The Defense of Charleston Harbor Author:John Johnson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: First regiment floated from the eastern angle of the same. Colonel Rhett ordered at the hoisting of these flags a salute of thirteen guns to be fired and the ban... more »d of the regiment to play on the ramparts in the hearing of the enemy. Major Blanding took his station in command of the easemates; Lieutenant-Colonel Yates was in charge of all the open-air batteries ; and the colonel commanding, choosing for his point of view the vicinity of the Brooke rifle, could be seen from all parts of the fort standing on the parapet of the south-eastern angle, a few others in company with him, silently watching the approach of the vessels. (See Appendix, Colonel Rhett's report.) Meanwhile, Battery Wagner had been reached by the squadron passing in line ahead slowly to the front. Neither side was disposed to fire : the time had not yet come. The hush of a breathless suspense was everywhere around the scene. The very waters seemed to smooth the way, so calm and all but glassy did they appear, swelling gently beneath the blue sky and bright sunshine of that April afternoon. But on the forts and batteries guarding the entrance to the harbor, where the artillerists stood ready by their guns, the light of battle was already kindling in the soldiers' eyes, and within the dark, iron turrets of the fleet the sailors too were girding themselves for the fight. No unconcerned spectator was present that day. From the gunboats outside the bar, where the Northern war-correspondents had secured a place, up to the western limits of the picture, where the city closed the view, the lookers-on had their whole hearts in the A glance toward the inner circle of the harbor would issue. take in the hulls of the Chicoru and Palmetto State, Confederate iron-clads, stationed inside the obstructions of the Midd...« less