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Admiral David D. Porter, The Naval History of the Civil War., Chapter 36: operations of the South Atlantic Squadron under Rear-Admiral Dahlgren, 1863.--operations in Charleston harbor, etc. (search)
the greatest bravery was displayed in its performance; yet engineers often become so absorbed in some favorite plan, which seems to promise all they desire, that they overlook other points which are the real keys to the situation. So it was at Sebastopol: all the best Russian, French and English engineers had overlooked the hill on which the Malakoff Tower stood, until the great Todelben appeared, and with his practiced eye discovered that to be the key. If either the French or the English had seized it, Sebastopol would not have stood a day before the fire of the allied batteries. Four months had now passed since the first attack on Charleston, and many hundreds of heavy shells had been fired, without any great advance of the Federal forces toward their objective point; and this not from any want of skill in the naval or military commanders, but from the fact that the authorities at Washington did not have a comprehensive idea of what was required to carry out so great a work, and
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6. (ed. Frank Moore), Rebel reports and Narratives. (search)
igorously replied to by the Federal field-batteries. The only advantage momentarily gained by the Federals in this quarter, and which is noticed in Gen. Lee's report, was on the occasion of the collapse of a regiment of North-Carolina conscripts, who broke and ran, but whose place was rapidly taken by more intrepid successors. The cannonading now became general along the entire line. Such a scene, at once terrific and sublime, mortal eye never rested on before, unless the bombardment of Sebastopol by the combined batteries of France and England revealed a more fearful manifestation of the hate and fury of man. The thundering, bellowing roar of hundreds of pieces of artillery, the bright jets of issuing flame, the screaming, hissing, whistling, shrieking projectiles, the wreaths of smoke as shell after shell burst into the still air, the savage crash of round-shot among the trees of the shattered forest, formed a scene likely to sink forever into the memory of all who witnessed it, b
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6. (ed. Frank Moore), chapter 211 (search)
s here, as well as on the right and left, did all that men could do, and held every inch of ground they gained. The enemy were driven, foot by foot, out of their rifle-pits and intrenchments, into their main works, from whence they will never come out, except as prisoners of war. As I before stated, every obstacle that could be placed in the way of our advance, and every art that could render our columns subject to slaughter, was used by the enemy, and with terrible effect. The Allies at Sebastopol bombarded for months and months, from batteries constructed by all the science that military engineering could bring to bear, and with guns of the heaviest calibre, before the assault was attempted; but here we have a case of line after line of intrenchments being carried by troops that have not, in a majority of cases, been one year in the field. The old soldiers in the army of the Potomac cannot do better than we have done here with nine months men. The lower battery at Port Hudson h
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9. (ed. Frank Moore), chapter 1 (search)
h, my troops occupied the same position, skirmishing with the enemy's cavalry, who made several pertinacious attempts to drive in our pickets; except General Carlin's division, which, in compliance with orders from wing headquarters, marched to Sebastopol, with a view to uncovering the crossing of the Ogeechee by other troops advancing in that direction. December first, in the general advance of the army upon Millen, my general instructions required my column to cross Buckhead Creek, at some Morgan's division, in charge of the whole corps train, moved on the direct road to Buckhead Bridge, and encamped ten (10) miles from Louisville. On the second, Carlin's division joined the column from his flank movement in the direction of Sebastopol, and the corps went into camp at the crossing of the Birdsville and Waynesboro roads, about two (2) miles from the bridge. The change in the direction of march of the Twentieth corps, again caused a deflection in my line of march; and on the
John Dimitry , A. M., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.1, Louisiana (ed. Clement Anselm Evans), Chapter 22: (search)
