parties on Morris Island; - rounds were fired from Simkins; Moultrie and Haskell were also engaged. The magazine at Cheves not being completed, that work was silent. The enemy at Wagner were much annoyed by the fire from Moultrie and Simkins, particularly the latter, by which two ammunition chests were exploded at Wagner.

At 2.45 the heavy rifled battery south of Graham's house opened on Battery Simkins, and fired 7 or 8 shots at the Columbiad Battery very accurately, but without doing any damage. One or more shots were also fired from the same battery at Fort Johnson with like result.

Twelve shots were fired at Battery Wagner from Battery Haskell with the double-banded 24-pounder rifle. Only one shot struck the parapet, 3 were good, and the remainder either fell short or were not seen. Seven shots were also fired at the same object with 4,62 rifle No. 2, with a charge of 4 pounds of powder, weight of shell 25 pounds, and elevation 15 to 17. None of the shell burst, and most of them fell short.

The engineer force was engaged in rivetting and completing traverses and in raising road and causeway at Battery Haskell above the level of the spring tides.

A row of floating torpedoes was placed at the mouth of the small creek which runs past Battery Haskell and empties into Schooner Creek 300 or 400 yards below.

September 26, 1863.-Fort Moultrie and Batteries Bee, Simkins, and Haskell have been firing slowly since yesterday morning, throwing in all 284 rounds, which were replied to by the enemy with only 16 shots fired from Gadberry Hill.

The enemy are industriously employed in strengthening and enlarging old works, erecting new, mounting guns, &c., and though frequently driven to cover by the fire of our batteries, they immediately resume work when the fire slackens. Much work was accomplished by them last night on Batteries Wagner and Gregg. The former battery has been extended to the southward and westward, and the latter to the southward and eastward. Six four-horse wagons are employed in hauling timber to Wagner from the inlet, and others are engaged in hauling sand to Battery Gregg for the purpose of constructing traverses for protection against our James Island batteries, which appear to annoy them exceedingly.

The enemy have a guy on the northeast angle of Wagner, and are mounting a gun bearing on Sullivan's Island.

There are 42 vessels inside the bar, including the Ironsides, 4 monitors, 3 gunboats, 5 mortar-boats, &c.

Colonel Olmstead, commanding at Fort Johnson, complains that work there is much delayed for want of proper tools; for instance, they have but three cross-cut saws and one handsaw, while carpenter work is going on in three or four different places.

Eight shots were fired from Battery Haskell to-day at Battery Wagner with the double-banded 24-pounder rifle, using a charge of 5 1/2 pounds, 14 3/4 elevation one shot struck the parapet, and most of the others fell short. Up to this time, 48 shots in all have been fired from this gun.

The engineer force is engaged at Haskell in thickening the earth on the south and southeast side of the gun magazine.