner during the night of 
 the 4th and pushed forward his approaches to a close proximity of the 
 ditch. The shortness of his range and the proximity of his support 
 enabled him to inflict some injury on the garrison, a larger force 
 being necessary at the parapet to guard against assault Earlj'^ on 
 the morning of the 5th, the Ironsides combined her fire with the 
 enemy's land batteries, all concentrated on Wagner, Avith considerable 
 effect, the land guns being directed against the southeastern salient 
 and those of the Ironsides enfilading the land face and curtain of the 
 work. The effect was to severely injure the traverses and communi- 
 cations, to disable the guns and equipments still more effectually, and 
 increase the list of killed and wounded heavily, it amounting to over 
 forty for the day at Wagner and Gregg. 
 
 Certain indications of an attack on Cuoi.nings' Point^during the 
 night by boats having been observed, Colonel Keitt was directed to 
 prepare to receive it, which he did at early dark by sending strong 
 parties to the support of Battery Gregg and into the sand hills be- 
 tween it and Wagner.. 
 
 While making these preparations Captain Haines, commanding 
 twenty-eighth Georgia, and Lieutenant Bluiu, of the twenty-fifth 
 South Carolina volunteers, were killed by a mortar shell. They were 
 both gallant and meritorious officers. 
 
 The enemy kept up a fierce mortar practice on Wagner and at dusk 
 sent in two monitors, which kept up a heavy fire on Battery Gregg and 
 its water approaches until about one o'clock on the morning of tho 
 6th, when they hauled off. Soon after, the attacking party made its 
 appearance in from fifteen to twenty barges, by the interior passagesj^ 
 
14 
 
 coming from the junction of Vincent's and Schooner creeks. They 
 were discovered by Captain Lesesne, who opened upon them with ten- 
 inch grape. Major Gardner, of the twenty-seventh Georgia regi- 
 ment, commanding the position, threw his infantry forward and 
 opened fire. The enemy was evidently surprised and in confusion, 
 his officers calling out not to fire, that they were friends. Finding 
 his falsehood unavailing, his parties pushed in, firing spherical case 
 from three boat howitzers. Meanwhile Fort Moultrie and Battery 
 Bee opened, over and to the right of Battery Gregg ; our infantry 
 plied the attacking party vigorously ; two field howitzers, under 
 Lieutenant Macbeth, were opened upon them, and, evidently much 
 cut up, they hauled off" and made the best of their way back to their 
 position through the creeks and marshes. The enemy's calcium light 
 had been freely used during the night to light up Wagner and its 
 approaches, and, after the repulse of his boat party, he kept up a 
 furious shelling, almost entirely preventing work upon repairs. 
 
 At daylight on the 6th, this was completely stopped by his over- 
 whelming force of sharpshooters. The fire from the land batteries was 
 kept up throughout the whole day, and from time to time, the whole 
 iron-clad fleet fired furiously upon the work, adding heavily to the 
 list of casualties, which, for the 5th and 6th, amounted to over one 
 hundred and fifty. Batteries WagEer and Gregg had now begp held 
 under a continued and furious cannonade, by land and sea, for ffty- 
 seven days, two assaults had been signally and gloriously repulsed ; the 
 enemy had been forced to expend time, men and material, most 
 lavishly in approaching the first ; but at this time, he was within a 
 few yards of the salient ; most of the guns of the fort were injured, 
 transportation and supply had become most difficult with the ineffi- 
 cient means at our disposal, the possibility of throwing heavy rein- 
 forcements in time to resist an assault by the enemy's overwhelming 
 forces, issuing from his trenches only a few yards distant, out of the 
 question, and the practibility of keeping a sufficient force on the island 
 for the purpose, under the furious cannonade from land and sea, with- 
 out protecting shelter, scarcely less so. This matter had been some 
 time under consideration by the commanding general, and after re- 
 ceiving reports concerning the state of the works, and our capabilities 
 for reinforce^ng the garrison, it was determined not to subject those 
 brave men, the flower of our force, to the desperate chances of assault. 
 Orders were accordingly given, on the morning of the 6th, to prepare 
 for evacuation, and the details arranged, A fleet of transport 
 steamers was to assemble between Fort Johnson and Sumter, covered 
 <foy the Iron-clad steamer " Charleston," while small boats, manned by 
 officers and men of the " Palmetto " and " Chicora" and details from 
 the army, were to embark the forces from Cummings' Point ; instruc- 
 tions were sent for the demolition of the armament of both batteries, 
 ;and for blowing up the magazines, as the places were abandoned. It 
 is 10 be regretted that the last instructions did not reach Morris 
 Island earlier ; but the communication having been completely inte- 
 rupted by the enemy's boat attack on the night of the 5th, they did 
 .not reach the commander until the evening of the 6th, a short time 
 
15 
 
 before the evacuation was to be commenced. Fort Moultrie, Battery 
 Bee, Batteries Simkins, Cheves and Haskell, were all manned and in 
 readiness to open fire, to cover the embarkation should the enemy 
 have discovered the movements and attempted to interfere. For tho 
 details of the evacuation, I beg respectfully to refer to the able report 
 of Colonel L. M. Keitt, twentieth South Carolina Volunteers, and 
 the reports accompanying it. 
 
 It commenced about nine, P. M., and Avas concluded at about twelvo. 
 The guns of the batteries were spiked and implements generally de- 
 stroyed. Matches were fixed to explode the magazines, but, from 
 some unfortunate cause, both those at Wagner and Gregg failed to 
 explode. The enemy threw his calcium light on Wagner during tho 
 whole night and one of the most furious bombardments on record, 
 even during this war, was continuously kept up while the movements 
 were progressing ; but he did not ascertain the evacuation until the 
 last of the boats were leaving. Then his guard-boats discovered tho 
 movement of our boats engaged in the embarkation, and creeping up 
 upon the rear succeeded in cutting off and capturing three barges, 
 containing Lieutenant Haskell and boat's crew of the Chicora, and 
 soldiers of the armv. 
 
 The enemy occupied Battery Wagner about daylight on the 7th Sep- 
 tember, and was opened upon by Batteries Simkins and Cheves and Fort 
 Moultrie, with the works adjacent. Soon after, Admiral Dahlgren, 
 commanding the enemy's fleet, sent a demand to ]\Iajor Stephen Elliott. 
 commanding Fort Sumter, for w surrender of that post. Major Elliott 
 declined, meantime referring the matter to the headquarters of the 
 district. Under instructions from the headquarters of the depart- 
 ment^ Admiral Dahlgren was informed that he could have Fort Sumter 
 when he could take and hold it. Aboutsix P. M., the Ironsides and 
 five Monitors came up the channel and opened fire against Fort Sumter 
 and the batteries on Sullivan's Island, which was promptly and steadily 
 replied to by our guns (until it Avas too dark to observe the vessels,) 
 with some effect. The enemy kept up his fire until about nine o'clock, 
 doing but little damage to the works. First Lieutenant E. A. Erwin, 
 First South Carolina Infantry was killed at Battery Beauregard. 
 
 On the morning of the 8th, a monitor, supposed to be the Weehaw- 
 ken, was observed aground in the channel leading to Cummings' Point, 
 near the shore of Morris Island, A slow fire was opened on her from 
 a trebly banded Brooke gun and the ten-inch columbiad from Sulli- 
 van's Island, and from such guns as would bear from Fort Johnson. 
 The endeavor was made to strike her below her armor, which 
 was out of water at low tide. She was struck several times below 
 the usual water lines, and about nine o'clock. the Ironsides and five 
 other monitors came up to her assistance, engaging the forts and bat- 
 teries at distinces varying from eight hundred to fifteen hundred 
 yards, keeping up a very heavy cannonade. 
 
 A shell from the Weehawken struck and disabled an eight-inch 
 columbiad in Fort Moultrie and glancing, burst near a service maga- 
 zine, which was protected by a heavy traverse, throwing incen- 
 diary contents into the magazine and exploding it and several 
 
IG 
 
 sKclIs, killing sixteen and wounding twelve men of Captain R Press 
 Smith's company E, first South Carolina infantry. This disaster 
 interrupted the practice but little, for Captain Burnett's company 
 relieved Captain Smith's, under a h^avy cannonade, and an accurate 
 and deliberate fire was maintained against the enemy from all the 
 latteries on the island for about five hours, when the enemy withdrew, 
 evidently much cut up and disabled. 
 
