At three o’clock, A. M. the attack was made. General Strong led the Seventh Connecticut, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Rodman; the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania, Major Henks, and the Ninth Maine, Colonel Eng, boldly to the attack, drove in the first line of the enemy’s pickets, thrown out about half a mile from the fort, received a vigorous fire from three platoons of infantry in rifle-pits, advanced upon and drove all not brought down by the Union rifles up to and through the gates of the fort, while the Seventh Connecticut pushed aside the abattis, waded through the ditch, took the southeast bastion, bayoneted all who offered any resistance, and ran their first line all along the parapet facing the sea, and in five minutes more would have had possession of the whole fort if the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania and the Ninth Maine had supported them as gallantly as the Seventh Connecticut led. The garrison of the fort, which was about seven hundred strong, now belched forth from their howitzers both grape and canister, against an advancing force of only one hundred and eighty men; for the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania and Ninth Maine regiments were so completely demoralized by the heavy fire of the enemy, that they instantly fell on their faces, and rose only to retire beyond range. Slowly the gallant little detachment from the Seventh Connecticut were compelled to fall back, but not until they had left two-thirds of their number in the ditches, on the parapet, and within the walls of the fort. Lieutenant-Colonel Rodman and nearly all his captains were wounded. Colonel Rodman behaved with the greatest gallantry, and received two severe wounds. During the rest of the day, nothing more was done by the land force; but the monitors kept up a constant fire against Fort Wagner and Cummings’ point. The enemy made strong efforts to reinforce the garrison at Fort Wagner, but without success. * * * * * From this time nothing of importance transpired as regarded the taking of Charleston, for upwards of a month. General Gillmore was engaged in pushing his intrenchments toward Fort Wagner, and the navy was comparatively inactive until such time as the land forces would be ready to cooperate. Almost every day two or three of the iron-clads bombarded Fort Wagner and Battery Gregg on Cummings’ point, without receiving any injury in return, while at the same time the firing served to divert the enemy’s attention from the siege works in progress. BOMBARDMENT OF FORT SUMTER. AUGUST 17–23, 1863.