The feebleness with which the enemy pressed the siege in our front on the island, was more than compensated by their energy and activity in the harbor and on Morris Island. A constant bombardment of our forts and batteries was kept up by their ironclad fleet and land batteries, which they had erected on that island. Their fleet consisted of the new Ironsides, one of the most powerful vessels ever built, and five or six monitors. The armament of the Ironsides consisted of sixteen 11-inch guns and two 200-pound Parrotts. Each of the monitors carried a 15-inch gun. The Confederate Battery Wagner, known also as ‘Fort Wagner,’ was built entirely across the island where it narrows, thirteen hundred yards from Cummins Point and twenty-seven hundred yards from Fort Sumter. This was a very strong work, built on the most scientific principles. It was provided with bomb-proofs and covered ways and was well armed, except that there was a deficiency of mortars. The armament was arranged for defence against an attack from the front, as well as offensive operations against a fleet attempting to come in, but the guns on the sea face did little damage to the fleet of ironclads. Battery Gregg was situated at Cummins Point, and was built and armed exclusively for operations against a fleet. On the 11th of July the enemy attempted to carry Wagner by assault, but failed. On the 18th, as I have already said, a much more vigorous and determined attempt was made. They were repulsed with great slaughter, though this attempt came near being successful. Some of the assailants actually got into the work, but were either driven out, killed or captured. Finding that Wagner could not be carried by assault, General Gilmore, on the 19th, commenced a system of regular approaches. His first parallel was thirteen hundred and thirty yards from our works. On the night of the 23d of July the second parallel was completed, six hundred yards in advance of the first. About the 9th of August a third parallel was constructed, at a distance of five hundred yards from the fort. On the 21st of the same month the fourth was completed, about three hundred yards from the fort, and approaches were commenced for the fifth. Behind the third and fourth, heavy Parrott batteries were erected, which pounded away on Fort Sumter incessantly night and day, firing over Fort Wagner. Since the 18th of July the latter work had been greatly strengthened by the Confederates. The ditch was not short of twenty-five feet in width, and was lined with very
