Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 2

[345] rifle in hand, in the front rank of his men; Pennypacker, carrying the standard of a regiment and mounting a traverse in a charge; while Bell was mortally hurt near the palisades. The coolness, judgment, and skill of Ames were pronounced by Terry to be conspicuous, and the reports of all commanders were crowded with the names of officers and men who had distinguished themselves by deeds of peculiar heroism.

The gallantry of the defence was in no way less than that of the assault. The weary garrison, stunned and deafened and depressed by the terrific bombardment, cramped and exhausted by their long confinement in the bomb-proofs, aware that succor was impossible, and almost certain in advance that conquest must be their fate, yet fought on that historic rampart with a stubborn valor that held the assailants off from victory for nine long hours of day and darkness; rivaling the achievements of all other garrisons in ancient or modern war, and making their enemies proud that they were their countrymen.

The co-operation of the navy had been more than admirable. In all ranks, from the commander to the lowest seaman, there was manifest the desire, not only to do their proper work, but to facilitate by every possible means the operations of the land forces. To Porter and the untiring efforts of his subordinates it was due that men and stores and ammunition were safely and expeditiously landed; to the great accuracy and power of their fire it must be ascribed that Terry had not to confront a formidable artillery in the assault, and that he was able, with but little loss, to push forward the troops to a point nearly as favorable as they would have occurpied