 From personal observation, I take pleasure in commending the 
 conduct and practice of the officers and men engaged of Colonol But- 
 ler's regiment. The effect on the iron- dads, 1 believe to have been 
 greater than on the 7th of April, and since the action but one monitor 
 has fired a gun. Their number has been decreasing, four only being 
 now (21st) in sight. Besides the casualties mentioned from the 
 e:iplosion, three men were killed and two ofiicers. Captain Wardlaw 
 and Lieutenant De Saussure, and fourteen men were wounded at Fort 
 l^ioultrie. Having met with little success in the cannonade on Sulli- 
 van's Island batteries, the enemy's naval commander next made an 
 attempt to obtain possession of Fort Sumter, and about one o'clock on 
 the morning of the 9th. attacked that fort with a fleet of from thirty 
 to forty barges. Major Elliott caused his fire to be reserved until the 
 enemy was within a few yards of the southern and eastern faces upon 
 ■which the landing was attempted. He was then received with a 
 close fire of musketry. Hand-grenades and fragm',-nts of the 
 epaulments were thrown over, on the heads of his men, demoralizing 
 and completely repulsing him. The crews, near shore, sought refuge 
 in the recesses and breaches in the scarp, and those at a distance 
 turned and pulled rapidly away. The gunboat Chicora, Fort Moul- 
 trie, and the Sullivan's Island batteries, and Fort Johnson opened a 
 fire, enfilading the faces of Fort Sumter, as soon as the signal was 
 made, cutting up the retreating barges, of which, several were seen 
 floating, capsized and disabled, the next morning. Major Elliott suc- 
 ceeded in securing five boats, five stand of colors, twelve officers, and 
 one hundred and nine men, including two officers and seventeen men 
 Tfounded, 
 
 The prisoners reported the attacking force about four hundred strong, 
 but it was probably much larger and the enemy's toss was undoubtedly 
 Tiuch heavier than that portion which fell into our hands and under 
 our observation. x\mongst the captured colors was a worn and torn 
 garrison flag,' reported by some of the prisoners as being that which 
 Major Anderson was permitted to take from the fort on the occasion 
 of his being compelled to surrender in April, 1861. This had been 
 brought to hoist on the fort, and to be made the subject of boast, had 
 the assault succeeded. Whether it was really the flag or not, it would 
 doubtless have been so announced. As the ^attempt was a disastrous 
 repulse, it has been stated, I am informed, by certain ofiicers of the 
 enemy, that the flag is not the identical standard, but the evidence is 
 such that I believe that it is, notwithstanding testimony coming from 
 that quarter. Wich the four others, it has been transmitted to head- 
 quarters. No casualties occurred on our side. Early in the day 
 the commander of the enemy's fleet sentr in a flag of truce to tender 
 
•ssistance to his wounded, and probably to gain information, but his 
 offers -vrerc declined. During the evening of the 9th and 10th, the 
 prisoners, both whole and wounded, were brought to the city, and 
 have since been sent into the interior. 
 
 From the 1 0th, active operations of hostility on the part of the 
 enemy have ceased. His working parties, however, have been busily 
 engaged upon Morris Island, at Batteries Wagner and Gregg, and 
 intermediate points, and on Black Island, evidently preparing for a 
 prosecution of the siege, by long-range fire upon Sullivan's Island, 
 James Island, and the harbor. Our batteries have been kept in such 
 activity as the necessities of the case required and the state of our 
 ammunition and armament permitted, with the effect of retarding his 
 operations. 
 
 The above report has given the principal events of the siege from 
 the 20th of August to the present date as they have occurred. For 
 other details, I have to refer to the reports of subordinate command- 
 ers, heretofore and herewith transmitted to the headquarters of the 
 department. 
 
 During the period of thirty days included in the report, the forces 
 under my command have been increased, by the arrival of the brig- 
 ades of Brigadier Generals Evans and Anderson, the former of 
 which has been stationed in Christ Church parish, and the latter has 
 reinforced Brigadier General Taliaferro's command upon James 
 Island. 
 
 The preparations for repulsing the attack of the enemy on the city 
 by the batteries of the interior lines have been steadily progressed 
 with, and the troops held in readiness to meet the enemy at 
 such points as he should develop an attack. 
 
 Curtailed as we are in transportation, it has been impossible to 
 attempt the offensive, except by artillery, with troops in force. A 
 gallant endeavor to attack the Ironsides was, however, made on the 
 night of the 2l8t, by Captain James Carlin, in charge of a steam tor- 
 pedo-boat, in which he proceeded down the channel, throuf^h the 
 enemy's fleet, and struck the frigate. Unfortunately, the current 
 and other causes prevented a direct collision, and having been discov- 
 ered, the attempt was, for the time, abandone<l. Captain Carlin making 
 good his r3treat into the harbor, under a heavy fire from the Ironsides 
 and other vessels. 
 
 In closing the report, I have to express my appreciation of the 
 conduct of Brigadier Generals Ilagood and Colquitt, and Cofonels 
 Keitt and Harrison, who have, during this portion of the siege, com- 
 manded our forces on Morris Island. Generals Ilagood and Colquitt, 
 as each detail came round, accepted the arduous command with alac- 
 rity, and held their post with constancy, during their command. Col- 
 onel L. M. Keitt, who relieved Brigadier General Colquitt, towards 
 the termination of the siege, held his command until the last extrem- 
 ity, when he was relieved by orders from superior authority, and 
 brought off his troops with eminent success, from an insular position, 
 in the immediate proximity of an overwhelming land and naval force 
 2 
 
18 
 
 of the enemj, un<l3r a mortar practice almost unparalleled in its se- 
 verity. 
 
 Colonel Alfred Rhett, commanding Fort Sumter, &nd Major Ormsby 
 Biandin,!^, first South Carolina artillery, deserve especial considera- 
 tion for their conduct, and the manner in which the post was held 
 during the connonade of Fort Sumter. Colonel Rhett remained until 
 relieved, and the last artillery soldier had been detached from the fort. 
 
 Colonel William Butler and the oflScers and men of his regiment, 
 have performed their duties in charge of the batteries on Sullivan's 
 Island, in such a manner as to inspire confidence in their will and 
 ability to repulse the future attacks which may be made against them. 
 
 Lieutenant Coloncd Yates, Major Edward Manigault, Captains 
 Mitchell aud Billop, commanding the batteries on James Island, bear- 
 ing upon Morris Island, and the enemy's approaches, have been un- 
 tiring in their efforts. 
 
 The gallant conduct of Major Stephen Elliott, commanding Fort 
 Sumter, and the Charleston battfilion, under Major Julius A. Blake, 
 constituting the garrison, in repulsing the attack of the enemy's 
 barf^es on the morning of the 9th, is especially to be commended. 
 
 I must refer to the reports of subordinate commanders for the names 
 of those officers who have distinguished themselves by good conduct, 
 which want of space and time prevent my mentioning in this, and beg 
 to express my hearty concurrence in their recommendation. 
 
 Brigadier Generals Taliaferro and Clingman, in command on James 
 Island and Sullivan's Island, have held their troops in constant read- 
 iness for service, and by prompt manogement of details from their 
 respective commands, have assisted no little in enabling the service 
 on Morris Island to continue to the full length of the siege. 
 
 I have to renew my approval of the conduct of Captain William F. 
 Nance, principal Assistant Adjutant General, attached to these head- 
 quarters, and for the fourth time, to recommend him for promotion, 
 long since earned by faithful and devoted service, as well as gallantry 
 in the field. 
 
 Captain B. H. Road, A. A. General, Lieutenants Rogers and Wag- 
 ner, A. D. C, Captain E. M. Seabrook, volunteer A. D. C, and 
 Lieutenant Simms, C. S. A., have all been well and actively engaged 
 during this period. Lieutenants W. G. McCabe and T. H. Smith, 
 provisional artillery, have been, during the time mentioned, on duty 
 under direct orders from these headquarters, and have performed it 
 to my full satisfaction. 
 
 Captain C. C. Pinckney, and Lieutenant Seabrook, ordnance offi- 
 cers, have fulfilled their difficult duties to the extent of the material 
 fit their disposal. 
 
 Major Motte A. Pringle, post quartermaster, upon whom the try- 
 ing and difficult duties of transportation have principally devolved, has 
 performed them with energy and fidelity. 
 
 Major C. H. Suber, district quartermaster, and Major N. W. 
 Bmith, district paymaster, have been diligent and attentive in fur- 
 nishing the supplies demanded from them. 
 
 The medical staff, at the different posts, have distinguished them- 
 
19 
 
 selves by their attention to the sick and wounded. I refer to the re- 
 ports of subordinate commanders, and of the chief medical officers, 
 for the names of those who deserve special mention and considera- 
 tion. 
 
