THE ARMY BEFORE CHARLESTON IN 1863 .

67

^°n, J beginning October 26th, directed mainly against the south-east face, ona Ve port from deserters, afterward found to be untrue, that the garrison was^mounting guns thereon. In a short time that face was more completely alum than the gorge wall. Throughout the length of both those faces theoebris formed a practicable ramp from the water to the summit of the breach.

This ended all aggressive operations against the defenses of Charleston, ^although a desultory fire was maintained against Fort Sumter during theMonths of November and December to prevent the remounting of guns,landing the completion of the naval preparations for passing into the innerai ’bor. It was not entirely suspended until the idea of removing the chan-Il6 i obstructions and running the James and Sullivan’s islands batteriesAppeared to be indefinitely postponed. No official notification of this aban-otunent of plan was made by the naval authorities. On October 20th I wasVei 'ba]]y informed by the admiral that he would probably await the arrival^ more monitors, which were expected in a few days; and as early as Sep-e mber 29th a couple of weeks was thought to be needed to complete there pairs to the monitors before operating against the channel obstructions.

In point of fact there were no formidable obstructions in Charleston harbor.lle popular ideas with regard to them which pervaded the public mind, andevetl influenced and directed official action in some quarters, were erroneous ina niost notable degree. The belief entertained at the time by many practicaljnen, whose official relations required them to form opinions on the subject,a t they were either flimsy counterfeits or in large degree mythical, has beencon firmed. Brigadier-Greneral Ripley, C. S. A., and other officers of the°nfederate service, whose positions enabled them to speak from positivenowledge, have furnished some interesting information on this subject.10511 their statements, some of which are written, it appears to have been thee °mtant and studied practice of the Confederate commanders to spread® Xa ggerated and incorrect reports concerning this special means of defense.

0 such extent and with such skill was this ruse made use of that, with feweXce Ptions, neither the inhabitants of the city nor the troops defending it pos-Se ssed any knowledge of the channel obstructions. Such a semblance ofAccessary and systematic labor in their construction, management, and repairkept up, and such an affectation of secrecy concerning their character ande<) ufideuee in their efficiency was assumed in order to keep all knowledgeIbe huge fiction from us, that the blockade-runners themselves, although^ King frequent and regular trips, were kept in the profoundest ignorance ofe harmless character of the dangers they were told to avoid. The credulousthe lnuu< k- r °I a foreign man-of-war who in 1863 was permitted to go up to

°iostbe i n

alth

c % in a small boat, returned to his ship outside the bar filled with the

extravagant admiration for the extensive scheme which he believed toconstant readiness for conducting a defense by submarine mines; and,° u kh he had really seen nothing except a few harmless barrels floating on

eights 6 } )0m ^ ar< ^ ment continued forty days and ducted by himself, for the third great bombardment% c thcmt * iiterm * ssi ° n *— Editors. of Fort Sumter took place after liis assignment to

6 author doubtless refers to operations con- another field in the spring of 1 864.— Editors.