The New York Herald Newspaper, August 24, 1863, Page 1

| THE NEW YORK HERALD. WHOLE NO. 9838. THR SIEGE OF SUMTER. VERY IMPORTANT FROM CHARLESTON. Arrival of the Star of the South at this Port and Arkansas at Philadelphia. Our Special Despatches from the Scene of Action. TERRIFIC FIRE ON SUMTER. ~ Its Walls Badly Scarred, Its Gorge Seriously Injured, a Breach Made t and Its Fate Sealed. What the Rebel Deserters Say of Sumter. Splendid Firing by Our Artil- lerists. Captain Rodgers and Paymaster Woodbury, of thé Catskill, Instantly Killed. Sketch of the Life and Services of Commedore Rodgers. OUR FLEET UNINJURED. THE CASUALTIES, &e. &s., &e. ‘The United States steam transport Star of the South, Captain Woodhull, arrived at this port yesterday from ‘Morris Island, whence she sailed on Thursday, the 20tb iost. ‘The United States supply eteamer Arkansas arrived at Philadelphia yesterday from off Charleston, whence she ‘sailed on Wednesday, tho 19th inst. She brought one bunared and seventy passengers, prisoners and invalids. ‘We are indebted to Captain Woodhull for the latest pews, which is very interesting. ‘The attack on Sumter commenced on Monday morning by General Gillmore’s siege batteries and the naval shore ‘The Monitor fleet, aided by the wooden vessels, attack- ed Forts Wagner and Gregg with great fury, silencing the former and almost silencing the latter, thus enabling the shore batteries to play on Sumter. The iron-clads Patapsco and Passaic went within fourteen hundred yards of Sumter, and played into it with considerable bavoc. & shot trom Wagner broke a piece of interior lining of the ironclad Catskill, when within ove hundred and ‘fifty yards of that fort, the piece striking the heads of ‘Commauder Rodgers and Paymaster Woodbury, instantly Killing both of them. Theso were the only persons in- ‘jared. ‘The grand attack commenced on Thursday, the 20th tostant, by the Jand and naval forces, ‘The two hundred geund Parrott guns had sucecded in breaching For Sumter badly. It was pearly silenced at the lust ac- counts, The fort replied at long intervals, ‘The damage to the walls of Sumter by the shore bat- tories and the Ironsides is visible without the aid of a glass. The south and cast face of the fort looks like honeycomb, and its entire demolishment will be soon ac- complished. Nu damage to our fleet. The shore batteries @ontiaued an incessant fire. ‘The Arkapnas left the fleet at seven o'clock Wednesday morning. At that time huge volumes of smoke were seen fasving from Sumter, as if from the burning of cotton; aud the officers of the Arkansas betieve that the ‘ort ‘would be captured or entirely aestroyed by noon. Her g248 were replying feebly to our shot. Fort Gregg bad been entirely silenced. Wagnor still held out. The bombardment continued without cessation during Tuesday night and was renewed Weduesday morn fog; and when the Arkansas left the fring was furious, the lrovsides, Sve Monitors and the shore batteries being ‘all engaged. Two refugees from Savannab, named Joseph H. Calvt and Joba C, Collum, are passengers on the Arkansus, ‘They report that there is nearly a famino iu Savaonab, Dr. Robert Gibbs, surgeon of the rebel ram 1, joa prisouor on the Arkansas aud will be sent to Fort Dela ware. THE NAVAL OPERATIONS. Fragen D:semore, Ore Monnis Iataxn, Toxepay, Angust 18, 1863. ‘The atiock on Sumter commenced at daybreak yester- day morning by the siege battertes of General Gillmore od the naval battery on shore, At six o'clock Admiral Dahigren proceeded on boara (be Weehawken, and with the Tropeites and entire Mowitor fleet, attacked batteries: Wagner oud Gregg wita great fury, completely siieac- tng Wagner, and almost silencing Gregg. The wooden gunboats, seven in number, also jomed in the arsault, and enabled all of the shore batteries to pour their shot and sbeil into Simter. At ten o'clock the Admiral changed his flag to the Passaic, and, with the Patapsco, proceeded to within about fourteen hundred yards of Sumter, and sbelied the sea wall with tha rifled guns of those vessels for about am hour, with marked effect. Sumter fired about firty return shots, doing no damage to the vessels, while the wall of Simior was badly scarred. Fieet Captain George W. Rodgefs took command of his old veesol, the Monlior Catekill, and went up into