, 1863-08-29

Nu 0HG WHO HA5 CaIc1ully 6luuleu Luc
actual difficulties to be encountered by
General Gilmore, and his naval coadjutors
IN tho siege Of Charleston, Can be surprised
to find the place still holds out under the
Terrific bombardmcnt continued up to last
accounts Tor nine succeeding days. The
enemy were fortunate In the nature Of tue
6ca approaches TO their city, and still moro
favored by the time allowed them to en-
1ancc lis dcfeuccs, the overcoming of
which will find record among the most
brilliant preccdcnts Of military science. 4
nanow, tortuous chnnncl, It's mouth ut
long artillery range from the city itsclf, is
covered at every asaailablc point by hostile
cannon. In the centre Of assault stands
Sumter, now. but q shapelcss mass Of
brick, but itself SO commanded by the
cnemy's guns that Gen. Gilmore can only
make its silence negatively Of value to the
progress Of the siege, since he can scarce
II occupy it. while the rebel batteries, ten
Told more formidable than when they
caused its first sl1rcnder-s By tic: brave
Anderson, arc able to concentrate their
fire upon Il at ahort range.
Our advices at present writing state that;
both Sumter and Wagner have been aban.
doned to us. Holding the latter, the
whole Of Morris Island will shortly he In
our hands. But the achievements Of mod
ern artillery science hnrc embed him to
do more than this, even while the enc
my's line Of hnrbor detcnscs is unbroken,
since Gilmore tells us in his own report,
elsewhere published in this issue, that he
is sending his tremendous shells hurting
over the heads Of the defenders Of Charles
ton, to fal1fm tho very heart Of the, rebel
city, II Is this that may bring them to
terms, even while their gunners are still
strong In possession OF their remaining
batteries, and dispute the channel with our
iron clada.
1t may prove, after all, that the shells at
i've miles, scattering Greek Fire through
the city, or bursting with fearful effect in
its streets, will be sufficient hint to Bear-
regard to surrender, cvcn before the PROV
Of single Monitor is pushed by the site
Of Sumter. In this opinion, re lay light
estimate on the raporings Of the rebel citi-
zens, mnltitudes of whom: arc secretly
hoping to be fed, at no distant day, on our
Federal Cpmmissary bacon and hard bread:
We arc aware that Admiral Dahlgren is
waiting to begin his share Of the work Of
reduction; and that this will probably fol-
low speedily the fall Of Sumter. That
grim sentinel In mid-channel silenced, tue
hour for which the Monitor fleet have been
holding back has come, and their full: &C
dyity will forthwith commence. But we
look for the surrender Of Charleston with.
out the terrible agency thnt these iron.
clads would become IN the upper harbor.
It is all very well for the defenders oi
city to talk Of: yielding 1t every
where to. the torch before the invader
shall occupy it, but there be few 31oscows
in the history Of human warfare, and the
number Of tho chiyalrous: gentlemen in
Chn1leeton who propose to lay the city il
ashes, is not drawn very largely from the
tax list. In other words, we suspect
Char1cston is still human If not humane
Let Gen. Gilmorc's long range practice
become little more explicit, We ahal
look for the solution OF the matter and th'
c1,d Of the siege. II not, he is closing II
still nearer daily the tremendous ring O
fire which Il is impossible they can with
stand when its fury is fully called init
-actipu, ;.