From the Charleston
Courier, of Tuesday, we copy the following concerning the siege of that city:
‘
A fierce cannonade between the land batteries, with an occasional shot at
Fort Sumter, from the enemy, was kept up during Sunday night. The firing Monday morning was somewhat slackened.
At 9 o'clock one monitor moved up, took position off
Cummings's Point and opened on
Fort Sumter, firing shot and shells from one gun about every fifteen minutes.
Fort Moultrie, and batteries Gregg and Wagner also opened on the monitor with spirit.
She retired about 11 o'clock. At 12 M. another monitor made her appearance around the point, between
Sumter and
Gregg, and commenced firing on
Sumter.
Number one Yankee battery also opened on battery Wagner, the latter replying slowly.
The monitor off
Cummings's Point engaged
Fort Moultrie and battery Gregg for a short time, but found it too hot. A little before 1 o'clock the monitors ceased firing and moved off, evidently to gain breathing time.
’
Shortly before three o'clock in the afternoon four monitors rounded
Cummings's Point, and approached
Fort Sumter until within three-quarters of a mile, when they formed in line of battle and opened fire on
Sumter,
Moultrie, and battery Gregg.
The enemy, it is believed, attempted to get an enfilading fire on the latter fortification.
Fort Moultrie, batteries Bee and Beauregard, on
Sullivan's Island, opened briskly with their heavy guns on the monitors; battery Gregg also keeping up a constant and vigorous fire from
Cummings's Point.
In about half an hour one of the monitors left, it is believed badly damaged.
The engagement was continued by the others until four o'clock, when they also hauled off, batteries Gregg and Wagner giving them a parting salute.
Our batteries struck the monitors twenty-eight times, some of the shots striking plump on the knuckle or base of the turret, evidently inflicting considerable damage.
The heavy booming of the cannon heard in the city brought crowds to
White Point battery and other points of observation, to witness the conflict.
The monitors during the action fired very slowly.
The casualties on our side are reported to be very slight.
With the exception of this engagement there has been no further demonstration by the fleet.
The number of vessels inside the bar yesterday was forty-one, including the
Ironsides and five monitors.
The bombardment between the land-batteries continued last night up to the hour of closing our report, twelve o'clock.
About 2 o'clock Sunday night the steamer
Sumter was engaged in transporting detachments of the 61st North Carolina, 23d Georgia, and 20th South Carolina, from
Morris Island to another part of the harbor.
It had reached a position, coming in outside of
Fort Sumter, when, by some unfortunate blunder, it was fired upon by
Moultrie.
A shot passed through its hull, causing it partially to sink, killing at the same time five men, and wounding several others.
Many of the men endeavored to escape by swimming, and of these, twenty it is said were drowned.
Barges were sent to the rescue, and six hundred were saved from the wreck.
From a letter found in the mail bag of the gunboat
Ottawa, evidently written by an officer, we learn that a Whitworth gun burst in one of the shore batteries a few days previous to the date of the letter, killing a number of blue jackets.
A one hundred pounder
Parrott, rifled, also burst on board the gunboat
Mahaska.
The gun of the
Ottawa has been fired five hundred times, and is obliged to be nursed with wet cloths when hot.