 I also desire to acknowledge the valuable services rendered by the 
 officers and men of the Palmetto State and Chicora in assisting in the 
 removal of the troops from Morris Isli»nd. 
 
 Accompanying this report, I have the honor to transmit, in addi- 
 tion to the subordinate reports already sent forward. Major Elliott's 
 report of the repulse on the night of the 8th instant ; the reports of 
 battery commanders, and of Col. William Butler, commanding artillery 
 on Sullivan's Island ; of the action of the 8th instant ; lists of killed, 
 wounded and missing during the period covered by this report; list 
 of ordnance on Morris Island, and special reports in the cases of 
 Lieutenant Johnson, of the engineer corps, and lance sergeant Ilugee, 
 of the signal corps. 
 
 I have the honor to be. General, 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 R. S. RIPLEY, 
 , Brigadier General commanding. 
 
 To Brigadier General Thomas Jordan, 
 
 Chief of Staff. 
 
REPORT OF MAJOR ELLIOTT OF THE ASSAULT UPOK 
 FORT SUMTER, ON THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 9th, 
 1863. 
 
 Headquartehs, Fort Sumter, > 
 September 12, 1863. ] 
 
 Captain W. F. Nance, A. A, G. : 
 
 Captain : I have the honor to submit a report of the late action at 
 this post. 
 
 On the 4th instant, pursuant to Special Orders, No, 298, Head- 
 quarters, 1st Military District, Department of South Carolina, Geor-* 
 gia and Florida, I assumed command, with the Charleston battalion 
 of infantry, commanded by Major J. A. Blake, as a garrison. 
 
 All the available guns having been already dismounted, the defence 
 was to be conducted by infantry. 
 
 The condition of the work was as follows: The gorge ** A" had 
 been so cut by the enemy's artillery, that the scarp had assumed the 
 form of an inclined plane, with a dip of about forty-five degrees. 
 The wall of the east face had been shot away, leaving the arches, 
 which had been filled with sand, exposed. The north face was com- 
 paratively secure. The northwest contained several serious breaches, 
 and one of very considerable size, B. This was defended by a barri- 
 cade, the others were securely obstructed. 
 
 The west face was uninjured ; the lower tier of embrasures being 
 merely closed by their usual shutters ; the main sally-port 
 in this face had been pierced for musketry and commanded the 
 wharf. 
 
 Dispositions, similar to the following, were habitually made : 
 
 Captain Hopkins' company D, forty-three men, lay on their arms 
 on the parapet of the gorge, and Captain Miles' company E, twelve 
 men, at the breach in the northwest face. The guard, except the 
 sentinels on post, were to defend the sally-port. Captain Simons' 
 company B, twenty-eight men, lay at the entrance on the west 
 face. 
 
 In case of an alarm. Captain Lords' company F, forty-two men, was 
 to occupy the southwest angle, and support Captain Hopkins, on the 
 right. Lieutenant Saltus' conpany A, twelve men, at the southeast, 
 was to support him on the left. Lieutenant Harris' company G, 
 twenty-five men, was to occupy the northeast angle. Captain Mul- 
 vany, company C, forty-three men was, to support Captain Miles. In 
 case their services should not be needed, the last four companies were 
 to remain formed on the parade, below their respective positions, so as 
 to be ready to move to any weak point. 
 
 I had procured from Charleston a supply of hand-grenades and 
 fire-balls. Detachments of men for each of these kinds of service 
 were kept constantly in position, at three different points of the par- 
 
21 
 
 apet. I requested Captain Champneye, the engineer in charge, to 
 plant two fougasses in the' wharf, leading from the gorge ; during 
 the attack he kindly superintended their delivery. 
 
 Atx)ne, A. M., while observing a monitor that had taken position 
 near the fort, I saw the enemy pulling up from the eastward, in two 
 columns; the head of the one directed upon the northeast, that of the 
 other upon the southeast angle of the fort. 
 
 I ordered up three companies within supporting distance, and re- 
 served our fire until they had deployed, and commenced to land. 
 The outer boats replied rapidly for a few minutes. The crews of those 
 that had effected a landing sought refuge from a galling fire, under 
 the projecting masses of the wall, whence grenades and fire-balls soon 
 dislodged them. 
 
 The fire of the *' Chicora," lying at a short distance to the north- 
 ward, of Sullivan's Island to the northest, and of Fort Johnson to 
 he westward, encircled the work, and effectually assisted to prevent 
 any reinforcements from coming up. 
 
 The enemy, with some of his boats disabled by hand-grenades, 
 and masses of masonry, convenient weapons to the ready hands 
 of our garrison, and overwhelmed by our own, and the fire of 
 our supports, called for quarter, and were ordered, in detail, to 
 make their way to the gorge, whence they were transferred to a place 
 of security. Not one of our men was injured. 
 
 The whole force engaged on our side consisted of eighty riflemen, 
 and twenty -four men detached for service of the grenades and fire- 
 balls. The remainder of the garrison were ready for action, and re- 
 mained in position. 
 
 The force of the enemy exceeded, according to the statement of cap- 
 tured officers, four hundred men. Captured papers would indicate it 
 to have been eight hundred and seventy. 
 
 Ilis ascertained loss was six killed, fifteen wounded, and one 
 hundred and six prisoners, of whom eleven were officers. We 
 captured also five barges, five stands of colors, among them a flag, 
 said, by the prisoners, to be the flag borne from the fort by 
 Major Anderson in 1861, and a small quantity of arms and ac- 
 coutrements. Most of the latter were thrown overboard by the pris- 
 oners, and lost. 
 
 Several boats drifted off with dead and wounded men. 
 
 The action was brief and decisive, as they found us prepared, and 
 were, themselves, surprised at meeting more than a nominal resist- 
 ance. 
 
 The Charleston battalion fully sustained its well-earned reputation, 
 by cheerfully dUduring the hardships of their position, and moving 
 forward with energy in the moment of danger. 
 
 All the officers performed their duties well. The adjutant of the 
 battalion, Lieutenant W. Mason Smith, rendered me throughout, great 
 assistance. 
 
 I have the honor to refer you to the accompanying papers con- 
 taining lists of killed, wounded and prisoners, and captured arms 
 and other property, and also a sketch of the fort, showing the posi- 
 
09 ' 
 
 tions of the interior communications, and the dispositions of the 
 troops. 
 
 I cannot omit to mention the services of Captain T. J. Champ- 
 neys, of the engineer corps, who has shown great zeal and ability m 
 conducting the defences of this work. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 STEPHEN ELLIOTT, Jr., 
 Major of Artillery, P. A. C. S., commanding. 
 
COLONEL WILLIAM BUTLER'S REPORT OF ACTION WITH 
 IRON-CLAD FLEET ON THE 7th AND 8th SEPTEM- 
 . BER, 1863. 
 
 Headquarters Artillery, ) 
 
 Sullivan's Islinp, September 12, ISG3. 5 
 
 Captain En\v%Rn White, A. A. G. : 
 
 Sir : I have the honor to make the following report of the action 
 between the batteries on this island and the iron-clad fleet of the 
 enemy on the 7th and 8th of this month : 
 
 On the afternoon of the 7tb, about six, P. M., five monitors ani 
 the frigate Ironsides engaged the batteries until after dark, resulting 
 only in cne casualty at our batteries. First Lieutenant E. A. Erwii\ 
 was killed by a shell at Beauregard Battery. Lieutenant Erwin had 
 just returned from service at Morris Island, and escaped unhuit, to 
 meet death at a less exposed position He was more than ordinarily 
 intelligent, brave and conscientious. The regiment has lost in hiro 
 one of its best oflicers 
 
 The Ironsides continued to fire an occasional shot after we had 
 ceased firing, until about nine o'clcck, P. M. It wa&, however, so 
 dark that the vessels could not be seen. 
 
