The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-11-24
The Siege Of Charleston.

The Courier, of saturday, gives the following
account OF the boat Reconnaissance of Sumter:
Ihe Yankee picket boats have become more
DARING IN their approaches at night, and have made
several unsuccessful aitempts.to anHdy the garri
SON by creating false alarms and making i,nts n,
assault. About half past one O'Clock THURSDAY
morning the sentinel on the southeast angle dis
covered a small boat approaching, aud hailed II
when ha was answered with an CATH The scnti
mel hred, and the boat tmme 1iately Eetreated. A
short time afterward considerable musketry was
heard directed towards the fort, apparently from
the ehemy's boats between Sumter and Gregg.-
Al a later hour they again approached W thin -four
hundred yards this time, opposite the southwestern
angle, when they were again fired upon, and re
irratedtowaIds MoUis's Island.
About half past three O'Clock Friday morning
several Of the enemys barges, variosssiy estimated
at from four to nine, approached cautiously within
three hundred and fifty yards OF the FORT and were
hailed, when they again answered with Oatlls and
yels, 8nd opened IA musketry fire upon the fort
The garrison replied with muSketry, and for some
ten fifteen minutes the affair was quite hot and
heavy, Fort Moulirie and Battery Bee, on SuIii-
vans Island, with Fort JohusOn, on James IS
Island, together with one of our sunboats, opened
an ehading fire the barges Is they rctrcated to
Cummings Point. The richoehet practice from
Suiiivans Island was splendid. 1t Is not known
with certainty, but II is believed they mast have
sustained severe loss.
From what we have been Informed an assault
has beon expected for some time, and our military
authorities, with Major Elliott and the garrison,
have been ready to give the enemy the warmest
kind of a reception. This little affair of Friday
morning Is supposed 10 have been nothing more
than frnt, or an effort to rec"nnbitre in force,
for which he has hcen severely punished.
The only casually on our side was private T.
Wheeler, company .. lst south Carolina artillery,
wounded slightly iii head
The enemy, no doubt stung TO madness by the
meagre results OF his mighty and unparalleled
struggle for the possession of Sumter, and seem
ingiy desparins of ultimate success, has opened
fire on the city. Since Thursday morning between
twenty five and thirty shells have been thrown,
fortunately injuring no one. The gun from which,
the shells appear TO come is situated on the
ueme end of Cummings Point. The marsh bat
tery (''swamp AHgei'J now has mortar In posi-
ton, and occasionally opens fire on Sumter.
Private Edward Lake. of Capt. Simons's com
pany, 9th regiment, S. {. ", (formerIy Charles
ton battaion,) who was killed at Fort Sumter, was
strucA ia the left cheek by piece of she'll which
passed downwards transverseIy, and rested in the
right breast His death is the more saddenng as
four or five members of his family, including his
father and mother, had but recently died, all within
eight days of each other. The only member left is
little girl of between thirteen and fourteen years
old, who depended upon her brother for support