Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-07-15
LTHE. ATTACK ON CHARLESTON.
Prom the Charleston Mercury, 1lth Instant.
THE ATTACK ON MORRIS ISLAND.

Prom the Charleston Mercury, llth Instant.
THE ATTACK ON MORRIS ISLAND.
Daybreak yesterday witnessed the open.
ing of the second grand demonstration Of
tie enemy against the City of Charleston
At that hour, The heavy and multiplied, Yam
kee batteries on Folly Island, which had
been unmasked on Thursday, by the telling
of the trees and the removal Of the dense
foliage which had hid them from view, O.
pened concentrated fire upon the nine
gun battery ali the southern extremity Of
Morris Island, commanded by Captain j
G. Mitchell, lst Regiment s. G. Artillery.
Our battery al once replied, and the can
nonade that erlsued was one Of fearful VIC
lence and rapidity.
Official dispatches from Col. Simonton,
at Secessionville, also announcing threaten
ing movements of the enemy in the neigh
borhood Of the mouth of the Stono but
later intelligence showed these movements
to have been mere feints, designed proba
I bly, to divert cur attention from the real
point of attack, Morris Island.
The accounts which We gather Of the
fighting at Morris Island are, as yet, neces
sarily meagre and unsatisfactory. Itseems
that after moro thansthree houw incessanl
bombardment Of Captain Mitchels position,
the enemy landed in barges at Oyster Point
and advanced SO as to flank our battery on
the right. The Infantry supports. for the
battery were elrivensbaek, aud Capt. Mitch.
el and his artiIlerists found themselves near.
ly 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 unhurt re.
treated, fighting as they retired, along the
sand hills towards Battery Wagner, with.
er their Infantry supports had preceded
them. = = .@ T.
The enemy, having thus gaineda foot
hold upon the Island, lost no time in NOV
ing towards Battery Wagner, which is a
strong work constructed particularly for de-
fence against land attack, and running
across the Island, some distance this side
of the battery which had been aban.
doned. The enemy's infantry supported
by eirartilleryand 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 hand
somely repulsed, and finally retired to seek
shelter and rest among the sand hills at the
southern extremity of the Island.
But the check which the Yankee infant
ry had received did nosdismay their artille.
rymen or gunboats;; and all day long the
hoarse thunder of their ordnance, answered
by the spirited 6re.of our own guns from
various points, including Fort Sumter, re.
Yerberated in the city and along the coast.
AT last accounts Battery Wagner was, in
every material respect, uninjured. s
OF the ene,ny's losses in the action we
have no account. Our own are estimated
atabout S0O-killed; wouudedaud missing.
CUR SITUATION.
Charleston is untaken, and we judge that
If our people use mp at once to the emer.
geney, it will not be taken. But to save it,
prompt, daring, and desperate valor are now
essential; and this must be backed and
supported by MS much ready labor as can be
employed in securing, upon thespot, fruits
Of the most vigorous operations against the
enemy. In the present situation on Morris
Island, time is our enemy, and the position
of affairs should, we conceive, be changed
in the shortest possible time. at any cost Of
life and labor. Upon this, all may depend
for Charleston and the State. The cost of
circumspection and delay at this juncture
is likely to be ultimately tenfold that Of
bold aggression Does it not put;our cause
upon.the hazard Of scientific engineering
aud gradual approach :? Let us learn from
the foe, by the style of gallant attack upon
the battery at Secessionville last year, how
the Yankees, as yet without works, may be
driver from Morris Island. While the op.
portunity lasts, and ere it is too late, We
venture to throw out this suggestion for
what it is worth. Could we re-take the
south end of Morris Island, and quickly
build proper works, it would be better than
et.L;no onr e,fetvJ snleIv on Fort WAGNER.
From. Columbia Guardian, l3tl--spcclal Dispatch.
"CHARLEsToN, July ll.-The enemy,
1000 strong, made an assault on Battery
Wagner at day.break this morning, and
after sharp fight we're driven back, leav.
ing 95 dead in front of our works. We
captured 1876 prisoners. who have just been
brought to the city The enemy lost sew.
eral hundred wounded who were, carried
from the field. General Strong who led the