 On the morning of the Sth one of the monitors, supposed to be the 
 Weehawkcn, which had, the day previous, taken a position very near 
 the beach (^f Morris Island, in the channel leading to Cvmmings' 
 Point, nearly opposite to Foit i\Ioultrie, was observed to show so 
 much of her hull as to lead to the belief that the boat was aground 
 I received, also, early in the morning, a dispatch from Major Elliot!;, 
 commanding Fort Sumter, giving his belief that the boat was aground 
 and could be destroyed. Learning from a conversation with General 
 Clingman, commanding Sullivan's Island, that it would meet with h\s 
 sanction, I directed a slow fire to be opened upon the monitor from 
 the treble bantled IJrookc gun and ten inch columbiids, I think, with 
 some effect. The fire was returned, and nbout nine o'clock, A. M., 
 five other monitors, with the Ironsides, were seen approaching, 
 whether to shield the boat that was thou;]'ht to be aground, or whcthct 
 it was a preconcerted move, 1 am unable to say. About this time J> 
 shot or shell from the Weehawkcn struck the muzzle of an eight-inch 
 colurabiad in Fort Moultrie and glunced into some shell boxes, which 
 were protected by a traverse, producing an explosion, killing sixteen 
 and wounding twelve men of company E, first South Carolina 
 infantry, Captain R P. Smith. This disaster rendered it necessary 
 to replace company E by company F, Captain B. S. Burnett, which 
 arrived, under fire, from the Beauregard Battery. 
 
 The Ironsides toak a position some fifteen hundred yards distant. 
 anil opened a very heavy fire from her broadsides. The monitord 
 took position.'} varying from nine hundred to fourteen hundred yard^, 
 
24 
 
 all directing their fire upon Fort Moultrie and the batteries adjoining. 
 Batteries Bee and Beauregard also received a portion of their fire. 
 The batteries replied, but, o^JSMng to the scant amount of ammunition 
 on hand, the fire was not so rapid as that of the fleet. 
 
 After the action had continued about five hours the fleet withdrew, 
 one of the monitors I think disabled, the Weehawken remaining in 
 the same position it occupied in the morning. 
 
 Besides the loss produced by the explosion before referred to, three 
 men were killed, two officers. Captain G A. Wardlaw, slightly, and 
 Lieutenant D. B. DeSaussure severely, and fourteen men wounded at 
 Fort Moultrie. 
 
 At Battery Bee, one officer and one man were slightly wounded, 
 and at Battery Beauregard one officer (Lieutenant Edward Macbeth) 
 slightly wounded. 
 
 Two guns in Fort Moultrie were disabled, the eight-inch columbiad 
 before referred to, and oce rifle thirty-two pounder, which had the 
 right trunnion knocked off" by a shot or shell from the enemy. 
 
 No other material damage was done to the batteries. 
 
 I regret to say that the treble-banded Brooke gun gave way during 
 the action, a crack being made in the band in rear of the vent and 
 through the breech. I beg leave to refer to the report of Lieutenant 
 Dwight for an explanation of the circumstances attending the loss of 
 this valuable gun. 
 
 The firing at the several batteries on the island was accurate and 
 deliberate, and it affords me great pleasure to commend the conduct 
 of both officers and men of my command. 
 
 I enclose herewith the reports of battery commanders, with a list 
 of killed and wounded. 
 
 I have the honor to be, 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 WM. BUTLER, Colonel commanding. 
 
REPORT OF ROBERT DeTREVILLE, MAJOR COMMAND- 
 ING, OF ENGAGEMENT ON 7th SEPTEMBER, 1863. 
 
 Headquarters Fort Moultrie, S. C, ) 
 September 7, 1863. * J 
 Lieutenant M. King, A. A. G. : 
 
 ^ Sir : I have the honor to report that this evening, about six 
 clock, P. M., five monitors and the Ironsides were reported 
 approaching the fort. The guns were manned, and when within 
 range fire was opened. All the boats replied rapidly, striking the 
 fort a number of times, but withouc any other damage than destroy- 
 ing a portion of the barracks. The fire continued very rapidly and 
 with precision from the boats, our guns replying steadily for about 
 two hours, when the enemy withdrew. 
 No casualties to report. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 ROBERT DeTREVILLE, Major commanding. 
 
REPORT OF MAJOR ROBERT DkTREVILLE. COMMAND- 
 ING FORT MOULTRIE, OF ENGAGEMENT WITH IRON- 
 CLAD FLEET, ON SEPTEMBER 8x11, 1S63. 
 
 Headquarteus, Fort Moultrie, S. C. ^ 
 September, 9th, 18G3. S 
 Lieutenant M, King, A. yi. G. : 
 
 Sir: I have the honor to report that yesterday morning, 8th in- 
 stant, one of the monitors, the Weehawken, was observed to be 
 aground, opposite this post, and fire was at once opened on her with 
 effect, many of our shots having been seen to strike the hull, of which 
 a large portion was exposed, by the lowness of the tide. The steamer 
 promptly replied, and soon brought to her assistance the " Ironsides" 
 and five other monitors. At about eight o'clock A. M., the Ironsides 
 came to anchor about twelve hundred yards from the fort, and the 
 monitors took positions higher up the river, and about eight hundred 
 yards, and together opened a terrific fire from rifle and fifteen-inc^ 
 guns, using shot, shell, shrapnel, grape and incendiary shell. 
 
 I regret to announce, here, an accidenc most terrible in its effects, 
 and but for which, our casualties would have been but slight. A fif- 
 t-een-inch shell from the Weehawken, struck the muzzle of an eight- 
 inch columbiad, and glancing off, exploded among a large number of 
 shell boxes and ammunition chests, (which had been placed behind a 
 traverse, and at which a number of the men of Captain Smith's com- 
 pany were stationed,) killing instantly sixteen men, and wounding 
 twelve others. Captain Smith himself, narrowly escaped by leaping 
 from the parapet into the ditch in front of the fort. 
 
 The fire from the enemy now became furious, and broadside after 
 broadside from the Ironsides would tear through the buildings of the 
 fort, sending fragments of every description in every direction, and 
 rendering it almost impossible to pass from one portion of the fort to 
 another. But nobly did officers and men remain at their guns and 
 return their fire. Captain Burnett's company came from the Beaure- 
 gard Battery, under a storm of shot and shell, and relieved Captain 
 Smith, whose men had been nearly all killed and wounded by the ex- 
 plosion already mentioned. 
 
 Lieutenant D. G. Calhoun deserves great credit for the manner in 
 which he discharged his duties as officer of the day, in carrying out 
 the arrangements for the removal of the dead and wounded, and fre- 
 quently in extinguishing fires in different parts of the fort, during 
 the most severe part of the bombardment. 
 
 Captain G. A. Wardlaw, A. Q. M., volunteered his services at one 
 of the guns, and was conspicuous for his coolness, and the manner in 
 which he handled his piece, but was himself knocked down by a piece 
 of one of the traverses, which fortunately inflicted no other damage 
 than a momentary unconsciousness and some slight bruises. 
 
 Lieutenant DeSaussure, while gallantly fighting his gun, was 
 struck by a large fragment of stone, which fractured his collar-bone, 
 and it is feared inflicted some internal injury. 
 
27 
 
 Our fire was kept up steadily until two o'clock P. M., when the 
 enemy withdrew ; one of the monitors being evidently damaged, and 
 toAved by two others. The fire from the fort was deliberate and re- 
 markably accurate, nearly every shot striking the boat at which it 
 was aimed. As I cannot mention any one more conspicuous for gal- 
 lantry than another, I must content myself with simply saying that 
 officers and men did their whole duty, and submit the names of the 
 ofiicers and companies engaged: The batteiy on the east was com- 
 manded by Captain Valentine, company ** G," with Lieutenant De 
 Saussure ; the battery next on the west, was commanded by Captain 
 Witherspoon, company " C," and the next battery by Captain Smith, 
 company " E," with Lieutenants Calhoun and Edgerton, afterwards 
 by Captain Burnett, company '* F," with Lieutenants Cailliard, Wha- 
 ley and Marshall. 
 
 Lieutenant Perrin rendered very efficient services as ordnance offi- 
 cer, and Surgeon Carter, and assistant surgeon Keller assiduously 
 supplied the demands of the wounded. 
 
 Two of the guns of the fort were placed hnrs du combat, the one an 
 eight-inch columbiad, already referred to, and the other a rifle thirty- 
 two-pounder, the trunnion of which wag knocked off by a piece of 
 shell. 
 
 About one o'clock A. M., this morning, on the signal that an at- 
 tack was being made on Fort Sumter, we again opened fire with shell 
 and grape, firing so as to pass closely to the right and left of tbe 
 fort, and on a signal of " all right," again ceased firing. 
 
 I have the honor to submit, herewith, a report of the casualties, 
 the number of wounded boing far smaller than was at first reported, 
 many of the wounds being slight, and the men returned to duty. 
 
