Daniel Ammen, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 7.2, The Atlantic Coast
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

On July 19th he states that the previous day a combined attack had been made by the troops under General Gillmore and the vessels under his command. At 11.30 A. M. the admiral led on board of the Montauk, Commander Fairfax, followed by the Ironsides, Captain S. C. Rowan; the Catskill, Commander G. W. Rodgers; the Nantucket, Commander Beaumont; the Weehawken, Commander Colhoun; and the Patapsco, Lieutenant-Commander Badger. At 12.30 the Montauk anchored abreast of Fort Wagner and fired the first gun, the other vessels following. The tide ebbing, the pilot was averse to going nearer. The distance to the fort was about twelve hundred yards. The gunboats Paul Jones, Commander A. C. Rhind; Ottawa, Lieutenant-Commander W. D. Whiting; Seneca, Lieutenant-Commander Wm. Gibson; Chippewa, Lieutenant-Commander T. C. Harris; and Wissahickon, Lieutenant-Commander J. L. Davis, at the same time were using their pivot guns against the fort at long range, and the batteries of General Gillmore, about one thousand yards south, on Morris Island, were firing very deliberately and steadily.

At 4 P. M., with a flood-tide, weighed anchor and closed in to within about three hundred yards of the fort, so that for the day not a shot was fired afterward at the vessels, nor was a man to be seen about it. Near sunset a note was received from General Gillmore stating that he had ordered an assault, and the battalions could be seen advancing along the beach. Before our troops had reached the works it became too dark to discern them. To this moment an incessant and accurate fire had been maintained by the vessels; but now it was impossible to distinguish whether it took effect on friend or foe, and, of necessity, it was suspended. Very soon afterward the rattle of musketry and the flashes of light artillery announced that our men were mounting to