Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-04-09
THE ATTACK UPON CHARLESTON.

peced 10 Do made upon Charleston the 7th instant
yssterday The weather. other causes may possibly
delay it Tor lew days Prior to the 3lst um0 brigade
Of troops ami most Of the Monitors had left Hilton Head
charged with special duties tho Of contemplated
operations.
The latest news have from that quarter 10 from the
of the Baltimore American who sailed from
New York IN the steamer Ericsson. Capt Lowber which
took out one of the obstruction removers and other
conrvances deemed to add to the efficiency Of
the assault Of the outward passage of this steamer this
writer says:
Our passage was necessarily slow account Of the i'm
mense floating material we had to drag after through
the turbulent ocean. little extra speed would make
II disappear fahoms deep 10 the sea- causing the four
ennch cables attached to 1t to srsin and stretch and
ctaf 1t would occasionally dive down end foremost and
be entirely out Of sight for few minutes but on slowing
the engines would again rise to the surface the end Of
the dag pole on 1t bring fret visible At all times it was
the "pect OF constant anxiety to all board and
watched night and day by Captain Lowbe who knowing
It's value had stah cd his prof sona
on carrying II safely to its destination For the rst TWEEN
our hours affer passing Sandy Hook kept well to the
became more rough and turbulent 1t commenced lite ancs
but by lessenng our speed kept the surface Of
the water throughout the remainder Of the passage"
The Ericsson arrived of Hilton Head ON Wednesday
the 25th Of March, just in time to witness the departure
OF the leading vessels and troops detailed for special duty
against Charleston. The scene is thus described:
As we neared the buoy at the bar about eight miles
from Hutton Head long line of steamers sailing vessels
and Monitors could be coming out Of Port Royal
The first two vessels the Maple Leaf the Glide were
loaded with troops, and they headed of towards
Charss0n now became evident that expedition for
ne vic NIFTY OF Charleston just starting aud that
had arrived in time to witness the whole movement In
short time after distinctly made out four Monitors
IN tow OF steamers, approaching the BAR and the
steamer Catawba, with the Werhawken In tow passed
close alongside of Then came the gunboat Sabago
towing the Monitor Nahant. Next came the Catsk in
tow of the steamer Locust Point followed by The Nam
taskes The fcene from the deck of the Ericsson
grand and imposing the expedition passed 10 review
before us the steamers and Monitors being nerspersed
with numerous sailing vessels, with ammunition al &c.
and several mortar schoOoers Looking forward the
har0or OF Fort Royal there was visible still larger
Der Of vesse at anchor near Hilton Head leaving nothing
visible in the centre of the habor but the fagshp Wabash
and the storeshP Vermont"
The weather proptous and every thing betokened
prosperous voyage TO the departing feet Its detina.
ton and the service for which it HAD been dispatched was
not asceraned until the Ericsson anchored near the Wa
bash in the harbor Of Port Royal The writer says;
Son arriving here we ascertain that the expedition
started down the coast this morning with four of the Mon
tors and Ia bound for the North Edsto twenty miles this
side OF Charleston. There still remain three Monitors
the Psssac, the Monauk and the Paapscoat anchor in
the harbor, with large number of transports.
The object Of the expedition which has started s sad
to be TO silence forts at the lower end of Folly Island
and the troops to be landed to hold them James
Island it will be remembered, is in the of Fort Sum
ter, and on the upper end of il is Cummings Point
which located the celebrated railroad battery that gur
ed so largely in the bombsrdment Of Fort Sumter the
of The war; Folly Islrd is the next Island
adjoining it
The feet that went ont this morning had been in rea
lness to start for four days past but had been kept back
the stormy weather. This may therefore be
Charleston and if successful may expect to very
in the direction. Whatever may be- its inten
ton IL 10 too strong to fail"
Nothing known Of the mode Of attack resolved upon
BY Admiral Dupont severe conflict was Of course ex-
pected
1.-The number of guns now mounted by the rebels along
the five miles OF approach to the city estimated
" four hundred including those at Sumter Moure, Cum
mings Piat Fort Pnkney and battery commanding the
middle ground near the city. There also said to be
guns and mortsrs mounted the Charleston Battery
which has ue front on the approaches to the CITY The
troops now assembled at and around Charleston for de-
ence ported to thousand Ispr
summed that both troops and will be brought from Sa
vannah to join in the defence There is therefore,
doubt that the attack Charleston will be the greatest
naval undertaking in the history Of the world Against
these four hundred guns our ironcads viii be able br
10 bear not than thirty though 1t s d. ubtu whether
more than sixty OF their guns be brought bear on
The fleet any time. STILL Ia reach the upper works
1 such should be the course adopted they will be
PEELED to the gauntlet Of all tnese immense batteries
conflict must therefore, be regarded in advance as
give harder blows than We may receive"
We learn from another letter that one regiment Of the
troops the Tooth New YoIk) which embarked at Hilton
Head the 25th utmo disembarked on Coles Island in
Stono river the 28th, and there encsmped recon-
,osance the following day disclosed that the rebels
been very busy Of late in erecting and mprov-
ng the old fort fcatons in Stone Inlet From Legareve
Waupau creek there lees than ten earth bstere
Between these points the batteries placed at such dis
each side of the to admit each to sup.
the other in Of attack The rebels have also
Instructed the river at numerous points.
In the mean time the movements at Port Royal con.
nued to be most active and exciting. They are described
Is follows on the 30th:
1--WE still laying at anchor in Port Royal harbor with
he remainder Of ron-cad fleet in clOse proximity on
,ns de- Of and The Wabash and Vermont on the other
whilst the feet Of army transports and steamers at Hilton
Head coming and going, despatch boats and ocprs
gs are passing around and the age net of vessels
which brought Gen. Fosters troops here are lying at an
hor of 81 Helena leland the head of the barber
Ammunition vessels and coal vessels are anchored around
be Wabash aud the If the troops are visible
Tong the shore part Of the feet has ccsted it.ef in
he North Edsto and the paces Of those that have gone
here filed by the Monitors since arrived Gun
oats from the blockadng fleets arrive and depart daily
rmy transports and 20 from the stations along the
coast and the famous yacht America brings dispatches
he Admiral from bockaders and pldes out to sea again
,efore we have time to admire her 6ne proportions"
On the Let Of April the residue Of the fleet at Port
commenced moving up the coast to North Edisto How
ong they would be delayed there before proceeding to
Charleston was not known The correspondent in let.
dated the st instant expresses the opinion that the
h., koro H. - r. A.