P.S.

Muster up your courage and wade through.

 

Camp Battery "C", 3^d R.I. Artillery

Morris Island, S.C. July 19^th/'63.

 

Dear Colonel,

                        Yours of yesterday is before me. since writing you we have had another "set to" with "Battery Wagner" with same result as before. How mortifying to meet with such results when we have men enough to carry two such works. I had "the Right" of the line, first line, 1000 yds from "Wagner" on my left "Hamiltons Battery on their left." two 30-pdr Parrotts, under Lieut Henry, manned by "Regulars" of Co "C", 1^st U.S. Artillery. on the left of Lieut Henry were five eight inch mortars under Lieut Holbrook, whose battery formed the extreme "left of the line". Fifty yards in rear of my guns were five 10-inch mortars under Capt Comstock. to the left and rear of the "first line" some five hundred yards was a second line of works consisting of [faded] 20-pdr Parrotts commanded by Capt [faded] / with a single mortar under Lieut Greene in an isolated position. The "first line" was commanded by generalissimo ex officio, Chief of Artillery, royal regular, Brevet Major Langdon, 1^st U.S. Artillery. "the second line" by his most worshipful highness &^c &^c and Inspector General R. H. Jackson of ye same 1^st U.S. Artillery, but of bad repute among some of ye gallant Officers of said Corps on account of something lacking which is to be obtained only at West Point. such was the tremendous weight of metal and stupidity brought to bear upon "Wagner" from the land on Saturday.

 

Five monitors with the "Ironsides" pitched into the battery from the sea, Admiral Dahlgren being on board the "Montauk" which went up nearest to "Wagner". The mortars opened early on Saturday morning the rifles being held in reserve until twelve o'clock when the monitors, the "Ironsides", and the rest of us went in generally. the land batteries soon silenced those guns on "Wagner" that bore on the island, while the ironclads engaged the water front, silenced [torn, faded] so that for three hours [torn] "Wagner" the flag staff [faded] / Sumpter, troubled us most, getting a splendid range on us and bursting shells over us every time, wounding one of my men slightly (James Harris) and two of Comstocks. none of the other Companies of the Battalion suffered at all. the firing I thought was good although I could not see the effect of every shot. Myrick wounded three of his men by premature discharge of his guns occasioned by carelessness of course as in Shaws Co on Folly island. I met with no accident, my first piece being knocked out of position by a 10-in shell from "Sumpter" covering Lt Morrow and the whole detachment with earth from the "epaulement" but without injury to any save Harris whose wounds are slight. so you see Regulars beat me in shooting off their own men's arms a superiority to which I certainly do not aspire. Myrick lost a limber by placing it to far to the rear so that a shot ricocheting over his battery would just hit it. I placed mine as close to my guns as I could with so [faded] of the piece, and lost no limber. [faded] as a proof of my superiority [faded] / of Regulars that I want you to know exactly in what respect their boasted superiority consists Capt Langdon treats me very kindly indeed as does Gen Seymour also, and on the whole I think I stand very well at Head Quarters for "Strong" has been a good friend to me, but to return to the "assault", at sunset the column moved up the beach under "Seymour" with Strong's Brigade in the advance consisting of the 54^th Mass. (colored) 9^th Maine, 48^th N.Y. 6^th Conn, 3^d N.H. and 76^th Penn. up they went to within 300 yds of Wagner when they rec^d a shower of grape that staggered the 54^th who were in advance, some running but the majority pressing on to the battery which they soon gained. just as they mounted the epaulement, two brass pieces from the left with an enfilading fire swept them down like grass before a scythe the support broke and soon it being now quite dark Seymour is wounded in the foot [faded] thigh [faded] and myself stop [faded] / soon he overpowered we call out all our cannoneers and blockade the passage with drawn sabres and pistols cocked. the rout is stayed. some few were shot some more sabred down. they began to reform, got into line and did not move forward. then I rolled one of my pieces out on the beach and loaded with a blank cartridge and fired. away went the troops up to the battery again. all this time the 7^th N.H. were at the battery and in the work fighting and holding every inch, but an order was given to retreat and all fell back leaving Col Pitman with his few brave men to die fighting in their tracks, without ammunition and without support, although he sent word back to our line that could he but have two fresh Regiments the Fort was ours there were troops enough to go but no one to direct. Seymour wounded, [faded] tall, brave fellow, Stevens [faded] / to assume the responsibility, so things stood "dilly dallied" along until it was everlastingly too late, and scores of our brave boys lay dead in their tracks in Battery Wagner and in its ditches. Col Pitman was killed, Col Barton 48^th N.Y. wounded, Lieut Col Greene killed, Maj Filler taken prisoner, Lieut Stevens, Chatfields A.A.G. at the Head killed, Chatfield wounded, Col Shaw 54^th Mass taken prisoner, wounded, besides line officers without number. Maj Plimpton commands Strong's Brigade being the highest officer in rank for duty in the Brigade. Jackson 3^d N.H. wounded, Strawbridge sick. Everything is suspended to day, no details men completely "Fagged out", have had no rest for three nights. I have not taken off my clothes in four nights although I have of course snatched some rest. my horses worked eighteen hours without intermission and are fast going down hill and all the battery ones are in the same shape Gillmore dont [faded] but it will take months [faded] again Colwell is here and [torn, faded] / 200 pdr Parrotts. In regard to promotions I will say that if you know of any one who will be able to command the Co with credit should I leave it, promote that man by all means so that he can have the benefits of drill that I did not. I cannot recommend Morrow as he has been twice drunk on duty or once I should say, and once when he was in command in my absence. Sabin will make a good 1^st Lieut nothing more. I think he ought to have the preference over Seaver. Seaver will not take promotion in another Co, knows but d___n little of this "drill" and still less of any other, if hairs can be split with such nicety. The only man I have to recommend for a 2^d Lieutenancy is Cabes, his education though not very liberal is nevertheless well [faded], and I had rather loose all my officers than him, as he is more help to me than all of them. Burns is out as he is away too long and not the man that Cabes is for an officer you know Cabes courage and [faded] If you think his education [faded] would name him as [faded] / motion. I would respectfully request that Corporal Henry Barlow be reduced to the ranks for drunkenness while on duty and utter worthlessness as a non com Officer and that Patrick Egan be appointed Corporal to date from July 1^st, that Barlow be reduced from said date. I have some Sergeants that I shall be after if they do not mend their ways as I wont have the lazy hounds about when so many good men want their places. I shall do all in my power to sustain Bailey and he has asked my advice and I have given it freely. Joe was certainly insolent to him and I think he may well prefer charges against him don't fear that Myrick or Henry will fool me into being away from my Company enough to loose the run of it. if I were, it could be no worse than Col Jackson reported Henry's Battery when he was away. I think you are kept at the Head as you would be troublesome here on account of [faded] Chief of Artillery here at least, Langdon [torn]

                                                                       

yours

C R Brayton

 

[margin]

 

[torn, faded] had his Hospital Department about 400 yds in [torn, faded] of my battery and stayed by to care for our wounded, Brainerd and himself being the only doctors at front.

CRB               

 

Loss on Saturday between 7 and 8 hundred killed wounded & missing

SOURCES