, 1863-07-23

.E'1ts. As1aGlk GA Morris island.
tCo17etI Ieodtnce OF tie Providence Jouspal1
u .. S. MosrAuK, 1sstDE}
II III Z

u >. s MosTAUK, INSIDE
Ca4ELEsroi BAE, July 10, 1>53.
Again this familiar locality has become the
eccnc or s'frripg events, and the big-mouthed
guns. which few months ugo sent the thun-
ders Of loyalty, union and good government
into the cars of treason, secession aud op.
preston, are givipg good accounts Of the
work Which hour ntter hour they are no~ do
fpg The low bluffs Of Morris I=land, which
front the main ship channel, and have been
entrance into the channel Of anything but
blockade runners and iron-c.a0s, are now held
By loyal, Uiun loving tro.pB, and the stars
epd stripes are now floating above than, and
within three miles Of Fort Sumter.
The iron-c]ad. MoutAuk, Weehawken and
bnr until "Wednesday, the 9Th, when thvy came
mp herr. =:
cauIe 10 the ecrmmsn6ert Of the iron-cladn to
discontinue the repairs which were rapidly
going On, and to immediately prepare for Sea,
reporting readiness 10 move by Tuesday eTe,
Lii e. The orders were Immediately carried
out, 1bd The hours OF both day aud night we're
nned with an inceesant haumertng aud pound.
ing, inch IS only the occupants uf t,on-clads
CAT tul ; imagioe or appreciate
On Tuc>1ay afternoon the 1ron-c1ads we're
all ready, and reporIa we're accordingly made
Of readiness to move to Admiral DahIgren.
Ue Etre expecting to move on the name
evening, but were detained Inul tne follow
Ing 6ny. Of course, speculation uas rife as
to our destination, for We had no idea Of any
intention TO move at present, and sFeEe agrees
ably surprised 10 know that 1t was possible
for any MpYeuent to be contemplated or or
de1ed wi1hen4: its being known, understood
and commented upon long previous to the
f3rsa aeep. Certainly the busy news-n,ongers
Were now surprised; aud tho preparatory
steps were taken in That we earnestly hope
u,ay prove the 4poesess nod occunarion ,of
Cha11eston. with as little noise and excite
mtns aa 1nongn We vere only changing our
anst,urage. Certainly grea: improyemen1
this; may We Lot treat it - . good oneu,
Since th. appointment CT .Geu. Gilmore to
be cl,ic4 tf this department., it has been pre-
this vicinity. aud his splendid SUCCESS in the
REDUCTION If Fort Pulaski promised we'll in
the event Of hls trying = similar, Or indeed
any Increment toward Sumter.
It WIS supposed, Of courte, TINT u laoa At
tack here must Of necessity be accompanied
BY the iron clads from the .eawaId, as nothing
but 1rtn can Withstand the terrible fire with
Which everything Of = hostile description is
received after passing Chs-1eston bar. i MAS
presumed also that no attack would b5 h1ade
1T present, for reasons which It will be es we'll
not to state, and accordingly the fron-clads
were quietly III barbor at Port Royal, uader-
going such repairs md improvements ID
| points and f.atures as experience had ehown
| might under certain contingencies prove rul-
! nefhb1e. AZ I have stated, the Montauk,
Weehawken aud Nahant were thus repairing,
| engines spart, turrets aud pilot houses being
strengthened, and ever,thiog IN as opposite,
| Yet TWO days sufaced to put thcm into shape
again, and betore the limited time had expired
| they were In order to move The Cat=ktl1
| and Patapsco we're still in Edisto, where We
| left them eek previous, and the Nantucket
| had moved TO Stono, to be ready for any emer-
Tie Pasfaic had not returned from Neg
York. and the New 1ronsides vas still of
Charleston. doing good service. This was the
h,tustion Of the iron feet, which just three
| months previous moved In such grand march
upon the birth place Of secession.
| han Ken and Nah.nt, with their respective con.
yoys, moyed from Port Royal into the open
/ sea, during one OF the most mngnl1cently
| grand enu Terrific squalls and thunder storms
/ which ever saw. The bowling wind, tho
| etortn Of t2in, ard the tempestuous sea dashed
and beat upon the little iron shfps with crazy
| tlercenesf, while the Lightning Played all
around them, and Jet to The iron-clads it Was
| rs though the sea had been without ripple
| and the sky without cloud.
| Steadily we mored on, and the dawn Of the
| following morning found Us outside Charles.
ton bar: The Catekill had arrived from Eds.