 Company *' C," Captain B. J. Witherspoon, commanding — Killed: 
 Privates A. J. Bennett and M. D. Hilton — 2. Wounded : Sergeant 
 (jrrissora, corporal Kile, privates Adams, Bolan, Helms, J. A. .Tobn- 
 son, W. H. Johnson, W. Mangum, Queen, Roses, Woodley — 1 1 ; all 
 slight. 
 
 Company " E," Captain R. Press Smith, commanding — Killed: 
 Corporal M. Spires, privates M. L. Casey, P. Farmer, A. W. Ged- 
 dings, Wesley Hall, J. G. Jeans, J. L. Lalley, J. L. Langton, Perry 
 Levina, Peter McGovern, Andrew Morie, John Myers, J. N. Roberts, 
 Joseph Scalf, R. Tinsley — 16. Wounded: Corporal Dolan, privates 
 Cams, Knight, Lotz, McKinon, Morie, Smith, Spires, Boraan, Har- 
 rington, Poison. Phillips — 12. 
 
 Company '* F," Captain B. S. Burnett, commanding — Killed: 
 None. Wounded: Private M. Barry — 1. 
 
 Company " G," Captain J. Valentine, commanding — Killed : Pri- 
 vate Langton — 1. Wounded: Lieutenant D. B. De Saussure, pri- 
 vates Vicenti and R. M. Smith — 3. 
 
 Recapitulation — Killed, 19. Wounded, 27. Total, 46. 
 
 All of which is respectfully submitted by 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 ROBERT DeTREVILLE, 
 
 Major commanding. 
 
REPORT OF ORDNANCE AND ORDNANCE STORES LEFT 
 AT BATTERY WAGNER — EDMUND MAZYCK, LIEU- 
 TENANT AND ORDNANCE OFFICER. 
 
 Charleston, September 6, 1863, 
 
 Captain T. A. Huguenin, 
 
 Chief of Artillery, Morris Island : 
 
 Captain : In accordance with your instructions, I hare the honor 
 to make the following report of the amount of ordnance stores in 
 Battery Wagner at the time of its evacuation. I regret that this 
 report cannot be given in exact numbers. The reason for this I will 
 hereafter explain. 
 
 The armament consisted of thirteen guns, including shell guns, 
 howitzers, columbiads and mortars. 
 
 Of shot, shell, &c., the following is an approximate : 
 
 Ten-inch shot, about 20 
 
 Ten-inch shell, about U)0 
 
 Ten-inch grape, about 40 
 
 Ten-inch canister, about 40 
 
 Eight-inch shell, about 115 
 
 Eight-inch canister, about 280 
 
 Eight-inch grape, about 200 
 
 Thirty-two-pounder shot, about 100 
 
 Thirty-two-pounder canister, about 150 
 
 Thirty-two-pounder grape, about 100 
 
 Thirty-two-pounder shell, about 100 
 
 Twelve- pounder shrapnel, about 100 
 
 Twelve-pounder shell, about 50 
 
 Twelve-pounder canister, about 120 
 
 There were other articles in the magazine, such as cartridge bags 
 and [.necessary implements ; but, of course, the supply was quite 
 limited, as we are all aware that the consumption of articles was 
 enormous and the means of supply extremely limited. I endeavored 
 to save as many articles as possible, and sent to Cummings' Point, to 
 be transported to the city, about fifty rifles and double-barrel shot 
 guns; also, fifteen hundred assorted fuses, and as many friction 
 tubes. All of these articles, I hope, will arrive, 
 
 I regret not being able to give a more exact account of the stores ; 
 but, for prudential reasons, all my accounts and papers had to be 
 destroyed. I shall endeavor to think over the matter, and, if 
 necessary, add any articles which may be herein omitted. The 
 short time allowed for making my report has also interfered, I 
 have been unable to see Lieutenant Revely and obtain from him 
 
2d 
 
 an account of such stores, as he had as ordnance oflScer at Battery 
 Gregg. 
 
 With much respect, I am your obedient, &c., 
 
 EDMUND MAZYCK, 
 Lieutenant Artillery and Ordnance Officer. 
 Official : 
 
 W. Gordon McCabe, A. A. A. General. 
 
 [endorsement.] 
 
 N. B. — There was a considerable quantity of projectiles at Cum- 
 mings' Point, not hauled up, of which I could get no report. 
 
 n. BRYAN, A. A. G. 
 
REPORT OF C. C. PINCKNEY, CAPTAIN OF ARTILLERY, 
 AND ORDNANCE OFFICER, FIRST MILITARY DISTRICT, 
 SOUTH CAROLINA, STATING SOME CIRCUMSTANCES 
 CONNECTED WITH THE EVACUATION OF BATTERY 
 
 WAGNER. 
 
 Headquarters 1st MruTARy Dis. S. C. Ordnance Departjient, 
 
 Charledoji, Sept. 8th, 18G3. 
 
 Brigadier General R. S. Ripley, 
 
 Commanding \st Military District, S. C. ; 
 
 General: In obedience to your instructions, I have the honor to 
 submit the following statemeat of what passed under my observation 
 at Battery Wagner, on the night of the avacuation of that post. 
 
 On the evening of that day I took down some spikes, sIqw match, 
 safety fuze, sledges, &c., to Morris Island. I went at once to Bat- 
 tery Wagner, taking the spikes in my hand. I had made requisition 
 for rat-tail files, in August last, but had received none ; these were in- 
 tended as substitutes. 
 
 I found Captain Huguenin, with the ordnance officer, Lieutenant 
 Mazyck, arranging the safety fuze previously sent, and gave them 
 my assistance. The splicing was carefully done, the ends of the fuze 
 split and primed. Captain Huguenin, stated that he had tried sev- 
 eral pieces of the fuze, but I repeated the experiment, and found it 
 burned perfectly well. When the main body of the garrision was 
 withdrawn, I remained to assist in the final dispositions. The proper 
 time having elapsed, Lieutenant Mazyck, assisted by Lieutenant Ross, 
 twenty-fifth South Carolina volunteers, was left to lay the fuze, and 
 I, accompanied by Captain Huguenin, to spike the guns. Here we 
 encountered great difficulty. The vents of most of the pieces were 
 greatly enlarged. In many cases the spikes dropped losely in, and 
 we were obliged to use two and sometimes three of them. We could 
 have remedied this in a measure, had it been practicable to drive them 
 tightly and hammer the edges of the orifice over them, but Captain 
 Huguenin's orders enforced the most perfect quiet, and the necessity 
 was sufficiently obvious. We obviated the difficulty, as well as it was 
 possible, by binding up a haversack and hammering through that, but 
 it could not be thoroughly effective. Having thus spiked each piece 
 in succession, excep-. the ten-inch colurnbiad. Captain Huguenin ar- 
 ranged a lanyard for firing this gun, the wheels being in gear, and we 
 returned to the mazagine. The catridges were piled up against one 
 wall, a large number, and the fuze inserted in one of them, going 
 down to the bottom, and carefully trained out of the door, arid along 
 the side of the covered way to avoid the feet of any passers by. We 
 then waited the courier from Colonel Keitt, Lieutenant Ross and 
 myself, bj Captain Huguenin's order, joining the lookouts in firing an 
 
81 
 
 occasional rifle from tlic parapet, to keep up a show of occupatioD. 
 The courier came. Lieutenant Ross then took the lanyard, and Cap- 
 tain Iluguenin ordered " the last gun from Battery Wagner, fire ! "' 
 But the primer failed. Another gave no better result. We then 
 priraeil with powder from a Whitworth rifle catridge, but the piece 
 could not be fired. We then got out one of the two spikes from the 
 thirty -two-pounder, but the other prevented the p:i9sage of the flame. 
 So much time was r.ow consumed that Captain Iluguenin thought best 
 to abandon the attempt. 
 
 He lit the fu/.e, all of us watching to see that it was burning cor- 
 rectly. We then abandoned Battery Wagner. Great was our disap- 
 pointment as we looked in vain, during our passage to the city, for 
 the expected explosion Possibly a fragment of shell may have cut 
 the fuze before it burned to the door. 1 can think of no other acci- 
 dent. No precaution was omitted. 
 
 Though not officially present, 1 trust I may be allowed, aa a spec- 
 tator, to bear witness to the coolness, Judgment and fidelity, of Cap- 
 tain Huguenin and the officers under him, in the discharge of his del- 
 icate task confided to them. 
 
 I have the honor, General, to be 
 
 Very lespectfully, vour ob't serv't, 
 
 C. C. PINCKNEY, 
 Capt. Artillery and Ord officer, \si Mil. Dist., S. C. 
 Official : 
 
 W. GoRi>v)N McC.^BE, .4. J. A. General. 
 
CAPTAIN LESESNE'S REPORT OF THE EVACUATION OF 
 BATTERY GREGG. 
 
