Evening star., 1863-04-08
HE MOVEMENT ON CHARLESTON.
INTERESTING PARTICULARS
OUR ARMY IN POSSESSION OF COLES ISLAND
NINE MILES FRON CHARLESTON.

writes from Port Royal some highly interesting z
particulars concerning the expedition against
Charleston. The postscript to his latest let
ter is:
April ], a. m.-We are off this morning for
Charleston. We may stop day or two on the
North Edisto, but think the fight will COM
mence before the close of the week. C.C.F
From his correspondence we take the fol.
lowing:
AS 10 the mode OF attack resolved upon by
Admiral Dupont, nothing is definitely known.
Whether he will advance slowly first reducin ?
the outer forts, or whether he will dash on to
Sumter with his iron fieet-whether he will
pass Sumter and Moultrie and the sand bate
ries in silent contempt, and attack the city-or
whether he will first effect landing for the
troops OF Gen Hunter, before making a serious
demonstration on tie fcTts and the city, are all
subjects OF speculation here, as they are At the
Ncrih. He keeps his own counsel, and will
probably be guided in some measure by cir
cumStances as they may arise
j ne number OF guns now mounted by the
Teheis along the five miles of approach to the
city are estimated a. nearly tour hundred, in
Guiding those al Sumter, Moultre, Cummings
Point, Fort Pnkney, and battery command
ing the middle ground near the city There
ale also SAID TO be guns and mortars mounted
On Inc charleston Battery. which has fine
front on the appr0aches TO the city The troops
now assembled at and around Charleston for
It's defence are reported to number $1,000. 1t is
rresum that beth troops and guns will be
brought from Savannah 10 Join in the defence
IEere L, therefore, no doubt that the attack
on Charleston " i'll be the greatest naval under
taking in the history of the world. Against
these four hundred guns our iron-c will be
able TO bring TO bear not more than thirty.
though II Is doubtful whether mere than sixty
OF their guns can be brought to bear on the
1lt ct al any one time. Stlll. to reach the upper
works. if such should be the course adopted
they viii be compelled to run the gauntlet OF all
these immense batteries. The conflict must
therefore, be regarded in advance de-
pending on our powers of resistance and
ability 10 give harder blows than we may
receive. Admiral Dupont has beon supplied
by the Government with all the appliances of
science and art in guns, proiectiles and vessels
10 make his means OF attack equal to the
Rebels pows OF eience His vessels are com
manded by the most sklful and energetic Off
GERS OF our navy, and If he does not succeed it
VIII be rather from the inyulnerability of the
enemy than from any failure on his part to use
all the appliances placed at his disposal to the
best possible advantage.
The wooden gunboats and men Of war FORM
ing portion OF Admiral DupontS fleet are
yeiy numerous, and are on hand ready and
anxious TO participate i'll the fight. The New
lronsides, with her sixteen heavy guns in bat
terry. is also inside OF the bar, ready for action
That they will all be brought into service there
is 10 doubt, though the sswooden walls will
probably act as skITmisileTs on the outpo-ts
Tie enthusiasm among the officers and crews
as II may seem 10 non combatants, they are
JEALOUS OF the iron clad, whom they fear viii!
carry Gil ali the hoGors of the fight. Nothing
would please them better than an order to fol-
low the iron clads and pour in their broad
sides on the sand batteries. How they will be
used by the Admiral, Or whether used at all,
Is at present matter of conjecture. The three
mortar schooners. including the Para, command
I'd by Capt. Thurbur. are also here. and will
parnclpat te in the fight.
II our iron. .clads succeed in making their
way past the forts, Instructions and through
the beds OF torpedoes said 10 be planted in their
path. and summon the city to surrender, what
&ill he the result. VIII it be surrendered as
New Orleans. Memphis and Pensacola Were,
or abandoned as Beaufor., Fernandna and 81.
Mhry,s, or burnt up by the retiring enemy
TIE planting of guns on the wharves and bat.
terry would indicate a determination on the
part of Bea uregard 10 lay the city under our
fire as last resort. as his fire could only be
r,tEine from that quarter by a bolnbardment
Ct the city. The fin st houses face the battery.
and would soon be demolished if piled with
fifteen inch shell from the Monitor batteries.
a fire opened on our Monitors from the battery
would of course invite q res ponse. and until
their guns were siIenced the city would OF
course be under fire.
STEAMSHIP ERICSSON, PORT RoYAL,l
April |, 1863. {
This is "All Fools Day. and the balance
OF the iron fleet, with their wooden tenders are
wards the North Edsto. We win all be there
This evening i'll readiness to progress on the
city OF Charleston, far as indications are
concerned. and the weather, after four days of
heaVy storm and ram, is most favorable for
the work.
Admiral Dupont will also start to- day for
destination, on the James Adger, which will
probably be his flagship in the coming fight,
though 1t Is generally supposed that he will 90
into the engagement on board the lronsdes.
How long we viii wait i'll the North Edisto
is not known, though our stay there will prob
ably be short 1t is also not known whether
the attack will be made by day or by night We
will have fine moonlight nights, and the Ad-
miral will be able TO take his choice.
Passing mp either Malfitt's Channel or the
Ship Channel our iron-clads will be under
the fire OF the sand batteries for three miles,
before they reach Fort Sumter. By entering
the Swash Channel, which passes through the
centre OF the bar, they would avoid all the bat
terles until they get IN range of Sumter. The
Swash Channel, however, is too tortuous and
uncertain, SO that the entrance will doubtless
be made by the Ship Channel, which runs
along the range of the batteries on Morris ISL
and. This channel is better known. less
changeable, and more easily nayigated than
any of the others.
Thus on entering, the fleet, after running the
gauntlet OF all these shore batteries will ulti-
mateiy come in range of Fort Sumter. On ap-
proa ching Fort Sumter there will be a concen-
tration OF fire upon them such as has never
before occurred in naval history. The guns of
Sumter, Moultrie and Cummings Point will
be able to concentrate their fire on them at one
and the same moment, throwing a weight of
metal that would probably sink all the wooden
vessels in the navy if they should approach
within striking distance.
Within the harbor, beyond Fort Sumter, there
will doubtless also be a concen trated fire OF
great power, but then the city will be under
the guns of our Monitors. Whether it will
stand fire OF rIender time will disclose.
There are also Instructions in the harbor,
which, together with numerous torpedoes, will
render the work of reaching the city front one
of great hazard. Whether this will be accom-
plished or not a short time will decide. 1t will
be trial of Monitor vessels in which all the
power of modern artillery and engineering
skill will be arrayed for their destruction. They
VIII have TO undergo test as to their inyui-
nerability that will, If they should succeed, be
the death-knell OF all wooden vessels for future
naval warfare.
The Charleston papers, in recent reference to
the coming conflict, speak OF it contest for
the possession of the city" They no longer
make any threat of destroying it. The posses
sion or destruction of it will be the aim of our
fleet; and there is full confidence Of ultimate
success among our naval officers.
ADDITIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
THF MILITARY MOVEMENT TOWARDS CHARLEs
ToN--oUR ARMY IN POSSESSION OF COLES
ISLAND, s. c.
New York Herald's Army Correspondence |
COLES ISLAND. S. c., nine miles from Charles. |
AIny- hut