The Camden confederate. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, 1863-07-17
Tire Attack on Morris Island.


the heavy and multiplied Yankee batteries on
Folly Island, which had been unmasked on
Thursday, by the telling Of the trees and tho
removal of the dense foliage which had hid
them from view, opened concentrated fire
supon the nine gun battery at the southern ex-
|tremity. of Morris Island, commanded by Capt,
u. c. Mitchell, lst Regt. S. G. Artillery. Our
battery at once replied, and the cannonade that
!ensued was one of fearful violence and rapidty
The following official dispatches from COL
Rhett. commanding at Fort Sumter, to Capt.
Nance, brought to the city the first definite IT,
|dings of what was going on:
Fort SUM:ER, 5 10 a. IN.
The enemy have just opened heavy fire on
captain Mitchell. A. RHErr' Col. Com'dg.
Fort SuMTEr, SO a. m.
Monitors in motio.,. Think they are going
Ito cross the Bar.
A. RHETT, Col. Com'dg.
Fort SUMTER, 5 so a. IN.
Can sec distinctly barges already loaded with
men concealed behind Little Folly Island
Capt. King has counted fifteen.
a. RnETT, Col. Com'dg
FoRT SUMTER 6 10 a. m.
Captain Mitchell is replying slowly from his
'guns. Three Monitors have crossed the Bar,
land are moving up to Morris Island.
A. RHErr, Col Comdg
Official dispatches from Col. Simonton, at Sc
Jacksonville, also announced threatening move
|ments of the enemy in the neghborhood of the
mouth of the Stono; but later intelligence show.
led these movements to have been mere fcints
designed probably to divert our attention from
the real point of attack, Morris Island.
The accounts which we gather of the fight
ing at Morris Island are, yet necessarily meagre
and unsatisfactory. 1t seems that after more
than three hours inccssant bombardment of
Capt. Mitchell's position, the enemy landed
lin barges at Oyster Point, and advanced so as
Ito flank our battery on the right. The infant
Try supports for the battery were driven back,
and Capt Mitchell anG his artillerist found
themselves nearly cut off from the main body
|of our forces. They bravely stood to their
|guns, however, up to the time that the enemy
had actually gained their position and then
those of the gallant gunners who were still un-
hurt retreated, fighting as they retired, along
the sands hills towards Battery Wagner with
Ter their infantry supports had preceded them.
The enemy having thus gained a foothold
upon the Island, lost no time in moving to.
wards Battery Wagner, which is a strong work
constructed particularly for defence against a
land attack, and running across the island some
distance this side ofthe battery which had been
abandoned. The enemy's infantry, supported
by their artillery and by the monitors, which
had now come within easy range, made several
distinct attempts to carry our works by assault;
but each time they were handsomely repused;
and finally retired to see8 shelter and rest
|among the sand hills at the southern extremity
[of the Island.
But the check which the yankee infantry
had received did not dismay their artillerymen
Tor gunboats; and all day long the hoarse thun.
der of their ordnance, answered by the spirited
fire of our own guns from various points, in
|cluding Fort Sumter, reverberated in the CITY
and long the coast. At last accounts Battery
Wagner was, in every material respect, unin-
jured.
OF the enemy losses in the action we have
|no account Our own are estimated at about
1900 killed, wounded and missing.-Mercury,|