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CH. XXVII.]

BOMBARDMENT IN CHARLESTON HARBOR.

island, about a mile from the city, all on the northerly side of the harbor. On the other side of the harbor were Wappoo battery, on James Island, near Charleston, and Fort Johnson; between this latter and Castle Pinckney was Fort Ripley, built on an artificial island in what is called the "middle ground." On Cumming's Point, Morris Islet, opposite Fort Moultrie, was Battery Gregg, and a mile south of this Fort Wagner, and a fort at Light House Island covering the landing at that place. Several hundred Several hundred guns were mounted on these numerous works; and in addition, the channel between Fort Sumter and Sullivan's Island was obstructed by rows of floating casks, supporting torpedoes and other submarine obstacles; there were also, in the channel between Sumter and Cumming's Point, no less than four rows of piles extending nearly up to Charleston.

move.

At half past twelve o'clock on Saturday, April 7th, the fleet began to The line of battle was formed in the order assigned to each ship in the admiral's programme, the Keokuk, which brought up the rear of 1863. the line, lying down nearly op posite Lighthouse Inlet, and the Weehawken leading the van. The head of the line was some four miles from the position designated for the fleet to occupy before opening fire, and the batteries on Morris Island were meanwhile to be passed. Soon after starting, an hour's delay occurred, in consequence of a raft attached to the Weehawken, for exploding torpedoes and clearing away obstacles, having got deranged. Slowly the leading vessel, followed by

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the others, moved onward, expecting the batteries on Morris Island to deliver their fire; but the rebels allowed them to pass in entire silence. Ere long the iron-clads reached the entrance to the inner harbor, and about three P.M. came within range of Fort Sumter and the batteries on Sullivan's Island. Directly the guns of 'Fort Moultrie opened on the Weehawken, and were speedily followed by those of Fort Sumter, and the several tremendous batteries on Sullivan's and Morris Islands. The plan was, to pass round and assault Fort Sumter on the northwest face, as the weakest and most assailable part of the fort; but Capt. Rodgers found, almost immediately, that he could not force the Weehawken through the obstructions in her path. Some confusion followed, on Capt. Rodgers turning his ship to get a better position, for the channel was narrow and the tide strong. The flag ship, too, was caught by the tideway, and became in measure unmanageable; while, to add to the annoyance, the Catskill and Nantucket fell foul the Ironsides, and it took time and labor to get them clear and allow them to pass on.

In this state of affairs, Dupont made signal to the fleet to disregard the movements of the flag ship and assume such positions as were deemed most available. This was at once done, and a little before four o'clock, the eight iron-clads were ranged opposite the eastern and north-eastern front of Fort Sumter, at distances of from 550 to 800 yards. Of course, the rebels were not idle or inactive in the meanwhile;

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on the contrary, they poured forth lence the vast works on every hand, from their vast batteries both shells the admiral expressed his conviction and shot in immense profusion, and that it was utterly impracticable to with a rapidity almost beyond concep- take the city of Charleston, as matters tion. During the climax of the fire, as a now stood. The entire fleet had been looker-on declares, 160 shots were count- able to fire only 139 shots against Sumed in a single minute. Some of the ter, with comparatively small injury to officers of the iron-clads affirmed that the fort; while the rebels had hurled the shots struck their vessels as fast as against the iron-clads thousands of the ticking of a watch. It was esti- shells, shots and steel-pointed bolts, mated that 3,500 rounds were fired by and had inflicted upon them serious the rebels during the brief engagement. damage. Although the admiral's opinIn the midst of this terrible fire, en- ion as to the inefficiency of iron-clads veloping, as it were, the iron-clads, they of the monitor class was not shared by nevertheless devoted themselves to all,* yet, at his order, the several vestheir especial work, the assault on Fort sels were taken to Port Royal for reSumter. The gallant Rhind pushed pairs, except the New Ironsides, which his vessel up to within 500 yards of anchored outside Charleston bar. The the fort, and became a special target casualties were very few, considering for the rebels; the captains of the other the fierceness of the rebel fire; one vessels followed his daring lead; and man died of injuries received, and to the extent of their ability strove to about twenty-five were wounded, chiefly accomplish the great object in view. on the Keokuk and Nahant. But it was impossible to endure long the rebel hurricane of fire. The Keokuk received her death blow within half an hour; she was struck ninety times, and had nineteen holes above and below the water line, and got away iust in time to sink out of sight by evening. Others of the iron-clads began to show signs of disablement, and it became evident that the contest was too unequal to render it expedient to continue it; Dupont, therefore, about five o'clock, gave the signal to withdraw from action, intending to resume has never heretofore had a parallel in the attack next morning. On ascer- the history of warfare. taining, however, the injuries received by the several vessels, and estimating his force as quite unable to overcome the obstructions in the harbor and si

