t
yOLJL .
XETTER8 FROM MORRIS ISLAND, j
Morris Island, So'pt. 18tli. -j
I have written about almost everything j
pertaining to the siege of Charleston.
Forts, batteries, torpedoes, monitors,
jgnnboats, monster guns, etc., have been
respectively brought on the stage and j
made to play their part in the tremendous
drama. It strikes me that now is a littiug I
time to let your readers know somewhat j
of those who are behind the screen con- :
trolling the minutia cf the struggle. The j
erection 01 eacn battery, the b filleting of !
every ibrt, the planting of every gnn in j
the siege of ChailestonTs made in accord- j
ancc with a plan or drawing prepared after
the most exact scientific calculation. As
Iievemer sitting quietly in his studio dem- j
onstrated that a planet must revolve some- I
where outside the orbit of Herschell, aud >
then, turning his glass upon that portion
of the heavens, found it and named the '
new world Neptune, so the work of the j
Deduction of Sumter, and of all the fortifications
of the harbor exist in diagrams
and plans which are followed with mathematical
precision?the grand summing j
np of which is Menda est Charleston,
livery appliance of science, every resource !
of ingenuity, every energy of the brain,
assisted by education and experience, j
have been brought to bear in the prosecution
of this siege. On the other side
erm&l care and labor have been exnended
in the effort to render the capture of the j
?ziy an impossibility. Genius und engineering
ability of a high order produced j
Wagner and Gregg aud strengthened i
Sumter, and we have yet that to do which j
will tax our every resource. The advantages
gained already are a sure earnest of
Itimate if not speedy triumph, and as j
?thing of startling import is now transpiring
this may be a favorable time to
gratify the public with a glance at the
actors engaged. As first in command and
foremost in labor we must refer to the
commanding General
Q. A. Gillmoke.
This gentleman was born in the township
of Black .River, Lorain Co. Ohio, on
the 28th day of February, 1825. His parents
still reside there. At Elyra he re- i
ceived an academic education and in 1845
entered the military academy at West
Point, graduating at the head of his class 1
in 1849. From the academy Gen. Gillmore
was brevetted a second lieutenant
engineers July 1st, 1847, promoted to !
a first lieutenancy July 1, 1856, to a cap- j
tainey August 6, 1861, and to a majority j
in Juno 1863. In the autumn of 1849, j
CJen. Gilhnore married the daughter of
T. O. Mahew, Esq., of "West Point, N. Y.
y-oar sons are now living as the issue of
tills marriage. Previous to the out-break
the rebellion Gen. Gilhnore's military
services had been such as are usually assigned
to young men in time of peace.
In one respect his case forms an exeep- j
tion to the general rule. It was then he
laid the foundation of his latr successes
' and jiresent world wide reput tion. By
a long series of experiment' upon the
kreeching effect of shot of different ca!ikres
upon various kinds of masonry he
*ilemonstrated to ins own satisiacnon wnat
hn luis since illustrated and proved to the
"otKrld in the fall of Pulaski and Sumter.
3a October 18G1, Capt. Gillmore was appointed
chief engineer to Brig. General
Sherman commanding the land forces of
tfce expedition to Port Royal. The turning
point in his career, that which rendered
his uame famous, marked an era in
tee. history of engineering, 3nd the power
mi ritled ordinance to demolish masonry,
eras the seigc of Pulaski from Tybee island
is the spring of 18G2. The reception of
tee news of the fall of Pulaski startled
tfie government as well as the nation and
oa recognition of his distinguished servi<res,
Captain Gillmore was appointed a
Brigadier General of Volunteers April 28,
18G2. In the winter of the same year he
^ ^Htea^nec^flH^^l^itary district
the
THE FREE SOUTH, FATUI
filed. Tills wai an engagement with
Gen. Pegrr.m at Somerset, whose force
was twice his own, and whom he routed
after an engagement of five hours with
severe loss. His victory was the result of
masterly strategy and hard fighting. The
i.:,.x " _e xi._ _ e r\i 1 x xi
m&iuijr ui iue seige ui v^nuriestuii tuus
far has ben pretty thoroughly written and
all I need say here, is that,every part of
it bears the stamp of the genius of the
commanding general and has added to
his former reputation.
Harpers "Weekly of September 12th,
contains an excellent likeness of Gen. Gillmore.
The peculiar animation and force
of expression of the original is wanting
however in the picture.
Gen. Gillmore is a man of decided religious
convictions, correct in his deportment,
active in his habits, and tireless in
his labors. His manner is social, cordial
and frank. His larg3 light blue eye has
rather a subdued and benevolent expression.
His mental calibre is of a high
order and he would shine in the field and
in strategy as well as in planting cannon.
Hi3 presence is gentlemanly, noble and
dignified.
r ___ rn t> t> T 4 i .1. j__
major ?. n. i^roojxs, ue camp 10
Gen. Gillmore comes next in order. This
gentleman was horn near West Point, N.
Y., was educated at Gilcspie's celebrated
engineering school at Schenectady in that
state. He entered the war as a Lieutenant
of a N. Y. Volunteer Regiment, and
was with Gen. Gillmore at the seige of
Pulaski, and under his masterly directions
reduced to unexpected practice the principles
he had been taught in the academy.
