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

[531] the other passed through a window and burst in the centre of the fort. Several exploded in contact with the wall, by which the principal craters appear to have been formed; one passed over the parapet into the quarters on the western side, exploded, damaging several walls; five eleven-inch shot struck the faces, one penetrating near one of the same embrasures pierced by the fifteen-inch shell, broke through and entered the interior wall of the quarters; only one impression represented any appearance of a rifle projectile. One fifteen-inch solid shot, one fifteen inch hollow shot, several fifteen-inch shells and eleven-inch shot were found in and around the fort; fragments of fifteen-inch shells were picked up on the outside; the berme being very narrow and sloping prevented any means of ascertaining by the bodies themselves, their kind — all being precipitated into the water, after striking. It is reported, also, that several shrapnel were fired over the barbette guns of Sumter. Some of the shells which exploded in contact with the wall may probably have been percussion rifle shells, as some of the turrets are known to carry eight-inch rifles, but no fragments were found, nor do any of the officers report indications of rifle projectiles by sound or otherwise, with but one exception; the commanding officer of Battery Wagner reports one by sound to have passed over, fired by the Ironsides. Nine shots were fired at Moultrie at distances: of turrets, thirteen hundred yards; of Ironsides, seventeen hundred yards; an eleven-inch shot struck down the flag-staff at thirty-seven minutes past three--passed through the roof of the quarters, penetrated the wall of the ordnance storehouse, about two feet thick, and dropped in the room; another struck the glacis and ricochetted over the fort; a third, a fifteen-inch shell, burst at the water's edge, a fragment of which was found; the others passed over. Five shots were fired at Battery B without effect, at a distance of about two thousand yards--one fell behind the breakwater, another passed along the front of the battery and burst; the others passed over. Six or seven were fired at Battery Beauregard, at a distance of two thousand yards, without effect; two eleven-inch shot were found. Two were fired at Cummins' Point without effect--one at twelve hundred or thirteen hundred yards, from the Ironsides; the other at fourteen hundred to fifteen hundred yards, from a turret. Four were fired at Battery Wagner; one from the Ironsides sounded like a rifle shot passing through the air; one grazed the top of the traverse, and another exploded over the battery, sending a fragment into a traverse.

A single turret which fired her two guns simultaneously, ceased to fire one of them at about four o'clock--half of the port being closed the remainder of the action; cause not visible. They were frequently struck upon their decks, and several shot were seen sticking in the hull of one of them. And from another, steam issued when struck upon it. A cast iron bolt (rifle forty-two) struck a bevelled plate or guard around the base of a turret, which curved and turned one end up.

The projectiles generally broke in pieces, as could be seen by fragments falling in the water, or bounded from the vessel. One, after striking, was observed to drop and rest at the foot of the turret. Several of the smoke-stacks were penetrated.

A lookout appeared on the top of one of the turrets, apparently observing the effect of the shot; at the flash of a battery from Moultrie he instantly disappeared.

The casualties are slight. At Sumter five men were wounded by fragments of masonry and wood. One of the negroes engaged at work at the fort, who was sitting on the berme of the western face, was wounded by a brick knocked from the parapet and falling upon his head.

At Moultrie one man was killed by the falling of the flag-staff when shot away.

At Battery Wagner an ammunition chest in the angle of the parapet and traverse, in the chamber of the thirty-two pounder, exploded from the blast of the gun, killing three men, mortally wounding one, slightly wounding Lieutenant Steadman, in charge of the gun, and three men; blew them about twenty feet, cracked the traverses, threw the shot from the pile of balls in every direction, and slightly damaged the chassis.

I arrived at Fort Sumter about two o'clock at night after the engagement, and found Mr. E. J. White, of the engineer department, busily engaged building in the casemates, first and second tiers, behind the damaged walls, with sand bags; several of them were completed and considerably strengthened. This work was continued all night and the next day by the garrison and the fifty negroes who had been employed at the fort, and remained during the engagement. On the following morning the fleet lay inside the bar, in the same line of battle in which they approached — the first one about two and a half miles from Sumter, and one and a half miles from Morris Island. Men were visible all day on the turret of one, hammering, evidently repairing her plating. Wind sails were set, indicating that their quarters, even at this season of the year, were uncomfortable and badly ventilated. About noon one of the turrets went south, probably to Port Royal, for repairs or for the security of that place against our iron-clads from Savannah.

The Ironsides has kept up a full head of steam since the engagement, as can be seen by her constantly blowing off. Three holes are distinctly seen in her stern, two just above the water-line.

The “Devil” floated ashore on Morris Island — the cables by which it was attached to the turret's bow were cut away. It is probable that the “Devil,” becoming unmanageable, was the cause of the turret retiring early from the action — it being a massive structure, consisting of two layers of white pine timbers, eighteen