y of their comrades in the hands of
the enemy.

"It is the opinion of many that if the fleet had moved up at
the same time, and raked the fort with their guns, our
troops would have succeeded in taking it; but the naval
captains said in their defence that they knew nothing of the
movement, and would have gladly assisted in the attack had
they been notified.

"This, unfortunately, was not the only instance of a want of
harmony or co-operation between the land and naval forces
operating against Charleston. Had they been under the
control of one mind, the sacrifice of life in the siege of
Forts Wagner and Sumter would have been far less. We will
not assume to say which side was at fault, but by far the
greater majority lay the blame upon the naval officers.
Warfare kindles up the latent germs of jealousy in the human
breast, and the late rebellion furnished many cruel examples
of its effects, both among the rebels and among the
patriots. We have had the misfortune to witness them in
more than one campaign, and upon more than one bloody and
disastrous field.

"By the failure of this attack, it was evident that the guns
of Wagner must be silenced before a successful assault with
infantry could be made; and, in order to accomplish this, a
siege of greater or less duration was required. Therefore
earthworks were immediately thrown up at the distance of
about a thousand yards from the fort, and the guns and
mortars from Folly Island brought over to be placed in
position.

"This Morris Island is nothing but a narrow bed of sand,
about three miles in length, with a breadth variable from a
few hundred yards to a few feet. Along the central portion
of the lower end a ridge of white sand hills appear, washed
on one side by the tidal waves, and sloping on the other
into broad marshes, more than two miles in width, and
intersected by numerous deep creeks. Upon the extreme
northern end, Battery Gregg, which the rebels used in
reducing Fort Sumter in 1861, had been strengthened, and
mounted with five heavy guns, which threw their shot more
than half way down the island. A few hundred yards farther
down the island, and at its narrowest portion, a strong fort
had been erected, and armed with seventeen guns and mortars.
This