Transcripts For CSPAN3 The Civil War 1862 Battle Of Secessionville 20240713

Controlling this area meant access to charleston, South Carolina, an important confederate port city. This was part of the emerging civil war blog symposium. Its 50 minutes. Its my honor to present our next speaker who currently serves as a primary and secondary educator with the Public School district in northeast ohio. Previously dan was the Education Programs coordinator for the Gettysburg Foundation and also continues to serve as a seasonal park ranger at Gettysburg National military park. Dan received his bachelor of arts from Youngstown State University where he studied instrumental music education, particularly in the french horn, which i understand is pretty much means learning how to play on the upbeat for anything that souza has composed. Dan provides a valuable service here for emergence civil war, something you receive every month. He solicits all the news and notes for the merging civil war newsletter. And its certainly a tasking, thankless job. For as much as we love to write about history, we dont like to write an email a whole lot in response. So, sorry for not providing anything for the july newsletter. Dans a great guy, member of the emerging civil war organization. Its my pleasure to welcome here to the stage. Dan welch, ladies and gentlemen. [ applause ] well, good afternoon everyone. When we think about civil war charleston, we think about the hot bed of the Secessionist Movement, the early or first Secession Convention as the war is on the horizon. We think about battery wagner. Since Denzel Washington wasnt available to give you a presentation today, were going to be talking about an aspect of civil war charleston that has been forgotten, and that is the battle of secessionville or as i would like to term it today the forgotten door to charleston. There have been federal operations in the area for them. Following those naval actions, federal general Brigadier General would take island. But despite the early successes with federal operations in the area, washington, d. C. Became impatient with the tempo of the am can pampaign that thomas she had been taking and would replace him with Major General david hunter in april of 1862. General hunter, upon his appointment, would bring henry benham with him, a Brigadier General to the operations. At the time of the battle of secessionville, benham is 48 years old. Hes a west point graduate and graduated first in his class. He graduated from the corps of engineers. He became a skilled officer in his first ten years of service and served with distinction in the mexicanamerican war being wounded in action. I tell you that all today because i want you to give to give you a little idea of who henry benham was pictured on the second from the left on the screen in the american civil war. Many did not hold such high esteem for his early precivil war resume. Brigadier general Isaac Stevens who was involved in these active operations in the vicinity of Charleston Harbor, quote, an ass. He was a dreadful man of no earthly use except as a nuisance and obstruction. They described him as imby sill. I believe general rose krants was not far from wrong when he charged him with cowardice, drunkenness, and lying. If we take charleston, it will not be his fault. This is rather bitter. But it is a shame to put such men in command. Henry taft will describe benham as a coward. This assessment will further foreshadow the events of 1862. Despite these observations within two weeks upon the arrival of the theater, they reduced fort polaski. This was at a period when federal strategy was still focusing honesties much like the drive against richmond and now the drive against charleston. Now, there had already been plans in place but upon his arrival he decided he would like to plan his own campaign and hes going to dismiss all of those earlier proposals including the ones that stevens had worked on. Benham instead proposes massing a federal division under Brigadier General Horacio Wright on the island halfway between hilton head and charleston, have them cross johns island. Meanwhile, stevens division on Port Royal Island would embark on a fleet of transports and steam directly inland. General benham believed it would only take a matter of days after that for the fall of those defenses to get to Charleston Harbor. But the timetable that generals hunter and benham envisioned for this campaign would radically change as they learned new intelligence about the confederate numbers and strengths in the area by an escaped slave by the name of robert smalls. Smalls had stolen a confederate ship and would share his knowledge of the confederate defenses with hunter. Hunter would give benham the okay to begin executing his plan of operations in the area. Now, as the federal campaign against charleston began in june of 1862, the relationships in the confederate high command in the theater was strained at best. The previous commander in the department of South Carolina and george, perhaps someone youve heard of before in virginia, robert e. Lee had left months earlier for richmond and he had been since replaced by pimm ber ton. Pemberton would clash with everyone including rip lee pictures on the screen. Riply was unable to get along with or work with pemberton. And he began petitioning to be transferred out of the district. To replace ripley, pemberton would rise through the ranks. As all of these shifting of officers would occur, letters began pouring into richmond to lead requesting