Battle of Sullivan's Island and Battery Wagner, Morris Island, SC


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    Fayetteville Observer, Monday, July 27, 1863
    
    Headquarters 51st Regiment N.C.T.
    Sullivan’s Island, S.C., July 20
    
    Messrs Editors:
    
    Enclosed I send you a list of casualties in the engagement at Battery 
    Wagner, July 18.  The Yanks shelled us for 11 consecutive hours, and 
    continued until the infantry made the assault at 7:00 pm.  We repulsed 
    them with heavy loss in killed, wounded and prisoners.  They shelled us 
    from three points, making a cross fire, sometimes at the rate of 20 per 
    minute.  It is impossible to estimate the number of shells thrown.  
    General Taliaferro, who was in command, (a #1 officer) thinks from 4,000 
    to 6,000.  The odds against us were great, our artillerymen had suffered 
    heavily during the day.  The men of our regiment had been on heavy duty 
    and slept but little for six nights and were completely worn down from 
    watching and fatigue, several fainting from excessive heat during the 
    day.  We occupied more than one third of the line of defense and had 
    687 men in the action.  Our line was unbroken during the entire fight; 
    no Yankees succeeded in mounting the parapet defended by us.  The 
    51st and 31st N.C. Regiments were (illegible words) on the enemy.  
    The 31st was stationed on our left.  The enemy made a desperate assault 
    on them, at one time had mounted our left parapet and planted colors 
    four times.  The battery colors had the halliards cut by a shell, which 
    were soon repaired.  Twenty minutes after this the flag pole was shattered 
    into fragments its place supplied by the regimental colors of our regiment.  
    The largest part of the infantry in the fort were North Carolinians (51st 
    and 31st Regiments) and fought well as the list of casualties will show.  
    We had forty rounds in boxes when the fight began, all of which were 
    fired and more distributed during the fight.  The S.C. heavy artillery did 
    the fighting until the assault was made, acted nobly and lost heavily.  
    Lt. Col. Simpkins, a noble and brave officer, was killed.
    Respectfully
    J.R. Latta, 1st Lt. and Adj. 51st N.C.T.
    
    List Casualties 51st Regiment N.C.T. at Battery Wagner, Morris Island, 
    July 18, 1863
    
    Company A, Capt. E. Southerland Commanding
    Killed:  D.J. West
    Wounded:  Capt. E. Southerland, hip; Lt. W.H. Littlejohn, knee and hip; 
    Privates E. Holmes, severely; Thomas Atkinson, J. Canisfield and L.H. 
    Matthews, slightly
    
    Company B, Capt. Bell commanding
    Killed:  R.J. Ezzell, Paton Merritt
    Wounded:  Lts. Herring and Smith, slightly; Sgt. J.T. McArthur, Corp. 
    J.T. Thornton, ------ Armstrong; S.T. Ezzell
    Missing:  ------- Strickland
    
    Company C, Lt. James commanding
    Killed:  R.J. Carroll, E. Bestick, G.F. Groves
    Wounded:  Sgt. Bowden, H. Hunter, J.S. Picket, K. James, J. Jones, 
    slightly; L. Gauner, severely, leg amputated
    
    Company D, Capt. R.J. McEachern commanding
    Killed:  M.J. McDonald
    Wounded:  Capt. McEachern, Lt. J.D. Malloy, neck; J.A. Evans, slightly;
    L. Musselwhite, A. Graham, seriously
    
    Company E
    Capt. W.H. Pope commanding
    Killed:  Lt. G.W. Thompson, J. Parker
    Wounded:  A.J. Branch, A.C. Lee, E.C. Branch, A. Barnes, E. Grimsley, 
    R. Wilcox, M. Wilkerson, Corp. Harrington, all slightly
    Missing:  J. Butler
    
    Company F, Lt. Fulmore commanding
    Killed:  Corp. S. Spivey, S. Clements, W. Boone, W. Brewer, S. Locke, 
    A. Baxley
    Wounded:  Sgt. J.C. Faulk, S. Graham, J. Henderson, N. Barbour
    Missing:  A. Spivey
    