He served in Kentucky with the Gen'l. as
aid in 1862. His well earned promotion
to the majority occurred since the seige
of Charleston commenced. He lias had
the entire charge of the engineering work
against Wagner and of a part of that
against Sumtef. Major Brooks is a man
of solid worth, modest and unassuming
in his character and must be known to be
appreciated. Gen. Gillmore places the
highest estimation upon his abilities and
entrusts the execution of the most important
matters to his hands. Whilst this
seige is remembered, the name of T. B.
Brooks will not be forgotten.
Col. oerreli, uapt. lteese aua lieutenant
Suter, assistants to Gen. Gillmore
have acted a more general anil miscellaneous
part, and the historian will faithfully
chronicle their names and services.
Col, J. W. Turner, Chief of Artillery,
graduated with honor at West Point in
1855, and has been on duty in Oregon,
Florida and the plains of the West. His
duties have consisted mostly in mounting
guns and superintending everything pertaining
to ordnance. When it is remembered
that we are engaged in an artillery
war and that some of our guns are the
heaviest that was ever mounted, it will be
conceded that his duties have not been
light. It is thought by knowing ones that
he coul i without occasion for blushing
exchange the eagle for a star.
Though it does not exactly enter into
my plan yet I cannot take my leave of
headquarters without a reference to the
services of Brig. Gen. A. H. Terry. The
military bearing of this gentleman had
almost indelibly fixed the impression in
my mind that he had spent some four
vears at West Point or in some other mil
itary school. But the fact is, when the
war broke out he was a thriving Connecticut
lawyer and fast rising to distinction
in his profession. He now commands
the 1st division in the department. I
have heard hie name frequently mentioned
in connection with the tight on James
Island at the time of Gillmore's advance
upon Morris Island, and all parties award
to him high soldierly qualities. As commander
of a division he is ever vigilant,
and nothing is allowed to get out of place.
He is one ol the most polite men in the
world to do business with when every
thing is right on your part. Though bred
a lawyer, yet every part of military etiquette
must be scrupuously observed. His tal
jT>AV, FEP'HR^BEB. 2*. "*563.
ents are oi alngu order and would win lor
their possesor distinction in any held he
might choose to enter.
Some other names I would like to mention
in this connection but an order is in
force prohibiting any reference to brigades
or their commanders. Some if not
all of these are candidates for a *tar or an
additional star and perhaps we had better
defer taking their pictures till they don
their new uniform. M.
Mobris Isiaxd, Sept. 20th, 1863.
Since my last nothing decisive or important
to the public eye has occurred in
front of Charleston, The fleet has not to
my knowledge fired a gun since the Weeliawkcn
was got off the bar and out of
harm's way. Gen. Gillmore has formed a
plan for future operations which should
be learned by the rebels only by experience.
They simply have the satisfaction
of seeing Wagner and Gregg metaphorosed
into loyal batteries, by the strong
but now free hands of those who were
once their slaves. Of tlio nature of the
changes made, the calibre of the guus
to be mounted, the purpose they are t :>
serve and how soon they w'll break the
seals of their mission are matters concerning
which the conspirators must be left
to conjecture. They seem not to have
forgotten the value of those strong points.
Their firing and shelling from Johnston
and other batteries indicate that Beauregard
has a greater anxiety about them
now than he had when garrisoned by his
own men. It is an important and to us a
glorious fact that Gregg is at least a mile
? ? ?? oiromn l\af.
nearer vjuhucmwu mau mo o?nm^ whit
tery, which scattered Greek fire tlirougk
the city sometime ago. Should it be in
the General's plan to try that game from
Gregg, the gunners at Jeast will have the
privilege of seeing where the shell strike
and witnessing the effect produced, for
the heart of the city is in full view of
Cumming's Point. One of our heavy guns
has been replying to Johnson and Tort
Simpkin's for the purpose of relieving, I
suppose, our men at work in the forts.
It does one good to see with what j>reeision
our gunners will explode a shell or
! plant a shot just where they want it, and
do this as often as they have occasion to
fire.
Furloughs have been granted to a small
percentage of the army and already the
boys are off to loved homes far away. Our
siege works, however, will not be allowed
to slacken in the 1-f.ast on this account.
We can hold the island, for no land attack
could dislodge us now, and prosecute the
? * ' i - # tl i
worK preparatory 10 a iuruier movement
with a little less force than we have at
present.
I have seen the Charleston Courier of
the 16th ult., and find it a very readable
sheet. It contains the best description of
Sumter as a ruin I hare read or imagined.
The late explosion of a magazine on James
island killed five persons and wounded it
was not known how many. Col. Hifaluten
Kcitt was in command when Wagner
was evacuated, the rebels are puzzled
about our present movements but expect
an immediate attack from the fleet; the
streets of Charleston are desolated and
things generally in rebeldom wear a
gloomy aspect.
