The New York herald., 1863-07-20
THE NAVAL PART OF THE OPERATIONS.
THE ATTACK ON MORRIS ISLAND.
THE WORK OF THE IRoN-CLADs.
The Operations as Seen from
the MOntauk,
Correspondence Of the PROV idence Journal.)
USIrgD STATES STEAMER MoyTAuK.

Again this familiar ociliiy has become the scene OF
stirrng events, anu the big moubed guns which f1w
months ago sent the hunders loyalty Union and good
government into the eirs of secession and op.
preston giving good accounts the work which hour
after hour they doing The low bluffs OF Morris
Island, which ront the ship channel have been
dotted with gun batteries rbdding the entrance
into the channel anything but blockade and
iron clad held by loyal Union loving troops,
ana the stars aud stripes are floating above them aud
within three miles OF Fort Sumter.
, me iron clads Montauk, Neehawken and Nahaut
lying quietly in Port Royal h4rDor until Wednesday the
otn, when they came up here
On the morning OF the 4th inst. orders came TO the
commanders Of the iron cads disconnue repairs
whicn were rapidly gong on and TO Immediately pre-
are tr sea, reporting readiness to move by Tuesday
evening The orders were Immediately carried out and
cssant hammering aud pounding such as only The occu
pants q Ir"n-clads can July imagine appreciate.
on 4 esday afternoon tho iron clads All ready
ana reports we're accordingly made readiness TO move
TO Admiral Dahlgfen.
We were expecting to the same evening but
were detained until The following day OF course spec1-
iatien sas n ms to snalon for we bad no idea
oi any intention 10 move at nresent agf eeaby
sur rscd 10 know that Ioss tor any movement
10 be contemplated ordered without being known
understood and commented upon long 70 frat
STEP Cert .inly the busy rewsn,ongers we're now snr
prised an the preparatory steps ke. what
earnestly noe may prove The possession and equation
thnIsh We assc only cian Ing cur anchorage Ger
tanly gro Improvement lLs; may treat 1t as
a good omog
since the appointment Of Gcnergi Gmo-c TO be chief
oil this depai tment has been presumed that he would
ia nd
SUCCESS the reduction ror Pulaski ~ wen ia
tne event Of bus trying similar, nieea any
ment towards sum
1t was supposed or course that a land attack here
must OF necessity be accompanied by t Iron clad from
the sca"ad q noting but IRON can WITHSTAND terri
Ole IRE with which everything OF hostile description IL
received ai'er passing lhareston har II was pre- uned
also tna no attack wnd be made present.
whicnl VIII be as well not state and gy the
iron cads we're quiey IN harb Port Rova under.
going such repairs ard improvements as would
make sufficiently strong such few points and f.a
ni.ll
tam con tr9fcles prove vulnerable AS Ihave stated
the slont uk, WeehGskcn and Nahant we're thus r.
I'M, engines apart, trrrets End pilot houses being
Strengthened and everytnlts IL opposite cond N as
possible from 'hghtas trin' Yet two days son
put them into shape again aud before tue limited time
had expired they Here IN Greer 10 move The ,atskill
and patasco were siili ir hts,o where we lot them
week previous aud the ptugkct had moved t so 10
be ready for any nergency.
Tie passalc hsl nol retu. "a from New York and the
New rons's sill Oh Chaflesca dong ood service
This was ne situation = ue Ion feet which pst three
mouths previous moved IN such grand march upon the
birthplace o secession.
On "Wednesday noca tho ntauk. weeh,vken and Ma
hant, with their respective conveys, moved Port
Royal into The cn sea during one Of lhe most magni.
Gently gram and terrific squalls and thl storms
which over The bowling wind, the OF rain
and the temfestpors dashed and beat upon the little
iron shi,s with crazy nerccrcss While the lightning
pa. ed all nd lhsn, anl yet TO the cials was
as though the had bccn without ripple and the sky
without cioud
stAdiy moved on, and the dawn Of the following
morning fonrd "a oatside Charleston The Catskil
had arrived from Fiaio few hours before aLd these sour
little ships which II melted and into would
" make deocn szed frsa.e, here again causing,
] warrant, T. trcmble ID the t.r,nc which bad
stolen and reared IA front Of the city c secession and
bcliion.
General Gilmore had messed email vet an efficient
amy on Folly lslard, separated ns you know, rom tho
bern end OF Morris Island by ony narrow passaac
OF water Hero be bad mounted arFe nrfnbcf of pow
ui guns, and able cHntest the an of tho
island against any force which nigh, De brought pos
ssss Il.
