others, as all performen their duty well, adn am happy to say, to the satisfaction of the brave general who led us, as he opently declared.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHNS S. LITTELL,

Captain, Commanding Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Brigadier General T. SEYMOUR,

Commanding U. S. Forces, Morris Island, S. C.

[28.]

Report of Lieutenant Colonel Richard H. Jackson, Assistant Inspector-General, U. S. Army, commanding artillery, of second assault on Battery Wagner, July 18.*

MORRIS ISLAND, S. C., July 20, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the services of the artillery under my direction on the 18th instant:

The batteries were constituded as follows: Battery hays, comprising seven 30 pounders and four 20-pounders Parrott rifled guns, served by Captains Shaw's and Strahan's companies of the Third Rhode Island Artillery and two detachments from Captain Gray's company Seventh Connecticut Volunteers; Battery O'Rorke, comprising five 10-inch siege mortars, served by Captain Greene's company, Third Rhode Island Artillery. At 10 a. m. I received the order to open fire upon Fort Wagner, each gun to be fired once in fifteen minutes and each mortar once in five minutes. The fire was kept up continously until 5 p. m., when I was directed "to fire as rapidly as possible, as an assualt would be made on Fort Wagner about sunset." The firing from the first was accurate, so much so that at about 11 a. m. the enemy's fire from the work slackened considerably, and from 12 m. until the advance of the assaulting column took place his fire from Fort Wagner was very slow indeed, while from Cummings Point and Fort Sumter it increased in rapidity throughout the day. The fire from the batteries under my command, from 5 p. m. until the head of the assualting column could no longer be distingnished on account of the darkenss, was very rapid and as long as I could see the effect produced by the shells accurate. I deemed it prudent when I could no longer see our troops as they moved upon the fort, and when I knew that the head of the column must be close to it, to charge the direction of the fire so as to sweep the sand ridge connecting Fort Wagner with Fort Gregg at Cummings Point, and thus prevent, if possible, a re-enforcement by the enemy of the fort during our fight for its possession. In order to do this during the darkness I had in the afternoon marked on the platforms the distance that each piece (trail) should be traversed, as well as determined the ranges and taken the necessary measures to insure accuracy of fire during the night. After the repulse of our infantry the firing was kept up until about 11 p. m., when it ceased by direction of Brigadier-General Gillmore. As worthy of commendation I have the honor to bring to your notice the following officers: Captain C. G. Strahan, Third Rhode Island Artillery; Cap. R. G. Shaw, Third Rhode Island Artillery, and Lieutenant

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* See also VOL. XXVIII, Part I, p. 349.

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