USS Weehawken-- Part 5: Reducing Forts Wagner and Sumter

The USS Weehawken resumed operations against the Charleston fortifications.  On July 10-11, 1863, Union ironclads Nahant, Montauk, Catskill and Weehawken shelled Fort Wagner on Morris Island to cover a Union Army amphibious landing under Brigadier General Quincy A. Gillmore.  Despite additional bombardments on July 18 and 24, they failed to silence the Confederate fort.

Gillmore's troops were pinned down on the beach.  Fort Wagner was finally reduced in a naval bombardment of it, Fort Gregg, Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter on 17 August.

Next, the monitors Nahant, Weehawken, Montaul, Passaic and Patapsco took aim at Fort Sumter, pounding it to rubble on two separate bombardments on  23 August and 1-2 September.

--Old B-Runner