The corvettes advanced in line ahead on the four-gun battery, delivering their broadsides as they passed, silencing the fort and leaving it to the care of the gun-boats. Passing on to within 1200 yards of the twenty-gun battery they bombarded it for six hours, having to contend with a typhoon at the same time. During the action the city of Kagosima was accidentally set on fire and nearly half of it was burned. The fort was not silenced at dusk, when the squadron hauled out of action, but the next morning the Japanese came to terms before the attack was renewed.
Earthworks off Charleston Harbor,
July 18 and August 17, 1863.
FEDERAL.
INNER LINE—IRON-CLADS.
| Guns. | |
| Montauk | 2 |
| New Ironsides | 20 |
| Catskill | 2 |
| Nantucket | 2 |
| Weehawken | 2 |
| Patapsco | 2 |
OUTER LINE—WOODEN GUN-BOATS.
| Paul Jones | 9 |
| Ottawa | 5 |
| Seneca | 4 |
| Chippewa | 6 |
| Wissahicken | 4 |
CONFEDERATE.
Fort Wagner.—A strong earthwork, containing 10 heavy guns, and supported by three 4-gun water-batteries.
On the 18th of July the iron-clads moved in line, taking up a position abreast the fort and within 1200 yards, the gun-boats firing at long range. At 4 p.m., the tide serving, the iron-clads moved in to 400 yards and completely silenced the fort. Drew out of action at dark, the object of silencing the battery being accomplished. On August 17th the iron-clads moved in abreast the fort to within 450 yards, and silenced the fort in two hours. Drew out of action at noon, the object having been accomplished.
Earthworks at Fort McAllister,
March 3, 1863.