Second Battle of Charleston Harbor

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Second Battle of Charleston Harbor

From July 18 to September 7, 1863, during the American Civil War, Union forces attacked Fort Wagner on Morris Island near Charleston, South Carolina. After failing to take the fort by storm, Major General Quincy Gillmore decided to lay siege and wear it down with artillery and trenches.

What happened
- Union and Confederate forces fought for control of Fort Wagner and the surrounding batteries.
- The Union built strong siege works and used new weapons, including the Swamp Angel, a huge Parrott rifle that fired on Charleston from August 21–22; it fired 36 shots before bursting and was not replaced.
- Sappers dug zig-zag trenches toward Fort Wagner to approach the fort, while Confederate defenders swapped in troops from the mainland to reinforce the garrison.
- Nightly sighting and the use of bright floodlights helped Union gunners see targets while defenders had difficulty returning fire.

The commanders
- Union: Major General Quincy Gillmore and Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren.
- Confederates: General P.G.T. Beauregard, with Roswell S. Ripley and fort commanders including Lawrence M. Keitt and Johnson Hagood.

Outcome
- On September 6–7, after intense bombardment, Beauregard ordered the Confederate forces to abandon Fort Wagner.
- Union troops occupied Fort Wagner on September 7.
- The Union gained a strategic position at the mouth of Charleston Harbor, but Charleston and Fort Sumter remained under Confederate control for the war’s duration.

Casualties
- About 358 Union soldiers and 655 Confederate soldiers were lost.