, 1864-05-29

HILTON HEAD, >. T., Nay 4. 1S6a-
sCATEK AGAIN ATTACHED.
at the fret of the week tr,nsport arrived
tfum Folly Island, bringing the startling In /
were again engaged In IN attack on Fort
Sumter. As natural consequence this un
expected announcement furnishes On mex
laus'itle theme Tor specuIation as to What
WAS the object In yicw-whcthert the absolute
demolition Of the fort simply, or the forcing
bor. We all INDUCED In the happy belief
that let the movement result as 1t might, VIC
would have either Sumter, or what was inf
nhely better, Charleston. It SO happened We
were disappointed In both particulars, ana
the only conclusion left for us to arrive at
the attention Of the enemy. If such WIS the
intention Of tue authorities we cherish the
hope that this demonstration was not wholly
uuproductiyc of good results. "A brief tcle-
gram contained ii the New York papers Of
the 18th inst.-the latest Northern news that
has reached us-scts forth that Gen. Thomas
had taken Dalton, and that = the rebels
were rctzeating to Resaca and Rome.
We 4 have reason to helieye that
| itors influenced, in no small degree, tao pre-
cipitate withdrawal Of the rebels from their
ffst pozition before Thomas army. The
firing on Sumter opened early on the morn
| Ing Of tie 18th from Forts Putnam, Chat
Pe Int. The firing waB maintained at regular
intervals through the dasv. Out Of 30 shells
thrown, 80 were effective. At II a. 1u., the
monitQIs Catekill and Montauk moved up to
Within short sange Of Sumter and opened
with their l5-inch guns. The enems's works
tric and Beaurcgard, replied by directing
their tiro principally to the monitors, but on
that day apparently without any serious dam
age- The monitors approached Sumter near
tr than our trsn clads hare on my previous
cceasion. In fact they were within such
Of The engagement that the shcts from
Moultrie and Beaurcgard passed over the
decks, aud lodged In the Fort.
When this had hcppened in success
zion a number OF times, the rebel
wcrgs on Sullivan's Island ccased firing.
be disputed. At each discharge cavity the
eixe OF one Of the turrcts was made IN the
wall Tie cnscmates were opened, and
, ntariy MI of new larnpet, Is the north sidt
OF the fort WIS knocked down. On the fol
. lowing day, the 18th, the firing was renewed
Forts Putnam and Chattield sos shells vert
thrown. The enemy opened from all III:
, | works on Snlliyan'e and Jamts Islands
with tic exception Of Fort johnson. Fou
hundred aud fifty shells were fired ut tn
Crmmirg's Point batteries, doing no furtle
Aul44u&sN kAAA U4SANsHE Ao"A - pA44A P@t&Ao!
5 OF the traycrses snd rarnpets. Two mo1l
! tors agaln took part In the action, taking
e position not far from the one occupied b
! the i1on.clads the day preceding Durin
/ the night one or two mortar battcrie
e near Fort Putnam prevented the rebel
8 from making any repairs In Sumter
: On the 14th the enemy paid spccis
/. attention to the land batteries. The 1irin
j. was continued for i short time on the 15t
II and 10th, with about the same result ths
c marked the operations Of the first two day!
l. During the engagement two Of the monitor
2 were damaged to some extent In their m
L chinery, and are now at Bay Point for +
; pairs. Whatever may hayc been the cond
!. lion Of Sumter before the attack respcctiu
o her walls and the few guns she had mountc,
il | we may be assured that neither the one NJ
# the other, ms they now are, will be Of at
y great service to tue rebels. It is to be +
l. gretted while 60 many attacks hare bet
,r made upon the enemy's works abont Charlie
% ton, that dcsperate effort has not been maj
ID by one or two monitors to force the cham
n to the inner harbor. It Is generally bel1ey1
se the enemy has but two rams completed
5. defend The harbor, but Judging from inf
le nation obtained through vnfioas sources,
/, has three others on the stocks, one Of viii
ii is in nearly finished state.