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

OuUO1 eli, 1COv1s
feet At our IRE becoming apparent to the
rebels, sortie was aTprchened on their Part
to grike Eurue ef our guns, In order TO pre-
vent further Injury 10 their work. la order
TO count .aet any efinrts Of that Kind which
wo1ld never be undertaken by any other foe
two was srnt up the be3eii 10 point where
they could be made available IN case o'f nc
ccssity. In this position they spent the day,
aud we're not called upon to all their brefh
reu 10 the extreme front.
4 Neg Rrtes Rrstesgy Opssaed.
At oclt'ck IN the ulernifg rhe rebels on
Jafass lsllrtl opened new aark-upon our
trenches. -afthongii its exist sacc lad beea
suspected. 40 definite iniormation had been
gained to make it ceriain, and the frst white
curl of smoke that arose from the woods on
tie lett OF Fort Johnson, aud the scream OF
L riae she'll over ocr works from that direc.
tsun, not uuuatura.iv created some excite.
iaen:, and its IRE was watched with con
siderable degree Of interest Although it
fired rapidly through the day, its fire occa-
stoned no damage; but IFS line OF Gre over
our works was somewhat different from that
which We should select Ii the matter was
left TO us. A second gun was also opened
from the battery next to Simpk!ns, on James
Island, which had already one piece firing On
ns for some days past; but neither of them
/ Inflicted any damage
TIE DAMAGE TO FORT SUMTER.
| A letter from Charleston to the Sayan.
yannah RePabiicna says:
The entire southern face Of the fort is cue
| vast ruin. A pile OF rubbish-brick, mortar,
stone, timber, and guns-rises from the ws-
ter and forms ali inclined plain to tue origi-
nal parapei, some ilit feet in height Many
OF the guns on this face are still in their
carriages and pointing over the wreck. The
interior Oi this. us we'll as the eastern side,
was packed with sand bays, ard for this rca-
son, notwit hstandins the walls have been
battered down, there Is no caving In and but
little diminution of the work. 1t also OF.
iers far more resistance to the shot of the
enemy than the north or west side Is capable
Of, and hence but little more damage can be
inflicted from the Morris Island batteries
The only shot that now tell are those which
pass over and strike the interior Of the
northern wall or rake the paapet. This fact
has annoyed the enemy no little, and an attack
was made before daylight this morning from
another quarter The inevitable Ironsides
and three or four monitors came up under
cover Of thick haze to within short dis
tance OF the fort, and opened terrific fire
upon the sea or eastern face. Sumter proved
her vitality by returning 1t vigorously, and
Moultrie and our iron-clads (they have awose
1t Last from their long sleep coming TO the
rescue, the Yankees were sdon compelledto
retire. Several shots were put into the wall
OF the fort, but no serious damage was eus-
tanned. There are some very ugly apertnres
on the north side, ,but the walls still stand,
and will probably continue To do 20. IT is
Gen Ripley's determination not to eyaenate
it, though 1t clearly would be wise to with
draw ail the force not necessary TO work
| the few remaining guns. ns so large body
would appear to be an unnecessary exposure
Of life; though, the men take care OF them
selves in the eastern and western caseInatca,
and The daily casualties are bu. triting.
F., THE sEELLING OF THE CITY.
| The editor Of the Savannah Neaea, who
was in Charleston the night Gilmore
commenced shelling the city, thus de-
scrihes the same:
The citizens, as ii seems by an error in the
/ transmission If Gil!inore's answer hy the
slgnai corps, were led 10 believe that they
would have until Monday night 10 remove
| their families, and were surprised by Il Sc
| coud midnight attack. The scene, IS the
| Yankee inccndiary shells came hurting
! through the air, crashing through The Cham.
F.. bers Of sleeping women and children, or
/ bursting in streets, scattering their irag-
! ments in every direction, and lighting up
! the darkness with sudden glare, was shock
ing in the extreme Shell after shell fol-
lowed at Intervals OF some ten minutes, G Oh
preceded bg The Auiltn roar Of the iaroH
battery Soon the sireets In the vicinity
where they struck were iiilcd with men, wo-
men, and children; the former a. !ircmen or
/ soldiers repairing TO their alarm posts for
[ duty, the latter iIastcning-they knew moi
| whcre-sOmcwherc for safety. While the
= streets were thus filled with terrified iami-
! lies tie rain poured down, adding to the
! horrors Of the scene. The shellug coninu
! for about an hour aud a quarter, when il
/ ceased. AT :! o'clock, when We retired 10
our chamber in the Mills House, Mcellng
/ street was comparatively quiet. From the
| door of our hotel every shell could be dis
| iinctly heard, and the point 1T which il
| struck pretty nearly determined. We heard
! Cf several houses and one church in differ
/ e.it parts OF the city which were more or
| less damaged by the shells, but no instances
OF injury TO persons was reported when we
| left the city yes,e er'tay morning. We heard
| OF one very narrow escape, u shell having
| passed through L chamber in which two
young girls were sleeping The bed was
struck and 4 part of the mosquito bar torn
away. but, proyidentialiy, neither OF the
| sleepers were hart.
| THE BATTERY THAT sHELLED THE cry.
A letter from Charleston, also speaking
ci the Smelling, says:
| There has been some difference Of opinion,
| even among military men, az regards The ex-
| act location nf the battery from which these
missiles are thrown to so great distance. II
was first supposed 10 be ON Morris island
| near the foot OF Crag's Hin. but it has been
| definitely asceItained To he located Oh a raft
| In the marsh, about a mile this side OF Morris
| Island and i've miles distant from the city.
| Some say that its movements are regulated
| by the tide, ard that ii is !ioatcd Off during
the day so as Ia avoid of~ery ,.iIon and a con
eentraied fire from our James Island bate
res. This may he so, and II true viii account
| for their choosing the night for their opera
| tions There are "a We, but two guns Ia po-
sition On the battery, and the stain to the
metal in firing at so long a range will account
for the slowness OF the Ire aud its brief riti-
ration. The battery WAS expected to open
again tonight. but has not done SO up TO this
hour, halfpast midnight.
The Advance Of Rosecrnns-A Battle
| Immincnt-. Burnside Advancing ON
| Knoxville.
Of the military situation on the Ten
nessee river enough has ttanspired to
leave no doubt that Rosccrans is now
making an important movement. Cor