EFFORTS TO CAPTURE CHARLESTON, S. C., AND EVACUATION OF THE CITY.
BY ROBERT W. SANDERS, GREENVILLE, S. C.
Note, please, the word ''Evacuation.'' Charleston was never taken by the enemy. Several determined and hardfought assaults, designed to capture this impregnable city, were made on the water front by the enemy's fleet, and on land by way of James Island. Yet Charleston was never given up by the Confederates until February 17, 1865, the date of Sherman's capture of Columbia, the capitai of the State, on his march from Savannah, Ga., through the Carolinas. If the several thousand Confederate soldiers in and around Charleston had not been withdrawn by orders from General Beauregard to General Hardee, at that time, it is reasonable to assume that Sherman would have sent a force to attack the city in the rear and thereby made prisoners of all her brave defenders.
There had been several bloddy battles in front, on the sea side of the city, but these efforts to capture Charleston all
failed. The fleet of the enemy once made a daring and resolute attempt to pass through the channel between Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter, but it was repulsed with heavy loss and a signal defeat. Again, General Denham (I think), in command of seven thousand men, landed on James Island in the early summer of 1862 and attempted to take Charleston by that route. He surprised the Confederate heavy artillery, a few companies of Col. Thomas G. Lamar's Regiment, 2nd South Carolina Heavy Artillery, occupying the sand fort at Secessionville, and but for hasty reénforcements to the Confederates, Secessionville would doubtless have fallen, and Charleston would probably have been taken finally by way of James Island.
Again, in the summer of 1863, the siege of Morris Island took place. On this sand bank near Fort Sumter, and five or six miles from the city, the Confederate heavy artillery held Battery Wagner and other sand forts for weeks after the Union forces effected a landing at the remote end of this sandy island. They used heavy guns and entrenched a strong force of infantry, and kept up a terrific bombardment and fighting through a long and bloody siege, until at last the Confederates withdrew, after much suffering and a considerable loss of life. After Morris Island was evacuated, the enemy used long-range cannon, shot down the walls of Fort Sumter, and made it impossible for the Confederates to use the cannon in Fort Sumter. But infantry troops with small arms still held the fort, being protected by bombproofs and the débris of battered brick walls, until February 17, 1865, when Charleston was abandoned on account of the movements of Sherman's army.
Aside from the battles mentioned, our soldiers in and around Charleston had several picket conflicts with the enemy on James Island and John's Island, and possibly at other places. From Morris Island, after that point fell into the enemy's hands in 1863, the city of Charleston was shelled almost continuously by day and night. Occasionally a shell or cannon ball would fall in the very heart of the city. The steeple of St. Michael's Church was once shot through, and shells fell in the cemeteries of St. Philip's and the First Baptist Churches, on Church Street.
The gun on Morris Island, called by the Yankees, 'The Swamp Angel," with heavy mortars, did this long-range mischief. They were shot from a distance of five or six miles. Only a few lives were ever lost by these missiles, and not much material damage was suffered by the city.
On the 10th of February, 1865, just a week before Charleston was given up, a severe fight occurred on the picket line, James Island. Across this island, from the Stono River to Secessionville, some seven or eight miles, there was a strong embankment with a battery of heavy artillery and a few cannon every half mile or so, with a company, or half company, occupying each, chiefly the men of Lamar's regiment. Besides, Major Lucas's Battalion of '' Regulars'' held Battery Pringle and Battery Tines, along Stono River. Two or three miles in front, two regiments of negro troops, and some light artillery, commanded by white officers and supported by gunboats in Stono River, passed over Grimball's Causeway and attacked our pickets along the marshes, who numbered not over two hundred in all. They fought bravely, however, all day, ''falling back'' probably a half mile or so during the whole day. When night came, the Union troops withdrew and left the Island. Both sides suffered a good deal for a small engagement. Major Manigault, a fine officer, who was in command of our pickets, was severely wounded and captured. I was on guard that day at "Battery One," manned by some sixty men of Company G, Lamar's Artillery;
and early in the morning—a bright clear day—I could see the guns and bayonets of the Union troops gleaming in the sunlight as they were crossing the embankment over the marsh, known as Grimball's Causeway, to open their attack on our pickets. After that things were fairly quiet in and near the city of Charleston till February 17, when the Confederates (several thousand), under General Hardee, were all withdrawn during the night, partly through the city and partly by other routes near by. A goodly number passed from James Island over a bridge that spanned '' Wapoo Cut,"' on to the mainland south of the city. Next morning the enemy landed at the east foot of Tradd Street, from the water front, and the mayor, Hon. George W. Williams, formally turned over the city to the military control of the Union army occupying that section of the sea coast of South Carolina.
A private soldier, still not much more than seventeen years old, I, of course, did not know so much as some others about the situation, so critical just then for the Confederacy and our Southland. But a good deal I did know even then, and I learned much more later on, about which I wish to tell in the CONFEDERATE Veteran, concerning our march through the Carolinas, the two battles at Averysboro and Bentonville, N. C., and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's terms with Sherman, and so on—provided, however, that more is desired after this publication.
The death rate of Southern soldiers in and near Charleston, 1861-65, was not very great, comparatively speaking, by actual conflict in battle. This was true in other cities along the sea coast; and it was so because they often fought ''on the defensive,' and were, to some extent, protected by forts and entrenchments. But the fatality was often quite large as caused by various sorts of diseases, more especially the fever of different types—yellow fever, typhoid, and malarial. These maladies killed many men and officers.
The heaviest losses in killed and wounded sustained by the Confederates at Charleston took place, doubtless, at Secessionville, in the naval attack, the siege of Morris Island, and the all-day picket fighting, to each of which engagements reference has been made. Colonal Lamar was wounded at Secessionville, but soon recovered, yet subsequently died of yellow fever. Captain Read was killed while directing the aim of acannon. Some of the enemy mounted the parapet, and a few got over into the fort. Of General Denham's seven thousand many were killed and wounded in the charge, and still a greater number perhaps in the slaughter as they were retiring through the marshes after being repulsed. About two weeks later, General Denham withdrew his forces from James Island. Before the siege of Morris Island (I think it was), the enemy in barges surprised Fort Sumter one night. But they were beaten back with great loss.