The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South
Alexander Kelly McClure, Ed.

[101] from Charleston was eight thousand eight hundred yards, and the gun was fired at an elevation of thirty-five degrees. The strain on it was such that it burst at the thirty-fourth discharge.

The “Greek fire,” of which so much was said, was one of the great humbugs of the war. Nothing of the kind was used during the siege. Three shells filled with pieces of ordinary port-fire were fired into the city of Charleston; but everything beyond this was due to the fancy of newspaper correspondents. The distinctive name of “Swamp Angel” is said to have been suggested by Sergeant Feller, of the New York Volunteer Engineers.

Meanwhile, the enemy had not been idle. We contended against a foe as brave and vigilant as ourselves, and they taxed every resource of the profession to repel us. They erected new batteries on James Island to take us in flank, and strengthened those on Sullivan. They mounted new guns to match our superior weight of metal as far as possible. The range of one of our guns was tried on Sumter on the 12th of August. The shell struck the parapet and knocked down a quantity of bricks, which fell on a steamer lying alongside, and broke off her smoke-stack.

The regular bombardment was opened on Sumter at sunrise on the 17th, and continued without cessation, from day to day, until the 23d. At the same time the iron-clads moved up and took part; the monitor batteries “Passaic” and “Patapsco” directing their fire at the for, while the others engaged Wagner. When the firing ceased on the 23d, the fort was practically destroyed for all offensive purposes. The barbette guns were dismounted and buried up in the debris. The gorge-wall and sea-face were so badly breached that in many places the arches of the casemates were exposed. The lines were entirely destroyed, and it appeared a shapeless mass of brick and mortar. Our batteries were occasionally reopened until the 1st of September, when the first bombardment terminated. In this time we threw six thousand two hundred and fifty projectiles, of which two thousand one hundred and sixty-five were solid shot and four thousand and eighty-five percussion shell. They were of the calibre of one, two and three hundred-pounders. The enemy replied feebly to our fire, and did but little damage. The sight was a fine one; the artillery practice as good as ever was seen. The scream of the shot and shell, as they took their course to the devoted fortress was fearful, and every hit was followed by a cloud of brick and dust thrown into the air. The fire of the land batteries was continuous, with reliefs of artillerists for the guns. On the last day of the bombardment the “Ironsides” and monitors took an active