    Company G, Capt. Lippitt commanding
    Killed:  C.A. Moore
    Wounded:  E. Blanton and J. Arnold, mortally; M. Blanton, slightly; ------- 
    Jernegan, Jordan Powers, W.J. Barney, J.P. Harrison, J.J. Blanton, 
    seriously; Corp. R.R. Harrison
    
    Company H, Capt. Maultsby commanding, no casualties
    
    Company I, Capt. Sloan commanding
    Wounded:  M. Mel Smith, W.J. Taylor, J.W. Carroll, slightly; A.C. 
    McDonald, W. Bass, M. Porter, seriously
    
    Company K, Capt. Underwood commanding
    Wounded:  A. Branch, mortally
    Missing:  D.M. Boon, J.G. Bain
    
    
    The enemy’s loss was very heavy—ours comparatively small.  As 
    usual, the North Carolina troops bore the brunt of the battle.  The total 
    casualties on our side are estimated at from 80 to 100, of which the 
    51st N.C. Troops (Col. Hector McKethan) reports 68 killed and wounded 
    and 6 missing—evidently more than half of all the casualties.  We 
    learn that there were two regiments of North Carolinians, one of 
    Georgians, and a Battalion of South Carolinians (apart from the artillery) 
    in Battery Wagner. From the 31st we have heard no particulars except 
    that J.D. Johnson of Company D, is wounded and at the Trapmann 
    Street Hospital.
    
    Correspondence of the Fayetteville Observer
    Sullivan’s Island, S.C., July 23, 1863
    
    We are still on Sullivan’s Island, waiting our turn to go over to Morris 
    Island again.  The arrangement is that the Garrison is relieved every 
    few days with a fresh command, which is very essential, as no set of 
    men could stand it longer than five or six days.  I suppose General 
    Talliaferro’s official report will be published soon.
    
    Fayetteville Observer, Monday, Aug. 3, 1863
    
    Casualties 31st Regiment
    
    Headquarters 31st Regiment, Sullivan’s Island, July 28
    
    Editors:
    I enclose a list of casualties in this regiment at the affair on James’ Island, 
    July 16 and the bombardment and assault of Battery Wagner July 18.  From 
    the enclosed list it would appear that there was no dereliction of duty on 
    the part of either officers or men of this regiment.  There being not more 
    than 350 men in the regiment at the time, and out of that number two whole 
    companies were detached at Battery Gregg at the time of the assault.
    
    Casualties on James’ Island, July 16
    
    Company C
    Killed:  W.A. Johnson
    Wounded:  E.A. Lee, Jas. Gower, slightly
    
    Company I
    Wounded:  Corp. Jos. Stewart, W.T. Messer, slightly
    
    Company K
    Wounded:  Freeman Willis, mortally, since died
    
    Casualties on Morris Island in Battery Wagner, July 18
    
    Company A
    Wounded:  W. Kinlow, mortally, since died; Sgt. Lewis, Thomas Jones, 
    A.H. Sealy and J.L. Thompson, slightly
    
    Company B
    Killed:  Sidney parker, B.B. Harris
    Wounded:  Sol Allen, severely; J.D. Johnson, Jonathan Dees, slightly
    
    Company C
    Killed:  Wm. Matthews
    Wounded:  Alex Rogers, severely; A. Sexton, R. Ellen, A.L. Wood, A.Q. 
    Wood, slightly
    
    Company D
    Wounded:  W.R. Bryan, mortally, since died; Sgt. S.J. Mitchiner, slightly
    
    Company E
    Wounded:  Sgt. Pope, D.N. Wilkinson, Jno. Faulkner, slightly
    Missing:  Dewain Garrett
    
    Company F
    Killed:  Corp. W.E. Harrell, flag bearer
    Wounded:  Sgt. S.S. Perry
    
    Company G
    Wounded:  Andrew Lawrence, dangerously, feared mortally; J.A. Grant, 
    E.D. Sandiford, slightly
    
    Company H
    Killed:  Jesse Allen
    Wounded:  R.B. Keith, W.A. Mooningham, slightly
    
    Company I
    Killed:  Neill H. Gaskins
    Wounded:  Capt. A.B. Parker, mortally, since dead; Sgt. J. McAllister, 
    severely, Isaac Melvin, Sgt. Jno. Gregory, slightly
    
    Company K
    Killed:  Z. Smith
    Wounded:  M.W. Carriker, dangerously, feared mortally; H. Mitchell, A. 
    Wiggins, severely
    
    E.K. Bryan, Adjutant, 31st N.C.T.
    
