Pvt. Herbert Anthony, 39th. Ill. Inf., July 18, 1863

Part of Civil War @ Charleston Website

Private Herbert Anthony of Company G of the 39th Illinois Infantry describes his view of the actions outside Charleston in the summer of 1863. The original letter is on file at the U.S. Army Military History Institute, Anthony was from Bedford, Michigan, and enlisted in a company which was primarily of men from Cook and Will Counties - which is south of Chicago. He was 24 when he enlisted on August 23, 1861. Born in Michigan, he is listed as having had fair hair, blue eyes, standing 5' 11 and 1/2" and worked as a carpenter. He re-enlisted in January of 1864 with many of his comrades on Hilton Head Island. He was killed in the Battle of Drewry's Bluff in Virginia on May 16, 1864.

Battle Field Folly Island SC July 18th, '63

Dear Father

I snatch the first moments spare time I have had since receiving yours, which was last Sunday, to write a reply. I expect every moment to be called upon for duty so must write fast while I can. I have to write sitting on the ground, folio in my lap, so you must make the best of it. Of course you will want to know about our proceeding here, for just now it is a matter of some interest to us all. To make a long story short & be brief on the subject, we are bound for Charleston, & this time we expect to "make a fetch of it".

You are aware that Gen. Hunter has been superceded & Gen Gillmore has taken command. The manner in which he has gone to work has given us all confidence in this ability & will to carry out whatever project he may have on foot & at present it is a project that had bothered the wisest heads of the nation. He has been here but a short time but already he has accomplished as much as what would have taken months for many of our Generals. In the short time of about two weeks we have ereted most formidable batteries just across the channel from Morris Island as I have told you before only a few hundred yards from their works. Last Saturday everything was in readiness & at sunrise in the morning the batteries were unmasked & belched forth with anoise that almost shook the island. The rebels soon concluded it was getting too warm for them so saved their skins by running & leaving guns & everything for us.

They retreated as far as Cummings Point where they have splendid earthworks. Several of our Regts charged them & tried to carry the works, but could not suceed & were obliged to retire with considerable loss. It was soon found we could not carry the works by storm so the next best thing was to cross with the artillery and get that in position. The whole force has been busy since that time doing it. During that time there has been no fighting of consequence except occasional cannonading from the gunboats just for a little diversion & prevent their firing upon our working parties, at times Fort Sumpter throws a shell among our men killing & wounding a few.

There! Just as I expected. I am detailed & shall have to leave, no knowing when I can finish this.

Monday July 20th. At last I have found another spare moment. Since writing the above we have had not a little exciting if not serious times. I have hardly room or time to give a full, detailed account of all that has transpired since then but will try & give you the main items of interest.

Know then that at noon of last Saturday everything was once more in readiness and mounted five monitors & the Ironsides inside the bar so they opened fire again, this time on Fort Wagner. It is an earthwork but a most formitable one.

The rebels consider it the key to Charleston. The cannonading was kept up steadily until after dark when a charge was ordered. Five Regiments were ordered for this business among them the fifty fourth Mass colored Regt. Owing to the darkness a most terrible blunder occured for when the advance Regt had succeeded in reaching the parapet of the Fort the one in their rear thinking they were the enemy fired a whold volly into them killing & wounding many of them. This as a matter of course with the firing in front caused a panic & they were obliged to retire. Another Brigade was immediately ordered to try it & this time a few succeeded in getting into the Fort but owing to the cowardly action of one Regt, the ninth Maine who would not go up although their officers even shot some of them down, they were not supported & were again obliged to fall back. Our loss is very heavy. Gen Strong is severely if not mortally wounded. Gen Seymour is also wounded. The Col of the colored REgt is wounded & a prisoner. One Col is killed, two or three wounded. Our loss will probably not be less than eight hundred killed, wounded, & prisoners, & it may be much larger. Probably nearly one half of that was caused by our own men. The rebel loss cannot be very heavy as they were protected by their works.

Yesterday there was no fighting but the whole day was spent in caring for the wounded & burying the dead. The rebels would not allow us nearer than three hundred yards of the Fort, inside of that they attend to that business. This has to be sure been a severe blow to us but the forces are not discouraged & I beleive all are ready to try it again. Some Regts swear vengeance on them next time. The sixty seventh Ohio have only two or three commissioned Officers. A Caplain is in command of the Regt. For the benefit of some of our friends at the north who are howling against the negro soldiers saying they will not fight, I will say that question is permanently settled, for they will fight, & that too with a will that would do credit to some of our white regiments. The fifty fourth led the charge & did it nobly after suffering severely.

Our Regt being so small has not as yet been called into action but we expect it next time. Perhaps another reason is that we have done so much of the fatigue duty. Today there is but little firing, a few mortars playing upon them to keep them from work. I have no more time to write today but will not close this until I can write more.

July 24th. I hardly thought when I left this that it would be so long before I could finish it, but so it is. This afternoon is the first I have found to write since then, have been busy all the time. We have had but little firing since last monday until this morning. We have been employed strengthening our works & mounting more mortars & heavier guns. A slow bombardment has been kept up the most of the time just to keep them in hot water. This morning the batteries & gunboats again opened a brisk cannonading which lasted for several hours when the enemy came out with a "flag of truce" & there has been no more firing today though what its object was we are perfectly ignorant.

Well, to return to other affairs I was glad to hear that you had a pleasant visit east but am truly sorry to hear that work again brings on your old complaint. I was in hopes a change would help you. As to the money affairs I am glad the fifty dollar package has gone through & that there is a prospect of getting the other. Will you require that I should send you the receipt before you can collect it? If so I will send it next time I write. Day before yesterday we weree paid again this time to the music of the cannon. We are getting pretty near square with Uncle Sam now. Paid up to the first of this month. I have again tried my luck & have expressed a package containing seventy five dollars $75.00. I will bother you all I can in that way & you must try to be even with me. If it is my luck to get perforated with a bit of cold lead or iron before we get into Charleston it will be where it will do some of you a little good. I have not heard from Byron since he left Ky. but I see by the Detroit papers Aunt Vedell occassionally send me that the 17th is at Vicksburg. by the way what a grand old victory Gen Grant had gained there. It takes the western boys to do it. I think the war will end when they can come here although matters at present look favorable.

Remember this is written in a hurry & I have no time to look it over. Write to Herbert