Fort Wagner Research Paper

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The Battle of Fort Wagner The Battle of Fort Wagner was fought on Morris Island, South Carolina. Near Charleston Harbor. Fort Wagner is on the Northwest side of Morris Island. The battle was fought between July 18-September 7. One of the most fortified forts held by the Confederacy, it would not be taken easily. The battle was fought with 6,800 troops, with 5,000 being led by Union General Quincy A. Gilmore, and only 1,800 Confederate men led by General P.G.T. Beauregard. 8 days before the battle officially started, General Gilmore ordered General George C. Strong to land his forces at the southern point of Morris Island. The Confederates retreated back to Forts Wagner and Gregg as Strong’s men managed to defeat them on land. Over 150 prisoners …show more content…
Luckily, he was near the Union fleet in Charleston Harbor. The fleet assisted him, the fleet also had very good ships such as the USS New Ironsides, the fleet had 10 more ships to assist in the assault. The battle officially started on July 18th with the shelling of the Fort. In the morning, the Union ships and other artillery intensely bombarded the Forts. The bombardment started at 8:15 but only with land artillery, but later ships did begin to open fire on the Forts. Brigadier General William B. Taliaferro ordered his men to cover Fort Wagner in sand bags to repel the Union artillery fire. Colonel P. C. Galliard’s battalion then took control of the ramparts, an order also from Taliaferro. Shells that weighed more than 400 pounds were fired from the ships onto the island. After the bombardment of the island is finished, the land assault begins. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry is tasked with leading the assault on Fort Wagner along with the African-American Infantry. The Union troops began advancing on Fort Wagner, the Confederate troops were also getting ready to