someone, anyone, to replace john c. Pemberton. William miles, former United States congressman wrote a letter begging him to replace b pemberton as he does not possess the confidence of his troops and the people. He would even rk mend the abandoning of fort sumpter in Charleston Harbor fulfilling an earlier design of strategy that robert e. Lee laid out before leaving for richmond. This suggestion of abandoning these forts was the last straw for confederate officials in South Carolina including governor pickens who blew his top upon hearing this. And pickens would now join a whole chorus of those begging richmond for a new Department Commander. Now, contrarily to all the problems the confederate high command were having in this theater, those officers and men that were in the ranks, those that were stationed in the trenches, those manning the guns as they say were performing quite well. They were working together to strengthen these defensive positions including a fort known as tower battery. Now, as the campaign would begin, general benhams plan would go into action when the invasion of james island began in the early hours of june 2nd, 1862. General wrights division would begin their move to the causeway to johns island. What is supposed to be a daylong movement per general benhams instructions would take wrights men days as the high heat, rains turning roads to mud slowing their progress. Finally on june 5th, three days later, the leadment wills of wrights division reached their assigned destination. Edwin metcalf, a member of the third rhode island heavy artillery would recall the march during this period. He said our army was floundered. I saw the heartiest of my command proud sit down and cry like children while they cut off their shoes and dragged themselves along to shelter. As wrights men were struggling to get to their assigned destination per benhams plan, stevens division had been on the east bank for three days. Stevens division had landed on june 2nd and crossed over to the island. Other new camp in the area of operations, james c. Stevenson of the 100 pennsylvania volunteer infantry also known as the round heads wrote this. He said the island was low in marsh, nearly covered with vines, brush, and timber. It was with difficulty we could find dry ground to sleep on. Mosquitos bled us day and night. William todd also recalled the irons when he wrote quote we found ourselves in the most unpleasant and uncomfortable camp we ever occupied. It was surrounded by swamps and the thick enough to cut with a knife. How sour and moldy. Everything smelled. You could imagine the conditions of setting up this new camp against this backdrop and this environment. The following day, however, stevens men would push out from their new camp on the island. As they did so, the loss of three confederate guns during a retreat of the previous day by Brigadier General states rights would bring these units into combat. States rights had determined to recover these guns that had gotten stuck as the locals called it pluf mud of the vicinity. They would order four companies of the 24 South Carolina under the command of Ellison Capers to get the job done. Capers decided to engage pickets operating in the area of the abandoned guns before recovering them. Thus, as the two sides began to collide, the fire would become general and capers would engage men from the 100th virginia and 79th masses ma. The force would break the squirmish line, capture 20 men of the 100th pennsylvania, the first soldiers to be captured in the campaign. Not long after this engagement started, federal naval guns would open up. It would drive capers force into the nearby woods. Despite capers success of breaking the squirmish line, he failed in his plan to get the abandoned guns. He didnt rescue any of them. As the confederates pulled out, members of the 79th new york would push forward and retrieve two out of the three abandoned pieces. Following the squirmish, stevens men would spend the next few days consolidating their defenses and organizing their regimens. Pressure on james island and the confederate defenses there were building. As the pressure was mounting and stevens and wrights divisions were spreading out, the army of the potomac continued to move up the virginia peninsula, applying pressure on the defenses around the confederate capital of richmond. With mcclellans army moving daily, numerous calls across the many theaters of this conflict begging for reinforcements of those that were not currently under imminent threat of attack. Thus on june 5th, richmond would contact pemberton. Pemberton in response would send a brigade of troops then stationed in savannah, georgia to rich nond mondmond. One against during this campaign a departure of an officer would cause yet another shifting of new commands in the face of enemy. William smith pictured right on the screen would take command of the Confederate Forces on james island making his ed headquarters at the village of secessionville. One of the sessions when i talk about secessionville is how did the place get its name. The name of secessionville is rooted in very deep mythology and legend. It was originally known as riversville and the exact reason as to why the name was changed is a mystery. Historians can make several conjectures. One of the reasons is they became known as such as planters of the planter class would secede in the summertime to this small village. Another story goes that two youths in the area seceded from their elders and would establish a residence