 Charleston, September 7, 1863. 
 Major Henrt Bryan, A. A. G.: 
 
 Major : I have the honor to report, that, in obedience to orders 
 received from Colonel Keitt, I went to Battery Gregg, on the morning 
 of the 5th instant, and took command of the post. The battery was 
 shelled heavily during the day by the enemy's land batteries, and for 
 a part of the day by the Ironsides, causing considerable injury to 
 the work, and a jiumber of casualties. I am not able to state the 
 exact number. Information having been received that the enemy in- 
 tended an attack by water on the battery, I had the guns of the 
 battery trained on the most probable points of attack, double loaded 
 with canister, one ten-inch columbiad bearing on the beach in front, 
 and one on +he extreme point in rear. Two twelve-pounder howitzers 
 were placed on the beach to the right of the work, running from the 
 right of Battery Gregg to the beach. The artillery was supported by 
 Major Gardener, commanding the twenty-seventh Georgia. 
 
 About half-past one. A, M., the enemy advanced upon the point 
 in about twenty boats. When within one hundred yards of the beach, 
 I opened upon them with the ten-inch gun, followed by the howitzers. 
 The infantry commenced 6ring shortly afterwards. The enemy re- 
 turned the fire with their boat howitzers and musketry. A few suc- 
 ceeded in landing, but quickly returned to their boats. After the fire 
 had been kept up for about fifteen minutes the whole force returned. / 
 Our casualties were one man mortally, and about five slightly, 
 wounded. The enemy's loss is not known, but is supposed to have 
 been heavy. The fire of the enemy was kept up steadily, on the 6tb, 
 until evening — material damage being done to the work. Casualties 
 seven. 
 
 Having received orders, about half-past seven, P. M., to hold myself 
 in readiness to evacuate the work, spike the guns, and blow it up, 
 with the assistance of Captain Lee and Lieutenant Stiles, of the en- 
 gineers, I laid the safety-match in loose powder in the magazine, 
 running it out to the parapet of the work. The match was laid on 
 planks, so as to prevent any moisture from reaching it. The men 
 composing the garrison of the battery weie embarked i;iimediately 
 after the last of the twenty-seventh Georgia. On receiving orders 
 from Colonel Keitt, I spiked the two ten- inch guns, breaking the 
 spikes flush off" with the guns ; had the field-pieces spiked and thrown 
 overboard, with all their ammunition, and directed Major Holcombe, 
 C. S., who had volunteered to assist me, to light the match. The 
 match went out at first, but on being lighted again burnt well. On 
 Colonel Keitt's countermanding the order for lighting it was found 
 impossible to extinguish it, and it could not be cut with the knife which 
 
3S 
 
 vre had. This was but a few minutes before wc left the point, and it was 
 then within the doorway of the raaga/ine, and burning freely. I 
 omitted to mention that the match was cut off to burn about fifteen 
 minutes, it burning a foot in fifteen seconds. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 HENRY R. LESESNE, 
 Captain First South Carolina Artillery, 
 Official : 
 
 W. Gordon McCabe, A. A. A. G. 
 
 [knporsement.] 
 
 In repelling tlie boat attack on the night of the 5rh. the field how- 
 itzers were commanded by Lieutenant Macbeth, company A, first 
 South Carolina infantry, who handled them with gallantry and skill. 
 
 IT. BRYAN. A. A. G. 
 
REPORT OF THE EVACUATION OF MORRIS ISLAND ON 
 THE NIGHT OF THE 6th INSTANT, WITH THE EN- 
 DORSED REMARKS OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL. 
 
 Charleston, September 7, 1863. 
 
 Captain W. F. Nance, 
 
 Assistant Adjutant GeTieral First Military District, 
 
 Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida : 
 
 Captain : I have the honor to make the following report of the 
 evacuation ot Morris Island, including Batteries Wagner and Gregg, 
 by the troops under my command on the night of the 6th instant. 
 
 This step was authorized by a dispatch sent by signals from district 
 headquarters, and received by me between four and five, P. M., and 
 directed in detail by a special order from department headquarters, 
 which was received from Captain McCabe, of General Ripley's staff, 
 at dark, and was necessitated from the untenable condition of Battery 
 Wagner, the greatly exhausted condition of the garrison, and con- 
 giant artillery and sharpshooting fire of the enemy which prevented 
 repairs. 
 
 The gradual approaches of the enemy had passed the front of the 
 battery and the termination of their sap was not over fifty yards from 
 the parapet of the sea face, enabling them to throw a mass of troops 
 upon this flank, when our men were mostly in the bomb-proofs, where 
 I was forced to keep them by the increasing fire of mortars and rifle 
 guns on land, with an enfilading fire from the fleet during most of 
 the day. 
 
 The salient on the left of the battery had been swept by such a 
 terrible cross fire as to breach the parapet and throw it into irregular 
 shapes, rendering the ascent from the moat easy ; and, moreover, men 
 could not be kept there during this cross fire without the certainty of 
 most of them being wounded or stunned. This salient is the part of 
 the work gained by the enemy in the assault of the ISth of July. 
 
 As soon as the evacuation was authorized, I gave detailed instruc> 
 tions to the regimental commanders, viz : Lieutenant Colonel John 
 G. Pressby, commanding twenty-fifth South Carolina volunteers ; 
 Major James Gardner, commanding twenty-seventh Georgia volun- 
 teers ; Captain W. P. Crawford, commanding twenty-eighth Georgia 
 volunteers, lor the gradual movement of their men to Cummings' 
 Point, so as to keep up an efi"ective front to the enemy aild insure 
 silence and promptness. They expressed their hearty approval, be- 
 lieving an evacuation necessary to prevent a useless sacrifice of men. 
 The men went down as if for special duty, and, though the most 
 intelligent knew the fact, nearly all went off as if going to be 
 relieved. 
 
 Captain Huguenin, chief of artillery was promptly notified of the 
 •tops to be taken and made his arrangements, with my sanction, for 
 ihe removal of the artillery^ and the written orders, when received. 
 
35 
 
 > ^ 
 were submitted to him for his guidance. He was entrusted with the 
 delicate duty of bringing up the extreme rear, and firing the only 
 magazine which contained powder, Lieutenant Mazyck, ordnance 
 officer, being ordered to assist him. His report, with Lieutenant 
 Mazyck's, is enclosed, marked ** A," and is referrcMl to as an import- 
 ant portion of this report. • 
 
 At dark I sent to Captain H. R. Lesesne, who was commanding 
 Battery Gregg, an order to prepare to blow up his magazine and 
 render his guns unserviceable, directing him to confer with Captain 
 F. D. Lee, of the engineers, who had read the orders. I had no copy 
 of the detailed order, which came late, to give him, which was thus 
 not communicated to him. I refer you to his report, marked *• B," 
 for particulars. 
 
 To anticipate the possibility of a pursuit by the enemy while re- 
 treating from Wagner, I ordered Lieutenant Robert M, Stiles, chief 
 engineer at Battery Gregg, to construct a rifle pit across the island 
 at a narrow point about a quarter of a mile in advance of Battery 
 Gregg. This was accomplished by him after dark, while under mor- 
 tar fire, with a force of seventy-seven negroes in his charge. He 
 also cut away most of the earth .covering of the magazine on the side 
 towards our James Island batteries, then sent his negroes off to Fort 
 Johnson, using a large flat left at Cummings' Point for that purpose 
 
 Owing to the necessity of protecting the already reduced garrison, 
 I had, early on the morning of the 6th instant, made the following 
 disposition of my troops. 
 
 The twenty-seventh Georgia regiment, effective total 175 men, 
 commanded by Major Gardner, a gallant and intelligent officer, were 
 in the sand hills, well protected in pits dug there, the hillocks being 
 natural traverses. Fifty men of the twenty-eighth Georgia, under 
 Captain Adams, who had picketed the beach during the night, were 
 also there, the remainder of the regiment, numbering one hundred 
 and thirty effectives, were assigned to the extreme right of Battery 
 Wagner, about forty-five kept out on the lines, and the remainder in 
 the bomb-proof. 
 
 The twenty-fifth South Carolina (Eutaw) regiment, which had been 
 terribly reduced by casualties and sickness during the day and night, 
 proceeding to an effective total of about three hundred and sixty-five 
 men, manned the left and centre of the battery, keeping only a guard 
 of each company on its respective position of the lines, the remainder 
 in the bomb-proof. Two companies of this regiment were sent to the 
 sand hills for protection and to make room in the bomb-proof where 
 several men had fainted on the 5th from excessive heat and foul air. 
 
