Daily national Republican., 1863-10-26
FROM CHARLESTON.
z-N-eA, e. .
Operations Soon To Commence.
THE ESCAPE OF REFUGEES.
The Destitution at Charleston.
THE REBEL TORPEDO sTEANERs.
IiIL '.I
The Army and Navy In conference.
THE ESCAPE OF REFUGEES.
The Destitution at Charleston
TIE REBEL TORPEDO sTEANERs
The Army and Navy In Conference,

CnARLEsroN HARBoR, Monday, Oct. H.
The rche,s last night opened their batteries on
James Island, and for an hour Or two kept up
quite an active fire. Their fire to-day has also
been more frequent than for week rast. Gen.
Gilmore Is rapidly mounting guns upon his
now nearly completely works, and II lie proba-
bly, knowledge of this fact, and desire to
delay his progress, that has induced the enemy
TO resume their artillery practice. II 10 not
advisable to speak very definitely Oi the pro-
gress vi preparations either on shore ur in the
neei, but the general expectation here now i-
that the iinpaiienCc of the public for stirring
news from this quarter will soon be gratitied.
We have had sufficient experience Of the diff
cullies that lie In the path to Charleston not tu
De too sanguino OF early results, aud even If
the initiatory steps in the neAt morement bc
successful, we may expect too or three weeks Of
hard and bloody ork before the city L. reached.
ESCAPE OF REruGKEs.
On Saturday night the picket boat of the
HousatoniC, one of the outside block adipg fleet,
picked up small boat containing three men,
who gave themselves ul as refugees or deserters
irom CharlrstOn. They are engineers who have
been In the rebel service, and for long time
dcsirous of escaping. Having secured boat.
and favorable opportunity Offering, they made
their way down the channel behind Sullivau's
Island, and after pulling about for some time
they encountered the Housatonic's boat. They
are now on board the flagship.
AFFAIRS AT CHARLL-TUN.
Their approximations of aiiairs al Charles
tou, of the destitution and sutierngs Of the
poorer classes, and of the daily and hourly
fears Of all that the city will be shelled and de-
stroyed, corresponds with those We have re-
ceived through other sources. They also assert
that II the decision was left to the authorities
and the people of Charleston, the city would be
surrendered TO prevent its destruction. The
military power, however, governs everything,
b,.t rtsu tp1l tr,
TO sec the city entirely destroyed rather than
give up the fortified works ON James and Sui
llvan's Islands. These fur,iications and the
oEs..uCtiuus in the harbnr the refugees repro.
sent to bc Enormously strong, and seem tn
think that it will hr impossible for III 10 over.
come them.
THE kLBEL TuHrEDO STEAMER.
From the-U refugees we learn that the rebel
torpedo steamer which attacked the lruusidcs
on the night Of the ',h instant was not suuk.
but returned 10 Charleston with The engineer
and pilot. II appears, from the story thcst
survivors told On reaching Charleston, that
when the torpedo exploded the steamer was 81
delugcd hy the column ut water thrown into
the air hy the explosion aud falling back OH
her deck, that Il vac thought she would inimu-
diatCly sinh. Lieut.. Glasseli. her commander,
gave Inc word for every man 10 cave himself
aud rrt the example by Jumping overheard.
The engineer aud fireman followed, but the
Vessel. TUuEh,, the engineer, when iu the
water, iuuud The ball. Of thr lruusdcs whist
ling around HIM b. hrrCely that he thought he
might as well bc drowned ~ shot. and swan
back to the vessel. They then called out that
they surrendered, but no boat coming To take
possession, they driitcd away in the darkness,
and finding the vessel still floating, got ltp
steam and returned l." the city. The steamer
was uiercyd thirteen timcs by the muskct balls
from the Ironsides.
MORE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Designs.
According to the stories these refugees tell,
the rebels have not abandoned their design 10
blow up the lruusd,,. They have three steam
crs expressly built Tor the purpose of exploding
torpedocs. two Of which are completed. and the
third building. That used against the Iron.
sides is known n torpedo steamer No. =. She
Is bcin@ wri!r"d and rendered mu,ket proof.
On her II, Vt essay she is TO carry torpedo con.
tainiu= 100 pounds ri powder. Steamer No.
is Of different construction. 1t is provided
with au APPARATUS by which 1t can be entirely
submerged as ii approaches the object against
which ii j. designed to explode a torpedo. The
experiments with il have not, however, been
satisfactory. was tried some time ago, aud
five men were drownsd by it. Alterations were
then made. and last week il was again tried
This experiment was still more disastrous, its
whole crew of eight men being destroyed.
THE iEoS-CLAp FLEET.
The steamer Dupont arrived this morning
from Port Royal, having towel The Monitor
Patapsco, which. with a new smoke stack and
other repairs. looks MS good as new Hgaip. As
there have been several changes In the com.
mandcrs of the irOn-clad fleet. I subiuin list
of them:
Steam irigatc Ironsidcs--Captain Rowan.
Monitor Patapsco--Captain I. Stevens.
Monitor Lehigh--Captain A. Bryson.
Monitor eehawken-Captaln Calhoun.
Monitor Nantucket-Captain J. c. Beaumont.
Mon D..aa .t.. -.
Monitor Cattskill--Lieutcnan Il. Sillcy.
Monitor Nahant--Licutcnaut j. CO 'nwell
The Nantucket is in Warsaw 80. I'D. The
Passac and Montauk are at Port Royal COM
plctiug repairs.
GENERAL GILMORE.
Gen. Gilmore visited Admiral Dahlgrun this
afternoon. and sl'ciit couple of hours ON board
the flagship. There are some who consider the
visit u. significant Of busy times.
riNE WEATHER..
Simcr the -ipriu Of last week, the weather has
bscu warm aud pleasant. Inc Monitors liz
with lrap-duurs open, and the crews cN Niduutly
cnjo! ing the beueft of dry decks, II thin.
which it an impossiblity 10 them il ibcr" i
even moderate sea.
THE STEAMER HONE.
The steamer Home, which was fitted up Iur
the uhC of the officers Of the iron urd iluet
came down from Port Royal yesterday, where
she was sCnt Tor II i'airs almost immediately
ditcI hcT dlflNW Oul. Though there was con.
'iderah'' said in the New York papers as To
the beauty and comfort Of her arrangements,
she 'e regarded here totally untitled for ihr
purpose Tor which ehc was destined. Ii i. al.
legged that slIc Is too small, her aCcOmmudd-
lIons being hut little more than arc required
ny her own crew, whilst her ward room l.
scarcely more comfortable than the same quar-
icrs III the Monitors This is what is ralI by
tue people Of the iron. .clads, some Of whom CAV
she ought to be called Tho Iluinbug," IN
stead Of "The Home"
Yours, &C., E.r.