in the area and name it secessionville. Most historians point to the abortive 185152 Secessionist Movement as why riversville became secessionville. As duncan smith became commander of the of the defenses, he would quickly implement a new force and new tactic in the department, a new tactic and force that he would call, quote, advanced forces which would be a mobile unit that could be moved or shifted quickly to any areas along the defensive line very quickly. He would also implement three forward bases for the confederate defense of james island, something his predecessors in command of the forces had not done. Over the coming weeks as smith is working on strengthening the defenses on james island, through june 6 to june 10 grimble plantation became the focus of a growing defensive line and the confederate probes of it. E Isaac Stevens men would perform reconnaissance north ward and a second reconnaissance of the left and center of the rebel line itself in the area on june 8th. Meanwhile Horacio Wrights men had begun exploring the proper and on june 8th they had gotten a toe hold there and began transferring position to that property the following day on june 9th. By night fall on the 9th, they had an occupied and armed camp. As the arrival of stevens and righ wrights men and their growing position. In command of forts known as tower battery, officers there were monitoring the development of these federal operations. The officer in charge of the day was a man by the name of colonel thomas lamar. He had developed into an aggressive leader. He had been born to a prominent plantation family and he was a planter himself until he was elected to the state General Assembly in 1860 where he was a strong supporter of the Secessionist Movement. When the war broke out in 1861, lamar would receive appointment to serve as a staff officer on the governor of South Carolinas staff. But he very quickly found himself bored and he petitioned for a field command which he would finally get and he would rise through the ranks following his shift in assignment. Colonel thomas lamar at battery tower, tower battery, excuse me, was begin to construct their camp on june 9th, ordered his gun inside the battery to open fire. Lamar would keep his guns firing hour after hour after hour for nearly 24 hours until people be pemberton would send an order to stop firing, conserve your ammunition. Lamar ignores the order and decides to not order them to stop firing, just slack it, their rate of fire. The following day on june 10th, pember ton, perhaps inspired by lamars aggressive action, would order general Williams Smith to probe a new union line and defense perimeter that had been established. The reconsons would koconnaissa given to the mobile forces. As the first South Carolina 47th georgia and 4th louisiana battalion pushed towards the northwest defensive line of Horatio Wrights position, companies of the 47th new york, 45th p. A. , and 97th pennsylvania would push outside of their defenses and engage colonel johnsons command. Captain William Williams of the 47th georgia bringing his men into battle line, yelled above the growing din of the battle. Now then, boys, give them hell. And the battle would begin. The confederate reconnaissance were quickly decimated with combined federal, naval, infantry and artillery. Firing into the advancing confederate lines it would break johnson haggoodes determine to continue the reconnaissance. He would later report to general smith that the operation had failed. Not only had it failed, but it failed to gain any valuable information on these new union positions. By june 10th, general hunter is now preparing to leave james island. The Department Commander decides to head back to his headquarters at hilton ed, noting matters afecting the safety of the command and other portions of the department called for his presence. What hunter doesnt say in those official words is that what was demanding his presence was his wife who was quite bored at headquarters in hilton head and looking for something other to do. So hunter is going to go make his way back to headquarters in hilton head. Before he leaves, he was going hell send two different directives with specific orders in writing on june 10th and june 11th of what benham could do and not do while hunter was gone at hilton head. Here is what hes instructed benham to do, the words are important in understanding the outcome in the battle of secessionville. Quote, you will make no attempt to advance on charleston or to attack fort johnson until largely reinforced or until you receive specific instructions from these headquarters to that effect. You will, however, find for a secure entrenched encampment where your front can be covered by the fire from the gunboats from the stono river on the left and the creek from Falling River on the right. In essence benham is not allowed to make any sort of offensive action. But hes allowed to provide for the defense of wrights and stevens divisions that are in camp on james island. Remember those descriptions of benham . About that stevens made, imbecile, vasilytory, not fit to command . Benham, upon receiving the orders from hunt, will ignore them in the coming days. Benham believes a Quick Movement towards tower battery could be successful with minimum casualties. It would allow those men to push forward, attack fort johnson and could bring charleston within their grasp just in the days time. Benham will make this fateful decision on june 15th. By this time, colonel lamars guns at tower battery had