USA > New York > The history of the Forty-eighth regiment New York state volunteers, in the war for the union. 1861-1865 > Part 7
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FORTY- EIGHTH REGIMENT, N. Y. S. VOLS.
the crew of a picket-boat came down to the fort, bringing their officer with them an involuntary prisoner, and com- pelling him to even steer the boat ; they brought also four English carbine rifles, one of which the Colonel gave to his orderly, who carried it from that day until that fatal night at Fort Wagner. Expeditions of a minor order were con- stantly being made all through those months up and down the Savannah River, and through the little creeks that were on every side of us; but the expeditions to Bluffton and to Coosawhatchie were the chief ones that signalized our days
MARTELLO TOWER, TYBEE ISLAND
in Fort Pulaski. We ought to add a few words at least concerning Tybee Island. One company was always detailed to do picket-duty there, the companies taking turns. Their headquarters were in the old martello-tower, which stands upon almost the only solid point of the island. Its quaint walls, built of concrete and shells, were an object of great interest and curiosity to us. It was the most ancient thing in all the country round. The writer's principal memory of several visits to it was the terrible sand-flies and mosquitoes of the neighborhood. Many stories are told, such as the shooting of a wild-hog on the island by Sergeant Allen of
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Company I, or the capturing of a large sea-turtle by Cor- poral Twamley and two comrades (also of Company I), it requiring the strength of all tliree to turn the monster upon its back on the sand. The' turtle filled three large camp- kettles, and was estimated to have weighed 300 pounds. Company I was on Tybee Island a long while. One night in the fall of 1862 they disabled the blockade-runner Sadowa, hailing from Nassau, firing several shots into her, and she drifted out to sea, and was subsequently captured by the gun-boat Unadilla, which took her in tow to Hilton Head. General Hunter sent a letter of congratulations to Company I; but one of them writes, " The sailors on the Unadilla got the prize-money." To some, as many incidents perhaps are associated with Tybee Island as with the fort.
Sometimes the monotony of life was broken by the arrival of deserters and contrabands at the fort. A photographer also visited us, and all the companies, and the regiment in line of battle and by division, and the officers had their pic- tures taken. We are glad to reproduce in cuts certain of these pictures. So the day's went rapidly by, the nights also, unless you were on guard : then they were long enough, for nothing ever happened to break their tedious length. If you spent a wakeful night in your bunk, every hour you would hear the call go from guard to guard around the parapet, as at midnight, " Twelve o'clock and all's well." Sentry would repeat it after sentry, and when it came back to the guard-house the officer of the guard would know that all the sentinels were awake. Fort Pulaski was graced in those days by the presence of a few ladies. We recall with great pleasure Mrs. Colonel Barton, Mrs. Quartermaster Avery, Mrs. Dr. Mulford, and Mrs. Fisher. The writer would have no difficulty to add reminiscences of our life at the fort at much greater length, but perhaps enough has been already recalled. A word ought here be written, how- ever, concerning our musicians, who attained the highest skill while in Fort Pulaski. We had an admirable band, whose music was our inspiration in the daily drills and
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parade. Also a magnificent corps of fifers and drummers, Edward Hastings being "chief musician," and Wm. Smith " drum-major." We also had three buglers-Anthony Schel- lings, William Andrews, and Joseph C. Hibson. All three were brave soldiers. Andrews and Hibson were both wounded at Wagner, the latter four times. The leader of the band while we were at Fort Pulaski was William Thomas; but afterwards, when it was reorganized at St. Augustine, George F. Miller became leader, and among its members were the following, whose names we are able to recall : Doering, Fitch, Weed, Goff, Stewart, Jones, J. A. and A. B. Dupree, Ivans, Shannon, Sweeney, Thompson, Monell, Whitcomb, and " Frenchy."
They used to call themselves "big blowers," but they were also the best of fellows, as well as good soldiers; and the splendid music they rendered enlivened many an other- wise dull hour during that long year of life in Fort Pulaski.
I am glad to be able to close this chapter with selections from a letter which Major Barrett has recently received from my old friend, our " chief musician," Edward Hastings :
" NATIONAL SOLDIERS' HOME,
" MONTGOMERY COUNTY, OHIO, June 16, 1885.