Gen. Hunter and his men at Stono Inlet were waiting for an opportunity of joining in the attack; but the ill success of the fleet prevented their doing so. Hunter wrote a letter to Dupont, lauding very highly the gal lantry of the fleet. "A mere spectator (he said) I could do nothing but pray for you, which, believe me, I did most heartily, for you and all the gallant men under your command, who sailed so calmly and fearlessly into and under and through a concentric fire which

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* For an interesting sketch of the opinions and views of officers in the navy respecting the value and efficiency of iron-clad vessels of the Monitor class, see Appleton's "Annual Cyclopædia" for 1863, pp. 664

667.

CH. XXVII.]

GENERAL BANKS AT NEW ORLEANS.

God for the results as far as they go. May He have you in His keeping through whatever chances are before you. No country can ever fail that has men capable of suffering what your iron-clads had yesterday to endure."

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river, and restore both Vicksburg and Port Hudson to their rightful owners.

Gen. Butler had been relieved of his command at New Orleans, in December, 1862. No special reason was ever assigned for this act on the part of the government; but it was generally supposed that, as he had gone through

anew, and manage matters more quietly and satisfactorily all round. Gen. N. P. Banks was the man selected, and the choice was considered to be a good one in every point of view.

Hardly anything of importance oc curred in the department of the South for some time after this. We may, with some very severe We may, with some very severe and very odious however, note here the destructive labor, and was besides obnoxious to a raids, in the beginning of June, led by large number of citizens, to foreign Col. Montgomery, with several com- consuls and such like, the authorities panies of negro soldiers, assisted by at the capital deemed it better to place gun boats at landings on the Combabee some one else in charge of the departRiver, where many valuable planta- ment, who might begin, as it were, tions were destroyed, and on the coast of Georgia, where great damage was inflicted on Brunswick and Darien in an ascent of the Altamaha River. As to further operations against Charleston, it was considered necessary for suc- This able officer was engaged, in the cess that military occupation should be autumn of 1862, in fitting out an exhad of Morris Island, and that land bat-pedition in the North, the destination teries should be erected on that island of which was kept as secret as possible, to assist in the reduction of Fort Sum- but was supposed to be intended for ter. This being a work requiring espe- the South, and especially for the bene cially engineering skill and ability, the fit of Texas. Having made all his ar authorities at Washington thought best rangements, Gen. Banks sailed from to relieve Hunter of his command, and, New York at the beginning of Decemearly in June, to send in his place Gen. ber, 1862,* with some fifty vessels and Q. A. Gillmore. about 10,000 men, and on the 16th of the same month, at New Orleans, formally assumed command of the department of the gulf. His opening procla mation was judicious, conciliatory, and to the point. "The duty with which

In a former chapter (see p. 190), we gave an account of important operations in the department of the Gulf, and on the Mississippi River. We ask the reader again to take up the thread of the narrative, and note the operations which, in the summer of 1863, resulted so gloriously for the Union cause as to court of Louisiana. For an interesting article, giving break down the rebel power on the the history of this court, its appointment, the numer Mississippi, cut off the "Confederacy "ous and instructive cases which came before it, its de

entirely from all aid west of the great

VOL. IV.-38.

* In company with Gen. Banks there sailed also a number of law officers, constituting the provisional

cisions, etc., see Appleton's "Annual Cyclopædia" for 1863, pp. 770-776.

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I am charged," he said, "requires me to assist in the restoration of the government of the United States. It is my desire to secure to the people of every class all the privileges of possession and enjoyment which are consistent with public safety, or which it is possible for a beneficent and just government to confer. The Valley of the Mississippi is the chosen seat of population, product and power on this continent. In a few years twentyfive millions of people, unsurpassed in material resources and capacity for war, will swarm upon its fertile rivers. Those who assume to set conditions upon their exodus to the Gulf, count upon a power not given to man. The country washed by the waters of the Ohio, the Missouri and the Mississippi, can never be permanently severed. . This country cannot be permanently divided. Ceaseless wars may drain its blood and treasure, domestic tyrants or foreign foes may grasp the sceptre of its power, but its destiny will remain unchanged. It will still be united. God has ordained it."