been hitting near the federal camps at grimballs plantation. Since hunter said benham had to protect the camps, he felt an attack was within his orders. He ordered his command to get ready and called his sbo subordinates ready. General steven and wright expressed reservations about the plan. But benham ordered it done anyway. Following the counsel, he would write his wife and say this, we are now attempting an enterprise for which our force is entirely inadequate. The want of a proper commander is fearful. We shall try to prevent any disaster occurring. This is all i can say at present. Foreshadowing in stevens words are omnipresent. Benham will tell his officers that the attack is necessary to capture or destroy tower battery and the floating battery next to it and it is of his opinion there is no alternative. Since those batteries covered their mens camps. Furthermore, if these positions were lost, the eventual movement on fort johnson and charleston would be impossible. Now, benhams assault outlines specific orders and objectives for both divisions under his command. Stevens division is to throw two brigades at the front of tower battery and direct frontal assault toward a prepared position. This guy was in the core of engineers before the american civil war. The object to attack it frontally is supposed to be done with bay net, weapons unloaded and during the predawn darkness. The brigade is to attack with unloaded weapons to rely on the movement and the bay net. Two companies of the eighth michigan would be labeled the forlorn hope and they are to lead the assault that morning. Colonel daniel leisures brigade was to mirror the movement of stevens division. 3,000 men in all would be used in the frontal assault. Meanwhile, wrights division would be to support stevens men from the north and benham believed his forces would be at Charleston Harbor by sun up on june 16th. As the command is preparing their assault, Confederate Forces in the area were strengthening their positions on james island. During a june 14th tour of james island defenses by colonel johnson haggoode, the commander the advanced forces, he felt the only prepared position that was Strong Enough to repel an attack was colonel lamars tower battery. Lamars men had a significantly increased the strength of their position. Tower battery included the following, seven 24 pound guns and eight inch columbians, parapets that rose to nine feet above the service, a seven foot ditch in front and 16 foot span from the bottom of the ditch to the top of the parapin. Additionally there was only one approach to the fort, frontal assault. Both of the forts flights were impassable swamps and the approach to the front narrowed to just 200 yards wide and the very front of tower battery. The fields on the approach to the fort rolled cotton transversed by ditches and hedges, 500 yards from the fort and a thousand yards from the front of the fort. One historian described tower battery this way, the fort was uniquely built in rough shape of the letter m. Nine cannon defended the fort and eight inch columbia in the center flanked on either side with a 24 pounder rifle gun, 24 pound smooth board, 18 pounder, another battery to the north, lamar had an additional two 24 pounders, though they were there for the moment without their gun crews. Within a twohour march, they had reserve of three regiments of infantry, numbering some 2,000 men who could be drawn on for support. In regards to the tower itself, one federal observer noted on their first look of the tower on june 8th, it is a skeleton one, built, nearly built, excuse me, not unlike a new york fire observatory and construction. Almost if not quite 200 feet kykq meanwhile, on june 14th, federal artillery and federal naval batteries traded shots with tower battery. A contest that would last the next 24 hours. In between trading shots with the federal forces, lamars men continue to build and strengthen their position at tower battery. This work coupled with saving ammunition would leave colonel lamar to order his men to fire more deliberately and to slow the rate of fire. Lamars men continue to work on this strengthening until 3 00 a. M. On the morning of june 16th. Exhausted, lamar finally let his man sleep in their battery and sleep without side arms. Lamar himself would stay awake until 4 00 a. M. , waiting for 100 men detachment. And still not arriving, he would drift off to sleep. At 4 30 a. M. , a century sounded the alarm, the approaching attack. Now 2 00 a. M. On june 16th, general Isaac Stevens got his column in motion. Colonel William Fenton of the 8th michigan will command the first brigade of stevens division, which included the 8th michigan, 7th connecticut. Colonel dan leisure would command the second brigade, his regiment, 100th pennsylvania, 79th new york and 46th new york. Captain Alfred Rockwell would command four guns as part of the first connecticut artillery. In all, stevens division had 154 officers and 2,806 men to participate in the frontal assault. Generals wright and stevens are still strongly opposed to the attack on the Early Morning of june 16th. Alfred rockwell and command of the battery that is supposed to start stevens men asks stevens at this moment, general, may i ask what the plan of battle. Stevens replied, there isnt any plan. You will fire when you get a chance and be careful not to hit any of our own men. At 4 00 a. M. , the first brigade of stevens division arrived west of the river house. A thousand yards from tower battery. As they arrived at this