! to fw hours before, nId these four little
| ships. which, if melted and run into one,
| would hardly make, . decent sized frigate,
were here agafu, causing, I warrant, treason
to 1ren bic ii the throne which 1t had stolen
and reased in front Of the city Of secession and
rebellion.
Gen. Gilmore had massed q small, vet an ef
fciept army on Folly Island, separated, a,
you know, from the southern end Of Morris
Island By only narrow passage OF water
Here be lad mounted a large number Of pow
ettul guns, and was able to contest the occu
patton Of the island against any force whicl
might be brought to possess 1t.
To enable hun to crots his men, "occup,
md possess" Morris Island, We had come Il
his assistance, and expected to arrive, as VI
did, at early dawn, cruss the baF Immediately
AID more into euch position as would core
his crossing.
Soon ritter coming to anchor outside th.
bar, We received word from Gen Gilmore TIM
be vas not entirely ready, but would CON
merce the attack IN twenfy-four hours. W
remained, therefore, st our anchorage, nakin4
Rnch final preparation Is the staie Of atAin
required, and ready to move at moment
| notice. Al the day wore on, We could easil1
boats and the occasional signal guns, that vi
| had surprised the occupants Of Sumter mi
| the guardians of Charleston.
With our glasse6 We scauneQ The camps o
| dl1mC1e \ meH GA Eo4i5 46IAHus AlQ Inc LOCAL
| ity where in Sc few hours the ba11 was to b
| Otce Uore opened.
THIS morning WAS tott and mild. At3i5;
| m, oll la,,ds we're called. anchor Was soon up
and in few MINUTES we were well uudsi
way, EteamfEg we'll in ACROSS the bar. 1t wa|
too early TO perceive the conditio1r1f affair
on Morris 1sl4nd, and not until half past lou
o'cl.ck could we easily distinguish the shore
Admiral Dahlgren, who bad come up from
Pot Royal on the Augusta Diuslnorc, noE
took bis position on board the Catskil1, as hi
blue pennant Indicated As We crossed th
bar The work Of the day began, commencing
With the guns Of Gen. Gilmore on Folly 1sl
! and, which threw their shell and grape IA
over The low lands aud b1nffs of Morris Isl
and, into the channel hey yond-lndeed, Int
the nejghborhood Of the four iron-clads.
waa magnificent sight indeed. One heavy
prhtoken, continuous boom, boom, boom
dl1Mg the air with bursting shell aud spread
Ing grape, and aending broad, heavy veil Z
blue smoke behind and over the woodl
against The dark foliage Of which no watche
with peculiar interest the rapidly succeedin
flashing Of the guns. It WAS now half past
O'Clock, and the firing BY the rebels ffor
c1ads steadily and slowly moved u
the channel, sending their globes
frcn across the island and into the bluff
which lined the coast The batteries upo
the bluffs we're not used, probably from th
scarcity Of nen, and the surprise of the al
tack. :And get We cav men around the ntd
clusters OF tents, which were near the bate
1ies nnd upon the shore. but they seemed Ell
cited and unable to nan the b3tterics, even
disposed, which they did not seem to be afte
the location Of part of our cargo IN the1
midst. Soon, however, We saw large bodis
up to and into the batteries which covered th
bluffs. Immediately our shell were sent Wit
astonishing precision among them, whic
| cdused the eracpation Of their strongho11s
be as rapid as the possession had been. Oys
| the tops Of the bluffs, through the valleys b'
tween them, around them, and in ali dire
tious, the rebels we're flying in stragglin
crowds, driven by our ehclls from the sea*art
md from The land side By the.troops Of Ger
Gillhorc's army, whose occupation Of tt
south eud Of Morris Ieland had been indicate
BY the dfscontinuance Of the firing of t
heavy guns, md the tattling Of mosket1.
No sooner would a crowd occupy one Of Il
batteries than 15-inch would immediate
| die1odge them, sending them In confusion
the next battery, from which aggasu they wel
. scattertd In similar manner From bluff t
were continually flying, never stopping to III
the mu=kets which they carried oTcr the
A shoulders.
but now, over the low point Of beach Oh Il
eonth end Of Morris Island, appear dozen
, flag, and wayiug il excited exultation Il
J stars and stripes. They had scarcely con
into view, when the Eolid black mass Of o.
= mcr, with splendid front. and beariog abo
> them our own banners, came over the pot
and moved, line after line, In beautiful ord
alorg the smooth beach. In vain the rebe
tried to turn the guns upon the blu
upcn the advancing columns, for o.
shells Immediately scattered sand q
m.p in all directions. The line Of bluff
about hnlt mile long, had now all been eya
uatcd, with the exception Of ono solitary b
| +erv f4nm which they succeeded In throWfl