the fight, going within a hundred and fifty yards of the beach feo! of Battery Wagoer, After firing a number of shot, hot from Fort Wagner broke a piece of the interior tiv fing, which struck on the bead of Commander Rodvers, fostantly killiag him, as well as Paymastor Woodbury, who was standing at bis side, Both of their beads were split open, These were the only persons injured, on land or water, during the six hours’ engagement, The damage done to Sumter by the siege batteries of General Gillmore is visible without the aid of a giags ‘The rebels had erected a false wall againgt the wall ox powed to our batteries. It extended to within ten feet of the top of the wall (aver forty feet high and ten feet thick), ac@ this wall i# now a mass of ruins, while the old wail te bored full of deep holes, the parapet crushed land ragged, and the northwest coruer gashed and cracked Gown almost Wo the water's edge. ‘The harbor and Stono river are filled with torpedoes. About a dozen of them have beem picked up in the ftonv, and one was exploded under the Patapsou, raising ber a foot out of the water, but doing her Qo harm. None of the vessels were injured in the jeast, and the Admiral aad bis officers are confidant ia the abjkty Of the Monitors to,batter down Sumter, He és, however, aniious & seve the vessels for the beavy work required of them after Sumter ie taken, and to let the army reduce Sumter if possible. The fleet, except the Weehawken and Nahant, all re- Aired before two o'clock, bat they remained to keep Wag- ner rilent during (he afternoon, and to prevent the re- mounting of guns. The shore batteries continued fring ail the afternoon aud night on the wall of Bomter with good offre”. ‘This morning i coe! and clear, and the batteries are s mieadily at work. The Weehawken and Passaic are koop OPERATIONS The Bombardment of Fort Sumter y MIC WEE \ : Ze FORCES > yA § wy rece | UE SPOALS 4 a “atae SMP v Prrarsce t ° Oo SHOALS yf i > WRECK OF THE wt 1 a] ALOMADE RUNNER oh yo wor Lf ' > Fae coucoy 7 a) of DAL CHING T yy a SD anton ea . ath J 76 cw ernie, \emmal “ CHIPPEWA H & STORE VESSELS pes SCALE OF MILES 4 ing batteries Wagner and Gregg silent, and up to noon, when the Arkansas sailed, the remainder of the feet ai lying at the moorings. The bodies of Ca; tam Rodgers and Paymaster Woodbury have been embalmed and go North in the Arkansas, General Gilmore announces that the work thus far bas deen entirely satisfactory; that the fort is greatly dam aged aud the work progressing finely. Admiral Dahlgren is much depressed by the jose of Fleet Captain Rodgers; but is bighly gratified with the Operations of the feet aud army, and very hopeful of ultimate success. Up to the moment of the sailing, at noon, the siege guns since morning have been hurling about five shell per minute at Sumter, with marked effect Two Monitors, the Tronsides and some gunboats, are shelling batteries Wagner and Grogy Mr. Galen H. Osborne's Despatches. Mons letawo, 3. C., August 18, 1669. OPENING OF THE BOMBARDMENT. Vesterdsy, at suurise, the long and anxiously awaited bombardment of Fort Sumter by our laud batteries began. Orders for the firing had bee issued by General Gilimore at a late bour on 8 voning, but they wore of « con fidential character, and up to the moment that our breaching guns were unmasked It was woknown, except by 4 very fow people on the island, ay what hour the work of reduciag Fort Sumter was to commence The fre of one or two of our heavy rifled Parrott guns, a few days since, though directed at the fart, did not really inaugurate the bombardment, but was for the parpose of testing our powder and detarm ning oar ranges, FORT SUMTER WILL UK REDCCRD, AND WHY Though ail our batteries are not yet completed, and though the gans from which the greatest results are ant cipated are yet unmounted, ‘the result of the bombard ment far has been most gratifying and en. couraging. To be gure we have not destroyed the fort, bat ite ultimate destruction is reniered certain. The gorge wall, opon which our fire was directo: marked, and pitted, and boneyoombed to such » degree that it In oo longer poretbid’ ti count the shots which have taken effect. Looking at he mmpart which. afew days since, was smooth and fair as the exterior of a Fifth avenue residence, we nee deep, yawning