location, shots rang out from four startled confederate pickets, two were immediately made prisoner and two more were run down by Lieutenant Colonel frank graves on horseback. Fentons selective forlorn hope would lead the advance and move through an opening in the second hedge row into a cotton field. As these men deployed into the fields, stevens ordered a halt which lasted no more than 15 minutes. Following the halt, the forelorn hope advanced, making it over the second hedge without any confederate fire from the fort. When the forlorn hope let out a cheer, the tower battery opened, decimating the center of the line with canister fire. In the fort, colonel lamar turned to his largest piece, eight inch columbia and ordered it to fire with canister. He would write, when i arrived i found the enemy within 700 yards. I ordered the 8 inch columbia to be loaded with grape, which order was promptly obeyed and in the meantime, fired upon the advancing line from the 24 pounder. As lamar cited the columbia, Sergeant James baget fired his gun, the first blast of artillery from the fort. Lamar finished citing the columbia and pulled the lanyard, the second shot decimating the approaching 8th michigan. They recalled the devastating artillery fire, he said every discharge of the old churn as we called it would pass through the ranks of our brave boys. And they would mow them down like grass before the side. But with dogged persistence, they closed ranks and pushed on with the federal yell. Colonel lamar would explain in his report, why exactly he decided to cite first piece himself. He said my reason for pointing the columbia at myself was to fire at the center of the line and thereby break it. In order to cause confusion and delay, so that i might get my infantry into position previous to their reaching our lines. The shot had the desired effect, immediately flanked to the right and left. And then ordered the columbia to be lod loaded with canister. As lamar supervised the first sh shots, the detachment finally arrived. The battle had begun. Within a matter of minutes of firing first shots, colonel lamar looked to his left and saw federals on top of the parapet, firing down to the fort, sending his men reeling. Only five minutes since lamar had pull the lanyard on the second shot until federal forces were inside the walls of tower battery. The first federals that made it to the top of the parapet were the company of the 8th michigan and the men of the forlorn hope. They found a walkway along the southern flank and used it to seidel along the ten foot high wall. The first volley had decimated bagets crew on the 24 pounder and they charged down into the earth fighting hand to hand. One soldier recalled the moment, quote, the continual discharge of musketry of pistols, groans of the wounded and dying. Sergeant william todd of the 79th new york color guard said inside the fort was filled with rifle men of the enemy and as we advanced would stick up their heads over the parapets, fire and draw back and reload. These men are also a number of our men are wounded. The 9th South Carolina battalion arrived at the fort, charged into battery. Relieving the beleaguered left. Meanwhile, colonel lamar and alexander d. Smith would align the battalion and launch assault toward the 8th michigan as well. Smiths battalion are the first confederate troops to reinforce lamars position and now outnumbered. The 8th michigan and forlorn hope would retreat out of the for the, fall back over the battery wall they were treated no further. The fight would settle into a shooting match just feet apart. Others, however, in the federal ranks, struggled to get to the parapet. Benjamin peace remembered that it was so steep, no one could climb it without help. It would have been impossible for twice the number to have scaled the fort. Meanwhile in the fields that approached tower battery, the 7th connecticut, the 28th massachusetts of fentons brigade received heavy confederate fire. The 8th michigan moved so quickly it left the 7th connecticut far behind, 500 yards to the rear. Excuse me. Upon their arrival, their Commanding Officer colonel holly would order the 7th connecticut to charge. Because of the darkness, the lack of prior federal reconnaissance of the area, he did not see the telecoping nature toward tower battery. As the unit moved to the left, his path disappeared. The men sunk in to the local mud of a hidden marsh and bushes. Holly would lose precious time to reform his unit and when he got the 7th connecticut ready to attack. The 28th massachusetts slammed into them from the rear. Disordering both units. It was too much for the men from connecticut and they broke, leaving the rest of the federal effort 400 yards from the fort. As the 7th connecticut worked to reach toward tower battery, some of the men of the 8th michigan managed to get on the northern confederate flank, firing at confederate bellingers gun crews. They took a number of casualties. It was him, his brother and one private to continue the work of the guns. At that moment, Lieutenant Colonel peter galliard stormed into the fort and crowded on the right flanks parapet. They were hit with fire, a lot of it, casualties mounted quickly. They spread out and engaged the attacking force. Once again, southern support arrived just at the right place, just at the right time. Finally those men of the 8th michigan that clung to the parapet started to fall back through the marsh. Colonel holly tried to support the michiganders in this movement by collecting his men