The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-08-31
THE SIEGE OF CHaBlEsr6N.

There was no assault IN force upon
battery Wagner ON Tuesday night, as
stated by telegraph. It was merely an
advance Of the enemy with about 1900
men and battery Of light artillery to
capture our pickets and occupy the rife
pits. The advance was met on our side
by about 800 troops OF the elst North
Carolina and 54th Georgia regiments, and
was repulsed after an hours firhtinp.-
Our batteries on James Island did much
execution upon the enemy during the
fight. Our loss was Eve killed and nine.
teen wounded. On Wednesday night,
however, the enemy attempted the same
PROJECT, and were successful. They made
a rush on our pickets at the rifle pits,
and captured that portion of them who
did not succeed in escaping back to bat
terry Wagner. With the rife pits in
their possession the Yankees advanced
their saps two hundred yards nearer the
battery. Noyery great efforts we're made
by our troops to recover possession Of
the pits. They We're merely dug to shell
ter the pickets on duty from the enemy's
shell, and were not expected to resist an
assault. At the late assault ON Wagner,
i'll which the Federals were SO bloodily
repulsed, no opposition to their advance
was made at these pits, and the repulse
was effected after they had gained the
slopeof the fort. Before the attack We'd
nesday night the enemy, in their ap.
proaches to Wagner, had advanced by
zig-zag lines to within twenty five yards
OF our rifle pits, and, in order to run
their next parallel, it became necessary
that these pits should be carried. The
Mercury, of the 9th, gives the follow
ing account Of the fight for the rife pits
Tuesday night:
A little affer : o'clock on Tuesday hight,
just as the 5lst North Carolina was relieving
the 5Ath Georgia, a detachment Of which
was on duty at the pits as pickets, the at
tempt was made in considerable force by the
enemy brisk infantry fight ensued, which
lasted about an hour and a halt, and which
ended In the repuise OF the Yankees; it is
believed with no little loss.
Battery Gregg aud the James Island tatte-
rics lent material aid In the successful de.
fence Of the disputed ground. The fire of
battery Simkins Captain Aiitchels) is re-
ported by Gen. uagood as having been very
effective Oar loss was five killed and nine
teen wounded, among the latter of whom is
Captain Roberts, of the 54th Georgia, whose
hurt is reported mortal.
The enemy opened on Monday, for the
first time, a three hundred pound Parrott
gun on Sumter. The bolts thrown by this
gun are tw wenty-three inches long and ten
inches in diameter Their effect is far more
powerful than those projected from the two
hundred pOunder. Three hundred shots we're
fired on Tuesday ut the fort Charleston
was perfectly quiet on the night of the 25th
No shells were thrown into the city.
On the 26th the bombardment, Of course,
opened at the usual early hour. The fire OF
the Yankee land batteries was directed both
al Sumter and Wagner, but seemed to be
principally concentrated on Wagner. In the
afternoon the Ironsides opened with few
shells. The fleet, however, was for the most
part quiet.
About halfpast six o'clock r. NJ the en-
elny commenced 10 lombard Wagner with
great fury. Fort Wagner, battery Gregg, aud
the batteries on James Island, replied
with equal vigor, and for the space Of an
hour the tercest cannOnade which has taken
place since the beginning Of the siege filled
the harbor with its thunders. The shots
were sixty to the minute. A little before
seven dispatch was brought TO the city
stating that the enemy were again assaultiug
in heavy force, and before eight O'Clock it
was learned that the rife pits had been car
ried by the enemy. The details of the strug-
gle had Of course not been received up 10
the time Of our going to press.
The Charleston Courier, Of the 2Sth,
confirms the statement made above, that
the pits were in the hands of the enemy,
who was advancing his saps from them,
and gives the following account Of the
capture:
We have received but few additional par
ticulars of the affair of Wednesday night, in
which II is reported some sixty OF our men,
Of the SiXty-iirst North Carolina, were taken
prisoners.
The reported recapture of the rifie-pits
was incorrect. 1t appears from these who
that our advanced picket force
OF eighty men, occupying the riiie-ptts, were
fianked and surrounded by an overwhelming
force Of the enemy, who had been massing
made their escape. The Yankees advanced
with three regiments unexpectedly. Our
men fought gallantly, but were oyerpowcred
by superior numbers. The enemy, however,
suffered severely. Our howitzers kept up n
steady fire, raking the eneiny's columns with
grape shot, and doing much execution.
A severe musketry fight also occurred
One OF our men who escaped after being
taken prisoner reported the enemy immedi-
ately on taking possession OF tue rife pits
commenced to throw up more sand, X:.,
for strengthening their position.
The firing between the land batteries was
very slow yesterday, that of the enemy be-
ing direcled principally on battery Wagner.
Fire was also kept up on Fort Sumter, but
withlittle effect. 1t is believed that the en-
emys guns are wearing out from the severe
ordeal 10 which they have been subjected.
The feet kept quiet yesterday. The Iron
aides and four monitors were reported NOV
ins up, but they had not opened lire up to &
late hour Nothing authentic has been re-
ceived In relation to the number of casual
ties at battery Wagner on Wednesday night
or yesterday.
Gen. Colquitt is now in command Of the.
forces on Morris Island.
We give below some interesting par
ticulars Of the siege from Northern and
Southern papers. The following is an
OFFICIAL DISPATCH FROM ADMIRAL DAHL
GREN--THE DEATH OF CAPT. RODGERS.
FLAG STEAMER DINsMoRE.
Of Morris Island, August IL, 1863.
Hon. Gideon Ue'1es, Secretary of the Navy,
Washington
SyR-YestcrJay was begun another series
OF operations against the enemy's works.
Early in the morning General Gilmore
opened oil his batteries upon Fort Sumter,
firing over Fort Wagner and the interme.li-
ate space
About the same time moved up the en-
tire available naval force, leading with my Tag
in the Weehawken, followed by the Catskill,
Nahant, and Montauk, the Passaic and Pa
tapsco in reserve for Sumter; the Ironsides
in position opposite to Wagner, and thegun-