Original Photographs Taken on the Battlefields during the Civil War of the United States — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Original Photographs Taken on the Battlefields during the Civil War of the United States
John Stuart Mill · en
EARLY in 1863 the Government decided that Fort Sumter must be reduced.
Admiral Dahlgren was given full charge of the undertaking. On the
eighteenth of July, the land forces under General Quincy A. Gillmore
began siege. He erected batteries across Morris Island and commenced
fire on Fort Wagner while Dahlgren attacked both Fort Wagner and Fort
Sumter. Fort Wagner responded with only two guns which led Gillmore to
believe that the Confederates were demoralized. The Federal troops were
within two hundred yards of the fort before the Confederates opened
grape fire. A flash of musketry blazed from the parapet. The daring
Federals rushed at the fort and clambered up the exterior slope. It was
here that Joseph Alvan Wooster, color bearer for the Sixth Connecticut,
performed the valiant deed that cost him his life. He climbed along in
advance of the line and triumphantly placed his flag on the parapet. A
Confederate soldier sprang forward and placed the muzzle of his musket
on Wooster's heart and fired. General Putnam rushed to the rescue with a
brigade, only to be killed, with nearly every commissioned officer in
his command. The remnants of Strong's and Putnam's command retired,
having lost over half of their strength. General Gillmore, and his
staff, in charge of the land forces at Charleston allowed the war
photographers to turn the lens on them in camp. The general was born in
Black River, Loraine County, Ohio, and had graduated from West Point. In
1861 he was placed on General W. T. Sherman's staff on the South
Carolina Expedition. During February, 1862, he commenced operations for
the attack of Fort Pulaski, on the Savannah River, Georgia. On April 28,
1862, he was promoted to a brigadier-generalship of volunteers. In
September, 1862, he was ordered to the West as Commander of the District
of Western Virginia, of the Department of the Ohio. He was afterwards
assigned to the command of one of the Divisions of the Army of Kentucky.
He assumed command of Department of South Carolina June 12, 1863.
[Illustration: THE 8-INCH PARROTT RIFLE GUN. "SWAMP ANGEL" AFTER
BURSTING]