 Major Gardner was ordered to cover the retreat with the twenty- 
 seventh Georgia, in case of pursuit by the enemy ; in the mean time 
 to picket the beach at dark and hold his reserve in readiness to sup- 
 port Battery Wagner. 
 
 At early dark, I ordered Lieutenant Colonel Pressby, commanding 
 twenty-fifth South Carolina, a very intelligent and reliable officer, to 
 detail four companies (about one hundred men) to take a field piece 
 from the left curtain to Cummings' Point and embark on the first boats. 
 
36 
 
 Half an hour after, Captain Crawford, commanding twenty-seventh 
 Georgia volunteers, v^as ordered to move a howitzer from the right of 
 Wagner to the rifle pit near Gregg, place the piece in position there, 
 collect his regiment from line-of-battle in rifle pits and when notified 
 that transpQrtation was ready, to send one company at a time to em- 
 bark. 
 
 Major Gardner was ordered to man the rifle pits when Captain 
 Crawford had left. 
 
 Lieutenant Colonel Pressby was ordered to extend his lines, and 
 cover the line manned by the twenty-eighth Georgia, as soon as that 
 regiment started, which was promptly done by him. 
 
 I will here remark that all this night, as on the previous night, the 
 enemy threw a strong calcium light on the front of battery Wagner. 
 About nine, P. M., being informed that transportation was ready, the 
 embarkation commenced and went on briskly and quietly until all had 
 been embarked except the rear guard, which was commanded by Cap- 
 tain T. A. Huguenin, numbering thirty-five men, twenty-five men of 
 the first South Carolina infantry, company ** A," ten men of the 
 twenty-fifth South Carolina volunteers, under command of Lieutenants 
 Brown and Saft.. 
 
 At about eleven, P. M., 1 turned* over the command of Battery 
 Wagner to Captain Huguenin, and ordering my Adjutant General, 
 Major H. Bryan (a member of General Beauregard's staff, who had 
 volunteered for special duty on Morris Island) to accompany me, I 
 proceeded towards Cummings' Point. At the rifle pits, I received in- 
 formation that more transportation was ready and; I immediately 
 ordered Major Gardner to embark his regiment and to take with him 
 the twelve-pounder howitzer, which he did, but could not bring it off 
 the island. 
 
 The transportation under the direction of Major M. A. Pringle, 
 post quartermaster in Charleston, was admirably managed. 
 
 Lieutenant Colonel Dautzler, twentieth South Carolina volunteers, 
 having been specially detailed by General Ripley, to superintend the 
 transportation, under his spirited and excellent management, it suc- 
 ceeded perfectly . 
 
 When theinfatitry were all embarked, I directed Captain Kanapaux, 
 commanding light artillery, to spike his three howitzers and embark 
 his ccmmand. Captain Lesesne was then ordered to spike the guns 
 of Battery Gregg, and embark his men. The rear guard from ^-Vag- 
 ner coming up at this time were embarked. I had ordered" Captain 
 Huguenin down, sending word by private John A. Stewart, " Gist 
 <juards," the cavalry couriers having left without permission. There 
 was no light kept at Gregg, so I could not well note the hour. 
 
 With two or three boats I now anxiously waited for Captain 
 Huguenin's party, finally perceiving that the enemy's barges from 
 Vincent's Creek were attacking our boats with musketry, I ordered 
 the safety fuse to the magazine at Battery Gregg to bo lighted, it was 
 lit; the firing then ceased. As I desired the explosions at both batte- 
 ries to be simultaneous as ordered, I ordered Captain Lesesne to ex.- 
 tinguish the fuse, intending to relight it or apply another fuse, when 
 
37 
 
 Captains Huguenin an.^. Pinckuey, and Lieutenant Maayck, who were 
 the only persons who had not yet come to the Point, arrived. Major 
 Holcomhe who had lighted the fuse, immediately attempted to extin- 
 guish it, he informed me from the parapet of the battery, that it Tv>uld 
 be difficult to cut it in twain and that it was burning brightly. At 
 that moment the absent party arrived, and I directed him not to in- 
 terfere with the fuse which was then burning brightly. 
 
 About half past one, A. M., with the rear guard of my command, I 
 embarked, thus successfully withdrawing from Morris Island, and my 
 responsibility ended. 
 
 As we started oft', the Yankee barges directed their musketry fire 
 upon us, causing the bullets to whir around us, but doing no harm, 
 bearing towards Fort Sumter, I proceeded to flag steamer Charleston 
 and notified Captain Tucker that the evacuation of Morris' Island was 
 accomplished and requesting him to give the rocket signal to our bat- 
 teries. 
 
 I then proceeded to district headquarters and repeated the informa- 
 tion arriving three, A. M., on tht 7th. 
 
 During the day and evening of the 6th, Captain Adger, the efficient 
 post quartermaster, kept his only wagon moving the wounded from 
 Wagner to Gregg, under the direction of chief surgeon William C. 
 Ravenel ; strange to say none were hurt by the enemy's fire, which 
 from time to time, swept across the road. Of course the wounded 
 were embarked first. 
 
 Doctor Ravenel performed his arduous duties with alacrity and 
 zeal, showing every kindness to the wounded and stunned, which 
 poured in from sunrise on the 5th until the evening of the 6th ; he 
 left about half past ten, leading his ambulance corps. 
 
 I am happy to state that the majority of the wounded was slight, 
 though disabling the men for the time. 
 
 The guns in the batteries were spiked, and the implements generally 
 destroyed, equipments mostly carried off. The magazines were not 
 blown up, owing to the faulty character of the safety fuses used for 
 the purpose, which were ignited; that at Battery Wagner by Captain 
 Huguenin, assisted by Captain Pinckney, district ordnance officer, and 
 that at Battery Gregg by Major Holcomhe, under Captain Lesesne's 
 instructions, and the supervision of Captain F. D. Lee and Lieutenant 
 Stiles of the Engineers. 
 
 The enemy were within thirty steps of the front of Battery Wag- 
 ner, the voices of their sappers could be distinctly heard. Any at- 
 tempt to break off the trunion or shatter the carriage of a gun would 
 have been distinctly heard, and our movements discovered, besides 
 the gun chambers had been filled with loo.?e sand displaced by the 
 enemy's shot, the guns could not be managed. 
 
 I attempted to move the sand but my working parties were broken 
 up B8 soon as put to work. 
 
 The enemy had planted heavy mortars within one hundred yards 
 of the battery, and they could and did throw their shells into any 
 designated spot. They could hear the movements of a party at work 
 ftlong the line, and would kill, wound or disperse the men. Property 
 
is 
 
 had to be destroyed within thirty steps of the enemy, and while they 
 could hear the voices of our men in this close proximity to them, the 
 whole garrison had to be removed. Their sand batteries and fleet swept 
 every inch of ground between Batteries Wagner and Gregg, and any 
 suspicion of our movements, compromised, if it did not destroy, the 
 safety of the garrison. All the guns were effectually spiked. 
 
 At Battery Gregg every thing was destroyed but the two ten-inch 
 guns; they were prepared for bursting when the last party embarked; 
 before this party arrived the enemy's barges fired upon ours, trans- 
 porting our troops, and also turning their fire upon us. An attempt 
 had been made by the enemy the preceeding night, in barges to assail 
 and capture Battery Gregg ; the number of their barges there in easy 
 range could not be ascertained. 
 
 I was informed by the Engineer, Captain Lee, that the explosion of 
 the magazine would destroy the guns, the fuse was lighted, burned 
 well and no doubt was entertained of its igniting the magazine. 
 
 The rear guard from Battery Wagner had embarked under fire from 
 the enemy's barges. These barges, I am convinced, gave the enemy 
 the information of the withdrawal of our garrisons. The guns of 
 Battery Gregg were spiked. 
 
 My chief exertion was to save my men; whose future services will, 
 I trust, be worth much more to the Confederacy, than what I failed to 
 destroy to the enemy. Had instructions been sent to me earlier, more 
 might have been done. Lieut. Stiles, assistant Engineer, stationed at 
 Battery Gregg, at my request, had come up to Battery Wagner in the 
 morning ; upon examination he expressed to me a doubt whether there 
 was powder enough in the magazine to blow it up. I should state at 
 this point that I had sent on Friday, for an additional supply of pow- 
 der, sending the requisition and my report, as to the state of the 
 garrison, and of the day preceeding, by Major Warley, chief of ar- 
 tillery, who was wounded and returning to the city in a small boat, 
 sent for the purpose. This boat was captured by the enemy's barges 
 and my report either taken or destroyed by Major Warley. Of this 
 capture I had no knowledge until Saturday night. 
 
