This day in Charleston

October 21

2 entries · 1863

1863The harbor

Barges inside Gregg at eleven at night

The Federals did not fire a shot in reply to the Sullivan’s Island and James Island batteries, which worked on Gregg, Wagner and the parties building between them. At eleven at night the commanding officer at Fort Johnson watched barges moving inside Battery Gregg — the Federals, like the Confederates, did their real work after dark.

Journal of Operations in Charleston Harbor, OR I, 28, Pt. 1

1863Fort Sumter

Has the iron shield been started?

The chief engineer answered headquarters’ question about whether any work on the iron shield for Fort Sumter had been commenced. The shield was meant to armor the fort’s gorge against the Morris Island guns; the department never found the iron or the timber for it.

Official Records, Series I, Vol. 28, Pt. 2

Entries are dated from the War of the Rebellion official records, the naval official records and contemporary Charleston sources. Browse the whole year.