, 1863-08-18

FROM CHARLESTON.
The Situation on Norris Island.
Preparations for the Grand Attack.
From the Baltimore american whose Nor
ris Island correspondent furnishes several let
tiers dating from August 9th to the 10Th, we
gather the following interesting Information:
RIFLE MASDsMooruBoREs.
The Monitors are armed almost exclusively
with tie Is inch Dahlgren gun, Of the smooth
bore pattern. These guns can be loaded and
fred twice whilst rifle gun is being loaded
once, mud hence they have some advantage on
this score. The riasd guns in the Works 80 o.
| tance Of the walls Of Sumter. The mooring
| buoys placel in the ship ch4nnel for the Nom
| itors are all within distance Of Sumter that
| will enable the solid shot to reach Its walls
with their initial velocity. The boring power
Of the rife gun and the preaching power Of
| the Dah1gren gun, each within their breach
Ing range, will therefore be fully tested IN
| this fight, md both will doubtless do their
work well, md each sustain their reputation
| On lard and thore. 4 15-inch smooth-bore,
| which depends on weight r9ther than velocity,
could not be used for siege purposes on ac-
count Of fits great weight. whilst the 1ightness
Of the ri1ed guns must continue to make them
| most efficient for land operations.
l.. INTERIOR DEFEScEs,
Onr scouts report the enemy as engaged in
| building second line Of defences inside Of
| Fort Sumter, Indicating that the fall Of both
| Wagner and Sumter Is regarded as strong
| possibility, and that after the Old Flag floats
over Sumter long siege may be necessary to
| There is no doubt that the defences Of
| Charleston mount at least one hundred guns
] more now than they did In April last, and that
| the capture of the city is at least that mnch
The distractions in the larbor are also be-
ncFed to be much greater now than they were
then, md the difficulties to be encountered In
every respect are one.thlrd greater. It is,
However, a gratifying fact that there art. no
cToakers here row-no one who doubts entire
and complete Euccess-no one who would
talk Of abandoning the undertaking even if
there should be dozen repulses-
ouR POSITION on MORRIS ISLAND.
General Gilmore Is now so firmly fixed on
Morris 1slnnd, holding about four-lfths of its
whole extent in his possession, that 1t would
be impossible for the whole rebel armies Of tho
government to dispossess him. BE also has
AA@A1 "a 4A@ ~ ~ c4CS5G EAASs LII NA4-
bre from LOO to S00.pouHd rifles, In preaching
distance Of Sumter, which arc three times as
many guns as he used in reducing Fort Pu-
laskL Besides these he has numerous mortar
batteries In position, and is making rapid
progress, working. day and aight to complete
Ills arrangements for opening the ball. The
| navy IS ready to cooperate 60 soon rs Gen.
Gilmore gives the word, whcn both Sumter,
| Wagner, ard Battery Gregg, On Cummings
Point, will come down under d weight Of
metal that cannot be resisted. The fill Of
Sumter may be regarded as certain. There
! BY the loyal North.
In few days after the receipt of this letter
the ball will be open, and from SIX to ten
hours is deemed fully sufficient to accomplish
| t1e work It may possibly require more
| as certain. Admiral Dshlgrcn has kindly pro-
| posed to place nc where GIN best witness
| both tho land and naval operations, and
account.
1t may require additional time to take
Char1estoD, bat when we have secured Sum-
| ter the "beginuIug Of the ED" will be at
hand, as with it Gen. Gilmore Will hare pos.
session also Of the small end Of Morris I31and,
still held By t1e 1ebsls.
FLAG OF TRUCE.
| Admiral Dal4Igren sent flag Of truce to
Fort Wagner To-day ii Charge Of Fleet ca plain
George w. Rogers. accompanied BY Ensign
LaEus T. Aaaus. They proceeded in one Of
tie crcE being dressed in white, with white
caps and collars trimmed With blue The
| Captain and his Lieutenant were in full. dress,
with white pants, vests and gloves, and the
whole appearance Of the flag party was de.
cidedly elegant. They were accompanied By
| q tug and proceeded On slowly towards the
front uf tie Fort, when they were stopped by
q solid shot passing about ninety feet aboTe
their bows. Captain Rogers then anchored
lis boat and sent tie tug back, when another
shot WAS fired across the bows Of the cutter,
There had been no signal given or my other
indication Of desire fur them to stop.
