Tue Derence or Fort FisHer. 235

sured him that if Bragg would even then attack, a fresh bri-
gade landed at Battery Buchanan could retake the work,
Some officer suggested that the general should take me with
him, as I was probably fatally wounded, but I refused to
leave, wishing to share the fate of my garrison; and desir-
ing that my family, anxiously awaiting tidings across the
river, where they had watched the battle, should not be
alarmed, I spoke lightly of my wound. I asked him to carry
3 General Whiting to a place of safety, as he had come to the
Zz fort a volunteer. Just then the approach of the enemy was
v reported, and Colquitt made a precipitate retreat, leaving
hy) Whiting behind.*

gy | One tore distressing scene remains to be chronicled. The
0

 

next morning after sunrise a frightful explosion occurred in
my reserve magazine, killing and wounding several hun-
dred of the enemy and some of my own wounded officers and
men. The magazine was a frame structure 20 x 60 feet and

NYACK . . o .
A ronroosuc, i 6 feet high, covered with 18 feet or more of sand, luxuriantly
PAWTUXET ceneca ni

homo turfed, and contained probably 13,000 pounds of powder.

lm YANTIC
>4 PEQUOT |

of HURON 1 MONAONOCK
pA UNADILLA 2 SAUGUS

It made an artificial mound most inviting to a wearied sol-

Pegs} Taco Manorac : dier, and after the fight was occupied for the night by Colonel
24 Res 4 Alden’s One Hundred and Sixty-ninth New York and by
pote” aibiecha: some of my suffering soldiers. Two sailors from the fleet,

Spy ceronaoo § Smirvanianm stupefied by liquor which they had found in the hospital, and
pomp bd @ TRISTAM SHANDY 4 i e 7 } 2
SEM ethan sbiviaton looking for booty, were seen to enter the structure with lights,

3 ¥ SUSQUEHANNA 9 nANSEMOND

arse NAN ow and a moment after the green mound blew up. The tele-

TUSCARORA MM.
SS RIRSAORA ema

seen : graph wires, running from a bomb-proof near this magazine

~y VICKSBURG

2 Division . . . .
ee WoT z across the river to Battery Lamb, gave rise to the impression

peouus

cen ‘} that it had been purposely exploded from the opposite shore,
SS LIAR ON py aeueene™ but an official investigation traced it to the drunken sailors.

Sa vreninrcwa. , POWnOMEE So stoutly did those works resist the 50,000 shot and shell

tron Clads

ms CHIPPEWA
AY RRCUVLER _AWILDERNESS

Pansot se” “anes thrown against them in the two bombardments that not a

WS onaviee ves
“S0 MONTICELL ; i a ede
DERE. magazine or bomb-proof was injured, and after the land ar-
“XY KEYSTON

Sco" : mament, with palisades and torpedoes, had been destroyed,

1oSsco

no assault would have been practicable in the presence of
Bragg’s force, had it been under a competent officer. One

ee ee "General Whiting died a prisoner at Fort Columbus, New York Har-
bor, March 10th, 1865.