The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-08-21
THE ATTACK UPON OHAREES-
TON.
Late and Important Details.

NON.
Late aud Important Details.
Correspondents, OF the Baltimore American.
FLAGSHIP AUGUSTA DINsMeRE,l
Orr FoRT SUMTER, August 8, 1863.
RIFLE AND SMOOTH BoREs.
The monitors are armed almost exclu-
sively with the l 8 inch Dahlgren gun, of
the smooth bore pattern. These guns
can be loaded and fred twice while
rifle is being loaded once, and hence they
have some advantage on this score. The
rined guns in the works Of General Gill
more are all within preaching distance of
the walls of Sumter.
The mooring buOys placed in the ship
channel for the monitors are all within a
distance Of Sumter that will enable the
solid shot to reach the walls with their
initial velocity. The boring power of
the rife gun and the preaching power of
the Dahlgren gun, each within their
preaching range, will, therefore, be fully
tested in this fight, and both will, doubt
less, do their work well, and each sus-
tain their reputation on land and shore.
A 15-inch smooth bore, which depends
on weight rather than velocity, could not
DO used for siege purposes on account of
its great weight, while the lightness of
the rlhed guns must continue to make
them most efficient for land operations
INrERIoR DEFENsEs.
Our scouts report the enemy as en-
gagged IN building a second line of de-
lenses inside of Fort Sumter, indicating
that the fall of both Wagner and Sumter
is regarded as q strong possibility, and
that after the Old Flag floats over Sumter
a long siege may be necessary to reduce
the city.
Tho "can't- dO-its" have all disap-
peared or subsided--the "foundery man."
as have heard him called, commands
the feet, and the ''earth digger" operates
on shore. The art of war has become an
engineering science, aud the two great
engineers in the making and in the use
of powerful guns-GilmOre and Dahl
gren--have the work in hand. The
rebels have always intrusted the defenses
of Charleston to their greatest engineer,
Beauregard, and we have now learned
wisdom sufficient TO place q neeriDg
machines in the hands of an engineer
for its reduction.
THE CANNoNApINa.
AUGUsr 1.-The cannonading to-day
on the part of the enemy from their new
battery of heavy guns on James Island
has been at the rate of about one every
twenty minutes since daylight For
awhile they fired toward our trenches
from both Sullivan's and James Islands,
but finding that the distance was too
great for accuracy, abandoned the work
shortly after dinner.
During the day they sent three shells
among the camps along the beach of
Morris Island, two of which exploded
high up in the air, and one landed near
the observatory and exploded deep in a
sand hill, doing no damage. We have
fred very few shots, the enemy having
been allowed to have it nearly all his
own way. He has fired fully one hun
dred shells, without doing particle of
damage. Nobody has been hurt" is
the land report for the day.
OUR POSITION ON MORRIS ISLAND.
General Gilmore is now 80 firmly fixed
on Morris Island, holding about four
fifths Of its whole extent in his possess
sion, that it would be impossible for the
whole armies of the rebel Government to
dispossess him. He also has City of his
heavy siege guns, ranging in caliber from
one hundred TO three hundred pound
rifles, in preaching distance of Sumter,
which are three times as many guns as
he used in reducing Fort Pulaski. Be-
sides these he has numerous mortar bat
teries in position, and is making rapid
progress, working day and night TO COM
plete his arrangements for opening the
ball. The navy is ready to cooperate
so soon as General Gilmore gives the
word, when both Sumter, Wagner, and
Battery Gregg, on Cummings Point, will
come down under a weight of metal that
cannot be resisted. The fall of Sumter
may be regarded IS certain. There need
be no doubt entertained on the subject
by the loyal North.
In few days after the receipt of this
letter the ball will open, and from six to
ten hours is deemed fully sufficient TO
accomplish the work.
ARRIVAL OF REIEFoRcEMENTs.
Transports are daily arriving and land
ing troops on Morris Island, where GEN
eral Gilmore now has quite respectable
army. The number landed during the
past six days can not be less than seven
thousand Their arrival is witnessed by
the rebels from Sumter, as we'll as by
our troops along the beach of the island.
The effect is most inspiring to the army
as well as the navy, indicating that the
Government is in earnest and furnishing
all the means necessary 10 render sue
cess certain. The negro troops now on
Morris Island are nearly five thousand in
number, and can see them nightly
drilling along the beach They work In
the trenches side by side with the whites,
and there is fellow feeling as laborers
In one common cause that makes all 90
on smoothly.
While | am writing, two large steam
ers, loaded with troops, have arrived in
front OF Morris Island, and are landing
surf boats within range Of some of the
rebel forts.
FOREIGN STEAMERS.
There are two foreign men. of-war,
one English and the other French, now
lying at anchor, near the Wabash, out