and running south. As the 7th connecticut reached the southern most marsh line, another mass slammed into them, throwing them into further disarray. These were soldiers of the 79th new york, the first regiment, the second wave of the frontal assault under the command of colonel david leisure. One highlander remembered we ran past them and our eagerness to arrive at the fort and assist our storming party. By this time, it had only taken the tower battery defenses 15 minutes to repulse the first thrust by stevens division. When news of the situation reached the 8th michigan at the parapet and let news reach general stevens, he returned to David Morrison of 79th new york, the old regiment, ordered them without aligning. He said before he reached the open ground in front of the fort, a mile from it we got the order to double quick, which we did and filed into the field a mile in front of the work. A message came begging for god sake to hasten to the relief of the eighth michigan. Two supporting regiments had failed him and the 8th was being cut to pieces. Halfway across the field, the 79th new york trampled the massachusetts, burst through the remnants of the 7th connecticut. And as they charged toward tower battery, a private in the 79th new york remembered that the artillery fired a perfect cloud of grape shot. Again, tower battery was firing towards the center of the line, splitting the flanks to the left and right. Did not slow the momentum of the highlanders and they pushed forward, sweeping up remnants of the 8th michigan. This mixed force slammed into the pd battalion on the walls of tower battery, Lieutenant Colonel morrison jumped to the top of the parapet, emptied his pistol, his example inspiring other highlanders to do the same. Private daniel eldrege of the 3rd New Hampshire saw the brigade attack from his position to the southeast. He said it was a wall of steel flashing in the rays of the morning sun. The enemy setting a terrible fire of shell and grape canister into the ranks. The line just broke and the ragged men are mowed down with lead and iron. Some of them out of the works and a hand to hand fight. 79th new york did not hold a parapet long, confederate fire swept in from the top. Highlanders fell back and held the outside of the wall before morrison ordered a second thrust over the parapet producing the same results. As morrison reeled from a head wound during the second thrust, a private in the ranks recalled i never saw the boys fight with such determination. Confederate reaction was deadly. During the exchange with the 79th new york, however, the men of the pd battalion would start to yell that the rifle didnt work. The officer ganz to scoop up discarded weapons and ammunition trying to swap them out as the defense continued. As the lead units of leisures second brigade stormed over the open ground towards tower battery, the first connecticut light artillery which moved into first field opened on the fort with his 12 pound howitzers. They would utilize this cover and fire to get across the field. Now they were at its front colonel leisure was 30 paces from the fort and was with elements of the 79th new york recalled watching his unit advance gallantly when the fort opened upon them. He said the storm of missiles from the huge guns leaped out with tongues of fire, darkening the air with projectiles with which they had been crammed to the muzzle. The ground was strewn with round heads dying, dead and wounded and all sorts of mangledd horri forms. He realized the disorder attack was over. He was not the only one that realized this. Lieutenant morten said we could not get into the fort when we got into it. General stevens who was watching the battle sent his son to the front with the units to have re. Fearing pan nick the ranks, he ordered for all of his units to fall back to the hedge line 500 yards from the tower battery. Most of the men would retreat orderly to the hedge line, a rally on their colors, while some remained along the parapet. While leisure worked to bring the attacking force to the hedge line, he found the 46th new york already there. Further in the distance, he finally saw Horatio Wrights brigade advancing. Not everyone had as color Sergeant William todd and another scotsman recalled, not a sound was heard in the direction once we expected the calling to appear. The third attack against tower battery failed. The battle was not yet 45 minutes old. Wright waited to hear the attack before launching his own. They had already had a long day as they had been up and at their positions since 3 00 a. M. Leading wrights assault would be two units, third rhode island heavy artillery and 3rd New Hampshire. By the time these two units got into position, chaos was reigning in front of tower battery. As one of the third New Hampshires called, we were determined to come in and take possession of the confederate position. It was not to be. As the men from New Hampshire were struggling against a new confederate line, opening up against from a prepared position, a line of defensive works the men from the 3rd rhode island could see the 3rd New Hampshire retreating. The confederate engaged this moment said the contest was very unequal and it raged for some time. Confederate casualties were mounting quickly. Lamar was wounded in the neck. Turned over a command at gal yard and gal yard was wounded. Turned over command to colonel thomas wagner. As the fighting continued, reinforcements for the confederate defenses continued to arrive to the front. As more confederate