Battle of Strong Wagner, Morris Island

The battles of Strong Wagner is a battle of the American Civil War which proceeded in 3 phases:
- the July 11th 1863 (attack)
- July 16th with the July 18th 1863 (bombardment and attack)
- July 19th with the September 7th 1863 (seat and bombardment)

This battle marks the beginning of a seat of Charleston which will last until the December 4th 1863.
It is the longest seat of the American Civil War.

Situation

Fort Wagner is located at the entry of the estuary of the roads of Charleston on the island Morris.
It is located at the northern point of the Morris island, it was surrounded by a sand wall long of more than 200 meters and high 10 meters.
The only possible approach resided in a broad beach of about fifty meters, not required passage and subjected to the shootings of the parts of the fort.

Be a prelude to

Mid-July 1863, the federal troops , under the command of the general Quincy Gilmore, go up the Atlantic coast towards north in direction of Charleston.
Charleston being an important port, the Confédérés had strengthened the accesses of the ville.
The attack of the Strong Wagner , made it possible to undertake the strategy of blockade of the ports Confédérés, by the Union, the purpose of which was to allow the capture, or closing, of the port of Charleston.

Fortifications

In addition to Strong Sumter, drawn up in the middle of the roads of Charleston, many batteries had been placed on the neighbouring beaches, dunes and small islands:

- Strong Sumter drawn up on a small island in the middle of the roads of Charleston
- Strong Moultrie located on the island Sullivan
- Strong Palmetto located on the mount Pleasant
- Strong Pemberton
- Strong Wagner located on the island Morris
- Strong Batty
- .....

as several batteries and fear placed on the beaches, the neighbouring islands and small islands:
- Battery Warren
- Battery Pringle
- Battery Tynes
- Battery Tatom
- The line of the batteries of the island James
- The line of the batteries of the island Sullivan
- Batteries of the island Folly
- Batteries of the island Morris
- Redoute Mars
- .....

To precisely defend the southern approach of the city, a sand and wood fortification, equipped with powerful pieces of artillery, had been set up at the end of Morris Island: the Strong Wagner , which will become a stake.

Involved forces:

Union:

If the Union could engage 5.000 attackers, it was clear that the first wave would undergo catastrophic losses.

54ème regiment of infantry of the Massachusetts (unit Afro-American exclusively made up of Blacks)
10th regiment of infantry of the Connecticut.
+ 10 other regiments of infantry
41 pieces of artillery
7 Vessels

Confederation:

Charleston Batallion
1st S.C. Artillery
….

1st attack

The July 11th 1863, the northerner infantry, supported by some pieces of artillery, launches an attack on strong Wagner which fails.

2 attack

The July 16th 1863, the general Quincy Gilmore, decides of an attack more important.
Some regiments (of which the 54ème Massachusetts) are sent, in diversion, on James Island, an island close to Morris Island or is strong Wagner .
Against any waiting the Sudistes counter-attack, putting in rout 10th Connecticut.
The regiment Noir (54ème Massachusetts) is then engaged to push back the Confédérés.
At the price of 40 lost men, the 54ème Massachusetts gains its first lauriers.
The general Quincy Gilmore, then decides to bring back this regiment on Morris Island in order to take part in the attack against the Strong Wagner.

During the day of the July 18th, 41 pieces of artillery northerner, supported by the guns of 7 vessels, ram the strong Wagner .
The colonel Robert Gould Shaw obtains that the 54ème Massachusetts opens the road with the 12 federal white regiments indicated for the attack against strong Wagner .
To fallen the night, the federal troops go up to the attack on the beach bordering strong Wagner. Unfortunately for the attackers, the damage caused with the position Southerner by the bombardment of the Union proved to be more limited. Quickly, the confederated defenders, of which marksmen of the Batallion Charleston and experienced artillerists of 1st S.C. Artillery, leave their casemates and open fire on the wave of the attackers.

Being at the head of the wave of assault, the 54ème Massachusetts was touched of full whip by the artillery shootings Sudistes. In spite of the losses, he managed to cross the beach separating it from strong Wagner and to cross a water ditch to reach the parapets of the fort.
Taken under the shootings of rifles of the defenders, the Blacks managed, temporarily, to climb a parapet and to make there float the federal banner.
The colonel Shaw, springing with the front of his troops was killed on the parapet, reached of a ball in the middle. With end of forces, the survivors transfer themselves constrained to beat a retreat. This attack, unfruitful, cost the Union 1.600 men against less than 200 with the Confédérés. The 54ème Massachusetts lost there almost all its killed officers, 116 and 106 wounded (of which 24 will succumb) and 50 prisoners (of which some passed by the weapons by the Sudistes after the capture); that is to say 272 men lost on a total of 600 attackers. The colonel Shaw was buried by the Sudistes in a common grave with his black soldiers. The rebels thus thought of insulting it. But, while wanting to humiliate it, the Confédérés turned finally into to colonel a free trade martyr of the cause.

3 attack

The general Quincy Gilmore consequently changed completely strategy.
He asked reinforcements, and besieged Fort Wagner with 10.000 men and the support of a strong naval artillery. The Sudistes of Fort Wagner were defended obstinately against the bombardments. Vivres and reinforcements were sent to them of Charleston the night by boats with oars. The genius Nordiste built 5 distinct parallels, which enabled them to approach the fort. The essence of work was carried out by the black survivors of the 54ème Massachusetts who complained less about manual work and remained imperturbable under the enemy shootings.
Kilometers of trenches were thus dug in order to allow the approach of the fort by 89 federal guns. Half of work was carried out by the Blacks, of night or under the 40° of a summer wet and choking during which flies and mosquitos multiplied the fevers. The September 7th 1863, after 58 days of seat and the failure of two terrestrial attacks, the 740 surviving Southerners, crushed under the shootings of the federal artillery , evacuated the Strong Wagner definitively.

Consequences

As of the capture of the fort, the Nordistes placed there their artillery which bombarded Charleston at once.
Strong Sumter, which occupied the center of bay of Charleston (and where this war had begun), was tiny room to a cluster of ruins.
In December 1863, Charleston was bombarded daily by approximately 20 shells, of which largest 90 kilos weighed.
These daily bombardments, which lasted more than 12 months, were however enough never to prevent the naval traffic of Charleston which fed the effort of war Sudiste.
It will be necessary to await Christmas 1864 to see the general Sherman capturing Charleston at the conclusion of a terrestrial campaign which had led it to cut up once again the territory Sudiste the shortly after the fall of Atlanta.

Assessment

The operation against strong Wagner appeared, ultimately, not very conclusive.
A soldier Nordiste described this countryside as being the most fatal and fruitless campagn off the entire war , the most fatal countryside and most useless of all the war…

Catalog of films

Glory whose film recalls the history of the 54ème Régiment of Infantry of Massachusetts (seen side of the blacks Afro-Americans) which formed one of the first battalions American black of the history of the United States.

Internal bond

List of the battles of the American Civil War

External bonds

the attack against Strong Wagner on July 18th, 1863
on the film Glory

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