The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-04 00:00:00

THE ATTACK ON CHARLESTON.

A correspondent of the Providence Journal de
scribes the renewed attack on Charleston :-
4. United States steamer Montauk, inside
Charleston-bar, July 10.

" This morning was soft and mild. At a quarter
to 4 a.m. all hands were called, anchor was soon up,
and in a few moments we were well under way,

steaming well in across the bar. It was too early
to perceive the condition of affairs on Morris Island,
and not until half-past 4 o'clock could we easily
distinguish the shore. Admiral Dahlgren, who had
come up from Port Royal in the Augusta Dinsmore,
now took his position on board the Catskill, as his
blue pennant indicated. As wo crossed the bar the
work of the day began, commencing with the guns
of General Gillmore on Folly Island, which throw
three of their shell and grape over the low lands
and bluffs of Morris Island, into the channel be-

yond—indeed, into the neighbourhood of the four
ironclads. It was a magnificent sight indeed. One
heavy, unbroken, continuous boom, boom, boom,
filling the air with bursting shell and spreading
grape, and sending a broad, heavy veil of blue smoke
behind and over the woods, against the dark foliage
of which we watched with peculiar interest the ra-

pidly succeeding fleshing of the guns. It was now
half-past 5 o'clock, end the firing by the rebels
from Morris Island was very irregular. The iron-

clads steadily and slowly moved up the channel,
sending their blocks of iron across the island and
into the bluffs which lined the coast. The batteries
upon the bluffs were not used, probably from the
scarcity of men and the surprise of the attack. And
yet we saw men around the little clusters of tents,
which were near the batteries and upon the shore,
but they seemed excited and unable to man the
batteries, even if disposed, which they did not seem
to be after the location of part of our cargo in the
midst of them. Soon, however, we saw large
bodies of men coming from the centre of the
island up to and into the batteries which co-
vered the bluffs. Immediately our shell were
sent with astonishing precision among them, which
caused the evacuation of their stronghold to
be as rapid as the possession had been. Over the
tops of the bluffs, through the valleys between them,
around them, and in all directions, the rebels were
flying in straggling crowds, driven by our shells
from the seaward, and from the land side by the
troops of General Gillmore's army, whose occupa-
tion of the south end of Morris Island had been in-
dicated by the discontinuance of the firing of the
heavy guns and the rattling of musketry which now
filled our ears. No sooner would a crowd occupy
one of the batteries than a 15-inch would imme-
diately dislodge them, sending them in confusion to
the next battery, from which again they were scat-
tered in a similar manner. From bluff to bluff and
through the gullies the rebels were continually fly-
ing, never stopping to use the muskets which they
carried over their shoulders. Bnt now, over the low
point of beach on the south end of Morris Island ap-
pear a dozen or 20 men, bearing the familiar army
signal flag, and waving in excited exultation the
Stars and Stripes. They had scarcely come in view
when the solid black mass of our men, with splendid
front, and bearing above them our own banners,
came over the point and moved, line after line, in
beautiful order along the smooth beach. In vain the
rebels tried to turn the guns upon the bluffs upon the
advancing columns, for our shells immediately scat-
tered sand and men in all directions. The line of
bluffs, about half a mile long, had now all been eve-
euated, with the exception of one solitary battery,
from which they succeeded in throwing four shot
upon our advancing men. The concentrated fire of
the four ironclads in two minutes drove the rebels
from their last position, and sent them in flying
crowds down the hills and over the low lands to-
wards the city. Instantly our men secured the bat-
tery and turned the guns upon the flying rebels. In
25 minutes after the appearance of our men upon
the lower end of Morris Island they held all these
bluffs, and were using the guns. There are no other
earthworks upon Morris Island, except upon the
northern extremity, Between the bluffs and the
upper end, a distance of perhaps two miles and a
half, the island is low and narrow, easily swept by
guns from the channel. Along the slope are some
six or eight houses, towards which our forces
rapidly moved. About two miles from the bluffs
and near the shore, and within easy range of
Fort Sumter, is a large and finely constructed
earthwork, with all the usual accompaniments of an
extensive fort, and mounting probably some 20
guns. This fortification, called Fort Wagner, was
commenced immediately upon the breaking out of
the rebellion, and is a formidable affair. Farther
up, upon the extreme point of the island, and where
the old Cummings Point Battery was, is another
work, and a strong one, Battery Bee. Sumter covers
both of these. After the evacuation of the bluffs
we moved slowly up the channel, shelling the low
land as we moved. Soon the long range guns of
Wagner opened upon us, with an occasional gun
landward towards the troops. Shells were filed
from Wagner, destroying two of the houses on
shore, as they were serving as a protection to our
skirmishers, who were rapidly advancing under
their cover. The burning houses filled the sky
above with the black smoke, adding to the interest
which was now becoming intense. The four iron-
clads were now in excellent position off Wagner,
and sending their 11-in. and 16-in. shell through
and through the parapet, and opening great caves
into the immense solid walls and traverses which
formed the earthwork. Seldom was a head seen
above the parapet, and when the men sprang to load
their guns as soon as the black portholes in the tur-
ret were turned towards the fort, the men imme-
diately disappeared as though shot. Shell after shell,
with
an occasional shrapnel and grape, were sent
slowly and deliberately into the rebel works, doing
fearful execution among the men, guns, and the well
arranged
who had and nicely sodded bastions and angles.
pilot house and
was beco •
It was a naa
n.fi
possession
sight, and he was a lucky one
watched
of a standing within the little
scene which through the eyeholes the
the narrow seaway is Moultrie,
On the right is Moulti3aing so intensely exciting.
silent and still ; across
looming above the sea aumter, with its red walls
by
tehuend it, with its parapet
occasionally lighted
walls
under the rings of blue smoketi whichn-ilaßb' while from
so gracefully
issue their shot
float away above the strong
iue
and bolts, but falling into the water
the fleet no harm. To the rear of and doi
evidently
Snorter the
steamers are occasionally running,
carrying men and munitions. To the left of
Sumter is Cumming's Point and Battery B '
Bee
still further to the left is Fort Wagner, now being
torn and rent by our shells. On the extreme left
the regiments which were but a few hours before