The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-04
the SIEGE 0f CHARLESTON.

day, We copy the following concerning
the siege of that city:
A fierce canuonadc between the land bat.
tefics, With an occasional shot at Fort Sum
ter, from the encny, was kept hp during
Sunday pight- The firing Montiay morning
was somewhat s!ackened At o o'clock one
monitor moved mp, took position off Cum.
mingss Point aud opened on Fort Sumter.
firing shot and shells from one gun abont
every fifteen minutes. Fort M0ultrie. and
battcries Gregg and Wagner also cpeued.on
the monitor with spirit. She retired about
iIOclock. At II Id. another mouitor made
yer appearance around the point, between
sumter and Gregg, and commenced firing
ON Sumter. Number one Yankee battery
aiso opened ON battery Wagner. the latter
replying slowly. Tie monitor off Cum
mingss Point engaged Fort Monltrie and
battery 0rcgg for short time, but found il
too hot. little before O'Clock the moni-
tors ceased firing and moved oil, evidently
to gain breathing time
Shortly before three o'clock in the after
Point, and approached Fort, Sumter until
within tbrec-quarters Of a mile, when they
formed in line of battle and opened fire on
Sumter, MOultrie. a,ll battery Gregg The
enemy, it ia believed, attempted to get au en-
tlading fire on the iats er fertilization. Fort
hoaitrie, batterie Bee and Bea,regard on
sulhyan's islasIay opened briskly with their
heavy guns on the monitors battery Gregg
also keeping up Il constant and vigorous fire
from Cummings Point. In about half an
hour one of the monitors left, it is believed
badly damaged. The engagement was con
tinued by the Others unii four O'clock, wllen
they also hauled of, batteries Gregg and
wagner giving them parting salute. Oar
batterl.s struck the monitors twenty eiyht
times, some of the shots striking plump on
the knuckle or base of the turret, evidently
infiicting considerable damage.
The heavy booming of the cannon heard
in the city brought crowds to White Point
battery and other points of observation, to
witness the conflict The monitors during
the action fired very slowly. The casualties
on our side are reported to be very slight.
With the exception of this engagement
there has been no further demonstration BY
the fleet. The number OF vessels iuside the
bar yesterday was fortyone, including the
lronsides and five monitors.
The bombardmeBt between the land!,at-
teries continued last night up to the hour OF
closing our report, twelve o'clock.
About , O'Clock Sunday night the steamer
Sumter was engaged in Transporting detacii-
ments Of the 6lst North Carolina, 23d Geor-
gia, and Goth South Carolina, from Morris
lslandto another part of the harbor 1t had
reached position, coming in outside of
Fort Sumter, when, by some unfortunate
blunder, it was fired upon by Moultric A
shot passed through its hull, causing it par
tally to sink, killing at the same time five
men, and wonadiDg several Others. Many Of
the men endeayored to escape by swimming,
and OF these, twenty it is said were droR ued.
Barges were sent to the rescue, and six hun
dred were saved fiOL the wreck
From letter found in the mail bag of the
gunboat Ottawa, eyidently written by an of
licer, we learn that Whtworth gun burst
in one or the shore batteries few days pre-
vioas to the date of the letter, killing IA num-
Der of blue jackets.
one hundred FOUNDER Parrott, rifled, also
burst on board the eunboat Mahaska. The
gun of the Ottawa has been fired five hun
dred times, and is ol....,ed TO be nursed with
wet cloths when hot.
NORTHERN CORRESPONDENCE STATEMENT
OF DEsERTERs
From the Charleston letters in the
New York HeruM we make some inter
esting extracts. The correspondent
says of
FORT WAGNER.
That battery Wagner Is a hard nut to crack
must by this time ne apparent to the people
Of the North. II is not yet in our posses
sion, though foot by foot and yard by yard
oar brave soldier, are digging their way into
it. During the bombardment OF seven days
not a moment has been lost in the work be-
fore Fort Wagner. With its supplies cut of,
aud our men welding the piekaye and the
spade under its very parapet, the prospect of
its early transfer TO Federal ownership daily
brig hlens. The destruction Of Sumter re
lieves guns and batteries which may now be
employed. That Wagner is dcs
tined to feel their po'ycE and yield before
them is considered certain.
CHARLESTON sHELLED AGAIN.
That Gen. Gliimorc means business is evi-
dent from the fact tLat the "swamp Angel"
Was again trained upon the city last night,
and several of her messengers waited upon
the inhabitants, il any yet remain. The guns
of the James Island batteries continued to
play upon this pet piece OF ours with great
animation all night, bat without damage, SO
far as l can learn. Think of a shell dying
aoiselessly through four or FIVE miles OF
space, dropping suddenly among the sleepy
people, exploding as it strikea, and, as it eX-
plodes, scattering a seething, liquid flame,
which no water viii eXtinguish, and you may
perhaps Imagine the CONSERVATION which
these "errand runners" produce. Fly on, yc
winged messengers Search out the hiding
places IF traitors, and in all the nests they
have builded catterdestruction and death.
: MORE DEsERTERs.
The monotony of the bombardment was
broken on Friday by the arrival of a partyuf
seven deserters from the rebel force on Sui
liyan's Island They hol been stationed
where a fun view of the effect of our shot
upon the easter.y face OF Sumter was always
before them. Upon the side Of the work
which is yct hidden to US they saw the bricks
20 down by carloads, the guns dismounted,
the casemates revealed and then destroyed,
and they know that Sumter mIst iali-that,
indeed, 1t was fast falling. SO these seven
men, Knowing that victory was certain to
The Yankees, tired of fighting longer for the
and anxious, if possible, to get
back to their hon;es in the Old North State,
procured pass from their commander tn
visit Mount Pleasant, stole boat and rowed
out iu the darkness OF the night to the Mon.
tauk. Capt. Fairfax picked them up and scGt
them ashore this morning.
The sight Of seven able-bodied men in the
rebel uniform, as they marched down to the
beach to the Provost MarshaPs Office was
sufficient to attract the attention OF every
one in camp, aud by the time they reached
Col. Halls quarters they had been subjected
to pretty thorough pumping. The curious
aud inquisitiye sent yolleys Of questions at
them ~ they passed along, and to all thesc
the graybacks responded with as much good
nature as if they had drawn bead or pulled
a trigger npon their questioners. In tAe
hands of the Provost Marshal they Were put
through another aidmore systematic course
Of sprouss.
ssWhat regiment do you belong to ~ aslscd
that Official"
.sEighth North Carolina.
.'Nvhen did you leave your commando
Last night, after maandoWn."
.'How did you get away?'
s.lN.. o.a,na In a small boat sir out 10 the