Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-09-03

Nr c. C. FULTON writes to the Baltimore American al
interesting account of the night expedition Of the Monitors
against Fort Sumter the night Of Sunday, the 23i in
slant. The Monitors, five in number, moved up at Il
o'clock 10 within seven hundred yards of the for.
THE MONITORS OPEN FIRE.
At FIVE minutes past three Sunday morning the fog
sufficiently to the shadow OF Fort Sumter in the
dim distance, tho wall standing before them in oler
able perspicuity They opened FIRE almost mutaneOus
with their ten pOnderous proeces weighing from three
to FIVE hundred pounds each and the crashing of bricks
and mortar, as they ground their way through he wa
glorious vndicaton If these little fighting machines
signal gun Immediately fired from the sou heas
pf the parapet and bright rocket which ilum
mated the harbor, sent up.
In few minutes Fort Moultrie opened with probably
nifty guns. firing at the flashes Of guns or at random
striking but the great majority spsshng the water
their decks and turrets The fog banks however
continued to roll in rapid succession WITH
sonal break that would enable them to Fort Sumter
that would in turn enable Fort Moutre to obtain dis
tant view Of the Monitors.
Both parties thus continued from three to six o'clock to
fire random shots at the objects Of their anmosy each
holding back the best possible sight Of their adversary
At times the balls from Moultrie literally rained around
the monitors but not single shot fired at that work
in return The shots fired at Fort Sumter all aimed
at the east which bad only been ghty injured
by glancng shots from the shore batteries Most Of the
ba Of course struck at pontbank range and were di
reced mostly against the upper portion OF the wall The
crashing Of bricks could be heard though
the bombardment kept up until neariy hour afer
daylight distinct view could be obtained at the time
to the amount Of damage done
The fog increased alter daylight and it became amOst
Ike fighting in total darkpe The men being greatly ia
igued the Admiral led the way and retired toward the
New Irobsides which was lying during the engagement
near the outer buoy her unWdy character rendering it
pedent to take her under FIRE through tortuous
channel at surh time The men greatly worn out
by ncesspt work has been required Of them dur
ing past week and the contest was closed for the time
being.
The moe, important fact in connexlon with this contest
was that Fort Sumter fired but FIVE nss and these all
from gun on the potheast coraer Of the parapet
ed at Fort Moultre The apndtion Of the fort 10 day
(SuBday such that the reASer would scarcely credit IT
il were possible for 10 describe it, suffice it to say
the upper rear wall to the extent OF thirty feet with the
inferior casemaes constructed agaDst it, all down 10
Of ruin. making mouDd Of the bal aocs OF the wall
rising from the wharf in it's rear apd extending over and
down into the parade ground inside Of it, Being thus
opened 10 the the she'll ora gteat many OF them
strike against the inside easements Of the front wall and
sume Of them reported TO have passed through that
wall into the This wall 10, of shut out from
it ftces say that it is greatly dupdated, cracked aud
broken. These damages have all been done by Cen Gill
ors and the naval shore batteries that done by the
monitors on the north wall with the loss OF the northwest
per, sie to be added 10 the lit Of casualties.
ANOTHER TRIAL At FORT WAGNER
omitted TO mention that when Admiral Dahlgrsn led
the Monitors out from Sumter this morning the fog
thick that nothing could be seen So soon, however
the hret approached the buoy the f0g shifted and lett
Fort Moutrie the right and the Monitors tho left in
full distiDet yew Of each 9tbeE Moutre, snd its oug
string Of shore batteries, medatey opened p the Mon
tors with great fury but the shot all fell short The Ad
mira stepped for time to communicate with Capt
Rowan, OF the Ironsdes, paying attention TO Mouri.
ordered the to be piped to breakfast and they
all soon swarmng on the deck Fort Wagner having
opened sbout this time Cen Glmore's batteries, he
ordered the Ironsides to give that work its fourteenth
shellng The number Of shell thrown into Wagner thus
far by the rousdes alone 10 not less than four hourand
and the whole number Of she she has deeseds full eight
thousand including those by the Monitors and gunbats
Battery Gregg has also received pretty good number
The number of she'll thrown at Fort Sumter by the shore
batteries during days Of bombardmsnt not less
than thousand per day. about thousand up to
the present time