Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-07-18


the Big and Little Folly island and their
barges with which to make the attack on Nor
ris island, were tied to the piles in the creek.
There were four monitors outside, two at the
mouth of Stone river, and one of them in the
river The mayor, upon receiving this in
formation, issued the following proclama-
ton -
MAYORS OFFICE,
Charleston, July g., 1868, l.30 N.
TO the Citizens of Charleston and its vicihi-
ty:-
Whereas, the enemy by land and sea have
appeared in large force on the islands and
neighhOrhuUG OF this citv, and in consultation
with Gen. Beauregard, he expressedthe opin-
ion that an attack upon our city is imminent,
and with the concurrence of Gen. Beaurcgard,
l advise and earnestly request all women and
children, and other non-combatants, to leave
the city rs soon as possible.
CHARLES MACBETH, Mayor.
This was followed by two other proclama
tons, calling on citizens to close their places
of business, and ordering the arrest of all free
negroes in the city, as they were wanted to
work on some unfinished defences on Morris
Island. During the day some five or more
transports appeared off the harbor, and the
Yankees in Stone river amused themselves
during the day by Smelling two points on
James Island. The Charleston Courier fur
nishes the following particulars of the fight
ing on Friday =
The morning was fair. Light, feecy clouds
foatGd slowly over the deep blue armament.
Not Il breath OF wind stirred through the
branches, and the bay and ocean were smooth
and bright as a mirror. The air was hot,
heavy, and close, relaxing the frame and
beading the brow with drops Of moisture. 1t
was Just the kind OF weather to infict the
largest amount of Inconvenience upon the
enemy in those turreted monsters, the rride
OF the Yankee nation. About daylight Fri
day morning, battery of the enemy, of not
less than fifty guns, together with about fifteen
boat howltzers, mounted on the enemy's
barges, and the guns from four monitors
opened tremendous fire on Capt MitchelPs
battery, completely enfilading it on the right
and left, causing some havoc among both Of
fcerS and men.
The fire from the boat howitzers was par
ticularly destructive. The sharpshooters of
the enemy also did considerable execution by
picking off the men at the%guns. 1t was by
one of these that the gallant Lieut.. John Bee
was killed, MIME ball striking and passing
through his head. The men, Notwithstanding
this terrible shower of solid shot, shell and
bullets, stood to their guns nobly, and it was
not until they were completely exhausted, and
the enemy who had landed in force were
rapidly approaching, that the order was given
to retire.
The enemy succeeded in capturing several
of our men, whose exhausted condition pre-
vented escape. Capt. j. Ravenel Macbeth
and Lieut.. u. Haywood are reported among
the prisoners so taken. 1t was stated yester-
day that Capt. Mitchell was at one time in the
hands of the enemy, when his men rallied and
succeeded in getting him away from his cap
tors. After the abandonment Of the battery,
Capt. Mitchells artillery men fell back with
the infantry to battery Wagner. The enemy S
infantry then threw out a line of skirmiShers
and advanced, forming three lines of battle
across Gregg's Hill to Vinegar Hill.
The 2lst regiment S. c. ", Major McIver
commanding, and Nelson's battalion, together
with the artller-ts, all under the command of
Col. Graham, was sent forward to oppose the
enemy's further progress. A severe fight en-.
sued, and our forces tell back to battery Wag-
ner. Two desperate but unsuccessful at
tempts to carry the battery by assault were
made by the Yankees. In both assaults the
enemy suffered terribly, leaving IL large num-
Der Of their dead and wounded on the field.
The Yankees after this fell back to Vinegar
Hill. 1t is said they took and still hold pos
Sc sion of Col Graham's former headquarters
The enemy, after falling back, received rein
forcements, and made Il show of again NOV
ing against the battery. The force of the en-
envy engaged Friday is supposed to have been
about four thousand. Our loss in killed,
wounded and missing will probably be about
three hundred.
The firing on both sides ceased about half
past six, when the Monitors Withdrew. The
report that one left during the engagement in
a crippled condition was untrue. The whole
four were engaged throughout the action, and
in the afternoon their fire upon battery Wag-
ner was very severe. We learn, however,
that the battery was very slightly injured. An
officer, who observed the effect of our shots,
says they struck and rolled off the sides and
decks OF the Monitors like so many marbles or
pebble stones. Capt. HaSkelPs and Lieut.
Bees bodies fell into the hands of the enemy
Drs. Il. B. Hanahan and Prioleau are said to
be prisoners in the hands of the enemy.
Capt. Langdon Cheves, an accomplished
and very efficient officer of the engineer corps
was killed almost instantly by shell from Il
monitor exploding in battery Wagner, and
striking HIM in the head His body was
brought to the city last evening. Fort Sum
teI opened on the turreted monsters and the
Yankee infantry on the south end of Morris
island, with what result we ale unable to say.
The fight will doubtless be renewed to-day
with greater tierceness than any we have yet
seen. The enemy has certainly shown a
deep-laid plan, and is determined to push it.
The following is list of the killed and wound
ed among the officers, on Friday, on Morris
island:-
Killed-Captain Charles Haskell, Captain
Langdon Cheeves, Lieut.. John Bee.
Wounded-Capt. j. w. Ford, Lieut. Aston.
Capts Wild, Thomas and Tarra
Missing-Capts. Howard and Reddy, Lieut.,
A. p. Craig and Woodward.
correspondence of the Boston Herald.
THE MOVEMENT ON CHARLEsToN.-SUMr
ATTACHED oNTHE l4th.-OF Charleston, near
Sumter, July l2-l 1-2 PM Everything is
working well here. Morris island is ours {;
Charleston and the forts are completely be-
sieged; five iron clads and fifteen gunboats
are off SUMTER ten gunboats, and one forty
gun trigate, and the new Ironsides will come
in over the bar tonight at high water; three
more iron clads will arrive this afternoon; six
hundred fresh men, to assist on the iron clads
and gunboats have arrived. The batteries,
with h avy 2O0-pound rified guns, erected on
Morris island by our troops will assist in the
bombardment of Sumter.
Everything that mounts a gun and floats will
take part in this great work. Admiral Dahl
gren and Gen. Gilmore are hard at work: all
hands are delighted with them. The grand
and final attack upon Sumter is put down for
Tuesday, the 18th inst, therefore look out for
stirring news. Sumter will fall this time. A
magnificent sight is presented here, there be
ing over sixty vessels of war and transports in
front of Sumter, with the glorious old stars