64

THE ARMY BEFORE CHARLESTON IN 1863.

remaining velocity, they dropped vertically, exploding in and over the work,mercilessly searching every part of it except the subterranean shelters. Thecalcium lights turned night into day, throwing out 1 own works into obscurityand bringing the minute details of the fort into sharp relief. J) For forty-twoconsecutive hours this work went on, presenting a spectacle of remarkablemagnificence and splendor. As a pyrotechnic achievement alone, the exhi-bition at night was brilliant and attractive, while the dazzling light thrownfrom our advanced trenches, the deafening roar of our guns, and the answer-ing peals from James Island added sublimity and grandeur to the scene. Theimagination was beguiled and taken captive, and all the cruel realities of warwere for a time forgotten in the unwonted excitement of this novel spectacle.

The garrison soon sought safety in the bomb-proof shelter, and the fortshowed but little sign of life. Occasional shots were delivered at the NewIronsides, and a few sharp-shooters from time to time opened a harmless fireupon the head of the trenches. But the engineers rapidly pushed forwardtheir work. They suffered principally from the James Island batteries, whichnight and day maintained a most annoying fire upon our mortar-batteriesand the head of the sap, following the latter in its progress toward the fortuntil it reached a point so near that friends and foes were alike exposed tothe perils of the cannonade. It then ceased entirely, and our men pushed for-ward the trenches Avith entire immunity from serious danger. Their sense ofsecurity Avas so sudden and complete, and their position so novel and exciting,with the entire garrison, once so defiant, now helplessly at bay only a feAVfeet distant, that the reliefs of sappers off duty mounted the parapet of thetrenches, or Avandered forward into the ditch of the work to take a survey ofthe surroundings. A formidable line of friso work, consisting of pointed stakesalternating with boarding-pikes or lances, was removed from the ditch of thesea front. Early on the night of September (ith our sap was pushed forwardentirely beyond the south front of the work, and between the sea front andthe Avater, crowning the crest of the counterscarp at the north or farthestend of that front, and completely masking all the guns of the work. Anorder was issued to carry the place the next morning by assault on the northfront at the time of low tide when the width of beach would bo the greatest,and the troops could promptly pass beyond the work to the point of attack. Onthe north side the work was closed by an ordinary infantry parapet. Duringthe night the fort Avas evacuated Avith such celerity that only two boat-loadsof men were captured. The north end of the island was at once occupied byour forces. Eighteen pieces of ordnance were found in Battery Wagner, andseven in Battery dregg on Cumming’s Point, most of them being compara-tively large, as calibers Avere estimated in those days.

Battery Wagner was found to be a work of greater defensive strength thanthe most exaggerated statements of prisoners and deserters had led us toexpect. Its bomb-proof shelter, affording a safe retreat to its entire garrison,remained practically intact after perhaps the severest cannonade to which anyearth-Avork had ever been subject. Its covering, composed of sea-shore sand,

J> The calcium light was so strong that the garrison was prevented from making repairs.— Editors.

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