This is the eleventh day of the siege of
Charleston, and it is still progressing slowly.
On Wednesday there was nothing new except a reconnaissance on
Morris's Island, in which we lost 14, killed, wounded, and missing.--
Capt. Paul H. Waring was killed on the same day by the
Yankee sharpshooters.
On Thursday the gunboats continued their bombardment of Battery Wagner during the whole day, and about six o'clock in the evening a monitor was towed into position and opened fire.
On
James's Island a reconnaissance in force was made by the
Confederates to ascertain the force of the
Federal on the lower end of the island, which was believed to consist of several regiments of negroes.
The Charleston
Courier gives an account of this attack:
The troops were in position at early dawn, and soon afterwards the Twenty-fifth--better known as the
Entaw Regiment, under command of
Colonel Simonton--which had been thrown forward as skirmishers, engaged the strong pickets line of the enemy.
The latter met the Carolinian with a rambling fire, but quickly giving way before the advance of our men and the Georgians, who composed the main body, retreated in the utmost confusion for nearly a mile to their encampment.
Here we encountered the principal line of the Abolitionists, drawn up on their color front, supported by a battery of Light Artillery.
The sight of tents and guns as usual set our men crazy to possess them, and they eagerly urged to be allowed to charge on and make the coveted capture; but the purpose of the reconnaissance having been effected, it was deemed unnecessary to risk life further, and the order was given to return.
The enemy, soon after we commenced to fall back, opened a furious fire from their batteries and gunboats, explosion succeeding explosion so rapidly that the thunders of Heaven itself appeared to have broken loose; but fortunately slight damage was done, and the expedition returned, with but few casualties to mar its success.
One of the most brilliant episodes of the affair was a fight with a gunboat, supposed to be the
Pawnee.
She was lying in the
Stone river, some distance to the right of the scene of action, when suddenly
Lieut.-Col. Del Kemper, with a section of
Capt. Blake's battery, and a section of
Capt. Wharton's Chatham artillery, of
Savannah — in all four
Napoleon guns — dashed up the avenue leading to Grimball's house, entered the garden, unlimbered, at a distance of
three hundred yards, and hurled three shots, one after the other, through the wooden sides.
The
Pawnee then responded; but by the time we had fired ten or twelve times the gunboat had got up steam and started down the river.
Whether she was materially disabled or not I am unable to say; but the external effect of the balls were distinctly visible every time they struck.
The
Palmetto Guard Artillery, company A, siege train, were subsequently engaged in facilitating the passage of the
Pawnee down the river.
The injury inflicted on the enemy is not known.
Several estimates indicate a loss of from forty to sixty killed, mostly negroes, as they were escaping through the marsh.
Two white Yankee officers were seen to fall.
Fourteen blacks fell into our hands, including a sergeant and corporal.
Five claimed to be free; the remainder finally confessed they were runaway slaves.
One hailed from
Michigan, two or three from
Massachusetts, one from
Missouri, one from
Maryland, and several from
Kentucky. One rascal, running up with his musket, exclaimed: ‘"Here, massa, nebber shoot him off — taken"’--showing evidently his low country origin; but unfortunately somebody's gun went off about the same time, and the fellow was killed.
They received no tender treatment during the skirmish, and the marsh in one place was thick with their dead bodies.
A noteworthy fact, mentioned by the prisoners, is, that after they were put into the fight, their white officers deserted them to a man, and left them to shift as best they might.
They say there are two regiments of negroes on the island — the 54th Massachusetts,
Col. Shaw, and the 2d South Carolina.
There is also a regiment of whites, but these broke at the first fire.
The whole force on the island is supposed to be not more than twelve or fifteen hundred men.
The prisoners believe they are to be hung, and gave as a reason for fighting as well as they did that they would rather die of bullet than rope.
It is a nice question whether they are to be recognized as belligerents or outlaws, and the indignation of our troops is not concealed at the thought that a white man may by virtue of these captures be one day exchanged for a negro.
The suggestion I have heard on the subject is that we may be compelled to respect the free blacks as recognized citizens of the
North taken in arms; but that when a runaway slave is recaptured he should be turned over to his master, and by him to the civil authorities, to be disposed of according to law.
The shelling of the enemy from the
Southern end of
Morris's Island and the gunboats has been unusually severe all day. Now and then we can see the missiles strike near
Fort Wagner; but more frequently a feathery cloud of unimprisoned smoke, lingering for a moment in mid air, then drifting slowly upward, tells that the shell has burst above.
The gunboats have also persistently shelled
James's Island; ambulances, horses, wagons — anything that betrays human or animal life — comes under the iron ban, and woe to the nervous system that tempus the shock.
I forgot to mention that when
Colquitt's troops charged on the enemy it was to the cry, "Remember
Stonewall Jackson." At that moment they could have driven the
Yankees into the
Stono.
Colquitt was formerly attached to
Jackson's division, hence the memory and the allusion.
