The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-10-09
siege OF OharIsston-Desert
story
The following letter is from the New
York Times:
PoRT Rowan s O., Sept rs.

OuE UOops ON mhTrlb lalanu are DuSltY
engaged piling up eaythworks aad erect
ing batteries, and reply very bluggishly
to the iron me ,sengers from Moultrie.
johnson and the other rebel batteries.
Sunday the rebel batteries were quite
active, anl we bad quite number woun-
ded. send you list of all the dead
and wounded since Sept IL.
Telling what is 10 Be done, is, of course,
oontrabsnd, but If "cOming events cast
their shadows BEFORE" there il certainly
something on foot Gen Gilmore has
formed a plan for future operations
which should be learned by tho rebels
only by experience. They have the fun
of seeing Wagner and Gregg metamor-
phosed into loyal batteries by the strong
hands of their own slaves. They seem
not 10 have forgotten the value Of those
strong points either, for to judge by tho
firing and Smelling, BeAuresard has a
greater anxiety about them nOw than
when garrisoned by his own men. Its
an important, and to US glorious fact,
that Gregg is az least mile nearer
Charleston than the location of the
Swamp Angel" and, should we desire
to scatter Greek fire again, our gunners
will have the satisfaction at least of
seeing where the shells sttike, and the
tfsct produced, as the very heart Of the
city is visible from Gregg. 1t does one
good to see with what precision our gun.
ners make a shell fall iust where they
want it to.
From the Charleston Courier, Sept &c.
The Yankees in large force were again
vigorously at work on Battery Wagner
all day yesterday. They have made
considerable changes, and have thrown
up formidable ssnd embellishments facing
James Island. They also appear TO be
busy preparing the ground behind these
embanhments tor platforms for guns. II
has not been positively ascertained
whether they have as yet mounted any
guns in Wagner or Gregg. Battery Sim
kins did some excellent shooting yester-
day among the groups of workers at
Wagner. Their only answer, however,
was to suddenly disappear at the flash of
the guns, and immediately reappear on
the explosion of the shells.
MORRIS ISLAND.
A party of seven deserters, belonging
to the First South Carolina regulars, came
over from Sullivan's Island at an early
hour this morning. They surreptitiously
seized boat used by Col Butler, who
commands at Fort Moultrie, and rowed
safely, under cover of darkness, to Nor.
ris Island, landing on the beach at
point between Wagner and Gregg. They
were all privates. Only one OF The num-
Der was armed, he taking gun for the
purpose OF knocking down the sentinel on
Sullivan's Island, in case he should inter
tere vita their movements In passing
the sentinel, he simply gave the usual
challenge, "Who comes there 2" and on
receiving the reply, Friends with the
cOuntersign," bade them proceed without
OBTAINING them for the countersign, which
fact certainly reflects much credit on the
military culture of the sentinel, who
doubtless received the congratulations
Of his friends the moment the event ha d
become known. The desertsrs are all
Northerners, and having been pressed into
rebel service, took the FIRST Opportunity
to escape, which did not occur till last
night. An equal number of their com
rades made arrangements TO accompany
them, but for some reason did not meet
ttilem al the appointed time. They state
that he rebel force on Sullivan's Island
consists Of five regiments. Sumter is
garrisoned by five companies of the
Charleston battalion. The heavy gun
which the rebels had mounted on the
wharf a, Charleston was Of Is inch ca
lrbre throwing solid shot weighing
$50 pounds, and a she'll 400 pounds IL
exploded at the fourth round, so that
is probably the last we shall hear of the
'bIg gun" which was destined to do
such fearful execution 0ne Of the par.
ty seated that a friend OF bic, acting
with an individual hailing from SsVsn-
nah, laid plan to blow up Sumter by
means at an internal machine, but before
they could carry out the design, the Sa-
vannah gentlemen exposed the plot re-
ceiviug for his services the sum Of $500.
The friend was shot as traitOr Com
siderable anxiety was manifested by all
classes with reference TO the iron olads
building in Eugland for the benefit OF
the Confederacy. They had been look
ing for the presence Of two or more OF
them in the midst OF our let tor some
days, and although they had not yet ar
rived, the rebels were very confident they
would ultimately turn up.