Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

In the case of wooden vessels, the object will be to hit them near the water-line, just abaft the smoke-stack. In the case of iron-clad vessels, to hit the deck or the turrets at the intersection with the deck, and especially to let all the shots strike at once.

The first fire will be concentrated upon the leading vessels, and will be continued upon them as long as the guns by battery will bear well, and especially if they become entangled in obstructions, even if certain vessels engage to draw off the attention of the outermost batteries and remain behind.

Should some of the vessels succeed in passing, the action must then pass into the hands of commanding officers of batteries. They will pour in their fire as far as practicable, by battery, and as fast as it can be done with accuracy on whatever vessels of the enemy may be nearest them.

The guns of Beauregard battery, Fort Moultrie, Battery Bee, and the eastern, north-eastern, and north-western faces of Fort Sumter will be used to form the first circle of fire to which the enemy must be subjected; the centre being a little to the eastward of a line between the forts and midway. Every effort must be made to crush his vessels and repel his attack within this circle, and especially while he is entangled in the obstructions.

All the mortars of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie will be trained on the centre above indicated. The fuzes will be of the full length, and the shells have large bursting charges; it being better to have the fuzes fail than the shells to burst in the air, and the full effect of the explosions being desirable if successful. The mortar batteries will be fired by battery when the enemy's vessels are about two ship's lengths from the point on which they are trained.

If the fleet is large, the mortars will be kept trained on the same point, and fired by battery as rapidly as possible while the fleet is passing. If small, and a portion has passed the first circle of fire, the mortars of Fort Sumter will be trained to operate on the second circle, the centre of which will be at a point about midway between Forts Sumter and Ripley, and to the southward of the middle ground shoal. It will be formed by the heavy guns of Fort Johnson, Fort Ripley, Castle Pinckney, Battery Bee, and the north-western and western faces of Fort Sumter.

The guns of Forts Johnson and Ripley and Castle Pinckney will open on the leading vessels as they come within easy range, care being taken that every shot finds its mark. Those of Fort Sumter and Battery Bee will continue upon the leading vessels as long as they are close, but if they elongate their distance, the fire will be concentrated on the vessels nearest them.

Should any vessel succeed in passing the second circle of fire, the third will be formed and put into action by the guns of White Point battery and Battery Glover, with such guns of Forts Johnson and Ripley and Castle Pinckney as will bear. Concentration on the leading vessels will be the object as before.

During the action, care will be taken, as far as possible, to prevent the chances of shot from the batteries taking the direction of our own works. The best way of doing this will be to let none miss the enemy, and when he is between the works most especial accuracy will be striven for.

The vessels of the Confederate navy will engage during the action, and they may often pass our batteries. In this case, officers and gunners cannot be too careful to avoid hitting them. The fire by battery, as a general thing, will be discontinued at those vessels of the enemy which our ships engage closely; but if occasion offers, endeavors will be made to hit the ports of the revolving turrets on the enemy's vessels when turned from our ships, to disarrange and throw out of gear the machinery for closing the ports.

Accurate fire by single guns will be concentrated on the enemy's vessels, if two or more attack one of ours; and should the distance admit, then it will be advisable to pour upon one of them a heavy fire by battery.

The plunging fire from Fort Sumter is expected to be particularly effective, and when single rifled guns are fired from the barbettes of that fort, it will be well to hit the grated roofs of the turrets with square-headed bolts, followed by shells filled with molten iron.

The square-headed bolts for the ten-inch columbiads and the heavier guns will be fired by battery when the enemy is within close range. Solid shot and bolts will be used generally against iron-clads during the action.

The furnaces for melting iron and heating shot will be kept in heat, and heated projectiles will be used whenever occasion offers advantage.

Should it happen that any of the enemy's vessels become disabled and endeavor to get out of fire, the outermost batteries must pay particular attention to prevent them, and in case other of the enemy's ships come to the assistance of the disabled, let every gun and mortar which will bear be turned upon them by battery.

The great object of the enemy will probably be to run by, and every effort must be made to crush him in each successive circle of fire which he encounters.

Hog Island channel will be obstructed, and the obstructions must be guarded by the long range guns of Fort Sumter and the columbiad of Battery Bee nearest it.

It is doubtful whether the enemy will attempt to pass by Folly channel. If he does, a circle of fire will be formed by the guns of Fort Ripley, Castle Pinckney, and White Point battery.

The position of torpedoes will be communicated to commanding officers, and the effort