, 1863-08-08
FROM CHARLESTON.
Continuation Of the Bonn.
bardment,


Correspondence New York Herald, Aug. 5th.l
Events hnye proved the impossibilitY Of .
successful attack By the army upon Charles
ton, without the cooperation Of the navy
Wooden yessels cannot live within short
range Of Fort Wagner and the other rebel
batteries upon Morris Island. The iron-clads,
then, ore the only vessels which can remain
with impunity within range OF the rebel
gnns; and good service are they doing day
utter day and hour after ho1r in the destruc-
tion Of tie works which have been built By
traitors for the defense Of treason. The iron
clads at present engaged in the good work are
the Montank, Captain Fairfax; the Passafc,
lfeutcntant Commander Simpson; the P,l.
tapsco, Lieutenant Commander Badger; tbs
Catskll, Lieutenant Commander Carpenter;
the Neehawken, Commander Calhoun, and
the eew 1ronsides, Captain Rowan.
Every morning two Of more OF tie iron
clads move up into position off Wagner, ut
distance Of from one thousand to one thou
sand seFcn hundred yards, and deliver their
shot and shell into the rebel work The
firing from Wagner Las within the week past,
become Irregular, and almost every time tho
III half IN hour or forty five minutes after the
commencement. Yesterday only one gun
Was observable upon the work, and no signs
of another could anywhere be seen. The one
gun In sight is g ten-inch rifle, and from It
they have made some excellent practice. In
the attack on Monday morning last only two
shots we're fred from Wagner, and both of
them struck the hlontaul1, but, rs usual, doiag
no damage. The firing then ceased, and the
remainder Of the day the fort WAS silent. The
bail, however, is regularly taken up by Bat
tc.Y Gregg 0he old Cummings Point battery
ce'leAt firing las been made. In the position
usually occupied by the iron -clads during an
engagement, they arc within good range Of
Sumter; indeed, shots have been fired at
them from Fort Monltric, and not FILLING very
far short The beach in front Of Fort Wag-
ner is cnt and scooped up as though q party
Of naVies had been sc icing how Irregular they
could make 1t look. The parapet, also, and
casenlates OF the fort LOOK Scarcely like any
thing more than heaps of sand, so much have
they been torn to pieces by shot and shell.
Although each day more or less firing from
the fort Is ecen, yet It must be nearly untena,
hour stlcRces 1t. Deserters, who were In the
tort on the 18th Of July, the day Of the BON
b2rlment aad st6rming, say tnat the explo-
zion Of the eleven aud fifteen inch shell Was
frightful. Burying themselves in the earth,
they exploded and dug immense holes, throw
ing the earth aigh into the air and over every
thing around.
1ttis but utprope. to say that the Montauk
has been engaged mora hours and thrown
more shot and shell, grape and canister, thau
any other iron-clad. Testimony to the effect
iyeness Of her shots is borne on all hauds.
Mr. Gisaud. the executive officer Of the Mon
service, and he rarely fails Of hitting the oh
jet upon which he sights his guns It is
thought that LIE las nor4pst dozen shots IN
three weeks duty of MBfris Island.
On James ls>nnd, over beyond Morris
Island, and Somewhat, In the rear Of Fort
baye hecn trected within the last ten days.
Tho result of the firing upon Wagner has
shown how probable it Il that We shall soon
possess ard occupy It; and these new but
teries are for the purpose Of IN enftlading
fire. They look formidable as batteries, aud
Norris Island, and eyen near the iron clad5.
Theaeprpbab1y mount fcur or six guns each,
though of what calibre 1t Is impossible to
state. " -.
But Gen. Gilmore Is at work as well, ani
undoubtedly his efforts to possess al Of Nor 1
rls Island u III soon be successful. The bat
teries which he used On the 18th inst, aud,
indeed, sincer 1f1l be superseded By works
more extensive, which he is throwing up
three hundred yards In adrauce- These
works, not entirely, will soon be com.
pleted: Already they are Of such magnitude
as to excite the wonder and admiration Of oil
beh9llels.. The front Of tho work extends
far up the beach, and cannot be more than
ecyen hundred yards from. Fort Wagner. It
Will not surprise some IT, when this work is
tneEed, Gen. Gilmore entirely dis:a,ds Wug-
FER and turns his attention to mora ancient
and familiar locality. His batteries, IN the
centre Of Morris Island, cover any approach
from James 1a1and, If 1t Eas possible to make
one from that direction Tie lower end Of
Morris Island Is as busy as work shop in
unloading and transporting guns, carriages,
ammunition and stores: On the shelving
bench, under the blutTs, his men are encamp.
ed, ard morning and evening witness the
company drill and the dress parade. The
whcle extcnt Of the beach is alive from dawn
to dusk with the men and horses, who ure
accomplishing the work from which so much
Is hoped.
Every Thug betokens fsarfu1ness Oh the
part Of thu rebels here, which Is very cncour-
aging to us.