I 



AKMY OPEKATIONS. 



139 



into the ditch and into the fort. The solid shot, 

 which went through, made holes from four to 

 five feet in diameter. 



On the morning of August 17th, Gen. Gill- 

 more, having completed his batteries, which 

 numbered about sixty pieces, and obtained the 

 range, his guns opened fire upon Fort Sumter. 

 The fleet consisting of the frigate Ironsides and 

 the Monitors, aided by some wooden gunboats, 

 made an attack, at .the sajne time, upon Forts 

 Gregg and Wagner. The latter was completely 

 silenced, and the former nearly so. The Moni- 

 tors Passaic and Patapsco then moved nearer 

 to Fort Sumter 1 , and opened fire on it. In the 

 afternoon the fleet retired, except so much as 

 was required to prevent remounting the guns 

 in Fort Wagner. The fire from the batteries 

 upon Fort Sumter continued through the day 

 and night. 



The bombardment of Fort Sumter had now 

 been regularly commenced by Gen. Gillmore. 

 The following is the daily report by the enemy 

 of its effect: 



CHARLESTON, Thursday, August 2Qth. 



, The firing of the Parrott guns upon Fort Sumter to- 

 day was exceedingly heavy, out not so accurate as here- 

 tofore. About noon the flag was shot away, but soon 

 replaced. No casualties are reported. Col. Alfred 

 Rhett is commanding, aud the. garrison is stout- 

 hearted. 



The battery of Parrott guns is distant from Sumter 

 two five-eighth miles. The missiles used are 200-pound 

 bolts, eight inches in diameter, two feet long, with flat 

 heads of chilled iron. Shells of the same dimensions 

 are also used. 



Up to Wednesday night, the third day of the attack, 

 1,972 of these missiles struck Sumter, and including 

 to-day 2,500 have struck. The damage is of course 

 considerable, and for the last two days all the guns on 

 the south face of the fort have been disabled. 



Yesterday, about four o'clock, the iron-clads formed 

 in line of battle to renew the attack on Sumter, but the 

 fort opened at long range from the east face, and they 

 retired without attacking. To-day the Ironsides and 

 two Monitors kept up a fire on Wagner at intervals, 

 and the Yankee sappers have begun to make ap- 

 proaches on that battery from the nearest work. A 

 shot from Wagner disabled one of the Parrott guns, 

 and the James Island batteries, under Lieut. Col. 

 Yates, exploded two of the enemy's ammunition chests. 



CHARLESTON, Friday, Augus 



The fire of the enemy's land batteries has been 

 heavier than ever to-day. A new battery of Parrott 

 guns opened on Sumter this morning, and the fires 

 have been concentrated upon the east battery and its 

 guns. The south wall of the fort is now a pile of rub- 

 bish. On the north the wall is also crumbling into 

 a heap of ruins. The flag has been shot away twice 

 to-day, and six times during the attack. The flag- 

 staff is shot off, and the flag flies from the. ruins of the 

 south wall. 



Just before sunset Sumter fired several shots at the 

 Ironsides, which was engaging Battery Wagner. 



A Monitor this morning fired at Sumter while mak- 

 ing a reconnoissance, but was not replied to. There is 

 no report of casualties. 



The sappers are making a regular approach on Bat- 

 tery Wagner. 



CHARLESTON, Saturday, Aitgust 22tf. 

 From 5 o'clock A. M. until 7 o'clock p. M. yesterday, 

 the enemy's fire on Fort Sumter was very heavy. Nine 

 hundred and twenty-three shots were fired, and seven 

 hundred and four struck the fort, either outside or in- 

 side. The eastern face of the fort was badly battered. 



Some guns on the east end and the northeast face 

 were disabled. The flag was shot down four times. 

 Five privates and two negroes were wounded. 



The enemy's fire on Wagner caused five casualties 

 including Capt. Robert Pringle, killed. 



At 11 o'clock last night a communication from the 

 enemy, unsigned, was sent to Gen. Beauregard, de- 

 manding the surrender of Sumter and the Morris Isl- 

 and batteries, with a notification that the city would 

 be shelled in four hours if the demand was not com- 

 plied with. Gen. Beauregard was on a reconnoissance, 

 and Gen. Jordan returned it for the signature of the 

 writer. 



About two o'clock this morning the enemy began* 

 throwing shells into the city from a battery on the 

 marsh between Morris and James Islands, and distant 

 five miles from the city. Twelve 8-inch Parrott shells 

 fell in the city, but caused no casualties. The transac- 

 tion is regarded as an outrage on civilized warfare. 

 The shelling had a good effect in hastening the exodus 

 of non-combatants. 



At daylight this morning the enemy opened fire 

 vigorously on Sumter. The Ironsides has since open- 

 ed. Sumter is replying. Wagner is firing briskly on 

 the enemy's advanced works, 450 yards from our 

 battery. 



CHARLESTON, August 22d. 



The fire of the enemy's land batteries has been kept 

 up on Fort Sumter, and more guns disabled. There was 

 only one casualty. 



There was also a heavy fire on Battery Wagner from 

 the fleet and land, also on Battery Gregg. The casual- 

 ties at Wagner were one officer and four privates. 



Gen. Giflmore's demand for the surrender of Fort 

 Sumter aud Morris Island, with a threat to shell Charles- 

 ton in four hours from the delivery of the paper at 

 Wagner, was signed and returned at seven o'clock this 

 morning. 



Gen. Beauregard, in his reply, charges inhumanity 

 and violation of the laws of war, and affirms that if the 

 offence be repeated he will employ stringent measures 

 of retaliation. 



Up to this time the threat to shell the city has not 

 been executed. 



CHARLESTON, Sunday, August 23d. 



To-day the land batteries opened from south to 

 north, and the Monitors from east to west, coming 

 close up. The fire was very damaging. The east wall 

 was cracked and breached, and the shot swept through 

 the fort. A shell burst, wounding Lieut. Boylston, Col. 

 Rhett, and three other officers. 



The fort is now in ruins. Col. Rhett is ordered to 

 hold this outpost even as a forlorn hope, until relieved 

 or taken. Col. Gaillard was killed. 



Gen. Gillmore sent a communication at 11 o'clock, 

 giving notice that at 11 o'clock to-morrow he would 

 open fire on Charleston. 



CHARLESTON, Monday, August 24th. 

 The enemy's fire on Sumter slackened to-day. The 

 fleet has not participated. At 12 o'clock last -night 

 the enemy's guns opened fire on the city, firing fifteen 

 8-inch Parrott shells. No casualties resulted. Ison-coni- 

 batants are leaving the city in continuous streams. 



On the 24th of August, Gen. Gillmore sent 

 the following despatches to Washington : 



HEADQUAUTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE Sorra, ) 

 MORRIS ISLAND, S. C., August 24th, 1SC3. f 



To Maj.-Gen. If. W. Ilalleck, General-in-Chief: 



SIR : I have the honor to report the practical demo- 

 lition of Fort Sumter as the result of our seven days' 

 bombardment of the work, including two days of which 

 a powerful northeasterly storm most seriously dimin- 

 ished the accuracy of our fire. 



Fort Sumter is to-day a shapeless and harmless mass 

 of ruins. My chief of artillery, Col. J. W. Turner, 

 reports its destruction so far complete, that it is no 

 longer of any " avail in the defence of Charleston." 



