The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-07-25
From CharlestOn..The Attack OH
Morris Island.

| MORRIS ISLAND, two miles from Fort
Sumter, July 10, 1S63.-On the 18th of June
Gen. Gilmore arrived in the Department
of the South, and on the 18th assumed
commend, and Immediately entered upon
the discharge of his duties.
Scarcely had his staff officers taken their
seats in the headquarter rooms at Hilton
Head the day before vacated by the staff
of Gen. Hunter, before the Chief Quarter
master of the Department was called upon
for transportation to Folly Island, and in
few moments thereafter the little steamer
Mary Benton was seen speeding out Of the
bay and over the ocean toward Charleston
with the General commanding the depart
ment on board.
Steamers from Beaufort, from Fort Ptl-
laski, from Fernandina, and from st. ST.
mons Island with officers on board who
desired to pay their respects to the new
commander, came up to the wharf at Hill
ton Head, but upon learning that General
Gilmore had more important business on
hand than even to become personally ac-
qua!nted with his principal officers, return
ed to their posts and awaited his pleasure
for an interview.
Upon arriving at Folly Island, Gen. Gill
more discovered that the southern point of
the island, commanding Stone and Folly
Rivers, and also Coles Island, was sutfi-
gently fortified to prevent incursions upon
the transports in the little harbor from the
Rebel lron-clads; but that upon the ex-
IRENE north point, commanding Light
house Inlet and the southern point of Nor
RS Island, not a single earthwork had been
erected nor gun mounted, and nothing
but few pickets scattered thinly along the
beach offered any resistance to the Rebel
occupation OF the island. So strong was
the southern extremity, and so weak the
northern, that Gen. Gilmore remarked to
the ofncer III command of the island that
could II be turned around on pivot, seve-
raj weeks hard shoveling and engineering
would be saved to him. but as it was, all
the available troops must take hold and
accomplish in twenty days what, if COM
menced In time, might have been extended
through three or four months.
Folly Island, it will be seen by reference
10 the accompanying map, is a strip of land
extending from Stone River to Light house
Inlet, distance of seven miles, and from
the ocean to Folly River, one mile.
The lower tWo-thirds OF the island is COW
cred with thick growth of palmetto and
pine trees, the upper one-third consists of
low marshy swamp with the exception OF
the small point running out upon Light
house Inlet, which is covered with a thick
stunted growth OF live oak and pamettoes.
SpIlnging out Of sand hills made from the
sea, ranging from ten to twenty-five feet in
night, and to the quick perceptible facul-
ties OF General Gilmore furnishing admira-
bic positions for masked batteries.
On Morris Island, on the opposite side of
Light house Inlet, the rebels had already
erected, since the late naval attack upon
ort Sumter, several batteries, in all noun
tlnS nine heavy columbiads, and three ten
iaeh mortars, all bearing upon Folly Is
land, the mouth of Lighthouse Inlet. and
11nIeapproach to the Island via Folly River
a inlee Oh 5hese guns are also upon pivots,
anu anu coulo De brought to bear upon mont
TORS or gunboats in case thew should again
make the attemptto reach Charleston tRro'
the southern channel,
AT tne tlIne OF Gen. Gilmore's arrival m
on Folly Island, the rebels were ayvara
from several little night reconnoissancas
they had made, that no guns had been
mounted by US upon the extreme northern
polII liiat the only thing resembling an
earthwork was ut the southern side of tha
swamp, and that wooden instead Of iron
columblads were mounted in them.
After Gen. Gilmore's arrival and ,otu-
rally supposlng that new com mandar
would adopt different plan from the Gem
eral he had superseded, the Rebels com
menced the almost daily practice of throw
ing few shells over TO Folly Island. in
tending thereby to be able to prevent tha
erection of batteries directly bearing mon
their own. Gen. Gilmore kent his own
counsei, lnaintainedth the profoundest silence
III anything weakened instead of strength
ened his picket force, did not in single in
stance reply to their cannonading, but du-
ring the day time did everything he could
70 iead them to suppose that he was simply
stahalhg on the defensive, and had no tho't
of entering upon an active camnairn until
the not SIMMER months had passed.
But, If quiet, listless and idle by daylight.
at night he worked with almost superiu,
man energy. The sand-hills at the north