The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-03


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The general impression Communicated
1otn by The Charleston papers and bv IN
Yankee correspondents ffom the scene i
that some night this week the iron-cla,ls
intend attempting to burst through the
Constructions and get into the inner har.
Dor. The letter bag Of the United States
gunooat Ottawa, with letters to friends At
home, dated as late as the goth instant
noated ashore on Saturday night, and is
IN possession Of our officers. The Mer-
curry says:
by letters from the Captain {I.t. Command
Iug Mm. whitney, to his wife, and by these
u osner omcep, we are informed that the
aMiAecs nave entertained the idea Of break
ing up our harbor distractions by night op-
sU,ons, aud actually made the attempt last
wednesday night with their monitors and
TWO 9unboats, Of which the Ottawa was one.
violent squalls of rain and wind" are given
as reason for their ls1ying turned back be-
lore reaching the obstfuctIons, Of which orr
Yankee neighbors hayp apparently so whole
some dread and s0 high an estinaic. The
astlempt, at they sag. wstto be pAde again ON
me sne nlEat s. OF the 18th ilstaht, saturday.
and, az 1t was not done, II IS TO be presumed
stormy weather again intervched. between
the monitors and our Obstructions which
stand intact. From this effusion we learn,
az was anticipated, thft very many Of their
omccrs in the fleet 'are breaking down aud
being sent home contipually, from the in
cessant wear and tear ON them in this hot
climate" 1t appears, in the attempt to de-
stroy our distractions, the Passaic got
aground, and was near bclng abandoned by
her crew. The Ott0was has thrown $1,000
pounds OF shot and shell, aud burned II ,OUO
pounds Of powder.
The Courier, Of Monday, gives US
history of the operations Of the enemy
on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Du.
ring Fridsy night and Saturday the she'll
ing from the enemy's land batteries was
unusually slow, our James Island bate
rles, however, keeping up constant and
vigorous fire in reply. 1t says: i
Until yesterday no formidable attack has
been made on Fort Sumter since the attack
oiShe monitors on Sunday. morning, the
10Th inst That attack was short i'm duration,
put the fire very accurate, and owing to
causes we trust now removed, very DANGER
Gus. 1t may not be indiscreet to mention In
general terms the fact that had the fire been
continued in all probability the magazine
would have soon been made unsafe, or had
the fort might have been blown up The
monitors, however, drew Off Seven days
nave since elapsed, and the powder since then
placed beyond danger.
About halfpast four YESTERDAY afternoon
battery Cheves opened on a side wheel steam
ship transport loaded with troops. The
troops were landed at Oyster Point. The
enemy were &so observed landing heavy guns :
from propeller.
The firing Sunday afternoon was kept up !
regularly between the enemy's batteries and /,
Fort MOultrie, batteries Cheves, Haskell and !
wagner. The Yankees are reported working
and cautiously on an advanced"
battery at the rifle pits, and yesterday after /
1oon kept up steady fire from one Parrot
gun. Later in the day, however, they had
succeeded in getting two more in position,
md at last accounts had opened a heavy fire j
,n battery Wagner from three Parrott guns !
Out of q little over eight hundred shots ;
rom the four Yankee batteries fired at Fort
sumter yesterday, haf1lly one hundred struck .
he fort, all the rest falling short, showing q !.
'roof that the enemy's guns are losing their !;
The enemy, it is reported, has mounted
lew guns on his batteries Nos l, g, and Cad
,erry@iill. Two Of these guns are believed
o be three hundred FOUNDER PARROTS. He
las also mounted a very heavy gun in battery
It Gadberry Hill. /
There has been no change of importance
n the position or number of vessels in the
leet. Very heavy firing commenced at nine
o'clock last night and still continued at the .
lour OF closing our report at IL O'Clock.
FHE PLAN FOR PASSING FORT sUMTER-rHE
NAVY MUST NOW DO THE WORK.
The New York Herald contains four
column letter containing the latest North
'rn news from Charleston. We extract
ome portions Of it:
It is certain that no serious offensive pow
rs are left to the rebels in Fort Sumter, and
he passage of the fort by our iron clads is
ntirely practicable, without much danger
rom its fire. At all events, We have inflicted
enough damage upon the fort to justify us
n regarding 1t as practically reduced, and
Incapable OF inhicting serious harm upon
leet. II the navy cannot now pass the work,
We may as well regard that arm Of the ser
ice us Of little value The long looked for
moment will soon arrive when a second at
empt to pass it by our iron claas will be
made. The first, on the 9TH of April last by
he squadron under Admiral Dupont, al
hOugh one of brilliant dash, boldpess, and
igor, failed for reasons well known to the
'ublic They were not owing to any lack
II courage, skill, or determination on his
,art, or on the part Of the gallant officers
Who SO manfully supported him, but solely
o the vesse > themselves, several individuals
Q the contrary Notwithstanding. Of this no
ne who knows the heciEYumstances the case
All doubt.
This, the second attempt, is under more
ayorable circumstances. Sumter Is out OF
he way, or at least SO weak as to inspire lit
lo fear. Fort Moultrie can be passed at a
listance of nearly. if not quite, a mile, and
ler fire and that of battery Bee should not !;
,e very dangerous to the monitors. Battery
iregg, with her single gun, is of little ac-
cunt What is most to be feared is the OBJ =.
tructions and torpedoes. The enemy have
been busily engaged in per
Getting theirvery eftectiye system of obstruc
ions aud submarine defences since our Oc-
upation of this island, with view Of meet
ny contingency now presented by the de- !
encelcss condition of Fort Sumter. Then
hey have Fort johnson, tho new batteries
lear it, the Middle Ground battery, aud 9TH
rs which cannot locate, with the rams,
lpon which they place much reliance. But
n this is to be more definitely settled, pro-
,ably. before this win reach you, and 1t is
Useless to indulge in further speculatlons on
he subject.
What Admiral Dahlgren's plans are | do
lot profess to know; but have reasOn-to
ear that he Is losing most valuable time by
his delay. Every moment now Ia worth
rear In ordinary times--a fact which the
'ebels recognize, as they are strengthening i
md enlarging their old batteries, building
,ew ones, aud mounting heavier guns at
points where they will be terribly effective
against the navy If it ever attempts to move
.0wards Oharleston. A few days more de-