To enable hin to his men, occupy aui possess''
Morris Island .G cJn.e 10 hts assistance ad cxpect
cd TO arrive did at early dam, the bar i'm
mcdiatey, ard move ia,o such position would cover
bis crossing
Soon after coming snchor outside tho bar rc
yeved word rom General Gimo that he not
tirey ready bat would tho attick twenty
four hours. We remained therefore at our anchnrage,
ikng such Laal preparation the state VI Affairs
required. and ready to move 4 a moment notice. rs
tne day coud e1siv perceive ty the going
and o tqsbo4ss and TIE occasional sgna guas, that
had surprised the OCCUPANTS "a Sumter and The -iar
disns Of Charleston.
with Our gasscs we scanned the camps Of Cillmores
on holly island, ard the locality where in 80 few
hours the ball was u be ouoe more opened.
ADVANCE
This morning SOFT mad mild. Al quarter 10 four
A. NJ. all hands cal cd, chof soon up, aud
few momel Is eesc vel under way, sisnmug veil in
the Usr. IL to- early u perccive the condition
Of AFFAIRS % Norris lsiad, and hot nntii half past four
ocock could easily distinguish the shore. Admiral
pahlgrcn, wlo had tome ~ from Pot \ yal in the
Augusta nusmorc, took his p sition on board the
CatsNl, as his biIe Mt Indicated. hs crossed
thg bar TIE sorx of tha day besau commencing with tho
& ns of General Gjfaore to'y Island, which threw
the sbci aud graz Tar he low Ian IS and bais u
rrs Island into hc chGnnei beyond indeed iato the
neisnborh ni o Tbs Our roG elads. t~as nag1icclt
sight indeed. one heavy, rnbroscn, c3ntinu~s boom,
boom, ON. nihag tha air wiki bursting snell and
spreading Irre sd scudi4g broad heavy veil of blue
smoke pend aud to- woods, against Tire dark tuagc
OF winch wae ed wth peculiar Interest tie rapidly
succeeding ash ~ the glGg. IL aos hait past tive
O'Clock, and 10 rms " the rebels from Mrris Island
ifrc4Uisf ihc iron Cads stt04lsy gud slowly
moved np tue caenei sending iheir rbs ~ iron across
the i.iand and into to buis which incd the cpas ghc
batteries ulCn the bluffs nos used. ps badly from
the scarcity u men aud the sprprifo 81 the attack.
ANA Yet around the little cnsters oi tonts
which the batteries and upon the shore, bit
they srened excited and unabe ~ man the batteries,
even il III see which tley did not be after
the loca, ! u art cargo ~ The midst n thcm.
soon, h.Aefe saw large bodies ~ coming from
the oeatrs Il sani On and niJ the batter which
covered 5uas Immediately shell sert
ths evacratto "a hcir trerelnds 4, lie ~ rap a. lie
rossoson hal been. Cycg tie * The bulls. through
the valleys between them aroa.d ihsm, ana all drcc
mons te cs were vis W struggling cr1 sds driven
by orr snsl the ard. and from ic and side
by the trtaYl .. General Gunorss army. wnose occI-
pa,ioe q ~ tsab end q MoTris Island bad been'in
ed y tte d'eunntiauanee ~ TIE iriug ~ te heavy
guns and tho rafting ~ musketry which flied
ears
No sorncr would ciows occuy one o, the batteries
than a nft.cu-nch wOuil urmsiiately q ise them
sending th,m IN confusion % tho ncxi battery from
which .gg'n tlsy were scattered in similar manner
IRON VI n TO bun nnJ through the guleys the rebels
wereconin al nying sv.rs.oplng 70 use the muskes
winch tho 4fficd over Lcir sho do.s
iut aaf the lo~ sn, q beach on the south end
Il Morrs s..r' apcar doyen - twenty men, besrps
the famla srs snai = AID waving 4 cxc.tec cxuI
tation lie aif aa1 .rw lrey naf carcsly mt
view. whrt ihe fali Alts narg - orr men, with
splendid ata h4lri shavN ihsn banners,
came over IL nlD a. nffd Ice after line. m beau
tiui order stas the ss3tu beach 10 vain the rebels
t cd 10 tur ~ guns up0n the bus upon tho Advancing
columns, a. sur shells mmcdatey scattered sa1d and
men In ~ directions. The line o. blans about haIr
mile luug had nos ali bean evacuated with the exception
OF one solitary battery, from which they succeeded In
throw o. shot upon advancing men. The "a.
ecntrated o. the four runcads minutes drove
the rebels their last position thcm In flying
crowGs dYwn The hills the low lands the
city Instantly secured the battery and turned
Ge guns upon the flying rcDcls.
In twenty i've minutes after the appearance of men
the end X morris Island they bold all these
biufs si-d ~ose usrg tBe guns
sA.tiCA TUE isnSt1Lns
Tlsre ~ otter cart sy-ks upon Norh Inland or
rcpt upon tho northern extremity ietween tho bufa
and tie sr end distance Of perhaps two and half
mics the sAnd low eazlly swept By guns
from tho channel Aong the slope SIX or eight
houses, toward which our forces rapidly moved. About