crater®, formed by the fearfal impact of our shot and shell, huge pres of sand bags, partially tumbled down and m ngied with the die lodged bricks and mortar, portions of the parapet gone two or three em Sragures knocked into,one irregular fissure, gradually widening a the Gre continues. Sumter will be destroyed. That fnct is fixed and setsiod. OUR COMRBAFONDRNT. J wan up at an early hour yesterday. Before the glo- rious sunrise which ushered in the day | was out of my quarters and on my way up the beach to the front Knowing that operations there were soon to assnme « new and interesting phase, | took up my preition on anand bili in the rear of our batterien, from whieh the most commanding view of the situation was to be ob talued. Later ip the morning jaree numbers of officers NEW YORK, MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1 + om en (MER / R oS Et em HLEY and civilians congregated upon this eminence, anxious to observe the bombardment and its results, but they wore dispersed by tue orders of the General. The spot was sa cred to the signal corps and the representatives of the press, Tue YOROES IN FORT em It is evident hat the rebels in Fort Waguer have been constantly apprehensive of en assault from our lines da ring the past three weoks. To prevent such a movement } on our part, it bas been their custom fur an hour or two Defore dawn each morning to concentrate the fire of Wagner and Gregg and Johnson upoa a varrow portion of the iwiand over which an assauiting column would be compelled to pars, There they bave poured in their grape nod cannister, their shell avd shrapnel and soli shot, fitlimg the air and paving the beach wit hostile iron, They were doing thie as unual when your correspondent went up yesterday morning to the frout Our own light pieces in the advanced paral: thundering forth their appropriate responses their shelis into Wagner and preventing any gortio from the rebel lines. As the darkness cleared away aod ¢ place to the gray dawn of the morning, this fire w kened, ami during the few moments which prece and perfect light of the day, the guas of either were quieted. Over the entire scone brooded a man stitness, broken only by the droway hum of the rickets going to sleep for the day and the monotonous plash of the surf breaking upon th8 beach, THB MONAT. MOT A single shot from Battery Brown, comman Captain Straban, of the Third Rhode feland arti pitching o! was the signal for the attack to begin, soou the boom of our gun# and the screams of their ponderous missiles flying through the air brok like thunderbolte, the silence of the moment From right to left our batteries were unmaske:!, and a storm of tH .most mighty and destructive projectilon whieh the bead of map as ever fashione! w. oomened upon the wala of Sumter. Heediess of the fire of Wa. ner and Gregg, ubmindful of Fort Joboson and \ts far reaching sbelin, caring nothing for the new robet bat tories on James Island and their rifled gun worked on coolly and deliberately, intent only brick walle of mer + ONIONS ANCOR FORT wacioren, r men w moments after wanrise the New Jronsides toge ther with several of ihe Moniters, starmed ou) before Fort Wagner aud Bawery Gregg, aod by s weil directed fire upon those works #ilenced the guns whic’ hai been trained in this direction. The New iromsides io made some very One shots against the somtheast corner « Fort Somer, oaring away & portion of the masonry erect oF OCR MEe ee An our Gre was firmt opeved it seemed wild and oneatie factory. Very few shots seemed to take offect. some going over and others faiting short; but a little practive et their pieces enabied the gumners to perfect their rene and |t was Hot long before the majorivy of the shots Cred told with greater or less elect. At fret we counted the shows that fairly bit the wall: but ap the canneuaging pon the | | ont on and the deep pockmarks were multipted, the sk was given np. So dense was the cloud of smoke, dogt and epeay before the work that the effect of the pro- Jeotilee was only to be observed at considerable Intervals, Hut whea the dost did sataide and tho smoke did clear | away, our progroms waa marked by a wonderfully more renrred and ragged appearance of the masoury } TUR RON-CLADE TH RENT BATTERIE. | After the trow-clade bad got abreast of Gregg