Things of Interest During
the Siege of Battery Wagner
"The last words of Captain Charles T.
Haskell"
Captain James W. Owens of Company K, 21st South
Carolina, was with Captain Haskell at the time he was killed. He said,
"He fell near myself standing in the rifle pit encouraging his men and
while speaking, was struck with a Minnie ball through his body and in his last
breath another through his head. He extended his hand and said, Tell my
mother that I died for her and my country."
Colonel Thomas M. Wagner Killed at Fort
Moultrie
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July 16, [1862] Colonel Wagner and Lt.
Wardlaw were wounded today by the bursting of a 32 pounder. The gun
was an old smoothbore, rifled and fortified by iron bands. There are
different opinions to the safety of such cannon. The seem to me to
be a clumsy contrivance as all make shifts are. It is a lamentable and
discouraging event when one of our officers and men are destroyed by their
own weapons. It is sad enough when they are killed by those of
the enemy. But here the gallant Wagner who behaved with so much heroism
at the desperate fight of the 16th and escaped unwounded is struck down in
our own fortress by his own gun. There was one soldier killed and
four or five wounded at the same time.
This came from the Confederate Diary of
William John Grayson, published in the The South Carolina Historical
Magazine 1862.
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Battery Wagner was named in his
honor. He is buried in St. Michaels Church Cemetery in Charleston,
SC. He was 37 years and 24 days old.
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July 17, [1862] Lieutenant Colonel Wagner
died yesterday and was buried today. He was Chief of Ordnance for
the district on staff of Major General John C.Pemberton. He was wounded in
left leg and had it amputated just above the knee. Lt. T. Lamar
Wardlaw (Son of the Chancellor) was struck in the head by a piece of the
iron banding of the gun and his skull was fractured.
Charleston Mercury, July 17, 1862
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Wagner's Grave Marker at St. Michael's Church |
Notes on Langdon Cheves Jr.
Born June 17, 1814, Philadelphia, PA. His
family was refugeeing because and went to South Carolina State College and West
Point. He did not graduate from West Point. He studied law and
admitted to the bar in Columbia, SC to practice. He was married to
Charlotte Lorain McCord, oldest daughter of James McCord and Emmeline Wagner.
1836 - He was state reporter for the Court of
Appeals, Published volumes on Law and Equity. Commissioned advocate of
Generals of South Carolina Troops..
1841 - Went to Savannah, Georgia to assist Father
with Delta Rice Plantation on Savannah River in St. Peter's Parrish where he
lived and planted until the beginning of the Civil War.
1861 - Gave his service and Negroes to repair and
build boat forts at Savannah and Hilton Head, later a volunteer aide to General
T.F. Drayton.
1862 - Ordered to take charge of works on Morris
Island and Cummings Point and Battery Wagner. He also designed and constructed
from silk of ladies dresses the first war balloon which was used for
observations in Virginia. Commissioned Captain of Engineers from Richmond
1863 - Killed at Batter Wagner, July 10 by the
first shell from attacking fleet.
He is buried in Magnolia Cemetery.