48 NortH Carorina Troops, 1861-65.

sand and earth. A shell struck the parapet just over me
and covered me. I got up and retreated to the end of the ad-
joining traverse, where were Lieutenant Moore and others.
T held my head down and brushed the dirt from my neck and

head.
I- went next to the end of a traverse near the southeast

angle of the fort (towards Fort Clark), and back of Captain
Cahoon’s tent already spoken of.

Here were Commodore Barron, Major Andrews and oth-
ers. The tents were all on this (east) side of the fort, and
the enemy made a mark of them as afterwards learned. The
shells now fell with fearful effect in all parts of the fort, and
on the bomb-proof, but more especially on this side. The
tents and wood kitchens were literally torn to pieces.

I remained at the traverse during the rest of the bombard-
ment, some times in front of it, and once between it and the
parapet. It was while I was there that it was damaged by
three shells, and the top torn all to pieces.

While here there came over me a feeling of perfect secu-
rity, not to say indifference. I could tell every shot that
was to pass by and every one that was to fall. The one had a
rapid, sharp, shrill sound; the other a dull, hoarse sound, as
if almost exhausted. We would hear them strike with a thud
and in a second look and listen for the explosion. Looking
up I would see many of them fly rapidly over seemingly on
an eager mission of destruction, fall just beyond the parapet,
and send into the air a column of sand and water. Here the
men were huddled together. I saw many pass in this way.
The only uneasiness I felt was on account of the men, several
hundreds of whom were on the outside unprotected, where
most of the shells were falling and exploding. Almost every
minute some one was brought in from there wounded, and
taken to the bomb-proof, where the surgeon was dressing
wounds. More persons were wounded here than anywhere
else.

I was standing at one time at the corner of the traverse,
and stooped down to say a word to Major Andrews. » At that
instant a rifle shot from Fort Clark passed through the cor-
ner of the traverse where my head had been but a second

lentes ican en sng eye

I et TPR eee ernnicneee ical ch

THE Fatt or Harreras, 49

before. It made a beautiful clean, round hole. It was
while here that a shell exploded on the traverse above me, and
a fragment tore my coat from my left shoulder and pene-
trated to the tail, tearing it badly. While lying on one side
of this traverse, leaning on my elbow

» very much at ease, a

large fragment of shell fell from the air on the platform at
my side, when there had been no explosion for some seconds.
It came like an aerolite, seemingly without cause and very
much surprised me. While here another shell struck a gun
near by, glanced off, bounded over the parapet, exploded, and
sent up an awful column of sand and water.

I was at one time in conversation with the officers in com-
mand at the end of the traverse, when a bomb fell with tre-
mendous noise and force near our feet and exploded. I fell
round the end of the traverse and all the rest huddled to-
gether. No one was hurt.

For the last hour the enemy seemed to have got our range
exactly, and almost every shot fired from their ships fell into
and about the fort. We had long ceased to fire, as we could
not reach the enemy, and to man the guns was a useless ex-
posure of the men. It became apparent that in an hour or
two every man must be either killed or wounded.

It was now nearly 11 o’clock and matters were becoming
momentarily worse. Commodore Barron ealled a council
of all the staff officers and Captains, at the end of the para-
pet I haye so long been speaking about. He said: “You see
how it is. We cannot do the enemy any harm. Our guns
do not reach them. Our men are all exposed and we cannot
protect them. What shall be done?’ We discussed the
propriety of a retreat. All favored this if it were practica-

ble, in preference to a surrender. There were serious doubts
of this. All the vessels were a mile or more from us and we
had no boats. They would be exposed to the enemy’s shells
if they came in, and the men would suffer dreadfully in get-
ting to them. Commodore Barron and Colonel Martin were
both very reluctant to surrender.

In deference to their wishes it was at first resolved to try
to effect a retreat, and to spike the guns. Lieutenant John-
ston was ordered to make a signal from the top of the bomb-

4