The Stage of Charleston.
The Courier, of Saturday, give the following account of the boat reconnaissance of Sumter:‘ The Yankee picket boats have become more daring in their approaches at night, and have made several unsuccessful attempts to annoy the garrison by creating false alarms and making feints at assault. About half-past 1 o'clock Thursday morning the sentinel on the southeast angle discovered a small boat approaching, and hailed it, when he was answered with an oath. The sentinel fired, and the boat immediately retreated. A short time afterward considerable musketry was heard directed towards the fort, apparently from the enemy's boats between Sumter and Gregg.--Some of the bails struck and a few passed over. At a later hour they again approached within four hundred yards this time, opposite the southwestern angle, when they were again fired upon, and retreated towards Morris's Island.
’ About half-past 3 o'clock Friday morning several of the enemy's barges, variously estimated at from four to nine, approached cautiously within three hundred and fifty yards of the fort, and were hailed, when they again answered with oaths and yells, and opened a musketry fire upon the fort.--The garrison replied with musketry, and for some ten or fifteen minutes the affair was quite hot and heavy. Fort Moultrie and battery Bee, on Sullivan's Island, with Fort Johnson, on James's Island, together with one of our gunboats, opened an enfilading fire on the barges as they retreated to Cummings's Point. The ricochet practice from Sullivan's Island was splendid. It is not known with certainty, but it is believed they must have sustained a severe loss.
From what we have been informed an assault has been expected for some time, and our military authorities, with Major Elliott and the garrison, have been ready to give the enemy the warmest kind of a reception. This little affair of Friday morning is supposed to have been nothing more than a feint, or an effort to reconnoitre in force, for which he has been severely punished.
The only casualty on our side was private T. Wheeler, company B. 1st South Carolina artillery, wounded slightly in head.
The enemy, no doubt stung to madness by the meagre results of his mighty and unparalleled struggle for the possession of Sumter, and seemingly despairing of ultimate success, has opened fire on the city. Since Thursday morning between twenty five and thirty shells have been thrown, fortunately injuring no one. The gun from which the shells appear to come is situated on the extreme end of Cummings's Point. The marsh battery ("Swamp Angel") now has a mortar in position, and occasionally opens fire on Sumter.
Private Edward Lake, of Capt. Simons's company, 27th regiment, S. C. V., (formerly Charleston battalion,) who was killed at Fort Sumter, was struck in the left cheek by a piece of shell, which passed downwards transversely, and rested in the right breast. His death is the more saddening as four or five members of his family, including his father and mother, had but recently died, all within eight days of each other. The only member left is a little girl of between thirteen and fourteen years old, who depended upon her brother for support.