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A week later, Banks addressed the people of Louisiana, setting forth the conditions of the Emancipation Proclamation of Mr. Lincoln in special reference to that state, in which he not only enjoined patience and forbearance on the difficult and unsettled relations of master and slave, but also declared, in plain terms, that the rebellion must necessarily result in the destruction of slavery. "The first gun at Sumter," he remarked, "proclaimed emancipation. The continuance of the contest, there commenced, will consummate that

end, and the history of the age will leave no other permanent trace of the rebellion. Its leaders will have accomplished what other men could not have done." *

When President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was confirmed and set forth as complete, on the 1st of January, 1863, (p. 272), portions of Louisiana, it will be recollected, were especially exempted from its provisions. This left the condition of the negroes subject to the laws of Congress which had been passed, and the exigencies of military rule in the department. The latter of course forbade vagrancy and crime, as sources of disorder in the community. It was necessary in some way to adjust the relations of capital and negro labor. This was done by authorizing the Sequestration Commission sitting in the state, to establish with the planters a proper system of remuneration, for which the negroes should be required to render faithful service. "This," said Gen. Banks, "may not be the best, but it is now the only practical system. Wise mon will do what they can when they cannot do what they would. It is the law of success. In three years from the restoration of peace under this vol untary system of labor, the state of

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FARRAGUT RUNS THE BATTERIES.

CH. XXVII.]
Louisiana will produce threefold the
produce of its most prosperous year in
the past."

Banks, at an early day, attempted to send reinforcements to Galveston, Texas; but it was too late. Magruder had captured the troops there at the beginning of January (p. 278).

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ble of defence, was beset by swamps and other apparently invincible obstacles.

The first movement of importance in this quarter was made by the navy, in aid of the operations of Grant and Por ter against Vicksburg. At the beginning of February, it will be remembered (p. 250) that Commander Ellet led the way in the Queen of the West in the passage of the batteries at that place, the design being to interrupt the enemy's supplies from the west of the Mississippi. After inflicting much damage in this way, the vessel was lost by the treachery of a pilot, while ascending Red River. On receiving the news of this misfortune, Admiral Farragut determined to run past the rebel batteries at Port Hudson, and assist the operations of Porter on the river from above. The land forces of Banks were at the same time to threaten Port Hudson on the rear, and as far as possible divert their attention from Farragut's movements.

The next attempt, of a military kind, in the department, was in the region of the Bayou Teche, west of the Mississippi, where the rebels were committing depredations, aided by a gun boat named the Cotton. On the 11th of January, Gen. Weitzel crossed to Brashear City, and embarked his men for the ascent of the Atchafalaya, the cavalry and artillery proceeding by land. The Cotton took refuge in the Bayou Teche, where she was not long after attacked by a gun boat, supported by the troops under Weitzel. Matters soon began to look so badly for the rebels that they set the Cotton on fire to prevent her capture. Having accomplished this result, the gun boats were withdrawn, and the troops return- This daring attempt on the part of ed to their encampment at Thibodeaux. Farragut, was made in the night of In the early part of March, Banks Saturday, March 14th. At nine and a concentrated his force at Baton Rouge, half o'clock, P.M., he led the way at the in number about 25,000 men. head of his fleet on the flag-ship HartTwenty miles above, the rebels ford, accompanied by the gun boat Alwere strongly entrenched at Port Hud- batross, made fast to her port side. son, the most important position held The other gun boats followed, and six by them on the Mississippi below mortar vessels were brought up to shell Vicksburg. Situated on an elevated, al- the works. As soon as the Hartford came most perpendicular cliff, at a contracted within range of the rebel batteries, a bend of the stream, where the narrowed sharp fire was opened upon her, which current ran with great violence, its for- was returned with shot and shell. In midable line of batteries threatened de- the midst of this fire she succeeded in struction to any hostile fleet, while on passing the batteries with the Albathe land side the approach, easily capa- tross. The Richmond, Genessee and |

1863.

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