The Camden confederate. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-28
Progress and Events Of the siege

Olhce the uate OF our last report, the bonn
bardment has been steadily progressing, grow
ing more terrible IN its character every dav.
On Friday, from in the morning to Z D. IN.
heavy fire was concentrated on Sumter.
Nine hundred and twenty three shots were
fired at the fort, of which 7O4 struck it inside
: and outside. On Saturday GOA shots. Sun
day the fire was Just as heavy. Up to Satur-
day night, 1872 shots had been fired at the
fort, of which only 1885 had passed over or
fallen short 1t cannot be denied that the enc
my fire with great accuracy. The eastern face
of the fort is now very seriously damaged, and
almost every gun has been disabled.
The fort is now subjected to cross fire south
to north from the Parrot guns, and east to
west from the monitors Is inch solid shots and
shells The south face is now but heap of
ruins, and the west is cracked from top to bot
tom with supporting pillars shot away. Arches
of the northwest face and the terreplein have
fallen in. The east face is cracked through
and preached, the chief injury being at the lev
ell of the arches and terrcplein. Our magazine
has been partially penetrated, the shell room
also has been perforated. Col. Alfred Rhett
has orders to hold this outpost with his brave
garrison as a forlorn hope until relieved OF
cut off. Mercury Of Mondoy.
CHARLESTON AGAIN suELLED SLOW BoMBARD-
MENT OF SUMTER.
"A little before twelve o'clock on Sunday
night fire was again opened on Charleston, and
from thirteen to fourteen eght-inch incendiary
shells were thrown into the city. The firing
continued somewhat more than three hours,
the shells being thrown at intervals of fifteen
minutes.
There seems to be some mystery in regard
harding town at distance of five miles. 1t
has been asserted, upon apparently good au-
thority, toat the shells proceed from a mud
fort lately built in the marsh adjoining Morris
Island. Others aver thatthcy are thrown from
a battery on Gadberry Hill, on Morris Island
And there arc yet others who declare that the
obnoxious battery is a floating one, which the
Yankees ran up nightly under cover of the
darkness into one OF the numerous creeks
which intersect the neighboring isand.-It is
to be hoped that the mystery will soon be
solved and the battery silcnced
Our land batteries were very active through
out the night, but whether their fire was di-
rccted at this Yankee will-of-the-wisp or at the
batteries on Morris Island, we have not been
able to learn.
The contest on Monday was carried on en-
tirely by the lard batteries; the fleet, which has
not changed in number since Sunday, remain
ing perfectly quiet the Parrott guns of the
enemy continued to play both on Sumter and
Wagner, but with less vigor than has been dis
played on any previous day of the siege Up
to o'clock. p. m., but 100 shots hads been
fired at Sumter. Our batteries on James Is
land.t took their usual share of the work-.Ner-
cary of T@esdoy.
PROGRESS OF THE BoMBARDMENr-NUMBER OF
FLEET.
The winds on Monday night blew in gusts,
and the rain fell in torrents.
On Tuesday the bombardment of Fort Sum-
ter and Wagner began at the usual early hour,
and continued slowly and steadily throughout
the day. No further material damage was
done. Sumter is no longer doubled-tiered
battery, for the defence OF the water approach
to Charleston. AS great artillery fortress its
proud proportions are reduced to ruins.
At Wagnerthc enemys saproller Is gradually
moving on, and the foremost Yankee battery
was at least within long muskct range of the
fort. Wind and wave, however, still conspred
to keep the feet inactive.
There were inside the bar, on Tuesday, thir-