Letter, 1863 December 28, Wilcken to Brooks, on an arrangement for exploding torpedoes [Recto]
National Park Service
Item Details
TitleLetter, 1863 December 28, Wilcken to Brooks, on an arrangement for exploding torpedoes [Recto]
This resource is part of a series
This resource is part of a series
CreatorWilcken
Dates
Date Created
Descriptive Information
LanguageEnglish
Letter to Brooks from Wilcken stating that a sketch of an arrangement for exploding torpedoes is enclosed. Wilcken also provides the names of the officers who assisted him in the sapping operations and in building splinter-proofs. Wilcken writes that to the best of his knowledge nine (9) torpedoes exploded accidentally during the siege.
Transcription[Letter] Head Quarters Detacht. [Detachment] Vol. [Volunteer] Engrs. [Engineers] Kiawah Island S. C. [South Carolina] Dec. [December] 28 '63. Major! Pursuant to your request I have the honor to give you all the information I can collect concerning the arrangement for exploding torpedoes. Ac. etc. Enclosed you will find a sketch of the said arrangement which I trust will explain it sufficiently. As to the number and kind of torpedoes I can only state that I took up three (3) made of 15 in. round shells and twenty six (26) made of wooden casks with iron Loops. This I did with the assistance of Corporals Beiter and Wernier of Co. "D" 1st Regt. Vol. Engrs. I also received a letter from Capt. Suess requesting me to name the n.c. officers who assisted me in the sapping operations and in building splinter-proofs. I therefore give the names of the following men who seconded me in sapping, viz: 1st Sapp. Brigade. Sergt. Baerkle [illegible] Corp.'s Will, Schmidt, Westfeldt, Beiter and Knauer, 2nd Sapp. Brigade viz. Sergt's Spilker Meinhardt [illegible], Corp's. Kirschenheuter, Wernier, Beiter, Knauer. For the 1st Brig. all the men volunteered. In constructing the splinterproofs I had the assistance of Sergt. Baerkle, Corp. [illegible], Kirschenheuter, Wernier Beiter and Knauer. I forgot to state above that to the best of my knowledge nine (9) torpedoes exploded accidentally during the siege and that orderly sergeant of the
TopicsSouth Carolina--History
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Artillery operations
Fort Sumter National Monument (Agency : U.S.)
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Artillery operations
Fort Sumter National Monument (Agency : U.S.)
Physical Descriptions
Mediumcommercial correspondence
TypeStill Image
Formatimage/jpeg
Contributing Institutions
Identifiers
Digital Identifiersmt_brooks451_027_001
Permanent Linkhttp://purl.clemson.edu/30B28463983D79268E0E01ED53D4B110
Batch ID20180328174717