" MY DEAR FRIEND : My recollection of many things connected with the Forty-eighth New York is very imperfect, as I gave my whole attention to my own duties as principal musician of the regimental field music. Only when in front of the enemy was I otherwise engaged, and then William Smith, the drum-major, and myself took alternate command night and day of the Stretcher Corps attached to the regi- ment, and composed mostly of the bandsmen and a few detailed men. the drummers not being strong enough to carry off wounded men. Drum-major Smith was killed at Cold Harbor in June, 1864, and was buried a little in the rear of where he fell. George Rich- man (Abe Palmer's special friend and comrade), who was a drummer in D Company, but got transferred to the ranks on his re-enlistment in 1863, was also killed at Petersburg while in the advanced trenches. James Murther was also wounded. I think, at Cold Harbor or in front of Petersburg.
" The little fellow who was drummer in H Company died, I think, at St. Augustine, while you were recovering from your Fort Wagner wound.
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FORT PULASKI.
John Stout, also of H Company, who was turned over to me as a fifer. also sickened and died. Your other drummer, Pendleton, enlisted in the Twelfth Regular Infantry after the war-Company A ; but of his subsequent career I know nothing. Most of the boys (the drummers I mean) were in New York and Brooklyn when I was living with you ; but I never saw any of them to my recollection. Dave Johnson was killed by an accident in Hudson Avenue, where he lived. George Shannon, of E Company, who was subsequently Acting-Quartermaster- Sergeant while we were at Raleigh, N. C., when I last heard of him, in 1867, was living with his father, a hatter, in Hudson Street, New York. Bennett, Raymond, Raynor, Morgan, Beith, were all living at the same the time in Brooklyn ; but I know nothing of their subsequent life.
"Stephenson, who succeeded Drum-major Smith, was discharged with the regiment at the same time as myself. He joined the regular army some time after ; but I never heard anything more about him. Of the fifers Le Moine, Tom Bennett, and Andy Thompson, I know only that the first was reported as being poisoned from drinking whiskey. Bennett went to California as fifer in the Seventeenth Regular, and Thompson was living in Newark or Jersey City with his family, whom he had left when he enlisted.
"I wish I could remember anything more worthy of writing; but I can't, unless perhaps questions should revive recollections, which is just possible. EDWARD HASTINGS,
"Late Principal MMusician Forty-eighth Regiment .V. V. Volunteers."
CHAPTER V.
Morris Island-June I to July 17, 1863.
General Gillmore succeeds General Hunter-The Department of the South -Operations against Charleston-Admiral Dahlgren succeeds Admiral Dupont-General George C. Strong-The "Fighting Brigade"-June 19, leave Fort Pulaski-Companies G and I Remain-At St. Helena Island - Folly Island - Batteries - The Flotilla - Lighthouse Inlet- July 10, the Assault on Morris Island-Death of Captain Lent-The Run up the Beach-The Fatal Halt-Casualties-July 11, Assault on Fort Wagner by Seventh Connecticut, Ninth Maine, and Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania-Their Repulse-Confederate Accounts of It-Building Batteries-A Confederate Sortie-Companies C and D in the Trenches- Lieutenant Tantum and the Rebel-Wilgus.
I N the early summer of 1863 the National Administration determined upon a vigorous attempt to take the city of Charleston.
The attack of the ironclads under Admiral Dupont had been unsuccessful, and the Admiral did not seem very sanguine of another attempt. Thereupon the Government removed him from the command of the fleet, and ordered Admiral Foote to succeed him, Admiral Foote died, how- ever, a few days afterwards, while on his way to his new post of duty, and Admiral Dahlgren became the new com- mander of the South Atlantic Squadron.
At the same time General David Hunter was succeeded in command of the land forces by General Quincy A. Gill- more.
The new General and the new Admiral were to co-operate.
The soldiers in the Department of the South knew now that their hour had come, and they welcomed General Gill- more heartily, and anticipated the coming campaigns with great joy. All felt that there might be serious fighting, but
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MORRIS ISLAND.
no one then conceived that we were about to enter upon the most fatal and the most fruitless campaign of the entire war.
General Gillmore seems not to have been reluctant to un- dertake the work of the capture of Charleston, if we may
GENERAL GILLMORE.
judge by the following letter, which is supposed to have been influential in securing him the command :
" NEW YORK, May 23, 1863.
" General G. W. CULLUM, Chief of Staff, to the General-in-Chief.