Atecr waiting ahout twenty minutes, Col.
! Tracy, with four ur i've officers, came to the
heach and invited our party ashore Colonel
Tracy was the spokesman, and advanced and
shook hands, but the others held back. AL
| Of them seemed morose and gloomy. Cap
tain Rogers, after delivering the letters with
which he was intrusted, prepared to depart,
asking no questions or entering into any gea-
etal conyersa:i0n. The letter5 delivered were
| supposed to be 0 copy Of the Presidents
cra letter from Admiral Dahlgrsn In rcla-
| tion to the fate Of the Wabash's 1aunch.
The English boat that went into Charleston
yesterday also c:mc out this morning, bring
ing tle English Consul along, who Is now On
remain On board until the fight is over.
BATHING SCENE.
The beach Of Morris Island is smooth aad
| bard, furnishiug as fine bathing ground rs
Carc May, and also furnishing line road for
| the marching Of troops and the drawing Of
| guns to the troEt, as well as 4 good drill
grourd. At daylight this morning from four
| to f7e Thousand bathers were enjoying IN
OCEAN bath, presenting quite apc.cea6lc scene
for mile al1ng the shore as witnessed from
| tic deck Of the Dinsnore. Ths colofed
troops, in diyieions By themselves, could be
readily recognized among the bathers BY THAR
/ TIE SEGno TROOPS.
The proclamation Of President Lincoln with
! regard to retaliation on TIC rebels for their
| inhumanity to negro troops, md the selling
Of prisoners into slavery, was received in the
camps on shore to day, and was read by order
couafe gave great satisfaction, and 1 think
t may cay that 1t was equally satisfactory to the
White soldiers. When Jointly engaged In
fighting the same enemy, the animosiIy against
tho blacks has rapidly disappeared.
| learn that correspondence On this sub.
ject has been In progress for some days past,
netwcen Gems. Gilmore and Beauregard, on
account Of the latter refusing to account for
| the wounded I1lcks Of the Massachusetts
regiment. Gen. Gilmoreis said to hare threat
cncd retaliation before lie received the Prcsi-
dert's proclamation.
TIE FINAL ASSAULT.
I lust learn TINT Gen Gilmore has notified
Admiral Dsh1gren that his works will bo all
completed, his guns inounted, and his bate
1ies nll In readiness to commence the active
work Of the assault On Thursday neKt, the
18th inst. Only three of the Monitors, with
the 1ronsideE, nEe now hero, but 4 steamer Waa
dispatched to Port Royal last night for the
four Monitors still at TINT point, with lnstruc.
ticus to join the feet here on Tuesday, the
18th inst. They were sent there to have their
| bottoms cleaned by party OF divers, #no
have been sent hero by the Navy Department
for that purpose. :.
We may, therefore, expect the grand assault
to commence on ths 18th. twill undoubtedly
be one Of the greatest land and naval battles
That history Las recorded, when the heavy
character Of the artillery to be used Is consld-
erred. The rebels have ut least three hundred
| C1rs in position, Which they will be enabled
| 10 bring to bear npon us during the assault
| whilst NC, including the wooden vessels and
| the lind batteries, will have less than two
hundred. We will, however, throw the great
| est weight 6f mets1, and he able to carry oul
Monitors up to within five hundred yards oI
Fort Sumter.
The whole ircn clad fleet will be here to-
I morrow, and they have been joined by five
mortar schoone1s, and allt the wooden gun
! boats will lake cn active part In the fight.
ii SAvAI. nATTEnI.
This battery was completed Last night, anl
is the most advanced in the line of works OF
ehorc. It mounts the two immense Whit
worth riHcd guns captured from the encnI
On boart the steamer Princess Royal, intended
for Sumter, one three hundred pound Parrot
and cne two huudre1 FOUNDER Of the sans