The "Gist Guard" at BATTERY WAGNER, MORRIS ISLAND

R C Gilchrist (J W William - copist)

From the compiled muster rolls of the Union and Confederate Armies

[page 1]

This company was one of the two

artillery companies forming the

permanent garrison of Battery

Wagner on the 10 of July.  They

checked the advancing columns of the

enemy as they were pressing on victo-

rously from the South end of Morris

Island.  And on the [morning/evening] of the 11

July were mainly instrumental on re-

pelling the desperate assault on that

Battery.  The charge having been made

on one of the guns manned by the

Gist Guard.  The Yankees having been

mowed down by the terrific discharg-

es of grape and cannister.  Twewnty pris-

oners were taken on the [superior OR exterior] slope

in front of the guns.

The company performed duty at Bat-

tery Wagner and Battery Gregg during

the continuous bombardment of those

batteries 29 out of the 57 days, having

been relieved four times + were (over)

[page 2]

expecting to be ordered back to Morris

Island when it was [assul]ted by [enemy]

forces.  During the [periods] of [this] re-

lief they were doing duty scarcely less

arduous at either Battery Bee, Fort

Johnson or Battery Simpkins [where]

there were but three men killed

in action, three others had been

so seriously wounded that they

must be discharged + a great

number have been made sick

by constant [exposure].  The men

of this company [lost] all [their]

clothes + [every] thing the[y] [had by]

the destruction of the [barracks]

at Battery Wagner.

R C Gilchrist

? ? [Comd'ing OR Company]

Ed. Note:  Much of this hand-written service I transcribed from the muster rolls is very hard to read.  Everything in [ ] is the best I could decipher.  I will update this page if I can find better copies.

Ed. Note:  The action of July 11th is when the Gist Guard captured the Federal flag detailed on the Flags of the Gist Guard page.