reinforcements arrived at these positions, the assaults of both stevens decision and wrights division looked more futile than ever. The third rhode island heavy artillery attack reached this line, they saw the third New Hampshire retreating, they too would begin to fall back. The fight is nearing its conclusion. By the time the confederate reinforcements would engage the twothirds, colonel leisure had gotten his line together. Reformed line at the hedge row. Leisure would order out sharpshooters to start picking off confederate gunners while waited further orders. Further to the rear, generals benham and wright arrived to the front around the same time. While they were there, a message from general stevens reigned up. He told benham that stevens was prepared to renew the assault, needed more support from general wright on his flank. Taft recalled seeing benham as a badly frightened officer, who was found sitting upon his horse surrounded by his staff, a full half a mile away from danger. Of the asked for support, taft said to benham, that he declined the aid and demanded and ordered general stevens to retreat. Orderlies would carry on those orders. When general leisure received the order, he later wrote, oh, god, forgive me, the bitterness engendered by the disappointment of that hour. As federal soldiers were pulled off the field, that of leisures brigade, one round would remember, you never saw a lot of men walk so slow and every little bit they would stop and look back. A fight had been intense, first connecticut light artillery fired over 500 rounds of ammunition alone. As the units passed back and retreat by the way of the rivers house with spiked toward their defeat, Union Soldiers would set the house on fire. What was the cost of the battle . As the federal line pulled back, confederate officers organized and sent squads over the walls of the fort to gather equipment supplies and prisoners, burial details began to drag enemy corpses to a common pit in front of the forts wile wound and captured men were taken back to secessionville. The burial details found soldiers in all kinds of postures. One officer was surprised to find that most of the federals had been shot in the head, showing that our troops fired too high. Benjamin shepard of the utah battalion would write his mother the scene after the battle is worse than all. I saw men line in all kinds of postures, some in the very active shooting off their guns, some loading and some looked as though they were praying after they were wounded and had died. Writing of the day, of june 16th, incredible cost of nearly 700 men of the 4500 federals involved in the fight, william would say that, quote, it was a hard memorable cruel day. It was memorable for its folly and wickedness, memorable for the wanton sacrifice of human life to gratify the silly vanity of one men. The federals retreated, they would begin to open up, field hospitals. The field hospitals were attempting to confront a new battle, a battle for survival, fallout from the federal decisions and decisions of henry benham began. The reports that would begin to stream in would largely come under benhams watchful eye as he tried to recast the assault as a reconnaissance in force. As word of the failure of the assault reached david hunter on hilton head, the recriminations would mount quickly for benham. Hunter would summon benham to his headquarters, recite the orders that he had given benham on the 10th. And as he recited the orders, benham would begin to go off into this defense of his orders and his actions. Hunter would listen patiently and when benham was done, benham would be placed under arrest and shipped to new york. Isaac stevens, Horatio Wright and many men in the rank began to criticize benham in their official reports and in newspapers across new york. Benham and stevens would have an ongoing dispute about the folly of the assault and its failure. It would reach a zenith until washington insiders would tell Isaac Stevens to let it go. That washington, d. C. Sided with his opinion and that on the outcome and the folly of the orders of benham. Stevens would let it go and just several weeks later would be killed at chantilly. Those insiders were right, lincoln would strip benham of his Brigadier Generals commission, not until the early spring of 1863 before benham would have his rank restored and now be placed in charge of the engineers in the army of the potomac. In the end, the assault on tower battery and the battle of secessionville, they understichlted the difficulties of seizing charleston. This is no more apparent than the fact that one of the crown jewels of the south was not captured until 1865 via a combination of naval and ground forces. Benhams attack was doomed to failure due to the many geographic barriers, the inadequate naval support. With the retreat last real chance to capture charleston was gone. Large amounts of ground captured by the federals was now back in confederate hands. Colonel leisure would write his daughter, a more miserably conceived plan of storming an enemy stronghold was never complete. When the skill and bravery of this army redeemed his blunder, made useless again by the untimely order to fall back. Must be all done over again. I hope more nicely the next time. Before we end the program today, i want to thank one of our ecr historians mark malloy, excellent book on trenton and princeton. If you havent picked it up, talk to him and pick a copy. He was kind enough this past spring to head to charleston. I have not been to secessionville