and Wag nor the only rebel fire against our batteries was (rom Fort Jonason and Battery Simkios, and from & w earthworks on James [stand first (wo points woe were favored | (rom one ten inch columbiad aud a couple of heavy mor r+; tho others sent in their complimenta from th ate of several Brooks riftes. Thetr practice was very t fortunately they were enabled to oupla From the with «hell | -asoaition. Occasionally a chell would by ver our | , 4, OF &polid shot would strike again t | very Farely was aay one within the batteries in OCR Lome > | » mea killed aud hve wounded are the ouly lonves } ur side Off whicb I have boon able to learn, 0 | of the lacter I saw going to the rear with a mutilated arm Wounded by Awholl?’ 1 asked. Yew," he coolly a wored, “Twas right under the darned thing (tom dropped out, ’? PORT sumTEn was ominously silent ail day, Sbe veatured » reply 1 land batteries, and showed no Oght except for a fow momenta between eleven and twelve o clr uw the Mouitors came within (he plunging fire of ber barbette o- ring the forenoon the battle flag open Port shot away, It was speedily repinced by u, though badly torn, was ati ting at rw 1201 OF COMMANDER RoDaRRE 4 we he OaYY experienced a revere Woon of Commander George Roagere and Mayimaster bury of the iron-cind Cacwk ill. vohoat of the day way most | core, with thelr battle acea f coufiorment fo. 0 rave aod the Mom were mont unearth aad offieers on board Aflor thowe versels had retired for or and A \\tle remt the Mage of the feet were pisend at Lal! mast sowvtnt of the death of the officers above a } eotnsly this publication.of a calamity t the « wos Ui timed Aad unfortunate At any rate the revels Fort Wagner took advantage uf the opportunity to « aqother G90 Upon 18 See face, and when, in le 0, & portion Of the ironclad Geet returnet to their «anon of the morning. they were met by 8 rherper and mor woes Gretrom Wagner a01 iregg loan (bey bet oxperieneet batore witha rawing OUR NCH peeves At about tom o'eloek last evening owr pickets in front of Fort Wagner were attaeked by a reonoootering party and ariven a few yards towards our parsley = The probably expected to discover eometh ag of hinper y this MOVEMEDL, aDd, Ie mennnre, Ruccerded for they eto died’ learned thet apy siternut lorevel our aa CHARLESTON. -The Actions of August 18, 19 and 20. PRICE THREE CENTS, | manned by men of their respective oorapanies. Com mander Parker, United States Navy, commands the navai batierien. Lieutenant Gilmer, of the Eleventh Maine roviment Lieutenant Wilson, of the Niath regular artitlery, and Captain Gray, of the Seventh Connecticut, have cach « battery Tho Oring is under the direction of Colonel Joho W. Turner, General Gilmore's Chie! of Atal and Chief of Artillery, A more energetic and laborious officer 1 have Dever soon in the service. General Giiftoore’s health is fully recovered. He # aa Ganguine of success as ever. Monn Inaxn, & C., August 19, 1863. FUNG ON OUK WORKING FARTHRA, Last evening the rebels discovered that @ battery was Deing constructed in the marsh upon our extreme left, 4nd from their guns On James Island opened a vigorous fire agaiuat the mon employed on the work. They con- Unued to administer solid shot and shell to this unfisished battery at brief intervals during the wight, killing one and wounding two men belonging to Company K, of the New York Voluntoor Eng:neors, Colonel Sorrell, of whe above regiment, is in charge of the work, which is com siderably wearer to Charleston than any of our batteries that have yet opeced. Wheo its guns are ouce in piay, they are expected to do some of the severest hammering which we will be able to iniiict, HOMER SUPTRRING. The fire of our batteries sill euntinues, and the marco Ty of Sumtor is still gradually crumbling and Cuming to Tuina, Still the Hag of the comfodersey”’ Moats above it, and as yet the determined band within evinces by «ymp tom of running up any other. Twice yesterday thoir torn apa tattered banner was shot away ,and twice Ib waa Teboisted in sho midst of our ire, ‘The storm mentioned In my devpatch of yesterday oun. tinues with searcoly abated violence and the Moulwors aro able to co-operate with but slight ellect, The land ries fire do iberately, getting, in spite of the Turlous wind an almost porfect range, aud doing