OPERATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1863.
Active operations in South Carolina were until the month of March as dull as in North Carolina, and for the same reason. Up to this time the only events that broke the strict monotony of inactivity were the occasional running of the blockade by English and by rebel vessels; and rare skirmishing with the enemy. But heavy work was soon to come. An attack upon Fort Sumter and Charleston had long been contemplated by the Navy Department, and success was regarded as certain, as it had been arranged that the operations of the iron-clads were to be assisted by a large land force prepared to join in the attack. The rebels were not unaware of the measures that were in contemplation against one of their strongest positions, and were busily preparing to resist them. General Beauregard issued a proclamation in Charleston in March, in which he declared it to be his duty to inform the “citizens of Charleston and Savannah, that a land and naval attack on one or both cities, might be expected at a very early date.” He conjured the citizens of Charleston to arm themselves, adding, “Be not too exacting in the choice of weapons. Picks and scythes will do for exterminating your enemies, spades and shovels for protecting your firesides.” The citizens of Charleston and Savannah reported promptly, and the preparations for the attack, and for resisting the attack went on simultaneously.
THE ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER.
April 7, 1863.
The defences of Charleston harbor were now somewhat changed in their character, since the memorable attack on Fort Sumter, in 1861, and require a new description from that furnished in the first volume of this work. The chief works of the enemy for the defence of Charleston at this time may be thus briefly described: On the upper or north end of Sullivan’s Island a powerful sand battery guarding Maffit’s Channel; another large sand battery, called Fort Beauregard, between this and the Moultrie House; Fort Moultrie, which had been greatly strengthened since the commencement of the war; Fort Sumter, built upon an artificial island in the middle to the channel, near the entrance of the inner harbor, and about one and a half miles west of Fort Moultrie; Battery B, adjoining Fort Moultrie, on the western extremity of Sullivan’s Island; the Mount Pleasant battery on the mainland between Sullivan’s Island and Cooper river; Castle Pinckney, built on an island about a mile distant from Charleston; all, with the exception of Sumter, being on the right or northerly side of the harbor. On the other side of the harbor, in the immediate vicinity of the city, was the Wappoo battery on James island, commanding the embouchure of Ashley river; next to which was Fort Johnson, and between it and Castle Pinckney, Fort Ripley, a work erected on an artificial island in what was known as the “Middle Ground.” On Cummings’ Point, Morris Island, opposite Fort Moultrie, was Battery Gregg, and a mile south of this Fort Wagner, an extensive sand battery of the most powerful construction. Finally, at Light-house Inlet, which divides Morris Island from Folly Island, was another fortification covering the landing at that place. Within a few days of the attack the enemy also erected a new sand work between the two last mentioned. The number of guns mounted on these works was estimated at several hundred, comprising the heaviest smooth bore ordnance, and many rifled pieces of English manufacture; and as an additional means of protection, the channel between Fort Sumter and Sullivan’s Island was obstructed by rows of floating casks supporting torpedoes and other submarine obstacles, and in that between Sumter and Cummings’ Point were no less than four rows of piles extending nearly up to Charleston.
Upon the 6th of April the whole National fleet crossed the Charleston Harbor bar, intending to reduce Fort Sumter at once, and proceed thence direct to the city; but the day turned out to be particularly foggy, and the attack was necessarily deferred until the following day. About noon, upon the 7th, the signal was given by Admiral Dupont from his flagship for the vessels to weigh anchor. According to the plan of attack the vessels were to form in the following order ahead, at intervals of one cable’s length: 1. Weehawken, Captain John Rogers; 2. Passaic, Captain Percival Drayton; 3. Montauk, Commander John L. Worden; 4. Patapsco, Commander Daniel Ammen; 5. New Ironsides, Commodore Thomas Turner; 6. Catskill, Commander George W. Rodgers; 7. Nantucket, Commander Donald McN. Fairfax; 8. Nahant, Commander John Downes; 9. Keokuk, Lieutenant-Commander Alexander C. Rhind. The squadron was then to pass up the main ship channel without returning the fire of the batteries on Morris Island, unless signalized to do so, and was to take up a position to the northward and westward of Fort Sumter, and engage its northwest face at a distance of from one thousand to eight hundred yards. A squadron of reserve, consisting of the Canandaigua, Unadilla, Housatonic, Wissahickon, and Huron, under the command of Captain Joseph H. Green, of the Canandaigua, was ordered to remain outside the bar, and be in readiness to support the iron-clads, when they should attack the batteries on Morris Island, which would be subsequent to the reduction of Fort Sumter.