 The blowing up of the magazines was entrusted by me to brave and 
 intelligent officers, who, I think, did their best to effect it, (See 
 Huguenin's and Lesesne's reports marked A and B.) 
 
 The chief ordnance officer of the district came to Morris Island, 
 apparently to look after this, and was given every facility he asked 
 for. 
 
 I did not attempt to destroy the bomb-proof at Wagner, because, 
 after consulting with Captain Lee, of the engineers, I deemed it 
 impracticable, from the small quantity of combustible material at my 
 disposal, and that any smoke would at once inform the enemy and 
 stimulate him to pursue us by land and water. 
 
 It must be remembered that the sand above the bomb-proof was 
 considerably saturated with water which dripped through in several 
 places. 
 
 To Captain Huguenin, chief of artillery ; Major Bryan, A. A. G. ; 
 Lieutenant Colonel Pressby, commanding twenty-fifth S. C. Y., and 
 
89 
 
 Lieutenant Colonel Dautzler, superintending embarkation, I am 
 chiefly indebted for the success of the evacuation. My thanks are 
 due Mr. J. F. Mathews, engineer corps, for the use of his boat and 
 crew for moving troops and bringing me off at the last. 
 
 Captain Hayne and Lieutenants Montgomery and Blum, of the 
 twenty-fifth 8.* C. \., three valuable officers, were killed at their posts 
 of duty during the last of the siege. Let their names be honored. 
 
 I desire to record the faithful services of privates Laith, Stewart, and 
 Bond of the Gist Guard. S. C. volunteers, who have remained volun- 
 tarily on duty at Battery Wagner almost the entire siege. Always 
 attentive and cool under fire. Stewart would make an excellent com- 
 missary and Laith a practical and hard-working ordiitince officer. 
 Lieutenant R. M. Stiles, engineer corps, creditably performed the 
 duties assigned to him. Lieutenant Miller, company A, S. C. artil- 
 lery, was distinguished for courage and for his cheerfulness, which 
 was not diminished by a slight wound on the knee, and by being 
 stunned for half an hour. 
 
 To Major Bryan, of General Beauregard's staff, who volunteered 
 as my adjutant general, I am under the greatest obligations. Although 
 at the time I was ordered to Morris Island to assume command of the 
 forces there, he had a furlough to visit his father in Georgia, who 
 was very ill, he promptly waived it and volunteered to go with me. 
 His tact, coolness, experience, courage, and untiring industry were 
 of the greatest service to me during the night and the day. His vigi- 
 lence extended to every department and perpetually sought out means 
 of increasing our resources and deficiences. 
 
 Ib spite of severe indisposition for several days, I have made every 
 exertion to meet the very unusual responsibilities imposed upon me. 
 
 Taking all circumstances into consideration, I trust that this will 
 not compare unfavorably, on the part of the garrison, with any other 
 retreat made during this war. 
 
 I am. sir, very respectfully. 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 L. M. KEITT, 
 
 Colonel commanding. 
 
 Official : W. Gordon McCabe,* 
 
 A. A. A. General : 
 
 [enporsed.] 
 
 Headqiiarters Department or S. C, Ga., anp Fla., ) 
 Charleston, S. C, Sept. 19th, 1863. J 
 
 Had this evacuation been conducted in strict compliance with 
 detailed orders, it would be one of the most memorable in history, 
 and after all, may be regarded as a signal succpss and highly credita- 
 ble to the commanding officer and all officers and men who partici- 
 pated in it. 
 
 Subjected to » terrible £re and beleaguered almost to the verj 
 
40 
 
 ditch of the work by an enterprising, watchful adversary, yet the 
 entire garrison was withdrawn in safety. The coolness and dicipline 
 which characterized this operation, and through which an efficient 
 command has been saved to the country for future use, are deemed 
 worthy of notice and commendation by the War Department, espe- 
 cially when taken in connection with their stout defence of Morris 
 Island for four days preceding the evacuation, together with the lim- 
 ited and imperfect means of water transportation at command. 
 
 One of the reasons assigned for not bursting the guns, blowing up 
 magazines and bomb-proofs in Batteries Wagner and Gregg — that is 
 an alleged want of time after the order to evacuate had reached Mor- 
 ris Island — calls, however, for remarks from these headquarters. 
 
 It had been a standing order for several weeks previous to the 
 evacuation, that in such an event, all guns, magazines, bomb-proofs, 
 &c., should be thoroughly destroyed, and with that view, time-fuses 
 had been tested, and with "rat tail" files were provided for both works. 
 Further, the written special instructions of Brigadier General Ripley 
 prescribing measures and means for the complete destruction of these 
 works and of their armaments at the proper time, and the detailed or- 
 ders directing and regulating the evacuation of Morris Island were 
 received by the commanding officer at dark on the 6th instant, (about 
 six, P. M.,) the last detachment of his command did not quit the 
 island until after one, A. M., on the 7th instant; hence there were 
 seven (7) hours for the completion of all necessary arrangements. I 
 am, therefore, unable to admit that there was any lack of time for the 
 thorough execution of the work of destruction ordered. 
 
 It is not explained why the time-fuses failed to explode the powder 
 left in the magazines. They were seen burning brightly when last 
 observed, and it is, therefore, probable that either before or whilst the 
 fife was being applied, the ends in contact with the powder were acci- 
 dentally detachetl. 
 
 G. T. BEAUREGARD, 
 
 Ge7t ral commanding. 
 
41 
 
 LIST OF ORDNANCE left on Morris Island on the iiight of Oisi 
 evacuation, September 6th. 1863. 
 
 Battery Wagner. 
 
 .1 
 
 "^ a 
 
 J3 S 
 O —• 
 
 a 
 a 
 H 
 
 d 
 o 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 3 
 
 be 
 to 
 
 
 til 
 
 V 
 
 .ll 
 
 1 
 
 1' 
 
 Forty-two pdr | 
 carronadc. 
 
 Eihgt-in. siege 
 mortar, brass' 
 
 li 
 
 H 
 
 K, o 
 i-= 
 
 it 
 
 
 — -■— ■■ ... — rs^ieiSM 
 R1;M \HKS 
 
 • 2 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 2 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 •> 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 J 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 3 
 2 
 
 One dismt'd <t bfoken, 1 eeriviceabte. 
 
 ServicoHblc. 
 
 Serviceable — I injurod by sheH »Bi8 
 
 carriage Ji.aabled. 
 One dism'nted and broken to piecca 
 Serviceable. 
 Serviceable. 
 Serrieoable. 
 Spiked with friction tube two ixya 
 
 before eviieuation. 
 Serviceable. 
 Serviceable. 
 
 <P 2 
 
 2 
 
 1 1 
 
 3 1 2 i 17 
 
 
 Battkuv Grkc^g. 
 
 T i 
 
 - .s 
 
 f 
 
 o 
 
 H 
 
 1 
 
 b ■'^ 
 
 5.1 
 
 - 
 
 « 
 2 
 
 © 
 
 HEMAKKS. 
 
 2 
 
 I 
 
 2«» 
 1 
 
 1 
 2 
 
 One carriapce iujiired and the other Mr»iM»- 
 
 bic. 
 Serviceable. 
 
 Serviceable. 
 
 Serviceable. 
 
 2 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 
43 
 
 IJST OF MJ£I^ CAPTVBED on the ''Leo,'' o^i the nijilit of the 
 Uh of September, by the enemy's barges. 
 
 So. 
 
 Nam«. 
 
 Rank. 
 
 ltem:irk>. 
 
 1 F. r. Warley, 
 
 1 P. Mitldleton, 
 
 2 W. Fox, 
 
 § •* James Favau, 
 
 4 [George McDonald, 
 
 5 lj. Silvaniii?, 
 S jjobn Smithy 
 
 1 I Thomas Nolan, 
 
 U JH. McDonald, 
 
 9 10 Davis, 
 
 10 iC.Sohnibble, 
 
 11 Ih. Schnibble. 
 
 Major,2d S. C. art'y. | WoTinded by splinlor at Hat. Wagnor. 
 ('oxswain. . 
 lioat hand. 
 
 • 
 
 # 
 
 0'^ 
 
•r% 
 
# 
 
 *'f 
 
itIV?l