"GENERAL : It has come to my knowledge that my name has been mentioned to the Secretary of War in connection with the reduction of the forts in Charleston Harbor, and it has been urgently suggested to place me in a position where I could direct and control the operations of the land forces against that place. Two or three communications from prominent men here have been sent to the Secretary.
" It is not necessary to inform you, who are so well acquainted with · me, that I am not in the habit of pushing myself forward or thrusting my professional opinion unasked upon the notice of those in author- ity. In my daily intercourse with gentlemen of my acquaintance I am, however, always free to answer questions; and I have at sundry times and in sundry places expressed the opinion that the forts in Charleston Harbor could be reduced by the means inaval and military combined) now available in the Department of the South, increased
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FORTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, N. Y. S. VOLS.
by a suitable number of the best heavy rifled guns, provided these have not been sent there since I left the Department one year ago.
" I have also said that I am willing to risk my own reputation upon the attempt, as I did at Pulaski, provided I could be allowed the un- trammelled execution of my own plans (as at Pulaski), except so far as they involve co-operation from the navy.
" You are at liberty to show this letter to the General-in-Chief or any one else.
"I expect to remain here until the evening of the 27th instant, and then go directly to Cincinnati.
" Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"Q. A. GILLMORE, Brigadier-General."
It is asserted that General Gillmore was selected for the position because of his superior skill as an engineer, and that the new movement against Charleston was at the sug-
ADMIRAL DAHLGREN.
gestion of the Hon. Horace Greeley. Whereupon General Hunter, smarting under his removal from his command, ad- dressed an angry letter to the famous editor of the New York Tribune, in which he reminded him of his former out- cry "On to Richmond " --- " in which." wrote the irate Gen- eral, " you wasted much ink, and other men shed some blood."
On June 3d the orders were issued for General Gillmore to
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MORRIS ISLAND. 73
succeed General Hunter, and on June 12th Gillmore reached Hilton Head, and immediately assumed command. We had had some acquaintance with him during the operations on Dawfuskie Island in the siege of Fort Pulaski, but he was now to become our immediate commander, under whom we were destined to march on many long campaigns and to pass through many fiery battles. Gillmore found in the Department of the South nearly 18,000 troops of the finest quality : for they were veterans, having been two years in the service, and they were volunteers who had rushed to arms in the summer of 1861, at the President's first call for men. They were, therefore, the best blood of the Repub- lic, and their long service had given them every advantage
OBSTRUCTIONS IN CHARLESTON HARBOR.
of discipline and drill. True they had had little experience in battle, but they had been strangely prepared by the years of training and inaction for the desperate work that now awaited them. Although the Department of the South did not extend far into the interior, it ran a long way parallel with the coast, and Gillmore was required to picket a line 250 miles in length, besides garrisoning forts and posts at various places. He was only able, therefore, to concen- trate about 11.000 troops for his immediate operations against Charleston. He had, however, 80 guns of the heavi- est calibre, and was supplied with materials for carrying on a siege possibly superior to those which any General had ever before possessed in all the history of war.
General Gillmore's plan of operations, briefly stated, was :
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FORTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, N. Y. S. VOLS.
" First. Make a descent upon and take possession of the south end of Morris Island.
" Second. To lay siege to and reduce Battery Wagner, a strong earthwork near the north end of the island and about 2600 yards from Fort Sumter. The reduction of Battery Wagner would necessitate the fall of Battery Gregg on Cumming's Point.
" Third. From the positions thus secured to demolish Fort Sumter, and co-operate with the navy in a heavy artillery fire when it should be ready to move forward.
"Fourth. The iron-clad fleet to remove the channel obstructions, run by the batteries on Sullivan and James Islands, reach the city, and compel its surrender."
The army was to take the lead in all but the fourth of these distinct operations.
Of the several plans for operations against Charleston which were practicable, that by James Island had been feebly tried at Secessionville in June, 1862, and had failed. Moreover, the navy could render but little assistance.
Also the plan of forcing an entrancein to Charleston Har- bor by the fleet had been attempted and had failed on April 7, 1863.
The plan that was adopted-by way of Morris Island- had the two advantages : it had never been tried, and co- operation of army and navy was practicable. Therefore it was adopted - unhappily, we might add, for it proved in many respects disastrous; but it is far easier to criticise campaigns when you are writing after the event than to an- ticipate all difficulties beforehand.