Will your readers put the following
facts together and draw their own inference
: No regiment on the island has
been more exposed at the front than the
0/1 Q P VnliinfAMv Xrthfl nmn llM bfifill
injured by shot or shell thus far during
the siege. Entire abstinence from all
^iat intoxicates is the faithfully observed
law of the regiment by both oflicers and
privates. A glass of water will not shield
from a-shell, but a glass of whiskey may
send one into its path. M.
Monus Island, Sept. 21, 18G3.
The rebel batteries have been quite
active for the last 21 hours and the following
casualties have been reported to
medical director. It is likely that a few
others may have been killed or wounded
whose names were reported only to reg
_ - ~ -<**
NO. 38.
lLUCiiUil bUigcOUS. i.'lV>Ui V.iUi, x CUIt
learn I fear that many of the boys have
become so familiar with bursting shell,
and have escaped so many times thai
they have become a little careless, failing
to "cover" when they might and when,
j they should.
Sept. 20, (}. tV. Richardson, Co. I, 0th Maine, flesh
wound in the leg; 8. II. Day, Co. D, 0th Maine, wounded
in thigh.
Sept. 21, Amindis Lilly, Co. D, l'Uth Pa.,, woundedt
j in the hip by a shell, m ?rtally; Gotleib Hartfelder, Go.
l), lokto Pa., wounde.l In the face and arm, slightly.
The following casualties were produced
by the explosion of a single shell..
W. A. Rich, Co. P. 4th N. H.: Geo. Wagner. N. T.
Independent Batt ilion. : Peter Riley, Co. X, & K. L*.
Battery,; Harvey Shaddlnger, Co. A, 104th Pa.
Yours, H.
[From the Tribune ccrropondtnce Sept l'.J
The flag of truce which w.nfc up last
week to fort Samter with clothes, money
and some provisions for the prisoners
captured in the unfortunate naval assault
of the 8th inst., returned bringing a num>4
ber of messages from the prisoners to
their friends in the fleet. Also, the impertinent
statement that should we fire
I on Sumter they would place our men on
the parapet. I am told that Admiral
Dahlgren has expressed bis intentiow*
should this inhumanity be exercised, to
lash the prisoners we have belonging to
i them to the turrets of our monitors and
j give battle. These would prove, I imagine,
a more effective safeguard than
either bales of hay or cotton.
The following are the names of the officers
captured :
Lieut commauuer E. P. "Williams, LL
G. C. Remey, Flag Lieut. S. W. Preston,
Lieut. E. T. Brower, Easign Benjamin.
I H. Porter, Lieut. C. H. Bradford, wounded
in groin, severely, Lieut. Meade, U. ?L
; M. C., Acting Master's Mate Hbuey, U!
S. M. C., also wounded and a prisoner,
: Sailinaker Dayton, ia hand.
Gen Beauregard's obstinate holding of
i this point would seem to indicate that it
is, even in its present dismantled and rej
duced state, the key to Charleston Harbor.
Under the lires of Forts Moultrie,
Johnson, Battery Bee, and B-auregard
even did we occupy it, we could hardly
put it in an offensive position ; it must
remain as it is now. In the precise relative
value which it is to the euemy in this *
seige, so is the possession of it to us. We
may hope, therefore, its occupation by
our forces will not long be delayed?that
the late repulse, instead of disheartening,
will only tend to make us more determined,
and that ere a week shall pass our Hag
i shall float where so long the standard of
: rebellion has waved in defiance to the
I progress of our arm*.
THE OBSTBUCTCONS.
It is surprising that nothing has been
done to discover the character and magnitude
of the obstructions in Charleston
Harbor. That their importt nee has been
magnified and exaggerated, I do not
! doubt. They are a bugbear and a scare,
: which serve to paralyze without sufficient
reason the action of tne fleet No attempt
has been made that I am aware of to pass
by them, so that it is not actually known
at this day whether such an effort would
not meet with success. It requires no
complicated machine to remove them, I
think, tor they must necessarily be of a.
simple character to allow free passage to
blockade-runners and exclude oar ships at
pleasure. It is generally thought thai
there is one principal chain to winch the
minor obstacles are attached, an<l that it
is raised or lowered to suit circumstances.
Now,:it is natural to suppose that if this,
chain were severed, the whole arrangement
would chop to the bottom, and the
reduction of the {Sullivan's island batteries . -
be rendered unnecessary, as Charleston
would then be at the mercy of oar ironclads.
This might be accomplished in
numerous ways. A vessel loaded with,
combustibles might be towed up against
this chain, and exploded by means uf a.
slow matcn, which would tend to blow toatoms
the whole construction. This idea,
I believe, has been suggested already ; it
*1-1 - " "1 1M_ 1__ x -
appears a sensnue one, auu inteiy 10 succeed,
if tried. Grappling-hooks attached,
to an empty shell, and tiirown from a?
mortar to the precise spot where this chain,
rests, then drawn back by steam power,
might result in breaking it. I am settingfortii
no ideas of my own ; I cnJy wish to
urge the necessity of doing something in
tins matter even if the means tried be
experimental. If they are successful, it
is enough ; if they fad, no harm can b?
, done by the trial.
new monitor, the Tecuruseb,
was 1 unched at Jersey City on SaturdayShe
is 220 feet long, 45 beam, 12 depth ot
hold, and 7}.* draught.