    Fayetteville Observer, Monday, August 17, 1863
    
    Sullivan’s Island, Aug. 6
    List of Casualties 51st Regiment N.C.T. during second term of duty (from 
    July 30 to Aug. 3rd ) in Fort Wagner, Morris Island.
    
    Company A
    W.F. Rowe, wounded in knee, not serious; Wm. Williamson, in side, not 
    serious
    
    Company C
    Jonas Jones, hand, slight; H. Merritt, killed
    
    Company D
    S. Edge, leg and since amputated; H. Galbraith, hip and knee; G. McMillan, 
    head, slight
    
    Company K
    Edward Hawley, breast
    
    Fayetteville Observer, Monday, September 7, 1863
    
    Casualties in the 61st Regiment, Charleston, up to Aug. 28th, the 50th day 
    of the bombardment
    
    Company A
    Wounded:  Sgts. W.L. Faison, knee; J.M. Robinson, mortally; Jas. McCalop, 
    Privates P.T. Dowd, mortally; C.C. Newton, arm
    
    Company B
    Killed:  Corp. E.S. Mount
    Wounded:  Corp. S.G. Owens, A. Beasley
    
    Company C
    Wounded:  J. Littleton, W. Arthur
    Missing:  A.J. Johnson
    
    Company D
    Killed:  W.M. Earley
    Wounded:  B.f. Wicker, arm amputated; J.R. Hill, Corp. Rollins, Mangum 
    Perry, B. Noah
    Captured by the enemy:  Lt. R.C. Cotton, Corps. M.G. Ellmore, J.H. Straughn, 
    T.F. Andrews, E. Ausley, W.L. Burk, E. Crawford, T.C. Campbell, M.b. Clark, 
    R.C. Dowdy, D. Cummons, G.L. Harmon, J.B. Lloyd, A. McDaniel, M. Manes, 
    E. Mitchell, W.H. Mines, S.P. Morgan, H.M. Perry, S.J. Perry, J. Pilkenton, 
    D. Poe, W. Self, M.G. Thomas, M.I. Webster, J.B. Williams, T.J. Wright
    
    Company E
    Killed:  W.H .Littleton
    Wounded:  J. Stokes, B. Welch, R. Grimsley
    Captured:  Lt. Jos. Kinsey, commanding company; Sgts. Y.H. Dale, J. Hines, 
    H.H. Frizell, Corps. S.G. Moore, A. Grimsley, Privates L. Byrd, B. Blizzard,
    J.J. Frizzell, W.H. Britt, J. Barnett, S. Hines, J. Hinson, P. Hill, W. Howard, 
    S.A. Herring, A. Moye, J. Murphy, J.R. Rosebury, J. Pearce, L. Skinner, H. 
    Skinner, B. Welch
    
    Company F
    Killed:  Corp. B.A. Davis
    Wounded:  Capt. A.J. Moore, arm; Corp. A.J. Davis, J.W. Owens
    
    Company G
    Killed:  Sgt. J.R. French
    Wounded:  Lt. Keith, commanding, slightly; Privates Ely Ray, J.B. Boney, 
    Clareny
    Captured:  Corp. T.C. Orr, T.S. Armstrong, J. Bonsold, Abram Blanchard, 
    M.L. Crawford, J. Clareny, W.B. Ennis, A. Herring, J.G. Mahn, P. Moore, M. 
    Powell, H.D. Rivenbark, T.E. Rivenbark, J. Smith, H. Skipper, S.B. Stokes, 
    H. Treadwell, W. Wilson, ------- Trainer
    
    Company I
    Killed:  E.H. Roberts
    Wounded:  J. Anders, Sgt. G. Higgins, R. Woodruff, R. Crowse, W. Mains, 
    D. Richardson, C. Higgins
    
    Company K
    Killed:  E.N. Loftin
    
    It is feared that several of the captured of Company D and other companies 
    are wounded.  They were all taken in the rifle pits in front of Battery Wagner.
    
    Respectfully,
    
    W.B. Jones
    Chaplain, 61st N.C.T.
    
    

    Transcribed by Christine Spencer February 2008

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