There were certain other advantages which the Morris Island plan possessed.
Our forces were already in possession of Folly Island. To cross over Lighthouse Inlet and secure the lower end of Morris Island was believed to be practicable, and it proved to be.
Moreover. the fleet had always a safe harbor close at hand, -- in North Edisto Inlet .-- which was no slight consid- eration, as the monitors were not supposed to ride safely in stormy waters.
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MORRIS ISLAND.
The mistakes were (as are now apparent) that the posses- sion of Morris Island would decide the fate of Charleston, and that Fort Sumter would capitulate, as Fort Pulaski had done when breached by our guns.
Another has truly written that- .
" Fort Sumter was regarded as the chief obstacle in the way of the navy in any attempt which it might make to enter the harbor. If that fort could be reduced, or its defensive power destroyed, the fleet, it was argued, could readily remove the obstructions, force an en- trance into the harbor, and compel the surrender of the city, when the evacuation of the harbor defences would necessarily follow. It was admitted that the navy alone could not capture Sumter, or even so cripple it as to render it harmless. That must be done by the con- bined land and naval forces, and General Gillmore had been selected to command the Department of the South and Admiral Dahlgren the South Atlantic Squadron, for the express purpose of carrying into execution the plan of operations which the former had proposed for the reduction of Fort Sumter and then the capture of Charleston."
It will now be necessary, in order that the reader may un- derstand the operations about to be described. that some description of the locality, soon to be so familiar, should be given. I gladly avail myself of an article by General Samuel Jones of the Confederate army, which is at hand :
"The city of Charleston is at the extremity of the narrow peninsula between the Cooper and Ashley rivers. James Island, to the south and east, is separated from the city by Ashley River, and from St. John's Island, to the south and west, by the Stono River. In greatest extent from north to south it is about nine miles, and from east to west about seven miles. On its sea front it is bordered by a narrow sand-bank extending from the entrance to Charleston Harbor to Stono Inlet, about eleven miles in length. About three and three quarters miles from the northern extremity this bank has been cut through by the waters of the ocean, thus dividing it into two islands. The northern part is Morris Island, the southern Folly Island. The channel between them is called Lighthouse Inlet. These islands are separated from the firm land of James Island by Folly River and Creek, Vincent's Creek, and impassable marshes, which are subject to overflow by very high tides, and are intersected by numerous tortuous, narrow. but deep streams.
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FORTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, N. Y. S. VOLS.
"The northern extremity of Morris Island, which is called Cum- ming's Point, and Sullivan's Island to the northeast, border the en- trance to Charleston Harbor. Fort Moultrie is near the western end of Sullivan's Island and distant twenty-seven hundred yards from Cumming's Point, on which the Confederates had constructed a work called Battery Gregg. Fort Sumter was a brick work of three tiers of guns, built on an artificial island or foundation south of the channel. nearly midway between Sullivan's and James Islands, about 1760 yards from Fort Moultrie on the former, 1980 yards from Fort John- son on the latter, 1390 yards from Cumming's Point, and three and a half miles from the city of Charleston.
" About 1300 yards from Cumming's Point, at a very narrow part of Morris Island, was an earthwork of considerable development and strength called Battery Wagner, which extended from the beach on the east to Vincent Creek on the west, presenting to the southward a front of about 275 yards.
"The island is wider in its southern than in its northern part, the southern extremity on Lighthouse Inlet being about one thousand yards in width. Its surface is irregular and broken by sand ridges, form- ing at many points secure shelter for troops. It has an area of about four hundred acres, its middle point is five and three eighths of a mile from the nearest point of Charleston, and the main channel into the harbor is parallel to and at about an average distance of twelve hundred yards from it.
"This small sand island has been thus minutely and tediously de- scribed, because it was destined to be the camp home for nearly two years of many thousands of men; it was to become famous as the scene of a siege which will be memorable in military history and one of the most formidable bombardments of which there is any record, the scene of great labor and exposure, much desperate fighting, of sickness and death in all the frightful forms incident to war and to wasting fevers."
A further and more minute description of. the portions of the island where we operated will be given as the account proceeds, but the above. with the help of a good map,# should give the intelligent reader a satisfactory conception of the locality.
To Brigadier-General George C. Strong, a young man but a gallant soldier, who had already " won his spurs" in the war. there was intrusted the delicate task of selecting a
* See Map, page 79.
