ife of the Swamp Angel, whose shells
were the most destructive, was but short; for, after a few days' work,
it burst, scattering the sand-bags, of which the battery was built,
far and wide over the swamp.

The officers of the army, who were bringing their troops nearer and
nearer to the city, expected the iron-clad vessels to steam boldly up
the harbor, and compel a surrender of the city; but the naval officers
dared not, owing to the torpedoes with which the channel was thickly
planted. If Sumter could only be captured, the torpedoes could be
searched out and easily removed; and, with this thought in mind, a
number of bold sailors fitted out an expedition to attack the fort.
Thirty boats, filled with armed men, made their way to the base of the
shattered walls of the fort. As they came up, not a sign of life was
to be seen about the huge black monster that had so long kept the
iron-clads at bay. Rapidly and silently the men swarmed from their
boats, and, led by three brave officers, began the ascent of the
sloping walls. "The Johnnies are asleep," they whispered to each
other: "we have the fort this time." But the Johnnies were wide awake,
and waiting behind those grim bastions until the proper moment should
arrive. Higher and higher climbed the blue-jackets; and they were just
about to spring over the last barrier, when there rose before them a
wall of men and a deadly fire of musketry, and a storm of
hand-grenades cut their ranks to pieces. Around the corner of the fort
steamed a small gunboat, which opened fire on the assailants. The
carnage was terrible; and the sailors were driven back to their
boats, leaving two hundred dead and wounded, and three stands of
colors, as trophies for the garrison.

[Illustration: Charleston bombarded.]

After that grapple with the giant fortress, the Federals did not again
try to come to close quarters; but, keeping at a distance, maintained
a steady fire upon the fort, which drove its defenders from the guns,
and enabled the Union troops to throw up batteries upon all the
neighboring islands. The fleet then remained on blockading-service
until Feb. 18, 1865, when the Confederates evacuated the city, and
left the fort to the victorious Federals. Five years after the date
when Major Anderson with his little band of soldiers had marched out
of Sumter, leaving the fort to the enemy, the same gallant officer
returned, and with his own hand hoisted the same tattered flag over
the alm