At half past twelve the whole fleet was in motion; but almost immediately a raft attached to the Weehawken became disarranged, and nearly an hour was consumed in putting it to rights. The fleet then moved forward again, and passed the works on Morris Island which remained perfectly silent. In stately majesty the fleet moved on, till within range of the fire of Fort Sumter and the batteries upon Sullivan’s Island, but still the same ominous silence continued; not a sound broke the stillness of the listening air, and the unbroken quiet was growing into suspense that was painful. But scarcely had that feeling of suspense time to manifest itself, when all around was clamor, and a noise that equalled the loudest thunder, burst with a deafening uproar on the ear. At precisely four minutes past three o’clock, a terrific fire burst from Fort Sumter upon the Union fleet. The Weehawken, being the leading vessel, was of course the first to receive the enemy’s fire, but instead of moving forward as the rest of the fleet moved up toward her, she was seen to come to a dead halt, just between Sumter and Moultrie! It was impossible to those who were eagerly, anxiously looking on, to assign any reason for such a halt. But very soon the cause became startlingly apparent. The enemy had thrown a strong hawser, floating on beer casks, across the river; upon this hawser, nets, lines, and catlets, strung with torpedoes, were hung, and should the vessel run into it, she would immediately become entangled, be deprived of her motive power, and so be left at the mercy of the current, to drift straight into the hands of the rebels. To attempt this danger was not to be thought of, and all attention was turned toward the left hand channel, to see what could be done between Sumter and Cummings’ Point. But this was found to be still more impassable. A row of piles, rising ten feet above the water, and extending the whole distance across the channel, blockaded the passage; and on further observation, it was discovered that another row of piles stretched across the middle ground between Forts Ripley and Johnson. This did not compass the whole passage, but left an opening for the fleet, which was the most dangerous of all the entanglements for its destruction. Beneath the water in that passage was a torpedo of enormous size, containing five thousand pounds of gunpowder. Beyond this the three rebel iron-clads were drawn up in line of battle. Thus again did the enemy display his wonderful tact and ability in protecting the northwest face of Sumter, which they well knew to be its weakest point. It was impossible to carry out the first intentions with regard to the action of the National fleet; and it only remained to put the vessels in the most advantageous positions which circumstances would admit. To add to all the other embarrassments attending the movements of the Union iron-clads, the flagship caught in the tideway, and became, for the moment, unmanageable; while the steamers Catskill and Nantucket, who kept in the Ironsides’ wake, fell a-foul of her. Accordingly, Admiral Dupont was obliged to signal to the rest of the fleet to disregard the movements of the flagship; and shortly before four o’clock the remaining eight vessels were ranged opposite the northeast front of Sumter, at distances varying from five hundred and fifty to eight hundred yards. The enemy during this time had not been idle, and from Forts Beauregard, Moultrie and Sumter, Battery Bee and Fort Wagner, the concentrated fire of three hundred guns was poured upon the devoted fleet, exceeding probably in rapidity and power any cannonade previously known in warfare. To this the eight iron-clads could oppose but sixteen guns. During the climax of the fire one hundred and sixty shots were counted in a single minute; and projectiles struck the vessels at every moment. It has been estimated that during that brief engagement the enemy fired three thousand five hundred round of ammunition.
