, 1863-11-12
THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON.
OUR NORRIS ISLAND LETTER.
Progress Of Land and Naval
Operations.

A~f~~@@A ~~aAoeRVaAEQCe IalcaGo 1r4b1Qt.]
HEADQUARTERS Q. 8. FoncEs.l
MoRI1s Island, s. G., Nov lit, ie68.
Somewhat Of Life and activity has animated
Us etnce the 2oth ult On which day the fourth
bonbardnont Of Fort aumte. commenced at
10 o'clock In the morning. and up to the pres
ent noar has been tolctab1y steady and well
sustained. The heavy guns which hare been
put in position in Gregg and Wagner have
been working excellently, although there hare
been come accidents resulting from three
200-pounde1s and two 100.pounders having
burst ttnce our batteries opened. It takes but
short time, however, to mount othe1s in
their places. Tho 800. .ponnder in the new
work called !" Battery Chadaeld,'' y situate b.
tween Gregg and Wagner, has BEEN making
wonderfully accurate ehots, mud on the e9kh
was fired fifty times, burning On that day
slone z. .o4o pounds Of powder, including that
used in the shell, and throwing : weight Of
l4,oGo pounds Of metal. This, for single
days wc1k Of one gup, gives eomc little idea
OF what 1t costs to- make and carry on \ war.
The effect Of this last attack can easily be
marked with the naked eye from the look ont,
about midway up the leland, and from the
extreme northern point the distance from the
fort is 60 comparatively t1ining that no g1ass
is needed to mark the effect Of each shot. On
the 29th, the appearance Of the eea face wall
showed reduction In height Of at least eight
feet along Its whole length, leaving the north
eastern corner jutting up into the air like
4ome ancieut crag Which had meathered the
storms # halt century. Tie DAG stafr was
shot away on the 9th, but waB quickly raised
tEnin, aid their tom and ragged enAign still
oeties us as It surmountB that mass Of ruins
once called Fort Sumter. The SANG day
found their sharpshootere at work from the
fort, hIt during the last three days the sto.m
Of shell has rendered any little amusement Of
This nature decidedly hazardous. Indeed,
desefter Is said to hare come in this morning
with the story that yesterday there were only
tTenty fonr Of the rebels in the fort, but that
tow11ds night their number WAS Increased to
three hundred.
Forts MoulnIe ard johnson reply at inter
rals to our f1re-so far, however. with but lit
tle or no effect, Our batteries are NOW nearer
he eEemT BY mile, than when first opened,
,aSad nna % an considerably Mith'a ne acsn dls,
guns Jou can easily believe to be very much |
greater than ut any period prior to this; and |
on tie eth, 50 500, zoo and 100 pou5ders,
mortars and Colnnbiads poured an incessant
ban Of hurting, iron against their massive
arose ADORE the fo1t Us each shot struck It,
told 1ts Own story Of the Tremendous Weight
and power Of our metal For the past three
days, also, the Monitors Iehfgh and Patapsco
have Joined the thunder Of their powerful
ihelr shots ha1 well proved the precision and
skill Of their Jack-tar gunnets.
r On the 3lst, the gunboat PAwnee, 1t the
southern end Of Folly h1and, opened a
vigorous fire on the batteries Of the enemy on
James Island. The thunder Of her broad.
tides Nas heard during the greater part Of the
day, but We h2ve not learned the results as
Goirs towards Wagner through the old
approaches dug by our men, one. Is struck
b. she Fi1ro up ffsgraents Of shell which have
@ q sD e1emss wolRs Ths Ts
Of n eta1 Represented BY these collected frag-
1oents IL enormous. In one pile near
Fort Wagner there must be over 4
:on weight, and scattered dong
every weight grape shot, csnnister, flag
ments Of shell broken into every conceivable
shape, and tsgged form-mu1derouB, horri-
sible-their rough edges tell fearful story
ofthe struggle which Uas waged along those
yielded up their lives at the e.l Of these lid.
eous mese seengers Of death, which now grin
and tnent lie there, the mute but eloquent
WITNESSES to the carnage which under burn
ing summers Sun gave to the thirsty sands
Of Morris Island the hears blood Of our bra-
tails Of war. that divested Of every shade Of
romance which fictitious interest throws
arourd the smoke and thunder Of bxttle-it
il flese, and such as these, which sickens the
heart that contemplates them as It pondeEs
over the misery ever entat]ed on our race
RED Battle s.; stamps his hoof: and Nations feel
On the asth ult., the seth Illinois volun.
teers was ordered to Folly Island, with the
respondent still remains at this post, aud will
probably be able, for come time, to keep you
notified Of the principal matters Of Interest
which franEpfre at the 'front.'" 1t would
sppear that the design is to remove the great
now that Its defenses are completed We
h4ve no wood On here. and all that Ia used
comes from Folly. The cold Weather noN
comtrg On necessltates come movement Of
this Kind, now that the presence Of large
body Of men here Is not called for.
Tie story Of the rebel ram being sent
down from Charleston proved to be hum
bug, the invention Of some of those fertile
brains which seem to germtnate with astontsh.
:pg y}Ecr in the viciEity Of I'll camps. There
are runners Of pahre9 aapg 9s .ns been 1s stteysd
Squsdrer, and tnat Commodore Turner, for
mer]y Of the New 1ronsides " has been ap-
pointed as his successor. We doubt there
btIng any truth in this although We are will
ing to fall into any " Chars dris " II, that ne
can only avoid this "ScyllA."
1encloee with this 4 copy Of the new order
from the department headquarters. which
names the several works on this island after
the b1aye men who hare fallen here The
battery there designated ~ "Battery Chad.
tteldn has hitherto been known By the name
Of +.Fo.t Illinois, called 10 BY the engineers
In honor to regiment who performed
great portion Of The work Of Its erection
Much as ne have felt fattered by the previous
nomenclature, We vii all recognise the pro-
tesance to Sigh for the loss Of the braye NAE
whose honored name viii henceforth grace
it. Alas that such purely empty honors are
al that remain in our power to bestoW upon
The immortal dead.
SOLDIERS VoTE The Pennsylvania reg1-
rstntR under Cen Rurn6fde held an election