the rebels sent word that the fire would be opened in an hour.
At 4 o'clock the fire opened on us from every direction, including a hidden battery.
The fire opened with a volley from seventeen mortars firing ten inch shells, and shot from thirty-three guns, mostly columbiads.
We took breakfast very leisurely.
The command was divided into three watches, each under the direction of two officers.
After breakfast, they immediately went to the guns and opened fire on Fort Moultrie, Cummings' Point, and Sullivan's Island Iron Battery.--Cummings' Point Battery was of immense strength, and most of our shot glanced off.--Major Anderson refused to allow the men to turn the guns on the parapet, on account of such a terrific fire being directed there.
There was scarcely a room in Fort Moultrie left in a habitable condition, and several shots went through the Floating Battery, but it was but little damaged.
Two guns on the Iron Battery were dismounted.
A man was stationed, who cri
Suspicious.
--On Saturday last a small shop boat from the city anchored in Schooner creek, and remained all Sunday.
Late in the evening the sloop was observed to come out and go into Light-House creek; came out of the creek early Monday, and remained under the shore all that day. In the night she is supposed to have rounded Cummings's Point and gone to see, as nothing could be seen of her Tuesday morning. The battery on Morrit's Island fired at her, but with what effect is not known.--An unusually large number of schooners were' visible off the bar early Tuesday morning--Charleston Courier, 4th.
y calculate on at least two hundred by the time the attack is made.
Of these probably fifty command the approaches to Fort Sumter, and when that point is reached the fleet will probably receive the concentrated fire of Moultrie, Sumter, and Cummings's Point, where the famous railroad battery is stationed.
They will doubtless, however, be able to place themselves in such position between Sumter and Moultrie as that their miss shots will strike where they are not Intended.
The battery at CumminCummings's Point will be a mile distant, too far altogether even to dent the armor of an iron-clad.
The mode of attack concluded upon by Admiral Dupont is of course altogether unknown.
He may have determined to reduce the batteries on the islands at the entrance of the harbor, and then dash past Fort Sumter and demand the surrender of the city, receiving their combined shot and shell without response; or he may determine to first make the effort; to reduce and retake Sumter as a base of future op
orthern dates of the 15th inst., are received.--The attempt to capture Charleston is for the present definitely abandoned.
The army of General Hunter has returned to Hilton Head, and the iron-clads to Port Royal.
The Herald says "the attempt to take Charleston is, for the time, abandoned.
The iron-clad fleet of Admiral Dupont and the army of General Hunter have been withdrawn to Port Royal.
The experiment proved too hazardous.
The batteries of the enemy at Sumter, Moultrie, and Cummings's Point, and the obstructions in the channels, presented obstacles too formidable to be overcome by the force brought against them.
By the arrival of the Arago, from Charleston bar on the 11th inst., we learn these facts.
The fire from the batteries was tremendous, as the condition of the Keokuk shows.
She was fairly riddled through and through with highly polished steel shot, weighing a hundred pounds each, furnished to the rebels by England.
Our vessels fired in all only one hundred and f
was useless, and the drifted with the current — At last, after great exertions are exae of herself.
The other vessels sheered off and avoided the same peril.
There was no setting into the required position in this way. --Any attempt to persevere in that course would have rendered the fleet unmanageable and exposed it to destruction.
in the attempt to get round or past Fort Sumter in that way the building Monitors sought another opening; but even the shoal ground between the fort and Cummings's Point was barred up with piles.
In fact Fort Sumter was found to be the apex of a triangle, the two sides of which were impossible to our vessels, and at the base line of which they were exposed to a concentric fire from Forts Sumter and Moustric, the Kedan, Battery Lee, and Fort Beauragard.
Thus brought to attend, and nothing being left but either to batter down Fort Sumter or retire, the iron clads went relotainly to their work.
Strectching themselves in a line between Sumter and Moustri
ded, and missing, Including three officers killed--Captains Yaskell and Cheves, and Lieut Bee.
It is supposed the fight will be renewed tomorrow, (11th)
[official dispatches.]
