Dahlgren to G. V. Fox, September 8, 1868

Hon. G. V. Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy: Steamship Spaulding arrived from Morris Island. Sailednoon, Monday. Passengers, Commander Downes, Lieutenant Harmony, of the Nahant, sent north by medical survey. Commodore Davis ordered to the Nahant. Stormy weather for ten days had checked naval operations. All in readiness awaiting favorable weather. Wednesday night the admiral went up to Sumter with monitors, Ironsides, Mahaska, and Ottawa, but, the storm increasing, was compelled to return at 3 o’clock. Moultrie discovered the movement and fired on Patapsco. On Monday, when the Spaulding sailed, the Weehawken was up, shelling Gregg. Rebels raised another gun on the ruins of Sumter Saturday. Sunday, island batteries 1enewed bombardment of Sumter, dismounting guns and damaging the front parapet, now a useless ruin. Monitor Lehigh arrived Sunday afternoon. Fine condition ; passed through terrible storm, but behaved admirably. Steamer Home also arrived Sunday. Operations of General Gillmore progressing with great vigor. His approaches so close Wagner combatants throwing stones and hand-grenades. On Wednesday drove the enemy from rifle-pits on the left advance line 100 yards, and captured 78 prisoners, including 2 officers. Mounting new guns all around the island, many of them to shell the city. Monitors weathering storm, well inside the bar, anchors holding. The admiral is in good spirits and confident of success. In addition, I have gleaned some particulars which I judge may be interesting to you, and therefore send. The assault, which the Richmond papers of the 29th reported to have taken place on Wednesday night, the 28th, and to have been repulsed, was in reality an attack on the enemy’s rifle-pits on Vinegar Hill, in front of Gen- eral Gillmore’s left, and was completely successful. General Gillmore took the rifle-pits, with prisoners, &c., and by this advanced his left flank about 100 yards. His approaches are now within 40 yards of the ditch of Fort Wagner, and our miners are within hearing of the enemy’s miners, who are believed to be countermining. Fort Wagner now fires but seldom, having only one or two heav guns in use. The rest of her armament consists of light guns, which are used with effect to repel assaults. Battery Gregg and Fort Johnson, together with a battery called Simkins, erected by the rebels on James Island, close to the woods near Secessionville, give the most trouble. These batteries on James Island fire’at intervals both night and day, but with trifling effect on our batteries and men. On Saturday morning last the rebels brought a schooner-load of cotton-bales to Fort Sumter, and erected a battery for one gun on the right-shoulder angle, opening fire from it about dark. General Gillmore opened his batteries at daybreak on Sunday, and by the time the Spaulding left, the gun, cotton-bales, and all had been swept away. Fort Sumter is now a mass of ruins, with no guns serviceable. General Gillmore is understood to be erecting new batteries as rapidly as possible to counterbalance the rebel batteries on James Island, and also to throw shells into Charleston. It is reported that several of the 200-pounder Parrotts have burst, but that the 100-pounder Parrotts stood well. The gun inthe Marsh Battery, erected to throw shells into Charleston, burst, and has been replaced by sea-coast mortars. Several torpedoes have burst under the monitors, but produced little effect. Fort Moultrie has tried to shell our batteries and troops on Morris Island, but most of. the shells fall short in the water. The health of the troops is reported to be much improved by the cool weather attending the late storm, which has been favorable to the work on shore, but unfavorable to the operations by water. The force on shoreseems to be ample. Six deserters from Fort Moultrie report much dissatisfaction existing among the North Carolina regiments at Charleston; also, that all the shots from our batteries that go over the wall fired at strike the northwest wall in reverse, going through that wall and falling into the water beyond. J. G. FOSTER, Major-General, Commanding. Orr Morris ISLAND, September 5, 1863—4.50 a. m. General GILLMORE: Shall the Ironsides then begin the attack, as was agreed upon? DAHLGREN, Admiral. Morris Isuanp, September 5, 1863—5.05 a. m. Admiral DAHLGREN: Yes, let her begin in the morning. She should fire well to the right, so as to avoid our trenches. GILLMORE, General. 6 R R—VOL XXVIII, PT II 82 S.C. AND G. A. COASTS, AND IN MID, AND E, FLA. __[Cuar. X. L. Orr Morris IsLanp, September 5, 1863—6.10 a. m. General GILLMORE: Please have your extreme advance marked by an American flag, and if the fire of the Ironsides injures the trenches have a white flag waved over the American flag. DAHLGREN, Admiral. Morris Isuanp, September 5, 1863—10.10 a. m. Lieutenant Preston, Flag-Officer : I propose another trial to-night. The failure last night* was owing to Mr. Higginson’s acting without orders. My troops, when they passed down to the mouth of the creek, met him returning with a captured boat. Musketry had been resorted to in making the capture, and Cumming’s Point was alarmed. GILLMORE, General. Morris ISLanpD, September 5, 1863—1.50 p. m. Admiral DAHLGREN: I shall try Cumming’s Point to-night, and want the sailors again early. Will you please send in two or three monitors, just before dark, to open on Moultrie as a diversion? The last time they were in they stopped re-enforcements, and may do so to-night. I do not want any firein the rear. Please answer immediately. GILLMORE, General. Orr Morris ISLAND, September 5, 1863—2.30 p. m. General GILLMORE: As your request is at variance with the written programme, I have sent Lieutenant Preston ashore to see you on the subject. DAHLGREN, Admiral. Orr Morris Isuanp, September 5, 1863—5.30 p. m. General GILLMORE : At what time this p. m. can you dispense with the Ironsides’ fire ? DAHLGREN, Admiral. Morris IsLanp, September 5, 18683—5.45 p. m. Admiral DAHLGREN : Let her cease now. If we do not succeed to-night, I suppose she will open again at sunrise; if we do succeed, a red light will be shown * The above dispatch has reference to an attempted assault of Battery Gregg from small boats, on the night of the 4th. The object was to spike the guns and blow up the magazine.—GILLMORE, Car, XL] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.—UNION. from the water near Gregg. In that case I expect a monitor in on to-morrow’s high tide. GILLMORE, General. OrF Morris Isuanp, September 5, 1863—6.50 p. m. General GILLMORE: The Ironsides will resume fire at sunrise, unless a red light is shown by you at Gregg. High water to-morrow at 2p. m., when an effort will be made to put a monitor close up to Gregg. DAHLGREN, Admiral. Orr Morris IsLanp, September 5, 1863—8.30 p. m. General GILLMORE: If you show a red light to-night, do you want a monitor to move up near Gregg at 2a. m. or 2 p. m. to-morrow ? DAHLGREN, Admiral. Morris IsLanp, September 5, 1863—9 p. m. Admiral DAHLGREN : No red light will be shown to-night. By arrangement with Mr. Preston, two monitors were to go in as a diversion.to keep off any re-enforcements while my party is at workon Gregg. The monitors need not remain after 1 o’clock. GILLMORE, General. Orr Morris Isuanp, September 5, 1863—10 p. m. General GILLMORE: There are two monitors up now near Sumter, with orders to fire to the right and left of it, by way of a diversion. If you wish it, I will send more up. I will send them orders to retire at 1 o’clock.

DAHLGREN,