press forward all the time. The sooner we
can get into the town the better for us."

Hoke's and Kemper's brigades were on the west side. They fired the signal
guns, advanced their picket lines as if they were going to assault from
that side, while we quietly moved forward and covered half the distance
before the fire was opened upon us. Then began the shower of shot and
shell. The two regiments on the right soon struck their cattle lot, and we
had a drove of cattle in front of us, but coming to a lagoon and swamp we
had to let the cattle pass back through our line. Then through water and
slush four feet deep we made our way through the swamp and re-formed under
cover of a little hill. The three regiments on our left passed around the
swamp. We then raised a yell and rushed forward upon the intrenchments
and were soon in possession of them, the Yankees falling back and taking
shelter behind the buildings, kept up a steady fire upon us as we advanced
rapidly. Our field artillery soon came in and opened fire, while the
Twenty-fifth swept along the river and captured a fort, and the other
regiments drove the balance of the enemy into the big Fort Williamson, on
the south side of the fortifications. The Fifty-sixth split into three
sections. Maj. John W. Graham advanced the center faster than the wings
and soon planted our flag on the west fortifications. This was a signal
for Hoke's and Kemper's brigades to come in from that side. On Monday
night of the first attack, at midnight, our ironclad gunboat, Albemarle,
came down the river and cleared it of all the Yankee shipping, sinking and
running off all their gunboats. The Albemarle was firing into Fort
Williamson. General Hoke demanded the surrender of this fort, but General
Wessel was slow in giving answer. When General Hoke began to form his
Brigade to assault it, the Stars and Stripes were hauled down and a white
flag raised. After three hours of hard fighting, the town with entire
garrison, consisting of two fine New York and two Pennsylvania infantry
regiments, with cavalry and strong artillery force, and besides the killed
and wounded, 2,800 prisoners. The post was strongly fortified and well
supplied with military stores and much mercantile goods. As soon as the
surrender was made, all our troops were turned loose to help themselves to
anything they wished--grocery and dry goods stores richly stocked to
select from. Being more than sixty miles from a railroad, and the e