History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

58 FIFTY-SECOND REGIMENT. 1863
carriages, and splinters are thrown high in air. All this while no man can live
in its parapet, and its garrison lies smothering in its bomb-proofs.2
The announcement that another attempt was to be made to carry the fort
by direct assault was hailed with shouts of satisfaction. To the Fifty-second
was assigned the duty of passing Waggner on the beach, and of clarging Fort
Gregg — the old Gumming's Point Battery. At midnight long lines of men
marched and filled the trenches. The men of the Fifty-second with shovels
and muskets, and spikes for cannons, took their places. All were cheerful
and fall of heroism. At two o'clock A. l. a deserter reported the Island evacuated, and a h:asty march to the fort proved it to be true. It was the end of
the siege.
It is impossible to give the casualties. Out of a detail of two hundred men
sent into the trenches, the average daily loss was one man killed and six
woundedo It requires a high degree of steadiness and endutralnce for men, day
after day, and night after night, to walk into the jaws of so much certain death,
to be received in the attitude of very helplessness. Not the least extraordinary
feature of this siege, was the appearance of the Sanitary Commission at the
front. In the busy trenches its agents kept the weary ancd wounded men supplied with ice water, which it furnished in barrels all along the panrileSo
In December a large portion of the regiment re-enlisted and were given a
veteran furlough. Upon their return, the regiment was recruited to a thousand
strong, all armed with the improved Springfield muskets and well equipped.
It was attached to the Tenth Corps, General Gilmore, and with it embarked to
join the army at Bermuda Hundred, on the James River. By sonme mischance,
never understood by officers or men, it was kept in the Department of the
South. It remained at Hilton Head, and oceasionally made a raid by steamboat around among the Sea Islands. One was made up the Ashapoo River on
the 25th of May, under command of Brigadier General William Birney. It
was intended that the force should land at the 3itusquito Landing, on the Ashapoo, at night, march twenty-seven miles to Jacksonburg, and destroy the
railroad bridge over the Edisto at that point. The Fifty-second arrived at the
landing at midnight as arranged, and marched six miles into the enemy's
country, where it was halted by General Birney. The transport Boston, a fine
steamer, laden with other troops, passed the landing in the darkness without
notice, and continued on its course until it grounded under rebel batteries
where it was destroyed, defeating the plan. The Fifty-second was re-called,
and leisurely re-embarking, returned to its camp.
In the month of June a plan was formed for th e capture of Charleston
The Department was now in command of Major General Foster.
The seehme involved a movement from John's Island, James Island, and
MIorris Island; the first under General Foster in person, the second under G-eneral Schimmelfennig, and the last under Colonel Gurney, One Hundred and
Twenty-seventh New York Volunteers. The force from Morris Island was composed of the Fifty-second Pennsylvania, One HLundred and Twenty-seventh
New York, and a detachment of the Third Rhode Island Artillery. It was arranged for the force from MIorris Island to embark in small boats in the creek
running through the marshes between Morris and James Island. They were
then to rendezvous at Paine's dock, at the out-let of the creek, and as soon as
the tide permitted, pull across Charleston Harbor. The route lay between Fort
Sumter and Battery Simpkins, mounting heavy guns on James Island. The