fuskie Island, to accomplish this object, directing him upon the 6th instant to place a battery on Long Island, to attack the gorge of the fort on the west, and after a second visit to him, on the 9th, to construct another, if practicable and the distance were not too great, upon Turtle Island on the north, the object being mainly the moral effect of an encircling fire rather than the expectation of any serious effect upon the walls at that distance. From some cause, however, the heavy ordnance for these batteries did not arrive in time, and the lighter pieces most available and placed in position on Long Island served rather as a diversion than for any serious demonstration upon the work.

The main attack upon the work, as you are aware, commenced upon the morning of the 10th instant, at about 7.30 o'clock, and immediately after the refusal of its commander to surrender according to your summons previously sent. Being present yourself at or between our batteries for the greater portion of the day during the contest between these batteries and the fort, you are, of course, personally aware of the great efficiency with which these batteries were served, and of the successful commencement of the breach at the southeast angle of the fort on that day. You are also aware of the efficient and accurate firing of the guns from the fort, directed as they were with great precision, not only at our batteries, but even at the individual persons passing between them or otherwise exposed. The fire on our part, though delayed at first by the necessity for obtaining the proper ranges, was kept up with such vigor that over 3,000 projectiles, varying in size from the 13-inch mortar shell to the 30-pounder Parrott shot, were thrown at the fort during the first day.

At evening, as it was necessary to guard against the possibility of attack from the Wilmington marshes, a force of some two regiments was stationed upon the ridges of land adjacent-one immediately in rear of the upper batteries and one on a ridge running towards Tybee River; and to give General Gillmore an opportunity for their rest which he required, I arranged with him to remain myself at the batteries in general charge of the forces during the first half of the night, directing at the same time that the shells should be thrown at the fort every ten or fifteen minutes during the night, for the purpose of fatiguing the garrison. This shell practice, especially during the early part of the night, while the moon was up, was reported to be most successful, or fully as accurate as by daylight.

As a principal battery of one James and five Parrott guns near the fort appeared not to have been so successfully served as was possible during the day, and as a detachment of 100 seamen from the Navy, under Lieutenant Irwin, had been kindly furnished to us by Flag-Officer DuPont, at the suggestion of Captain C. R. P. Rodgers, which had unfortunately reached us too late for the first assignment to the batteries, I directed that a portion of this battery should be placed in the hands of this command, and the remainder, with suitable men, to be under Captain Turner, assistant commissary of subsistence, late of the First Artillery, U. S. Army, and now chief commissary of your staff, and the James and three of the Parrott guns were assigned to the naval detachment accordingly.

At about 7 on the morning of the 11th the fire opened on both sides with great vigor and accuracy, the certainty as to direction and distance being greatly beyond that of the previous day, especially on the part of the enemy, there being scarcely any exposure of our force that did not draw a close shot, while the embrasures and parapets of our bat-