, 1863-04-11
FROM CHARLESTON.
THE GRAND NAVAL
AF'FACA BEGUN.
OUR IRON CLADS WELL
AT WORK.
RUbl0RS FROM REBEL
SOURCES.
CHARLESTON ANDITS
DEFENCES.
ITS HARB0R-C CHANNELS, |
AND BATTERIES.
WhatDupont has before
Him.
he Movement from
Port Royal.
INTERESTING PREL!M!.
MARY DETAILS.
ITS HARB0R-CHANNEIS.
AND BATTERIES,
WhatDupont hasbefore
Him.
he Movement from
Port Royal.

fS3cclal OispQ.ch to the CI,icara Trjhrne 7

Especial Dispatch to the Chicago Tribnuc.1
NASHVILLE, April 10, 1867.
Late Southern papers state that terrible
battle is progressing at Charleston. Our
lron-clads were rcpulscd, and the land forces
were fighting within sight Of tile city.
FORTRESS MoSnoE, April 10.-Thc Rich
n'ond Wig Of yesterday contains tie follow
ing:
CIlAH1EsToS, S. C., April 7.-Thc attack
upon Charleston commenced today. Four
iron c]ads arc engaged. The firing from tic
fleet upon Forts Sumter and A1oult.is is very
heavy. The Ironsides WASN'T and ran ashore.
but subsequently cot ont Of range at two
O'Clock, niue Monitors and the Ironsidcs
opened fire at distance Of 900 yards.
1t 20 minutes past 8 o'clock the firing on
both sides became inccssant. It was kent III
until O'Clock, when it gradually diminished.
The fire Of the feet was concentrated on
Sumter. The Ironsides aud keokuk with
drew, apparently disabled.
Intense excitement prevails in the city.
0u- Monitors hare just gone out to take part
In the fight
Oar casualties are j boy killed and five u1en
badly wounded in Fort Sumter.
The reports from tho other batteries have
not come to hand.
CnARLKsros, April 8.-Scycn turrcted iron
clads and the Ironsidcs are inside Of the bar,
The Kcokuk is sunk on the beach, of Morris
Island. There is no disposition on the part
ofthc Federals to renew the conflict.
WASHINGTON, April 10.-No official intclll.
gcnce in reference to a1rlirs at Charleston h,d
been received at midnight last night. It was
expected 1T the Navy Department that dis
patches would arrive last evening. Entire
confidence Is expressed that the attack on
Charleston will be completely successful.
Prominent government officers openly an
nounce their belief that Charleston has been
taken. If victory is gained there by our
land and naval forces, the first intelligence Of
il will be brought by the dispatch boat from
Hilton Head. The rebels will not permit any
mention Of it By telegraph, or Its publication
in any paper.
New ToKk, April 1o.-Thc New York Tri-
6ttnc's Washington special contains the fol-
lowing:
Tha rebels on the other side Of the Rappa-
hammock arc In receipt Of unpleasant news.
They gather In knots, talk it over, are ex-
tremely quiet. kubdlncd, and apparently in
very bad spirits. The pickets take unusual
pains to prevent an exchange Of newspapers
or communication Of intelligence through
any channel 1t has, however, been aseer-
t2lned, by conversation with stray rebels,
military and civil, that decided adyantacc
has been gained By our forces at Charleston
that fort had been taken: what fort, is not
stated.
Richmond papers of later date than those
received yesterday, contain no dispatches
whatever from South Carolina. The belief is
entertained In naval and military circles here,
that Charleston las, By this time, f,llen.
Great confidence is felt in the ability Of the
thirty guns and six hundred men on onr iron
clads to overcome the four hundred rebel
guns and the rebel army
Admiral Dupont has in his possession accu-
rate charts Of the waterapproachcs to the city,
in which the localities Of torpcdoes arc laid
down, and the channels By which they cAn be
The Herald makes the following assertion:
NC hare now received from various SOURCES,
positive Information ofthe actual commence.
ment Of the attack upon Charleston. The
bo'nbardmenf Of Fort Sumter By iron clads,
began on Monday.
Captain Moses, Of the Fair Haven brings
intelligence from Captain Steedmau, that Ad-
misai Dupont had, on the Sd Of April, pro-
ceedcd to Charleston with the following iron
Glads: New lronsidcs, (fagship,) Monitors,
patarsco, Catskill, Mon:auk, fassaic, Wee
hawken, kcokuk, Nahant and Nantucket.
on stono Inlet, Captain Moses saw our army
transport leet and iron clads anchored inside.
ne also SAW the Ericsson lying of the Inlet,
'sith float riding astcrn.
from the New York Herald, sth,1
To give the reader some idea Of the cntran-
ccs 10 Charleston, VIC furnish the following
sailing directions that were formerly used:
r;.i.1 MALs sI1Ir cnAsSEL.-1n approaching tho
vessel was kept in tix fathoms Of water until m
with the bcllboat and the lighthouse bore north
Wssi, thcn opcninG Charleston Ave degrees to the
passing to the port side Of three bar baoys Hay.
IN. passed the inner baor the north Or further
channel m beacon by Fort Monltrie being open about
Me wldth 10 the westward OF the sonth or near
| tSanncl beacon: then the course was uorth until
| lug TWO channsl beacons were in range This led
Up thc channel On course Of north three quarters
'hc GaEtward Of the range. ~
When Fort Sumter bore wcet one-cishtb north
1ha h I'm tnaF!sson l'fGt was opening midway between
| WIS northwest by west ono and half mile to Re-
re;on Ea hoas bonnd U t. the city By the
Cd TO IN. nottlward Of Castle Pjnckncy. and thr
tpirc ofSt. Mchacl's open ahout the sane dis
tancc to the fouthward, the course was west one
1ha1fHr north ,ins ths wharf at Castle rinckncy
THE NORTH CnASSE1--Thfs{ Ia ahoal channel
anH was used only i,y light draught vessels.
.MAIfl1f on sUIlIvAS's ISLAND CuASSEL.-
ihs & ehanne! f. quite narrow and trends along the
shore Of Snlliyan's leland. with elcven feet Of
water at low tide on the bulkhead southeast from
,.S,st Sswtsa :cnAS.sr1L..-Thss channel is branch
which enters tho main channel It has now the
Hexpeet n % wasss and will probably be used by por-
| nALLCuANSE1--For1ncrlF the cou rae of th;z
tianntl "as straight one. with the Morris IsIant
ncacone N range. number OF shoal spots have
doned. 1>0 Aee Ae Nv" 4''a@'-
SANFORD CHANNEL has seven feet Of wstcr and
is only used by small eoasting vessels. The shif
Charleston bar prevents thing like permancnce
in the channels which arc subject to frequent md
very considerable changes in depth and Iocation' @
il minutes. IS feeonds; longitude 70 degrees s.
minutes, = seconds: The lighthouse is situated
displayed a revolving light. The lantern Is IFS
feet abore clcvcl ofthe eea and IN clear weather
tcou1d be seen seventeen miles. The rebels hare
The tst
stationed one and half miles from the southwest
end Of Isattlesnake Shoa1. which ecrrcd as guide
ior clear Of the shore. It was removed early
In the rebellion.
,T1pEt.-The mean rise and fall Of tides in
Gnarieston harbor Is about i've feet three inches.
ne Nelocity between Forts Sumter and Aoultrie Is
IT, f1eod 1Ide-First quarter. knot; second qn.r-
nns,t Ano9 third quarter, $40 knots; fourth