Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 5.djvu/316

300 did not order an advance till next morning, when it was found that General Schimmelfennig, the Federal commander, had abandoned his enterprise and left the island tinder cover of the gunboats. In these operations about 15 men were killed or wounded in Jenkins* command. The Federal loss was about the same. Colquitt’s brigade was immediately forwarded to Florida. On the morning of the nth, all the harbor batteries bearing on Morris island opened a vigorous bombardment, as though preceding an attack by infantry, to make a diversion in favor of General Wise.

The night of February 17th was made memorable by the destruction of the United States sloop-of-war Housatonic. This was done by the submarine torpedo boat H. L. Hunley, under command of Lieut. George E. Dixon, of Alabama. This brave officer and his associates left Battery Marshall, on Sullivan s island, that night, for their daring deed, and were never again heard from. They shared the fate of the vessel they destroyed.

The usual daily round of artillery firing continued in the harbor defenses, with little activity on the part of the enemy, during the following months, when both North and South were preparing for the great struggle between the armies in Virginia and Georgia. The guns of Fort Sumter, at noon of April 13th, fired a defiant salute in honor of the surrender by Major Anderson, and provoked a fire in which J. P. Huger, of the signal corps, was killed. A day or two later Colonel Elliott was relieved in command by Capt. John C. Mitchel, of the First artillery. On May 16th, two monitors moved up and opened fire on Sumter, but were driven off, seriously injured by the Sullivan s island batteries. Sumter’s flagstaff was again shot away on June 20th, the Federal gunners at Cummings point hitting the staff at the second shot and cutting it in two. Lieut. C. H. Claibourne, First regulars, assisted by Sergt. N. F. Devereux and Corp. B. Brannon, mounted the gorge