English: In July 1863, Union Generals Gillmore and Dahlgren hoped to take Fort Wagner, on Morris Island in Charleston Harbor, in order to gain a vantage point from which to launch an attack on the city of Charleston. Strongly defended, the first Union assaults (July 10th and 18th) resulted in extremely high casualties. Gillmore began formal siege operations and had reached to base of the fort by September 6th. The Confederate forces abandoned the fort during the night. This map includes Folly Island to the south of Morris Island, Charleston Harbor to the northeast and Coles Island to the north.