Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-07-25
FROM CHARLESTON.
THE ATTACK ON MORRIS ISLAND.

almost daily practice of throwing few |
shells over to Folly Island, intending there |
by to be able TO prevent the erection of bat |
teries directly bearing upon their own. Gen. |
Gilmore kept his own counsel, maintained |
the profoundest silence, ifanything weaken |
ed instead of strengthened his picket force,
did not in single instance reply to their
cannonading, but during the day time did
everything he could to lead them to sup
pose that he was simply standing on the
defensive, and had no thoughts of entering
upon active campaign until the hot Sum-
mer months had passed.
But, if quiet, listlcss and iGle by daylight,
at night he worked with almost superhuman
energy. The sandhills at the northern point
of Folly Island teemed with life. Hundreds
of spades and shovels nightly flashed in the
moonlight, but not in sight of the Rebels.
From Hilton Head, huge mortars and Co
lumbiads and Parrot guns were put on
board Of transports, which, under the light
of the stars or the moon, sailed for Stono
Inlet, discharged their cargoes and before
morning dawncd were on their return to the
point Of their departure. From Stono Inlet
these immense guns were dragged to the
batteries erected for them through sand
roads over which it is almost impossible to
urge your horse faster than a walk. In
mcnse quantities of round-shot and SHELL
heavy timbers, ponderous dcrricks and
cranes. in fact, everything necessary to COM
pletc the works by man and horsepower
were transported during the night, at times
through terrific thundcr-storms, to the exact
position required by the engineers in charge
of the works
In less than three weeks ten battcries-in
all containing forty-eight guns of the hca-
West caliber-were erected within four hun
dred yards of the enemy's works without
his having the slightest suspicion that any
thing more formidable than light artillery
was within seven miles of him. The earth
works erected, the guns in position, the am
munition all on hand, nothing was wanting
but the execution of few light military
combinations before the attack upon Morris
Island should commence.
At the same time that Gen. Gilmore was
erecting these batteries, he was also trans
porting all his available infantry from st.
Helena and Port Royal Islands to Folly Is
land. In the darkness transports heavily
laden with troops left the bay of Port Royal
and before morning disembarkcd their loads
on Folly Island. Whole divisions were in
this way transferred to the field of action.
The pine and palmetto groves OF this little
island of the sea soon swarmcd with troops,
but so well were they protected by the shrub
berry and sand-bills, that one might have
sailed around the island for weeks without
having discovered anything more than
few tents on the beach and along the margin
of the river.
Everything, so far as human foresight
could discern, connected with the cXpcdi-
ton had been successful. Artillery and in
tantry were all on hand, and dcsertcrs and
prisoners almost daily arriving told us that
nothing was known within the Rebel lines
OF the movement.
Gen. Gilmore, to insure perfect success
in capturing the lower batteries upon Morris
Island, decided not to rely upon the strength
of the works he had himself erected, but to
bring to his aid u stOrning party from some
Of the best regiments Of the old 10th Army
Corps.
Gen. Strong. an experienced and brave
officer, who had served with Gen. Butler in
New-Orleans, asked permission to lead the
column. On the night before the attack
was to be made something more than 100
small boats and launches were towcd up
Folly River, and before daylight were filled
with detaChmcnts from the ith Connecticut,
Lieut.. Col. Rodman in command the 9th
Connecticut, Col. Chatiicld; the 9th Maine,
Col. Emery 10Th Pennsylvania, Col. Straw
| bridge; four companies OF the 4Sth New
York. Lieut.. Col. Green in command, and
! the 3d New Hampshire, Col. jackson.
Sailors from the lronsidcS, Wabash, Pow
hatan, Canandaigua and Pawnee manned
many ol the boats and worked the howitZcrs
mounted upon the bows of the advanced
| ones.
AT five o'clock this morning we opened
upon the batteries on Morris Island from
/ our entire line Of works on Folly Island.
( The first shot from a 20-poundcr Parrott
/ dismounted the gun it had been trained
/ upon the day before, and highly compli-
mcnted the gunncrs for the accuracy. The
/ Rebels, entirely taken by surprise, sprang
! upon the top Of the sand hills to see where
/ the fire came from, but as gun after gun
/ opened along the line, soon dropped back,
and were not again seen until they were
| prisoners within our own lines.
| For three hours we continued the cannon
/ ade, nearly onc-half of which time we were
/ also assisted by the monitor tlcet-Admiral
| Dahlgrcn, on board of the Catskill, in COM
/ mand-which at an early hour had crossed
| the bar at the southern channel, and had
/ drawn up in line of battle along the southern
end of Morris Island in order to deliver an
cnhlading fire and harass the enemy on his
/ Catskill the Nahant the Montauk, and the
/ Ncehawken, were engaged, and, if the
I prisoners taken can be believed, did much
TO demornlize the enemy, and hasten the
! capture Of the works. As soon as the fire
from Morris Island began to slackcn and
| grow wild, Gen. Gilmore signaled to Gen.
Strong, who with his little boat fleet lay
concealed in Folly River, to land his forces,
and assault and carry the batteries at the
point Of the bayonct. The order was no
| sooner given than executed. With shouts
and cheers the troops sprang ashore, formed
( IN line of battle, with the 9TH and 9Th
/ Connecticut on the right, the 9th Maine
and 79th Pennsylvania in the center, and
the 3d New Hampshire and 4SIh New Yorl,
ON the left. In less than ten minutes the
right and center had carried all the batteries
and the left all the le-pits-captu ten
columbiads, two l0-inch mortars, one Whit
| worth gun, together with nearly the entire
I garrison, consisting of the lst South Caro-
lima Artillery and 10 companies of the 2lst
south Carolina Volunteers, in all numbering
1856 men.
This Unexpectedly quick and brilliant
success in capturing these strong works and
] OltuiuIuu lnuprtaUt t,,tiu,F t,,.V . Ia.