The whole fury of the fight was comprised within the space of thirty minutes, during which time it is impossible by the use of words to give even a faint idea of the perpetual roar of the guns, and the unceasing glare and flash of the fire. During this terrible fight it is not to be supposed that the Union vessels were merely receiving the enemy’s fire. At the order to disregard the movements of the Ironsides, Captain Rhind ran the Keokuk up through the others, and laid it, apparently, under the very walls of Fort Sumter, and scarcely more than five hundred yards distant from it. Close behind the Keokuk came the Catskill, and close upon this vessel the Montauk, the Passaic, the Patapsco, the Nahant, the Nantucket, the Weehawken, and the Ironsides. The last named vessel poured forth its whole strength upon Fort Moultrie, while the remainder of the fleet directed all its fire against Fort Sumter. The face of Sumter soon began to show the marks of the severe treatment it was receiving from the heavy projectiles; and the brave men on board the Union iron-clads were eagerly and hopefully looking forward to the breach they expected to make, if their vessels could but remain under the storm of rebel fire long enough to effect it. But on this occasion the National cause was doomed to disappointment, and the bombardment of Fort Sumter was a crushing failure. Already the Keokuk was utterly disabled, and twelve of her men wounded; among whom was her gallant commander, Captain Rhind. The Nahant received thirty gaping wounds; six of her men were wounded, and the Quartermaster, Edward Cobb of Massachusetts, received his death blow. The Passaic was struck in twenty-five places: the Nantucket was badly injured; and the Catskill and Ironsides slightly damaged. The remainder of the vessels, though often struck, received no serious injury; but in the opinion of Admiral Dupont another half hour would have placed them, also, hors du combat, and accordingly, at five o’clock the signal was given to retire.
During the night following this disastrous fight it was confidently expected that the attack would be renewed in the morning; but when the morrow came Admiral Dupont had decided that, for the time, the bombardment of Fort Sumter was at an end.
On the 12th of April, then, the whole fleet—with the exception of the Keokuk, which had sunk, and the Ironsides, which was left outside of Charleston Harbor Bay—returned to Port Royal.
CAPTURE OF THE REBEL IRONCLAD ATLANTA.
June 17.
About the middle of June, Admiral Dupont, learning that the Atlanta and other rebel vessels at Savannah, meditated an attack upon the blockading vessels in Warsaw Sound, despatched the Weehawken (Capt. Rogers) and the Nahant (Commander J. Downes), to prevent any disaster to the fleet. The Atlanta, originally a swift and powerful British steamer called the Fingal, had early in the war run the blockade of Savannah, and been converted by the enemy into an iron-clad at a great expense. She was one hundred and ninety-one feet in length, and forty feet beam, somewhat over one thousand tons in measurement, and had a low deck with a casement or covered iron-plated house in the centre, with sloping sides and ends, in which was her battery, consisting of two six-inch and two eight-inch rifled guns. Of these the former were broadside guns, and the latter worked on a pivot, either as broadside or bow or stern guns. She was further armed with a powerful ram, and had attached to her bow a submarine torpedo, charged with about fifty pounds of powder. No efforts had been spared to render her formidable, and it was believed by the enemy that her speed, her heavy armament, and her ram, would render her more than a match for any two vessels of the monitor type. Accordingly at dawn of June 17th, she steamed down the sound; followed by several small steamers containing pleasure parties who were to be the witnesses of the confidently expected triumph of the rebel vessel.
At 4 A. M. she was perceived by the Union iron-clads,—lying at anchor near the north of the Wilmington river—and they at once prepared for action. The Weehawken was nearest to the enemy, and getting under way stood up the sound, the Nahant following in her wake. The Atlanta lay across the channel and quietly awaited the attack from the National vessels; but at five o’clock she took the initiative and fired a single shot at the Nahant, which, however, failed to have any effect. The Weehawken steamed toward the Atlanta; and when within three hundred yards opened upon her with a fifteen-inch gun. She then approached still nearer, and when within two hundred yards she suddenly poured in upon the rebel vessel the full contents of her two guns. The effect was disastrous to the Atlanta, who immediately hauled down her colors, and ran up the white flag in token of surrender. Another discharge from the Union iron-clad was poured in upon her before the signal was understood, after which all firing ceased, and the Weehawken, having done all the fighting, took possession of her prize after a contest that lasted barely fifteen minutes. In this engagement one hundred and forty-five prisoners were captured.
SIEGE OF CHARLESTON.
Commenced July 3, 1863.
It was felt by the U. S. Government that the attack on Fort Sumter, of April 7th, was a somewhat humiliating failure; but, notwithstanding this, the original intention of redeeming Charleston was not abandoned. It was understood, from the tone of Admiral Porter’s letters, that he was opposed to a renewal of the attack on Charleston; and he was, accordingly, relieved of command, and Rear-Admiral Foote was appointed in his place. Before the period fixed for taking command of his squadron had expired, Admiral Foote died in New York, and a second appointment was made in the person of Admiral Dahlgreen, who entered upon his duties on July 6th. About this time General Gilmore was constituted commander-in-chief of the military department of the south, and arrangements were entered into for combined operations by land and sea.