The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-08-31

0ef was el!enecd, a3id D7xLF&y ttftsfg alone
maintained deliberate fra Nt the Esssaic
and Patapsco. II was now ppcn. The nuen
had been hard at work fFot8 8da shreak. and
needed re<t; SO | Withdrew tic vessels TO
give them dinner.
During the afternoon or ahorc batteries
continued the fire ut Sumter with little s,r no
reply from the enemy, and b0ntented my
self with sending up the Pssszie ard Patafsce
To prevent Wagner from repairing damage
left off 6ring am not abla4o state with
exaetness the resnl; Of tho dsys work, Bnt
am well satisfied i.h what i sl:s;aas view of
Sumter allowed me. Our entire power Is
not yet developed, as 1t will be daily. while
the enemy is damaged wfta0Es being able to
repair The officers and flel OF the vessels
have done their duty well. and viii continue
to do so.
All went Wei with US, save one sad execp-
tion. Captain Rodgers, my Chief Of stat,
was killed, as we'll as Paymaster Woodbury.,
who was standing near him. Captain Rodg-
ers had more than once asked on this oeca.
sion II he should go with me as usual, or re.
snme the command Of his vessel, the Cats
Kill; and he repeated the query twice during
Weehawken, just while pie eparing to move
into action. In each instalee ] replied, ssDo
as you choose" He finally eaid, aWell, i
viii Will 60 GO In the catskili, ana xhs next time
The Weehawken was lying gseoat onstaou.
with my gallant friend. Just inside Of me,
the fire. Of the fort coming in steadily
Observing the tide to hare risen little,
directed the Weehawkeu 10 be carried in
closer. and ths anchor was hardly weighed
when noticed the Catskill was also under
weigh, which, remarked to Capt Calhoun
It occurred TO me that Capt. Rodgers Dc
tected the movement Of The Neellawken,
and was determined to be close. TO the
enemy If possible.
My attention was called off Immediately
to position for the Weehawken, and soon
after It was reported the Catskill was going
| ont Of action. with o signal flying that her
Captain was disabled He had been killed
instantly.
1t is but natural that should feel deeply
the loss thus sustained for the close and
confidential relations which the duties Of
feet captain necessarily occasioned i'm
pressed me deeply with the worth OF Capt.
Rodgers. Brave, intelligent, and highly ca
pab'c, devoted to his duty and TO the flag
under which he passed his life the country
cannot afford to lose such men. OF Kind
and generous nature, he was always prompt
to give relief when he could.
Ihare directed that ail respect be paid 10
bis remains, und the country win not, am
sure, omit to honor the memory of one who
has not spared his life In her hour Of trial.
have the honor to be, very respectfully,
your obedlent servant,
JOHN A. DAHLGREN Rear Admiral,
Comd'g South Atlantic Block'g Squadron.
ACCOUNTS OF TIE DoMBARpAEyr-ErfEc
OF THE IRoN.CLADs FIRING.
The Charleston correspondence Of the
New York Herald, dated the 18th, gives
US some very readable matter about the
progress of the siege. We make some
extracts:
Operations Of The Rshsis
The rebels are making hercuiean eyertious
to place Fort Sumter in tho most imprgna-
BILE condition They labor on the gorge OF
the work every night, and We can see that
the results OF their operations are very i'm.
| rortant They seem IN have built up All i'm.
mcIisely thick harricade CT sand bags, and
perhaps colt on bales between the sand bags
and the wall, covering the wall Of the gorge
and protecting the magazines, which are To-
Gated in that face OF The work From an.
pesarances the outer slope Of the barricade Is
| nearly perpendicular, and therefore liable
| II badly torn at the base, 10 give way and
| tumble down. Still. AZ long as it stands, II
| is q capital protection 10 the brick wall. ana
| will prolong the defence of The worI; some
what. But Wit Il certain class Of pfojectiles
| that we have it is not doubted We shall he
| able to get Ii out of the way. The barricade
| on the left flank ofthe gorge is nearly up TO
| the parapet, and is about finished; that On
the right is about up TO the second tier OF
! casemates, ana progressing rapidly A
large black steamer, Of the hgh-preseure
| style, Was seen coming down the harbor yes-
terday afternoon towing three large barges
| deeply laden, evidently containing bags ur
| sand Tor SIliuter. The entrance TO the sally
| port Oh the gorge face has been covered ty
| 4 traverse Of sand bags, and rhc stllypoFt
itself protected by II large traverse al
| the same material. Portions OF the para-
pet have been built up with sandbags,
and good covers rnade Tor the artiile
rists and barbete guns. Every portion Of
| the work exposed 10 onr fire or that Of the
| navy has been strengthened BY sand hags and
cotton bales How eiiec;ual these new de
fences may be will DC determined by the
time this letter is before Your readers.
Effect Of Esl,eriaental Fire o3e .S,5,,tsr
From the experimental iirngof one of our
siege guns, a>two hundred-pounder Parrot,
and from the heavy guns OF the navy. results
have been attained of the most encouraging
character. Five or six gaping craters III the
gorge face and the southeast front attest the
severity of the fire and the damaging effects
OF our heavy rifle proiectiies. immense
loads OF brick and mortar tulDbled down
from each impact, and The holes in the wall,
as nearly Us we can judge, are two feet deep
and between five and Six feet across the outer
edge, and formed like an inverted cone. The
firing occasioHed no little CONSERVATION
among the garrison, which crowded TO the
edge Of the parapet, looked over, and gazed
intenilv upon the wounds. Others rushed
from the sallyport and inspect the damaged
! face of the work with evident surprise The
rebels did not reply 10 our briei fire. Ii is
reported that rebel steamer, lying at the
wharf, was injured by a pile Of bricks, aud
perhaps q fragment OF shell, and CON-
pletely disabled. But this story. though 1t
would be pleasant 10 believe, isa little Doubt
full.
Naeal Mortar Puct;ee.
Two mortar schoOners, which arrived ron
the North Atlantic squadron few days since,
after being stripped, their masts taken ont,
and every preparation made for action, were
towed up to their positions on Thursday last,
in good range OF Fort Wagner. On the fol-
| lowing day they opened on Wagner from
their thirteen-inch mortars. The practice
was not very accurate. Probably the roll OF
| the vessels prevented that accurate firing
| which the sbummers" are said 10 obtain
| sometimes. lam Of opinion that they will be
of little service until they can be anchors, d in
smoother water than they can find outside
| Of Fort Sumter. II they can once get inside
the harbor, no doubt, II Charleston Is the
mark, they can be Of great service Several
of their shells have exploded over our
| trenches, but inflicted no damage.
Oz,sasng of the Great Cannoaa45s
| At haicpast oil our guns at present In
| position were In full play, from battery Gill
| more, the Navy battery, In command OF
| Commander F0xhail A. Parker, to the ex.
| treme left battery, doing good service. The
| gorge wall was repeatedly struck by huge