in several years and he got me updated photographs youre seeing as we close out the program today. Much like the battle of secessionville, the battlefield itself is largely forgotten. Development and expansion has taken over, most of the roots of stevens and wrights men that they took and tower battery itself. Further still, many features of the 1862 battlefield had also changed as the confederates would strengthen the works in the days, weeks and months after the 1862 battle. If you know where to look, just like this story, you can find the importance of the battle and campaign of secessionville and the forgotten door to charleston. Thank you. So, dan, you mentioned that if you go to charleston, you can visit secessionville, youve been there yourself, what would you recommend for someone going out there to keep in mind . Couple of things to keep in mind, youre going to want to take some sort of map with you, the map that Edward Alexander created that you saw in the program and in your map packet shows modern day and historical overlay features of that. Kind of disoriented on all the different islands that are in the area. So you want to take some sort of guide with you as well. Bug spray. The federal soldiers, june of 1862, were not wrong about the environment down there. But as long as you take a guide with you, a wonderful little park that you can park your car, a walking trail, not a very long trail, usually stocked with flyers that well talk more about, what remains there today, where the actions occurred on this little six or seven stop trail. Impressive for being made out of sand. Yes, impressive earth works, you can still see today. Several monuments placed throughout the 20th century, no 19th century monuments marking the secessionville fight that you can find today. One question behind you. Yes. Real quick. I was wondering, the taking of charleston, was it important from a military, political or psychological point of view . A great question. I think at this point in the war when we are targeting cities it not the confederate capital. Many blame charleston as starting this whole mess in december of 1860 and really the outspoken Secessionist Movement before that in South Carolina. So i think in this case, the capture of charleston would have been a crippling psychological impact to the confederate effort. Ladies and gentlemen, dan welch. Thank you. All week, were featuring American History tv programs as a preview of what is available every weekend on cspan3. Lectures in history, american artifacts, reel america, the civil war, oral histories, the presidency, and special event coverage about our nations history. Enjoy American History tv now and every weekend on cspan3. Week nights this week, were featuring American History tv programs as a preview of what is available every weekend on cspan3. Tonight, a look at the 75th anniversary of the battle of the bulge. On december 16th, 1944, adolf hitler launched a surprise counteroffensive against allied forces in the Forest Region of belgium. More than 1,000 tanks and 200,000 troops took part in this final effort with the hope to recapture the port city of antwerp. Tigers on the loose is a 1965 u. S. Army film highlighting the 10th Armored Division known as the tiger division. Narrated by actor lauren green, the story is told primarily by the veterans themselves who detail the battle and the divisions experience up to the surrender of germany in may of 1945. Well show that to you tonight, starting at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on American History tv on cspan3. American history tv products are now available at the new cspan online store. Go to cspan store. Org to see whats new for American History tv and check out all of the cspan products. Hi, everyone. My name is adam cook. Im a 2018 cspan student cam winner. Im here to encourage you to continue to wrap up this competition as the deadline is getting pretty close. Dont worry youll still have time. This is about the time i started filming my documentary, the first year i entered it. Im in the d. C. Offices right now and im just going to tell you that cspan student cam was an Incredible Opportunity for me to express my thoughts and my views about the Political Climate and the current day as well as connect with some local and state leaders and political office. Im extremely excited that you all are interested in this and pursuing this, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and im so excited that you all are taking it. Still time for you to enter the competition. You have until january 20th to create a 5 to 6 minute documentary that explores an issue you want the president ial candidates to address during campaign 2020. Were giving away a total of 100,000 of cash prizes for the grand prize of 5,000. For more information, go to our website, student cam. Org. Next, on American History tv, National Parks Service Ranger steve phan discusses the union armys initiative to build forts around washington, d. C. The battle of fort stevens, a campaign by confederate Lieutenant General jubal early tested the defenses in july 1864. This program was part of an emerging civil war symposium on forgotten battles. It is 50 minutes. One of the best things about coming to this is i get to introduce all my friends. My next good friend, steve phan, you guys, if youre on social media, you know who he is, he is a rock star on social media. Ill read his bio. A park ranger, historian in washington, prior to working at the civil war defenses he worked at richmond national