Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-08-26

New YORK, Aug. 23.-The u. 5.
steamer Arkansas arrived at the Navy
Yard this morning.
The following dispatch is from the
agent of the Associated Press with the
fleet off Charleston:
I" FLAG SHIP DINsMoRE,
TUESDAY Morning, Aug. Is, 1868.
:" The attack on Fort Sumter was COM
menced at daybreak, yesterday morning,
by the siege Of Gen. Gilmore and the
naval battery on shore.
! .'At O'Clock Admiral Dahlgren pro-
ceeded on board the Weehawken, and
with the Ironsides and entire Monitor fleet
attacked Forts Wagner and Gregg with
great fury, completely silencing Fort
| Wagner, and almost silencing Fort Gregg
"The wooden gunboats, seven in num-
Der, also joined in the assault, and enabled
all Of the shore batteries to pour their
shot and shell into Sumter
At 10 o'clock, the Admiral changed
his flag 10 the Passaic and with the Pa
tapsco, proceeded TO within about 400
| yards of Fort Sumter, and shclled the sea
J wall with two rife guns Of those vessels,
| for about an hour, with marked effect.
} Sumter fired almost fifty return shots
doing no damage to the vessels, whilst the
wall of Sumter was badly SCARED.
! Fleet Captain George w Rodgers
took command of his old vessel, the moni-
tor Catskill, and went up into the fight,
going within hundred and fifty yards of
the beach front OF Fort Wagner. After
trying number Of shot, shot from
Wagner broke loose piece Of the interi-
/ or lining of the pilot-hOuse, which struck
on the head OF Commander Rodgers, In
stantly killing him, as we'll as Paymaster
Woodbury., who was standing az 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.
The damage done to Fort Sumpte7
! by the siege batteries OF General Gilmore
! Is risable without the aid Of Il glass.
| The rebels had erected a false wall against
| the wall exposed to the army batteries
! 1t extended 70 within ten feet of the top
OF the wall, was over forty feet high and
ten feet thick This wall is now a mass
| of ruins, while the old wall is bored full
of deep notes.-the parapet crushed and
ragged, and the northwest corner gasLed
and cracked, down almost TO the waters
| edge.
The harbor and StUno river are filled
with torpedoes, about dozen of which
have been picked up in Stono, and one
was exploded under the Patapsco, raising
her foot out Of water, but doing no
harm TO the vessel.
g None of the vessels were Injured in
the least, and the Admiral and his officers
are confident in the ability of the Moni-
tors TO batter doan Sumptcr The Adj
mlrat Is anxious, however. TO save the
vessels for the heavy work required of
them after Sampler Is taken, and TO let
the army reduce Fort Sumpter if possible
'-Ihe feet, except the Weehawken
and Nahant, all retired before two o'clock
but they remained to keep Wagner silent
during the afternoon, and to prevent the
remounting of the guns
The shore batteries continued firinr
all the afternoon and night on the walls
OF Sumpter with good effect
T" This morning the weather is cool and
clear, and the batteries steadily at work
The Weehawken and Passaic are keeping
Forts Wagner and Gregg silent and up
to noon, when the Arkansas sailed. the
remainder of the feet are lying at their
moorings
''The bodies of Captain Rodgers and
Paymaster Woodbury. have been en-
balmed, and will 90 North on the Ar
kansas.
General Gilmore announces that the
work thus far has been entirely satisfac
tory that the fort is badly damaged, and
the work progressing finely
& Admiral Dahlgren is much depressed
by the loss Of his fleet captain, but is
highly gfatified by the operations OF the
fleet and army, and very hopeful of ulti-
mate success.
" Up to the moment of the sailing of
the Arkansas, at noon, the siege guns
have been hurting about shell per min
ute during the morning at Fort Sumpter.
with marked effect.
"Two of the monitors, the Ironsides
and some of the gunboats are shelling
Forts Wagner and Gregg