New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-07-27

what had been the smooth regular lines of the
engineer. and the beautiful sodded entertainments,
became rugged and irregular heaps of sand with
great gaps and chasms in all the sdes Of the Tort
exposed to our fire. From my point OF observation
wooden lookout fifty feet high, erected for Gen.
Gilmore aud staff upon a sand hill of about the same
hight and situated short distance back of the bat
teries, it seemed as If no human being could 1--we
beneath 50 terrible o FIRE whether protected by
bomb.proofs or not, and in this opinion was fully
sustained by nearly every person around me. There
seemed to be bit one opinion, snd that was that we
had silenced nearly every gun, that tho l5-ineh
shells had driven the Rebels from the bomb-prooiS,
and that if there had been strong infantry force 10
the rear of the fort We had made II impossible for
them TO remain there and had slaughtered them by
hundreds But thero were few later develop
ments that proved their opinion was the correct QUE
who said this profound silence ON the Rebel side
was significant, not Of defeat and Disaster bur OF
Ultimate success in repulsng esssult; that they
were keeping themselves under cover until they
could look into the eye Of our nen, AID send bullets
through their heads, and would then swarm by
thousands, with every conceivable deadly missile in
their hands, and drive in confusion and with ter
ribe slaughter back to our intFenohments.
The afternoon passed, and the heavy roar Of the
biz guns on land an sea gradually ceased. Slowly
and sullenly the Moritors witt ihe exception Of the
Montank moved back 10 the anchorags-ground OF
the morning. The music Of tie sublime pillows,
forever hynniug their sublime chants WAS sgAin
! heard along the shore; the run went down, not in
golden glory, but in clouds Of blackness aud dark
ness, and muttorings Of thunder aud flashes OF
| lightning. In the slight interval between the
cessation of the cauuonade and the assauii Il
the point of the bayonei, the artillery Of heaven
opened all along the Western horizon, and in peal
after zeal demonstrated how magnificent II the
power Of man when compared with that o! Hin
who bolcs the elements in the hollow Of His hand
Fer eight hours the Monitors aud the lron-idea
have kept upa continuous Gre, and For Wagner
has not vet surrendered. Fog eight hours ty -four
guns from the aud batteries have hur,d their shot
aud shell within her walls, aud tilll che lauuis the
rcd battle hag III oug face.
Something must be done, and that too quickly,
or in u FEY, days We slA have the Whole army IA
/ Vir.inia upon W, said oilcor high IN command
We mu.f storm tue fort tonight and carry It a.
/ the point Of the bsyouc,"
! In few moments signals are made from the top
Of the lookout, aud soon generals AID colonies com
manding divisions and brigades were seen saiioping
/ 10 the headquarters of the commanding general. a
/ few words Ia consultation aud Gene. Seymour
Strong, Stevenson, and Co.'s. Putnam Hna " utgom-
cry are seen Fastening back a. thar positive cg.
mards Oficors shout, bug es round tic ~ord oioou'
mAnd il given and soon The so.tefs around upoo aud
under the sand hills Of Morris Island splius fiom
their hiding places, fall into line, msrcn to the
beach are organized into new brgades and IN sol
column stand ready TO move to the deadly sssanli.
Not IA widely extended baide line, with cavalry
AID artillery at supporting distances, but in soAd
regmeuia column On the hard ocean beach, for half
n mile before reac ing the ior. in plain eight % the
enemy, did theso three bfigaees move 10 their hp-
pointed work.
Gen. Strong, who has - frequently since bis nr-
rival ia This Department brsyed death IN ~ many
forms Of attack, was Unsigned 10 the command Of lilo
LEI Brigade Col. Putnam Of the 9Th New iiauD-
.bire, VINO, although Of the regular army and con-
.idered one OF the beat ocsrs IA tie Department had
reveried hs into battle been under fire, took
command Of the %, and Gen. Stevenson the u,
constituting the reserve Tho 9Th Mas-schuseils
.colorcd rcgimcut Col. Shaw, wns the advanced
regiment III tie L., Brigade, AMI the "a South Caro-
Ina uegrol, Col. Montgomery, was the las, regi-
ioeut oil the reserve. Tne selection Of the h,h Ma
sachusetts TO lead tie charge was undoubtedly nado
on account Of the good fighting qualities had dis
playei few days before on James leland, ae-
CONT of ~Aich you have in my letter Of tho III.
Thee brigadcs, az have remarked before. were
formed for this express duty. Many Of the regiments
had never seen their brigade commanders before;
so,ne of them had never been under FIRE, aud, with
with exception OF three regiments IN the let Brig
AIDE, none Of them had ever been engaged in tins
form Of attack. All had fresh in the- memories the
severe repulse we had met on the morning OF the
lth inst. For two years the Department Of The
South had been in existence, aud uaiI the ftormins
of the batteries on the south end oi Mpris Island
the army had won victory fairly Acknowledged
by the enemy.
Just us darkness began to close in upon tie scene
Of the afternoon snd the evening, Gen. Strong rode
70 the front ard ordered Lis brigade, consisting Of
the 5ilh Mass, Col. Shaw eolored r'gmentj, the
9th Conn.,. Col. Chatlield the 18th y. Y, Col. Bar
ton tie 81 y. H. Col. jackson, the 7Gth Penn, and
the 9th Maine, COL Emery, to advance to the ansaul.
At the inalant the line seen slowly advancing
in the dusk toward tho fort, aud Lefore a double.
quicl. had been ordered tremendous fire from lie
barbctte gum on Fort Sumter from the batteries Oh
Cummings Point and from all the guns on toit
Wagner, opened upon it. The glns from Wagner
swept the beach, aud those from Slmtcr and Cum
miugs Point eniIaded il the left In tlo midst Of
this terrible shower OF shot aud thell .hey pushed
their way, reached the fort, portions Of tho 9th
Mars, the 9th Conn, and ue 4Sth N. T., dashed
through tie dtches gained the parapet aud engaged
in hand-to-fgLi with the enemy, and for nearly
alfan-hour held thor ground aud did MOI fall back
mil p..rlv .verv commissioned officer Nss shot