The Daily Dispatch: July 16, 1863., [Electronic resource]

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The attack on Charleston.
Repulse of the enemy on Morris Island.

The Charleston papers, of Monday, bring us a full account of the fighting on Morris Island Saturday, and the subsequent bombardment of Sunday. We make up the following account from them:

‘ The enemy evidently did not, at first, feel secure in his newly-gained position. During Thursday night, (according to the statements of prisoners,) the Yankee forces were drawn up in line of battle. At daybreak, finding that the expected night attack would not be made, it was determined amongst the Yankee leaders themselves to attempt an onset, upon battery Wagner. Gen. Strong, with a force of about 2,000 picked men, at once made preparations for the assault. His command consisted of four companies of the 7th Connecticut, Lieut Col. Rodman commanding, with the 76th Pennsylvania, Colonel Strawbridge; the 9th Maine, Col. Emery; the 48th and 100th New York, with the "Lost Children," an independent regiment.

’ Forming his men into two lines, soon after dawn on Saturday, he advanced at the double quick towards our work. Col. Graham, who was in command at battery Wagner, suffered the enemy to get within forty yards, when he gave the word to "fire," and down went the foremost rank of the assailants. Yet on they came with spirit and resolution, some of them even gaining the interior of the works. But they paid dearly for their temerity. Every where they were met with coolness and determination by our men, who maintained their fire steadily; and, after a sharp contest of fifteen minutes, the enemy's first line gave way and fled in confusion. The second line retired without any serious attempt to retrieve the fortunes of the first.

The day was won. In the melee we had taken 130 prisoners, and 95 of the enemy's dead lay strewn immediately in front of our works. An officer who had ventured some distance beyond, states that the Yankee dead were quite as numerous further off from our works, so that it is within the bounds of moderation to estimate the enemy's loss, in killed, wounded and missing, at quite 670. Our own loss was comparatively slight. Capt. Werner, of Savannah, with privates James Bryan, E. Pestell. A. Mallory, and J. A. Santina, of the 18th Georgia. Battalion, with one or two others, whose names we have not learned, were killed, and a few others wounded.

The prisoners were brought to the city and marched to jail. Their bearing was very impertinent. They admitted the severe character of their losses, and stated that General Strong had been badly wounded.--The last seen of him he had fallen from his horse, and was carried off the field by his men. Several other officers of the enemy are reported by the prisoners to be either killed or badly wounded — among them Lt. Col. Rodman Capt. Theodore Burdick, Lt. John Wilson, of the 7th Connecticut, and Maj John W. Hicks, of the 76th Pennsylvania. Among the officers, prisoners, unhurt, are Captain D. B. Hoogland, Capt. V. B. Chamberlain. Lt. W. E. Phillips, Lieut. E. C. Jordan, all of the 7th Connecticut, and Lieut, E. W. Ware, 9th Maine. Our loss was reported to be five killed and ten wounded.

The prisoners report their loss of the previous day about 50 killed and wounded. They also state that Lt. Bee was still alive Saturday, but very severely wounded. Lt. Campbell, who was at Capt. Mitchell's battery at the time of the attack and took part in the action, gives the following particulars:

Lieut. G. C. Heyward, who was fighting one of the guns in the Confederate works which were captured Friday, upon being ordered to retreat, declined, and said he would fight his gun to the last. The enemy mounted his works and carried the battery at the point of the bayonet. Lieut. Heyward was shot through both hips. A shell struck the gun worked by Lieut. Bee, and exploded, ten places striking his breast and four in the face. He was carried for a distance of about five hundred yards by his men, when being hard pressed by the enemy they were compelled to leave him, and laid him in front of Capt. Mitchell's tent. Capt Macbeth was stunned by a shell and taken prisoner. The prisoners report him doing well when last seen. Eight guns and three mortars fell into the hands of the enemy. These had been placed in position on the sand hills at the lower end of the island, and were designed to command the approaches from Little Folly Island.