The following official dispatches were received at the War Department in Richmond, Saturday, July 11:
Charleston, July 10. To General S. Cooper,
At dark the enemy retained possession of the Southern portion of Morris's Island. Four monitors engaged the battery Wagner, and the battery at Cumming's Point, all day, without damage or casualties; but the loss in opposing the landing was severe--three hundred killed and wounded, including 16 officers.
The enemy's loss is evidently heavy. G. T. Beauregard.
Charleston, July 10--11½ P. M. To General S. Cooper.
The enemy has a threatening force on the lower front of James's Island, along the Stone.
An attempt was made to-day to destroy the Savannah Railroad bridge over the Edisto river, but was foiled, with the loss of one st
that work on the morning of the 11th.
The parapet was gained, but the supports recoiled under the fire to which they were exposed, and could not be got up.
Gen. Gilmore says "that our losses in both actions will not very much from 150 in killed, wounded and missing.
We have taken eleven pieces of heavy ordnance and a large quantity of camp equipage.
The enemy's loss in killed and wounded will not fail far short of two hundred."
Everything on the island except the battery at Cummings's Point and Fort Wagner is how in our possession.
The staunchness of the monitors was well tested in the fight.
They stood the tremendous fire of the rebel forts splendidly and came out of the action unshaken.
The army of the Potomac--Gen. Lee's escape.
The "Situation" article of the Herald has the following information:
The particulars which we receive from the Army of the Potomac afford additional evidence that with the exception of the capture of 1,500 rebels, which we anno
not soon to be forgotten Gray old Sumter lay like a half aroused monster midway of the scene, only occasionally speaking his part in the angry dialogue.
Far in the distance were the blockaders, taking no part in the fray.
To the right, on Cummings's Point, was a little mound of earth, and every now and then we could see a band of artillerists gathered around the guns, a volume of smoke, and far to the right exploding in the vicinity of the enemy's batteries its well aimed shells.
Still to thdense clouds that had already gathered over the field of conflict.
During the whole of this bombardment, until six o'clock in the evening, our casualties, strange to say, only numbered four killed and fourteen wounded. Battery Gregg, at Cummings's Point, and Fort Sumter, taking part in the thundering chorus, were now firing with greater rapidity than at any previous time during the day. The entire horizon appeared to be lighted up with the fitful flashings of the lurid flames that shot out
From Charleston. Charleston, July 24th, 9 P. M.
--The bombardment was renewed early this morning, with rapid and continuous firing until a flag of truce went down at 9 o'clock.
The attack was renewed this evening, the enemy occasionally firing at Cumming's Point, Sumter replying heavily.
The firing is still going on.
We sent down to the fleet to-day one hundred and five paroled prisoners and received forty.
A physician just from Hilton Head says that 54 of our regulars took the oath of allegiance last Wednesday.
The casualties this morning were three killed and six wounded. Those which occurred this evening not heard from.
[second Dispatch.] Charleston, July 25.
--Regular firing from Fort Sumter and battery Wagner at the Yankees on Morris Island was kept up all night, and continued all of to-day.
The Yankees occasionally responded from their batteries on Morris Island.
The monitors and the Ironsides, lying outside, took no part to day. The
lity against it. We shall be much mistaken if he does not have cause to see the error he has committed are long.
It may not be armies to add here that England should have shown more foresight, as she will understand when we turn our arms against her in Canada.
Effect of our fire on the Fisher iron Clads at Charleston.
A correspondent of the Chicago Times writing from the monitor catenoid, off Charleston, on the 11th, says:
This morning 9,20 beat to quarters, steaming for Cumming's Point; at 10,5 fired our first shot; kept on firing all the morning till 12.15, when we beyond range for dinner; at I spliced the main braise, and it was needed, for the both-deck, when we are in action, is awful hot and full of powder smoke.
The fellows in the turret have the most and hardest work, yet have plenty of fresh air. this morning we sent to one of the wooden vessels near some of the men who were fired out, most of them firemen, and a boy that belongs in the turret.
A piece of