noble service ayainat the gorge wail, This portion o Sumter presouty now torry uxprot indeed, The holes are deepened, the fissures widened, aud the sears multiplied apparcutiy @ buadred fold since yesterday morning, The parapet 4 compleuly demotished, the abutment at the southeast angle uw im 4 great measure torn away; reaches through which our pro- Jectiles fling without cbaruction and crashing agaimet (he opposite wall are plainly w be seen, The corroding eect Of our fire is increased by every #hot that bite the fort. ARRIVAL OF DERKKTHRE. Twe deserters from Battery Gragg camy in thiy aftor noon, baving left that work on Munday aight, and aifeciod the perilous jourvey through the marsh tw our batterwe on the left, They were noarly forty-cight baare in ae complixhing the brief distance of two miles, These men beloug to the Firat South Carolus artillery, apd bave bees for seven mouths stathoved in Fort Sumter, which they jeft on Sunday lant. mune wid, rab.” ‘That Sumter will fall, they ray, is cousidered certain by the rebels Three woeks ago they removed thele guns, with one exception—a ume inch rille—from the gorge walls to James Island, mounting Palmetto “Qo kere’ iv tboir stead, On Sunday there waa a good deal of talk among the garrison of evacuating Sumter, and it je the belief expressed by these men thas omiy a email force, lo work the gus upon the ees face and to keep the Dattle fag ying, Is how present in the fort, We GONGK WALL OF TH FOKT had been streugthened by sand bags and cotton baler; the latter placed five or six feet trom the masoury, aud the intervening space filed with the former, avd then an additional tier of sand bags being piled up agaioat the cotton, This protection, however, was fguud (o be inadequate when the fre of our breaching gun was experimentally opened last week, The effect of one of these trial shots upon a Confederate steamer belind tne fort I noticed in my letter by the Fulton, The deserters, ib their account of the projectile, say that it took off « portion of the parapetof the gorge wali, passed through the quartors, wre up the ovens, and kmocted a hole through nine feet of maroury on the other side. The destroyed bricks fell upon the steamer, and, besides carryimg away ber smokestack, exploded ber bolier, and “made white men out of four niggers" KPYECTS OF FORMER BHOT!. In the Gret day's bombardment—on Monday—as these men report, one gua to Battery Gregg bad ita truneious kuocked off by « shot from the Irousides, Im the above work four were killed and six wounded. In Wagner the eapualtion ali told numbered eighteen. 1 asked o0@ Of the deserters Wf the rebel midiers generally thought Sumter would fail, doe" one nothin’ ebout t—we know it," was aie reply, The peo- ple of Charleston undoubtedly know it, Wo ;for ow'y (ne very pufest class, who capmet command eves Ube wrane to get away, are at present i the city Tux RMT 'A ATTOOTE ON samme AND have itcreased their Gro within the pest twenty four hours, abd coatinue to playaway against oor works se if they expected tn due time to demobeh them. Though Abeir position evab.es them te enfiade our batteries, they have as yet accomplished very tittle damage. Their end shot come whizzing and skipping slong, and their sheila frequently explode over our forces, but there is good pro tection against either shot or shetl, f we caoue to evel ourselves of it. The injories sustained by cur men thas far are attributable, Io a growt degree, to a lak of proper caution on their part UNOTENANT ROLEROOE, In the hospital to-day there were owly four amputs tious, bat, riogularly enough, there were all of the left arm aod at the shoulder Lioutenant Holbrook, of the Third Rbode Isiand arlillery, was coe of the unfortanste victims of the surgeon’s table, a fragment of @ whet! tak ing off vot only bis arm, but rendering pecemery patation of bie abowlder biate He war in command of oo of oar breaching batteries, sad waa bite | Sumter at every discharge of bia gone, Min wound, | though very severe, may oot be fatal After the opere | (on bed been periormed be was in the best of spiria Atle WAECK BLOS | SAE, ‘4 SHOALS v vance, as the Charleston papers ure would be at once futile and dian back temporarily, reoreapying their former position this morning. The rebels undoubtedly did pot derm it pra