The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1863-09-10

llEADR 70. u. DZQ O.A l.. !
Morris Island, SC, Aug. lG, 'G3
Mr. kALB-Der Sir: / am happy
to inform you that / received your
kind and interesting letter Of the 3d
inst. by the last mail. | will endeayor
without delay, to answer it, though it
is Very difficult to get up anything
readable, as General Order No. GG
prohibits any one in this department
from writing anything that would in
the least aid OF comfort the enemy.
No doubt this order will be violated
in some instances, and the only way
to insure secrecy would be to detain
the entire mail i'll the department un.
til it could do no harm.
Everything here is progressing ia
vorably. Very few are killed by the
enemys shells that constantly are
bursting over and around our works
at short intervals. The correspon-
dent Of the New York Herald says it is
safe TO say that in few days an arma-
ment will be brought to bear on the
forts and batteries i'll Charleston har-
Dor such as was never before known.
August 17th.-I could not get to
finish my letter yesterday, and this
morning that armament was brought
to bear. The ball has opened again.
Last evening as the sun went down |
was looking at the fleet; all around
was quiet except an occasional shot
from TT. Wagner at our works. The
Ironsides with Monitors around her
reposcd calmly on the bosom Of the
ocean in front Of the harbor. They
reminded me Of an old duck with six
ducklings swimming around her on
some mill pond on Rushcrcck. but
that simile ended this morning after
our two hundred Founders commenced
to play on TT, Sumter; these boats were
formed in battle array and as they 0d-
vanced into the mouth of the harbor
belching forth fame and smoke by the
hogshcad full, they reminded me Of
nothing | had ever seen, but seemed
more like tabled monsters ofthe infer
nal regions, than anything earthly.
Before this famous work was halfdone
a breach was made in the southwest
corner Of TT. Sumter directly over the
magazine. Our fire was directed prin-
cipally at batteries Gregg and Wagner.
The wooden gunboats did good eXeeu-
ton on Fort Wagner. The Ironsides
paid more attention to Gregg and Sum-
ter. The land batteries had each a
few cast-iron complimentspaid them.
The rebels returned the fire from all
the aforesaid forts, and kept up scat
tering fire from their sand batteries on
James Island and Fort Moultrie, oeca-
sionally making pass at the front
Monitors. Toward evening the fire
slackened on both sides, and about four
o'clock the Ironsides withdrew from
the harbor to her anchorage with their
flags at half-mast l have since loarned
that one of their captains was killed
by solid shot striking the pilot-house
which he was in.
There has been great deal Ofmetal
exchanged to-day, but strange as it may
seem the casualties on our side have
been few; not more than three or four
have been injured and mono killed on
land that l have heard. Nothwith.
standing, any person who is anywisc
anxious to save his skin would not
think it apleasant situation to be lying
in the open trenches within 800 yards
of Fort Wagner and have the grape
canister, and Whitworth shells whiz-
zing around and bursting overhead and
the solid shot and bombshells from
other forts plowing around until one
is almost covered with sand This is
notparticularly pleasant TO US but posi-,
lively we have became so accustomed
to itthat our former unpleasant feeling:
have subsidized and the scare now is in
teresting,. Every thing, this evening
seems to be progressing as it should
I would not be surprised if we woult
have full possession of Charleston har
Dor before the bombardment is KEEP
. up two weeks, sr aa.
l think the enemy will either be cap
tured or driven entirely. away by the
first Of November next. five accom-
plish our object, even in that time,
have no doubt there are some people