Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-08-25
rHr sirafi Of UnARLEsroN.
PRGGRESS OF TIE BuABARDMENT OF FORT
SUMTER, &c

we rec lied mass of exchange papers from the South
including dates from Tuesday to Saturday last We
copy from the Charleston papers their Of each
days progress Cf the siege:
Toe Mercury Of Tuesday says:
The bom5ardms1t of Monday one of unprece.
deut,d severity Sunday night had been comparatively
quiet but early in the morning the Iron SIDES with the
iett of moIi aud gunboat+ opened on Forts Wag
ner and egg and ABOUT o'clock the Parrot guIs
of the Yankee land batteries opened Fort Sumter
Che firing was fast and !urious-all of our lard
batteries entering ntO the contest. Between ten
and eleven o .locE, a. N the lronsides six moui-
tors aud fix gubbostS rounded G. point oil Morris
] Island and engaged Fort Sumter. The result Of
this portion OF the days operations most en-
couragng Indeed Eye witnesses assert that tie lron
sdes and the monitors were repeatedly struck by shells
from Samter and Gregg. At last, ter engagement
Of neatly lhres hours, the feet drew off dscomh ed
In retreang the lrOusldes observed to make sig
nal aud Immediately afterwards the whole squadron
displayed their flags 1t half s;-a p;ooi 1t is thought
that some Ci Ger OF high rank had fallen boaIu
the Ironsdes.
In the afternoon Il feet sglin renewed their bonn
bardment on Wagner, which, under heavy fire If
sh(l, still replied with ygor. At the same He The
Parrot guns, which had ceased their ire
tie Iepuse OF the ships, continued 10 play upon Sun
10 these land batteries, aud among Them some
ones it reported, that had not b.iore BEEN opened
replied for he fort The firing id not slAcken until
late in the afternoon and at the hour write it is
tinued at irregular il t1ryals.
The Mercury pays the following tribute to the men-
org of Cap. j. NJ. Wampler of the Engineers who was
XII led by shell ON Monday while duty at his post,
Battery Wagner, Morris Island;
Ia this commu lity, where CT ain Wamper was al
total stranger, few, perhaps will linger in
over the brief announcem1 of his fall Bat amongst
his former comrades in the army of Virginia, well
as in the army of Tennessee the n,ws vi lis death
will De- indeed painful shock. He was VIrginiaD,
and in his thirty seccni year. when the clouds
which preceded this present Storm Of gather
ing and the Old Dominion summoned her sons TO her
defence promptly aud jealousy he Serd The cal,
and the first clash Of upon the Jlns of Manassas
found him Ca tain III the eight Virginia regiment,
galInty leading his company in the thickest of tie
hght. In March oil the 10 lowing year he commits
stoned Captain Of Engneers-a branch Of service for
" ch he W. well fitted by hi' previous civil pursuits
and became attached to the staff of General Beauregard
whom he accomrar ed to the West He continued in
active service with the Engineer Corps of the Amy Of
Tennessee and after the transfer Of Col Harris TO hs
der art ment was appointed Chief Engineer the staff
OF General Bragg. This position he retained until a
lew weeks ago. when he ordered hitler to supply
the psce-and, alIs to share the ate-of the lament
ed Cle:es.
Since the war began, Captain Wamper has served
the Confederacy with uatirng energy and fidelity he
died manfuly dschargng his p,rlous dIies in the face
of the enemy. No Drawer officer, no more unselfsh
patriot has sanct6ed the sands Of Morris Island With
his liie-blood.
TIE Courier of Wednesday has the following account
of Tuesdays operations:
After the withdrawal of the fleet Monday afternoon,
a steady fire wa1 maintained during the night between
the lu,d batteries that tf the enemy being directed
principally sgtnst Fort Sumter About daylight Tues
day morning the Ironsdes aud four monitors moved up
and re.opeued fire on batteries Gregg and Wagner.
| One monitor came round cummings Point took posi-
ton about three quarters OF Il mls from Sumter, aid
| commenced firing upon the fort The latter replied
eec ualy as the monitor in about half an hour retreat
ed behind Morris Island She WAS not seen to FIRE af-
forwards.
A little after twelve o'clock two monitors engaged
battery Wagner the latter replying with vgor. About
tao o'clock the firing from the hori.ors suddenly ceased
and one was observe TO move eff evidently badly cIp
| pled This finished the firing by the feet Tuesday.
| The land batteries, however kept up rapid and
heavy FIRE, the ereny using mostly his two hundred
FOUNDER PARROTS against Fort Sumter. The lombard
ment of Tuesday, although severe, not furious
as the engagement OF Monday There 10 casual
ties at Fort Sumter yesterday, aud none reported at
Battery Wagner up to two O'COck.
The Mercury of Thursday says:
Thesenemy maintained slow but steady fire upon
Sumter throug bout Tuesday night The bombardment
of the Fort by the euemy's two huudsed pou'd Par
| rott gurs on Wednesday was even heavier than the
bomOArduents OF Monday and Tu, lay. Il continued
without interim sion, aud with more less rapidly
through the day. and had not ceased at the hour OF
going TO press Indeed It may be said that SUMTER Tor
the last three days has probably withstood heavier
fire thln any fort its class sustained before In
| the meanwhile, the Parrot guns beln beyond the
range of Sumter that Fort has generally remained ST.
lent only throwing Occas onllly few shells at the dee.
Two or three shots fred ut the IroL sides late
| the ternoon Of Wednesday
Warner had Z mDaratively quiet time. In the
morning. and again ut noon the lror Sides which sill
maintained its pos ton nearly abreast of the fot and
two Monitors as aued il with their shells but uict
no damsg5 Whltever. Up 10 late hour no casualty
reported from Morris Island.
Our land batteries continue to sAnoy the enemy with
out cessst on.
General Ripley pulled do vn to Fort Sumter in the
afternoon under u heavy fire, and remained there for
some time examuirg its condition. He found the gar
ism still mail tani the admirable disc pine for which
i. has always been remarkable Guards were turned
out aud the usual etiquette observed strictly as il
nothing was going on without. Thu under shch trying
circumstances those through which the garrison are
plssing-the being subjected fire which cannot be re
tarned-s most convincing proof Of its high tone ard
| soldierly iorti,uds.
The same paper, abiding TO the statement of Yam
kee letter writer that 1.-THE fall of FoIt Wagner is the
fall of Fort Sumter and the fall of Fort Sumter is the
fall of Charleston" says:
The are powerful defCncss in the interior of our bay
which may prove perfectly adequate the defence OF
Charleston. We know speak the opinion of the high.
est military Authorities in city when say that in
their Judgment the retention Of Charleston does not de.
| pend OH our holding Fort Sumter Fort Wsgner.-
Both might fall and the city be saved. That tue city
would be subjec. sheing however, is contingency
| for which all must be prepared
The Mercury of Friday says:
The slow but steady bombardment OF Sumter has
continued without ntermission night and day since The
date of our last report Grimy aud in silence the grand
old fort receives the terrible fEe of the enemy But
still her flag floats defanty from the ramparts. The end
| is not yet.
The Courier, of the same date, has the following
ne vs. from the Islands
| Tue bombsrdment was. continued Wednesday night
with undminshed ardor he enemy keeping 10 a rapid
and heavy fire on Fort Sumter from their battery ot