f moderate size, as they had been blasted when the railroad was building. Captain Rice drew upon his experience in the Crimea. He recalled that battle with stones, fought in a rock quarry at Inkerman, close to the redan—one of the bulwarks of Sebastopol—which had now come to him like a flash, born of the need. Quick as the thought, Rice picked up a piece of rock and calling out loudly, Boys, do as we did at Sebastopol! hurled the first stone. Ambulance men, being idle just then, gathered stSebastopol! hurled the first stone. Ambulance men, being idle just then, gathered stones at the word. The company, the regiment —even other commands of the brigade—followed with more stone, pelting the enemy savagely in their faces, with good aim. Excellent work was done with these rocks—a work certified to by both pelters and pelted. Some of the enemy crawled up the bank and voluntarily surrendered themselves to escape the deadly stoning. By this time the men had warmed to the work. A fresh assault of the Federals, in formidable array, came up to the railroad. Major
Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 2. (ed. Henry Coppee , LL.D.), Book II:—the naval war. (search)
all concert of action with the defenders of the forts, refused to listen to Lovell's advice or the requests of Duncan, and by his inaction during the bombardment exposed himself to severe but just criticisms on the part of his comrades. The Confederates, however, on being informed of the approach of Farragut's fleet, had not deemed these vessels to be a sufficient protection for New Orleans, and wanted to close the entrance of the Mississippi, just as the Russians had closed the port of Sebastopol. But the great depth of the river, which is from fifteen to twenty-five fathoms, did not allow of vessels being sunk in its bed, as even their masts would have disappeared under the waters. Lovell attempted to supply this kind of obstruction by means of a floating barrier or dam. An enormous chain, brought from Pensacola, was stretched from bank to bank, at a point where the Mississippi is only six hundred and sixty metres wide. Large trunks of cypress, ten metres in length and placed
Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 3. (ed. Henry Coppee , LL.D.), Book I:—the war on the Rapidan. (search)
the attack on that side, but in order to do this it was necessary to get over the pass and the first line of the enemy's defences. The machines of war with which he was about to venture upon this undertaking had as yet only been tested against Fort McAllister: though they had withstood its fire, they had not succeeded in silencing it, and the trial could not be considered as sufficient. The bay of Charleston and the defences with which it bristled bore some resemblance to those of Sebastopol. It was before this latter place that the last great battle between ships of war and forts had been fought eight years previously. The advantage had then been entirely in favor of the latter. Has the invention of the monitors given the navy the superiority over the land artillery? DuPont was looking for the solution of this problem among the Charleston passes. In order to bring on the conflict, he required certain meteorological conditions in his favor: first of all, a very strong t
The Daily Dispatch: September 26, 1862., [Electronic resource], Interesting incidents. (search)
hs, to reduce it. Dantzie surrendered after a siege of several months, during which the garrison was reduced from 16,000 to 9,000 men; but it cost the besiegers the lives of several thousand men. Badajoz was taken by storm; but the victors lost 5,000 men. Saragossa was taken after a succession of murderous combat, running through sixty days, and scarcely ever ceasing for a moment; but the French lost half their army in the enterprise, while the inhabitants lost 54,000 persons of all ages. Sebastopol was carried by storm, after a siege of eleven months, during which it is said that several hundred thousand human beings lost their lives. But the capture of Harper's Ferry was effected with the smallest loss of life, we venture to say, ever known, where the capture was so important. Yet, instead of regarding this splendid result of a whole series of brilliant operations in the proper point of view, we are permitting the Yankees to turn our attention from it by the lies which they manufa
The Daily Dispatch: May 28, 1864., [Electronic resource], Wanted — to Hire (search)
ll Grant do next? Will he transfer his whole army to the Southside, unite with Butler, and endeavor to starve Richmond out, by sending his cavalry to cut the railroads at various points? This would be to maœuvre as we would wish him. Will he follow closely in McClellan's footsteps, and making the York his base, advance directly upon Richmond by the line of the railroad? By pursuing this course he will come full in front upon our system of fortifications, the most tremendous this side of Sebastopol, which even in their imperfect state proved too hard for McClellan. Will he try the James river as a base, leaving Butler on the other side; or will he bring that hero over to this? These are questions which, no doubt, have already suggested themselves to his mind, and which we have just as little doubt he is as unable to answer as we are. His game is a very difficult one to play at best, and it is rendered still more difficult than it would otherwise have been, by the tremendous checks