The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-11

End Of the Contest for Battery Wagner
--Frightful Bom5ardmeat-Ev Evacua
tion Of Norris Island by Our Troops

A>V''sV.$s
tion Of Norris Island By Our Troops
The Charles st1n Mercury, of Monday,
furnishes us with an interesting account
Of the evacuation of Morris Island and
the terrific bOmbardment preceding it
On Friday at dawn large United States
flag was discovered Haunting from a
work Of the enemy within $50 yards Of
Wagner. About 8 o'clock the enemy
opened fire from their land works and the
lronsides on the fort, and during the day
advanced their parallels short distance
from their main approach. The Mercury
says:
At 3o'elock ON Saturday the enemy again
opened upon Wagner from all their land bat
teries, assisted by the Ironsides, several gun
boats, aud an occasional shot from the mon
itors. This sbOmbardmeut--beyon all donbt
the most fierce and long continued which has
taken place against Wagner since the begin
ming Of the siegc-lasted throughout Satnr
lay aud Saturday night, and did not abate
sntii Sunday morning at O'Clock. Nor was
this abatement Of much duration. The fire
was soon renewed, and was continued with
little less vigor all Sunday, the Ironsides-
which maintained position between Gregg
aud Wagner, and kept shelling Wagner and
the beach--being especially active.
1t was on Saturday night, however, and on
Sunday morning up to s A. NJ, that the bonn
bardulent ragged with its greatest fury. The
shots-many Ct them coming together, rs
from the hroadsidc of q ship--Were often
more than sixty TO the minute. Our bate
rites on James Island OF course joined in The
melee, and did their utmost to annoy the
enemy's land batteries.
ATTEMPT To ASSAULT IN RARGEs
The bombardment of Wag1er was not the
| only event of Saturday night. About 10
o'clock the enemy displayed from the deck
Of monitor oh Morris Island an immense
calcium light, and several monitors soon ai
| ter moved up and opened on battery Gregg
Moulirie and Gregg replied with spirit. At
| 4 quarter to two rocket was thrown up,
| and ere many minutes elapsed the enemy
were deserted approaching Morris Island al
point between Gregg and Wagner. The,
had come down in barges through the creek
west of Morris Island, obviously with the
design of assaulting Gregg in the rear Ad-
yancing iu line of battle they were permttt d
| to come very II, ar, when y inch Dahigren
| opened upon them at lort range With dou-
bic canister
Our howatZers then commenced a fire OF
schrapnel and canister, while our infantry,
| admirably posted, poured into them fire OF
musketry. Moutrie, battery Bee, and battery
Mitchell also opened upon them rapid and
| most demofalizing fire This they could not
Withstand, AMI though for a very short while
they maintaineda fire Of muskctry and grape
shot from their bargcs, they were soon forced
| to withdraw, seemingly much surprised and
confused by their reception and our admila-
bic disposition. 1t is said that few gained
the shore, but these soon scampered to their
boats, SO that no prisoners were taken. The
,,,{jg, AZ fftn.t
attempt at an assault was probably not incon-
siderable, but as all who were struck fell in
the boats the extent of that loss is Of course
unknown. Some bodies we're found which
hoated ashop.
THE SCENE IN CHARLESTON HARBOR.
1t is almost impossible to describe the ter
rible beauty of the sceue in Charleston har-
| Dor as witnessed on Saturday night from the
city. From Monltrie almost to Secession
Vile, whole semicircle of the horizon was
| lit mp by incessant flashes from cannon and
shell. AS peal on peal of artillery rolled
across the waters, one could scarcely resist
| the belief that not less than 1 thousand
great guns were in action. 1t was a grand
chorus of hell, in which MolQch might have
assisted and over which Satan might have
presided. All this went on beneath waning
september moon, which, with its warm
Southern light, mellowed by Il somewhat
misty atmosphere, brought out softly, yet
distinctly, the most distant outlines OF the
harbOr.
The loss at Wagner during this awful
bOmbardment was considerable. Up to )
o'clock on Sunday it amounted to one hun
dred and fifty in ktllel. and wounded. Probl-
bly, many more were added To these casual
ties in the course OF f.ie day.
At Gregg there were but eight casualties
on Saturday night during The silirnish with
The barGeS. Among them was Captain of
the eth Georgia Volunteers.
Under cover Of their ceaseless fire the
Yankees had approached on Sunday within
forty yards of Wagner. During the bonn
hardment of Friday last the brave and Jealous
Major Warley was wounded at Wagner by
the fragment OF n shell. He was struck on
the ankle, aud the wound is said not to he
severe About . o'clock +. NJ. of that day
he was put into barge-ihe Leo, belonging
to Gen Ripley-to be brought to the city.
OF this barge, with its gallant freight, and OF
its crew, which was made up Of white men,
nothing has been heard up to the present
moment. The inference is that it was cap
tured, with all Oh board, by reconnoitering
party of the enemy, whose small boats night
IL patrol the waters between Morris Island
and Fort Johuson. Col. Rhett's boat, re-
turning from Morris Island to Charleston
Saturday night, with Lieut.. Jones, passed
between several of these prowlers, aud was
not fired on, probably on account of the
contemplated attack on Gregg
FIRING on FLAG OF TRUCE.
On Sunday Commander A. f. Warley Went
down in the Jano. under Il flag OF truce, to
carry certain dispatches, and also with the
purpose OF discovering the fate OF the miss
ing officer. He was fired on fourteen times,
but came to anchor under fire, and was met
by Ensign Porter. This officer replied to the
Commanders Inquiries "that he had been
away" Oh Friday hight, aud that though he
had heard that there ind been n capture he
was not aware whether Major Warley was
among the prisoners or not. He added that
he would inquire, and if Major Marley was
captive he would inform the Commander
when the dispatches were answered. No re-
ply has yet been received.
Ii will scarcely he believed Qhough What
would not one believe of i lankee?) that
the shore batteries fired for some time OH
the Juno, utterly regardless of her hag OF
truce. Eight shots were directed at her, even
after she had come to an anchor, with the
white ensign OF peace at her fore. Nor did
they fire badly. Several shots passed through
her rigging, a few dashed the spray into the
faces OF the crew, and not one passed more
than five steps from the ship.
EVACUATION Or MORRIS ISLAND.
To snm up the events through which we
have just passed, battery Wagner has been
subjected during the last three days apd
nights to the mest terrific fire that any earth
work has undergone in all the annals of
warfare. The immense descending force ot
thu auormnus ParrOtt and mortar shells of