dent to retain the ground which we for the moment per mitted them to occupy THe womns This morning at daybrenk the bo ‘with the bayonet,” Gur plekets felt MENT RNR WED, bar iment was re commenced, with the same cheering respite, The effect | Slapping bis leg two or ihrer times with bie remainmng of every shot that now strikes the wall is heghteded by | hand, be cheerfally remarked Well, dows, 14 rather those that bave gone before it, and where aringle shell | let the arm go than lone one of theme fellows » the made yesterday only a simple bole, it knocks cute wide | regular service Lieutenant olbrouk wee formeriy s wm tase of inasonry to-day, The iring & Wo day, however mmiasioned officer, serving with oredit ip the Meee x not generally so accurate as that of yout | and borde ren every wind The wom we rime Last © re wan aalight shower, ae beach Much tents an the « iw t . wn the 1 wpderminks tween wed reahly from A Vie watt 06 bead ay we, and 4 hopaeiens, bomelews and foriorn. 1 the loot which lies at snche svown tnatter for your corrmpontent, efter veveral | the ptorm is bardiy endurable reo herove aor’, v he ent whet toe be “y rent clouds of wand are foavired Wo © pre th, Dis papers ecation ears, nud nowes and ment 2 ermat of samtter’” Dur ied winaat through the ko kites, there la 0 pine ot ain the whirling, blinding, ew ifuy | oF comfort ia to be obtained, OF « fory the 4 1 wae net alone tn toy ertef if | storm interfere with operations toa serwun extent, an | k Leslie could have sceurntaly sketched bu own perfect accuracy of range la attainable dn peither sea nor coal artiet! while xirientiog bimenit from s wim ins abore predicament, he woul! mend pe my orale pictnren for & 4 a | month to come An togenious devien of the rebela for blowing wp tbe re (set serie vared yewterda sobjoin & list of comanlties reported nines the bom siebape, fasteced | pardmnent began — 2 Reset, Oo. 0, Wiret Uomed Mater art ery | together by « strong Priv snd wounded in the head, Angort 17 Jolentely arf . Corpor! James Moree, Oo. KN iath | | | 1 a of gutta poroba, Ist dod. | arm amputated, Anguet | vmmere tan « from the water at an angie of | private Jobn Hoover, ¢ Thirty ointh Minew Voten degrees, w that when (be ¢ thal! have | teers, wounded in the (hy, August 17 sught upon some cable, and the \rpedeer shail eve | private John Creal, Co. F, That New York infantry, swung against the vemels de, oo expe | od te the thigh, August 1# ner tain General Yogies ner the credit | private Neleon Miller, Co. K, Coe Mupdredih Kew York of bringing Mele tteruel invention Wis | ’ rors, willed Angent 18 bis sharp eve be ecoverea the mysterious | Provate Warren P44y, Co. 1. Third Bhete telead aril comtrivesce Seating om the deecending tide, and | jepy, nied, Anguat 16. st bee inmtance « party of mailers wae denpatebes by Cap | piret Leeoteoant Meery Holbrowt, Co, M, Third Kbede tain Bacon, of the gunboat Commotore Mactoowogh, to | jeiand artillery, lett erm amputated, August 19. Jel it wp 1h wes luemy for the jittle Lrasapert Newtas Corpors| Garret Lewae, Cot, One Hantretin New ket (hat the torpede war renewed from tbe water ae it wwf @ moment more it would bave bene th codde ber bows Com.) PORTER Ay OCR Barreeume. | whould Line to give you the semner of or batterie snd Meir powitions, bal Lbees things are bot yet ripe for tbe press. fe my sent letter | hope to aeeownce that thelr oeation # wo longer qoetrebesd, ant that the do ftrection of Fort Sumter will enable me to give s com plete eeonant of cur works. To the Third Mhede Iniand artillery will belong (he credit of mock that te being done Captain Braytoo, Captam Rirshao, Cortes Shaw, Cngtade Cometert, Captais Colwell, 004 Livetewens Hot v , Kibe reginest, ore comunanders of batteries, York Volunteers, oft 670 Stnpetated and slight wound 1 tace “Aegant 19 Private Wile & Common, Co. K, New York Votonieer engineers left arm aanpatated. August 19. Private George © Mavens, Co B Seventh New Heap shure Vnentoere, eft arm empotated pages 19 Private James Kase, Oo. F, One Handretih New Yort Volunteers, wounded im tack Angost 19. Private Meory Zand, Co. 0, One Hesdredih New York Votesteers, wounded in the fare, Avgert 1% Private teary Tebrech, Or. B, Ove Menéretih New Tore Votentoors, wounded im the bead, Aoquet 1% CONTINUED OW EIGHTH FAGR.