Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, April 12, 1863

The rebels are getting a good range on our fort, and as we are in a direct line behind the fort from one of their batteries, we get what goes over them. We had been walking around outside the traverse, — even Gen. Foster was outside the fort, walking back and forth, probably thinking out the problem, when about half-past nine o'clock we were brought to a realizing sense of our situation, for they opened on us "right smart," driving us all to the breastworks and bomb-proofs. One shell went through a tent, tearing up the ground where Sherman had just been sitting. The wooden shanty occupied by Sutton and Mann was demolished, and many others shaken up. We learn that the rebels have been reinforced both below and higher up the "Tar," which sounds bad for us. All this forenoon the gunboats have been pitching into the batteries at Rodman's. Another rumor is, that our extra clothes and ammunition are aboard a schooner below. We need both.

SOURCE: John Jasper Wyeth, Leaves from a Diary Written While Serving in Co. E, 44 Mass. Dep’t of North Carolina from September 1862 to June 1863, p. 48-9