The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-14


GERS, for special service
You will also procure q sufficient number
OF boats to transport them the whole to be
inside the bar at an early hour this evening
The commanding officers of the vessels oil
Charleston are hereby directed, On the pre-
sentatlon OF this order, to furnish you the
number OF boats, men and officers that may
be allotted as the proportion to come FROM
their vessels. Signal No. ~ will anaui this.
Respectfully, your obd't serv't,
j. IL. DAHLGREN,
Rear Admiral Commanding
South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
ORDER.
Lieutenant Commander f. z. Williams is
instructed 10 organize force Of sailors for
special service-and the commanding Otli-
GERS OF the following vessels will place under
his command-men (yoluntecrs preierrcd)
and boats properly otfieered as follows
POwhatan-50 men, ) boats.
HOusatOnic-3O men, boats
WissahckOn-2O men, boats
Mahaska-30 men, l boat.
LOdona-20 men, 3 boats.
Memphis--sO men, 2 boats.
Ii the Canandaigua arrives Off the bar i'm
time Captain Green will send 40 men and :,
boats.
Very respectfully,
j. III. DAHLGREN.
X. Admiral Commanding,
s. A. b. squadron.
ii was by one of these barge expeditions
that tue boat sent to Morris Island for Major
Marley was captured. This information is
Of all authentic character. Major Warley is
safe. but u prisoner iu flie hands OF the EN-
envy.
AL about half past o'clock yesterday
morning the prevailing quiet was rudely
broken by . sudden and very rapid cannon
al. If al.
The brief intervals between the reports of
the heavy guns were filed by the roll OF mus
kerry, aud all who heard the firing in the
city thought that warm work had begun ut
Fort Sumter. 1t appears, from the accounts
that We have received, that ut half-past A.
NJ. yesterday, number of barges, Iariously
estimated at from twenty to thirty, and con-
tanning about fifty men each, were deserted
through the darkness pulling rapidly to
wards the fort. They were steered towards
various portions Of the ledge of rocks out
side the fort, (kn0wn, Technically, We be-
lieye, as the bern,) but most of them directed
their course. towards the gorge face, which,
being now sloping mass OF bricks and rub
bish, seemed TO afford the most inviting op-
portunity for the assault.
AS soon as the barges were seen by our
vigilant sentries on the parapct three rockets
were thrown up to notify their comrades at
the other batteries of the danger at hand
With commendable alacrity the guns OF Fort
Johnson, battery Simkins, Fort MOultrie,
and the steamer Chicora, opened upon the
barges, aud simultaneously the infantry, jll-
diciously posted within the fort, poured into
the crowded boats Of the assailants u rapid
and spirited fire Of musketry. The foremost
boats OF the enemy, however, soon gained
the ledge, and the Yankees sprang to the as
sault with vigor and determination. They
were met, however, by resolute men. The
Charleston battalion, Major Blake command
ing, had been advantageously posted at the
threatened points, and rcpellcd the foe with
q gallantry worthy the name which the bat
TALON won SO dearly ut SecessiOnville, and
afterwards mt battery Wagner. When their
muskets had been discharged, instead oi
losing precious tune in reloading, they hurled
handgrenaties against fhe foe, and when
these weie exhausted, had recourse to the
brick bats which lay everywhere around
them, and rained them down the slope.
This storm of miscellaneous missiles was
too much for the storming party, and the for
lOrn hope fled in confusion to the base Of the
fort. Meantime the barges in the rear, ter.
ror stricken by the severe concentrated fire
they had encountered, had abandoned the at
tack and gone OIL, leaving the Yankees who
Lad landed wholly without support. 1t IL
scarcely necessary to add that these last,
fOiled in their effort to surprise the garrison,
aud not daring to take TO their boats, surren
dered at discretion, aud announced the fact
in tones which could be heard high above
the splashiuy Of the waves aud the din oi
the engagement.
The receding barges were soon lost to
sight III the darkness, the prisoners were
marched into tue fort aud secured, and 81
lence again reiened in the harbOr.
ln this brilliant repulse of the enemy We
captured thirteen Yankee naval officers and
| lU3 men, besides IL rec stands Of culors, four
| fine barges, etc. Among the flags taken
| Sumter, which fiOatcd over the work at the
time when Major Anderson held command
there. Upon the surrender OF the fort In
| April, 1861, it will be remembered, Major
Anderson was allowed to salute, haul down
and carry of this identical flag. Admira
| Dallgren, it seems, had undertaken to ere
possess" the fort, aud to s'restore the old flag
| 10 the flagstaff from which South Carolina
tore il at the opening of the war. But tht
| not saved the scheme itself from collapse
aud whatever may he the fate Of Fort SNm
| ter in the future, that "old hag" win sufel,
| never again wave over its walls.
| OF the ehemy's loss in killed and woundcs
| we have no noanthentie account. Two Of then
| were found dead at the fort aud ninetcei
wounded; but from the fact that seycra
barges, fiddled by shot, have been seen hoat
| ing about, capsixed, many believe that A'
| encmy's loss was much greater. y u ra
mured that the naval officer named Meade
who was cap4ursd, Is son Of Gen, Meade
| the successor of HOOkeR. On oar eide Their
| was no casualty Of any kiud during th'
light
| We captured In all lis men belonging 4
the u. 81 Navy. or Narinu Corps AmOngs
them were the following olicers:
1 E.R williams, commanding gunb0at Wis
sahieken.
Robt. /. Meade, 1t. U. & Marines.
/ C.P. Hoycy, Master Mate y. s stcane
P3whataai.
sssja..Ia u. Porter. hasign Y. 9. irtgat,
New lroahtaes.