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MORRIS ISLAND.
picked brigade of six regiments out of the entire depart- ment, with which he was to make the desperate assaults that Gillmore knew would have to be made at the capture of Morris Island. Not more than one brigade of troops could be handled in such narrow quarters: it was therefore necessary that the brigade should consist of the very best soldiers. General Strong finally selected the following six regiments : Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania, Sixth and Seventh Connecticut, Forty-eighth New York, Third New Hamp- shire, and Ninth Maine. They were known in the Depart- ment, as they are destined to be known in history, as
GENERAL STRONG. (From " HARPER'S PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE REBELLION.")
"Strong's Fighting Brigade." It was esteemed a high honor to be one of the picked regiments, but it was an honor that cost.many brave fellows their lives. The brigade won its fame in a single month of time, during which it fought three famous battles, and suffered losses not else- where equalled among the same number of men in the whole history of the war. Its brave and honored commander fell at its head on the fiery parapets of Wagner. It was destined for immolation and immortality. On June 18th General Gillmore came to Fort Pulaski, and on the evening of that day a telegraphic dispatch was received by the submarine cable, ordering eight companies of the regiment to prepare
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FORTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, N. Y. S. VOLS.
cooked rations and be ready for embarkation in the morn- ing. As may be imagined, great excitement prevailed in the fort at the receipt at last of marching orders. We had been chosen as one of the " picked " regiments. We were in high spirits at that, and because our long and monotonous life on garrison duty was at an end, and at last we were to meet the enemy in battle. We little knew what desperate work was before us, nor could we anticipate how cruel and how fatal it was to be. Two companies were to be left be- hind for the garrison of the fort and for picket duty on Tybee Island ; the companies selected were G and I. They remained with great reluctance, yet they escaped entirely the perils of the fatal campaign on Morris Island. Rations. were hastily cooked, and next day we left our old quarters in the casemates, which had been our home for a whole year, and embarking on the steamer Ben De Ford, anchored off Tybee Island for the night, and on the next day, June 20, landed at St. Helena Island-where the brigade was to ren- dezvous -- and went into camp.
The next two weeks were spent in brigade drill and organization. We liked our brilliant brigade-commander, General Strong, the more we saw of him, and we formed a high opinion also of the quality of the regiments with which we were associated.
We missed the Forty-seventh New York, but for the Sixth and Seventh Connecticut especially we had a deservedly high respect. On July 4th we left St. Helena Island by ship, and landed on Folly Island.
General Vogdes had been in possession of Folly Island since the preceding April, had cut roads through its im- penetrable jungles, erected batteries at the various points, and kept the island thoroughly picketed throughout. Folly Island is about seven miles in length, and not over a mile in width at its broadest point. On the west it is. separated from James Island by Folly River and a succes- sion of marshes; on the east it is bordered by the sea ;. Lighthouse Inlet on the north separates it from Morris.
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MORRIS ISLAND.
Island. The inlet is about six hundred yards in width. The whole surface of the island was a mass of thorns and briars ; but we cleared a place among them as best we could and went into camp. General Vogdes had succeeded in erecting batteries unobserved by the enemy on the north end of the island, or more properly on Little Folly Island, which easily commanded the enemy's works on the south end of Morris
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Island. They were designed to cover the passage of the troops over Lighthouse Inlet, when they should attempt to carry Morris Island by assault. The batteries were so com- pletely masked by thick forests of pine and palmetto, that their very existence was absolutely unknown to the enemy. They were made of sand and marsh sod, embrasured and redetted, with magazines and bomb and splinter proofs, and in twenty days after they were begun Gillmore had forty- eight heavy guns in position upon them. The plan of at-
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FORTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, N. Y. S. VOLS.
tack was as follows: "Strong's Fighting Brigade" was to be embarked in launches in the night, and at the signal of the first gun from the batteries, in the early morning, was to row across Lighthouse Inlet, land in the surf on Morris Island, and carry the island by assault. It was a bold pro- ject, exposing the men to great danger, liable to many con- tingencies which might thwart it, but it was deemed the most practicable plan by which Morris Island could be taken. The Confederate fortifications on Morris Island at that time consisted of eight one-gun batteries and two mor- tar batteries-one for two mortars, the other for one. All were detached and stretched along the sand ridge, designed
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