The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-29
SIEGE OF CHARLSrONi
Bombardment Of Fort Snmter I,

day morning, and reports that the navy
and army shore batteries have done tre-
mendous destruction on Fort Sumter. The
south and east face looks like honey
comb and, complete demolishment Of the
walls is looked for in a week.
The following account is from the pen of
Mr.. Charles Fea, of the Baltimore Ameri-
can:
FLAGSHIP D1NsMoRE, Aug. 1s.-The at
tack on Sumter commenced at day break
Yesterday morning, by the siege batteries
OF Gen. Gilmore and the naval on shore
At o'clock, Admiral Dahlgren proceeded
on board the Weehawken, and with the
ironclads and entire monitor fleet, attacked
batteries Wagner and Gregg with great fu
ry, completely silencing Wagner, and al
most silencing Gregg. The wooden gun
boats, seven in number, now Joined in the
assault, and enabled all Of the shore bat
teries to pour their shot and shell into
Sumter. pti4+ 9 JsG4
At 10 o'clock the Admiral changed his
flag to the Passaic and with the Patapsco,
proceeded to within about fourteen hun
dred yards of Sumter, and shelled the
wall with the rifled guns of those vessels
for about one hour with marked effect.
Sumter fired about fifty shots, doing no
damage to the vessels, whilst the wall Of
Sumter was badly scored. ~ !f-
Fleet Captain Geo. Rodgers. of the Cats
kill, went up within $50 yards Of the beach
in front Of Wagner. After firing num-
ber Of shots, shot from Fort Wagner
broke piece Of the interior lining, which
struck Commander Rodgers on the head,
instantly killing him, as well as Paymas-
ter Woodbury., who was standing at his
side. Both Of their heads were split open.
These were the only persons injured ON
land or water during the six hours en-
gagement. ~ '..a 3iti
The damage done to Sumter by the siege
batteries of Gen. Gilmore is visible with
out the aid of a glass. The rebels had
erected false wall against the wall ex-
posed to our batteries. 1t extended to
forty feet high, and ten feet thick; and this
wall is now mass of ruins, whilst the old
wall is bored full of deep holes. The para
pet is crushed and ragged, and the north
west corner is gashed and cracked down
almost to the water edge.
The harbor and Stono river are filed
with torpedoes. About dozen of them
have been picked up in Stono river. One
was exploded under the Patapsco, raising
her foot out of the water but doing her no
harm. None of the vessels were injured
in the least.
The Admiral and his officers are conf
Ident Of the ability of the monitors to bat
ious to save the vessels for the heavy work
required ofthem after Sumter is taken and
TO let the army reduce Sumter.
The fleet, except the Weehawken and
Nahant, all.retired before 2 p. M, but they
remained to keep Wagner silent during the
afternoon, and so prevent the re-mounting
of guns. The shoae batteries continued
firing all the afternoon and night on the
wall of Sumter, with good effect.
This morning the batteries are steadily
at work. The Weehawken and Passaic are
keeping batteries Wagner and Gregg ST.
lent, and up to noon, when the Arkansas
sailed, the remainder of the fleet was going
to their moorings.
Gen. Gilmore announces that the work
thus far has been entirely satisfactory; that
the fort is greatly damaged, and the work
is progressing finely.
Admiral Dahlgren is much depressed by
the loss of Fleet Captain Rodgers, but is
highly pleased with the operations of the
fleet and army, ann very hopeful Of ulti-
mate success.
The Arkansas left the fleet at seven
of Wednesday morning. At that time huge
volumes of smoke were seen issuing from
Fort Sumter, as iffrom burning cotton. The
officers of the Arkansas believe the fort
would be captured or entirely destroyed
by noon. Her guns were replying feebly
to ours. Fort Gregg had been entirely 81
fenced. Wagner still holds out.
The bombardment continued without
cessation during Tuesday night, and was
renewed Wednesday morning, and when
the Arkansas left the firing was furious
The Ironsides, five monitors and the shore
batteries being all engaged.
Two refugees from Savannah named JAS.
NJ. Califf and John c. Coburn are passen-
there is nearly famine in Savanna.
|. NEW YORK, Aug. PA letter dated the
18th, from Morris Island, to the Herald,
states that the fire of our batteries still con-
tinued, and that the masonry of Sumter is
gradually crumbling and tumbling to
pieces. The rebel flag was twice shot away
on the 18th, and replaced. Aviolent storm
the 10Th. The sand batteries however, have
got perfect range, and are demolishing the
large wall. The holes are deepened assures
widened, and seem multiplied a hundred
fold since yesterday. The parapet is COM
pletely demolished. The abutments at the
south.e east angle are mostly torn away and
breaches made, through which our projec-
tiles are plainly seen to fly, crushing the
opposite wall.
Deserters state that the effect of our shot
on Sumter was terrible, and that four men
were killed there, and six at Wagner. On
Monday the rebel batteries on Morris Is
land continued heavy firing, but without
much damage.
Another letter dated the Goth, to the Her
ald, says that from one end Of our lines to
the other, our guns are pouring an inces-
SAINT fire against the Gorge wall of Sum-
ter, but still it holds together. 1t will be
gradually torn to pieces.
The iron-clads were moored up abreast
Sumter last evening, but heavy sea pre-
vented their operating. The gale subsidized
to-day. More heavy guns were mounted
at the front last night. Our heaviest pieces
have not opened yet.
The steamer New Brunswick, stranded
on the bar, and her cargo is being taken
out by lighters.
The numerous torpedoes are now power
less for harm, as effectual measures have
been taken to avoid them.
The health of our troops was good and
they were in excellent spirits.
Robbery..FrOm Rosecrans.
ST, LouJs Aug. A.-The office of the U.
S. Express Company was robbed of nearly
sixty thousand dollars, last night.
| An officer just from Rosecran's army re-
ports Bragg's center at Chattanooga, his
left wing at Dalton, and his right at Clear-
land.
| Buckner is at Knoxville with 10, 600 men,