The Yankee prisoners, or many of them, were provided with flag of truce of handkerchief size, which they displayed as soon as they fell. In one case a Yankee who had taken position on the ground, and had exhibited his flag, was observed trying to sneak off. He was speedily put beyond breach of truce by a dozen balls.

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The bombardment Sunday.

The bombardment of battery Wagner was renewed Sunday forenoon, about ten o'clock, by three of the monitors, assisted afterwards by two wooden gunboats. The firing was very heavy and kept up for several hours. The enemy fired rapidly, but wildly, eliciting only an occasional response from the forts on Morris's Island and Fort Sumter. Our casualties through the day were two killed and three wounded. One shot from Fort Sumter is said to have taken effect on one of the gunboats, as she immediately after being struck moved off, evidently laboring very hard, as if her machinery was damaged. The enemy struck the little steamer Manigault once Sunday forenoon, causing some little damage to the machinery. Many rumors were afloat that a monitor was badly damaged in the engagement on Sunday. The report of one being crippled on Saturday was correct. She was towed off by two transports Saturday evening, and has not since made her appearance.

The Yankee land forces composing the present expedition are under the command of Gen. Gillmore. Admiral Dahlgren commands the fleet.

A demonstration was made by the enemy on Saturday on James Island. They shelled the woods very briskly for about one hour. A report was in circulation that a fight had taken place on Sunday morning at Secessionville, which proved untrue. The story probably sprung from the wounding of private Geo. Allen, of the 32d Ga. An alarm was given that the enemy was advancing, and Allen, who was picketing, arose to leave the place, where he was awaiting orders. While rising he was mistaken for a Yankee and fired upon by one of our men, the shot producing a very serious wound in the leg.

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The enemy's Raids on the Coast.

Early on Friday morning last three of the enemy's gunboats steamed up toward Wiltown Bluff. After engaging a section of Schultz's battery, they succeeded in landing and took off a number of negroes belonging to Mr. Heyward Manigault. Two of the gunboats, after removing the obstacles in the river, passed up the river, and when opposite Dr. Glover's plantation their progress was checked by a section of Capt. Walter's battery (Washington Artillery) under command of Lieut. S. G. Horsey. After a brisk fight of about forty five minutes, at a distance of about 450 yards, the boats were so damaged as to be compelled to draw off. One boat, supposed to be the Planter, was so much crippled that she sunk on her way down.

The Mercury, speaking of the "situation," has the following:

‘ It appears to us to be useless to attempt to disguise from ourselves our situation. By whose fault we got into it, it is vain now to it quire. The Yankees having got possession of the southern half of Morris's Island, there is but one way to save the city of Charleston, and that is, the speedy and unflinching use of the bayonet. If the fight on Morris's Island is to be now a fight by engineering contrivances and cannon merely, the advantage is now with the enemy. With their iron-clads on the water, and their men in occupation of the land, it is likely to be a mere question of time. The fall of Fort Wagner ends in the fall of Charleston. Fort Sumter, like Fort Wagner, will then be assailable by land and sea, and the fate of Fort Pulaski will be that of Sumter. Gen. Gilmer, the commander of the Department, was the man who reduced Fort Pulaski. Charleston must be saved as Richmond was, For six days our soldiers stormed the successive batteries of the enemy, and saved Richmond. The greater part of the soldiers who achieved these triumphs by the bayonet had never before been in a charge. The Yankees here have as yet few or no formidable works. They have but a few thousand troops. If our soldiers and officers here are not equal to the kind of fighting fought by the Army of Virginia, and tried by the Yankees against such strong works as Fort Wagner and Secessionville, then Charleston falls. This, it appears to us, is the only course of safety, and we may add, too, for an economy of lives. Other means may protract the fighting to days and weeks, and postpone the termination of the struggle. No other means, in four opinion, will save the city. We believe it can be easily saved, with promptness, and energy, and dash. It is too late for engineering alone. Hesitation and delay are fatal.

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