OFF MORRIS ISLAND, August 29, 1863-4.10 p. m. General GILLMORE: Thank you. I shall move up again with the monitors to-night. I shall be most happy to see you on board between 6 and 7 this evening. I shall start soon after that. DAHLGREN, Admiral. OFF MORRIS ISLAND, August 29, 1863-9 p. m. General GILLMORE: My movement is postponed. It has just been reported to me that Sumter has fired several shots to-day, and operations were based on the supposition that Sumter was silenced. The enemy have also been at work on the obstructions during the day. The chief pilot reports that the line of obstructions has been added to, making a line entirely across the channel from above Sumter to Moultrie. The fire of Moultrie will be as much as I can attend to. I would ask if you cannot keep up a fire to-morrow on Sumter, in order to completely dismantle her? DAHLGREN, Admiral. MORRIS ISLAND, August 29, 1863-9.45 p. m. Admiral DAHLGREN: Sumter has not fired a shot to day. My lookout, who has been on the watch all day, is positive on this point. His attention was specially directed to this matter. It is the concurrent testimony of prisoners, deserters, and contrabands that Sumter was once effectually silenced. Nothing can prevent her remounting guns during the night, and she may have done so, but none have been fired to-day. GILLMORE, General. MORRIS ISLAND, August 29, 1863-10.40 p. m. Admiral DAHLGREN: The officer commanding the trenches-who kept several men on the lookout all day, in order to warn his men to cover whenever a gun was fired—says Sumter has not fired to-day. I will open fire to-morrow, as you request. GILLMORE, General. OFF MORRIS ISLAND, August 29, 1863-11 p. m. General GILLMORE: My chief pilot, who was up the harbor to-day, reports that he saw guns mounted on Sumter, and that they were fired. Your lookout may be correct, but if he is in error it would be fatal to my plans. I can cover my men while working on the obstructions, from one side, but not from both. If you do not object, I would, therefore, suggest that the fire of your batteries be resumed on Sumter with full vigor to-morrow, as a proper precaution. DAHLGREN, Admiral. MORRIS ISLAND, August 29, 1863-11.30 p. m. Admiral DAHLGREN : Can you spare me some 200-pounder shells? My supply is very low. A constant fire on Sumter is more than my guns can stand very long. I have lost three 200-pounders. GILLMORE, General. OFF MORLIS ISLAND, August 29, 1863-11.35 p. m. General GILLMORE: Much obliged. All your fire on Sumter materially lessens the great risk I incur. DAHLGREN, Admiral. OFF MORRIS ISLAND, August 29, 1863-11.50 p. m. General GILLMORE : I will let you have either guns or projectiles, as many as you wish, if you will inform me how much you require. DAHLGREN, Admiral. MORRIS ISLAND, August 30, 1863-7.45 p. m. Admiral DAHLGREN: Your coal can be landed at Stono, or in Light-House Inlet, which you please. The water is better at Stono. I will light up Cumming's Point to-night, if you have no objections. GILLMORE, General. OFF MORRIS ISLAND, August 30, 1863-8.45 p. m. General GILLMORE: It is so rough that I shall not move up with the monitors to-night. Your lighting up Cumming's Point with your calcium lights will not interfere with my movements. Is it true that the enemy is strengthening Cumming's Point? DAHLGREN. Admiral. MORRIS ISLAND, S. C., August 30, 1863. General G. W. CULLUM, U. S. Volunteers: MY DEAR GENERAL: I placed all the reporters under arrest when I received General Halleck's orders to do so. I found, however, that there were men on board the gunboats, or rather a man, who gave more important information than any of the reporters on land, and that the end in view could not be accomplished by literally carrying out the terms of the order. I have, therefore, retained the representatives of the press here until I could report to you, which I now do, unofficially. Unless all reporters operating here can be restrained, no good can be secured by half-way measures. The individual I refer to is Mr. Fulton, of the Baltimore AmeriI think he represents the Post-Office Department in some way or another. I make no suggestions. can. Sincerely, your friend, Q. A. GILLMORE, Col. J. C. KELTON, WASHINGTON, D. C., August 31, 1863. Assistant Adjutant-General: SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date, directing me to state if I furnished the information which the Boston Transcript stated was derived from me. * In reply, I would state that no such information was furnished by me. The reporter who made up the account in question has since stated to the editor that he did not obtain from me the information therein published. While in Boston I was in the Transcript office, and conversing with a friend in relation to the behavior of the Fiftyfourth Massachusetts Regiment (colored) at the charge on Fort Wagner, July 18. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN H. JACKSON, Colonel Third New Hampshire Volunteers. [Indorsement.] SEPTEMBER 1, 1863. With this explanation, Colonel Jackson will be released from arrest and return to his duties. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, In the Field, Morris Island, S. C.. August 31, 1863. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.: GENERAL: I have the honor to inform you that by Paragraph III, Special Orders, No. 324, headquarters of the Army, Adjutant-Gen *See Gillmore to Halleck, August 7, p. 39. eral's Office, July 21, 1863, I am instructed to direct the detachment of Company C, First U. S. Artillery, serving in this department, to join their company at Fort Macon, N. C. The detachment on duty here comprises nearly the whole company, an officer and a few men only being at Fort Macon. The men have been for a long time on duty with the ordnance department, and their services there are literally indispensable at this time. As it is necessary that their officers' and company papers should be with them in order that the men may receive their pay, I respectfully request that permission be granted me to retain the detachment, and that the remainder of the company be ordered here. I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Admiral DAHLGREN : Q. A. GILLMORE, Brigadier-General, Commanding. MORRIS ISLAND, August 31, 1863-8 a. m. I have no information that Cumming's Point is being strengthened by the enemy. We dismounted their heavy gun looking toward Wagner three days ago. GILLMORE, General. OFF MORRIS ISLAND, August 31, 1863-7 p. m. General GILLMORE: I understand from my chief pilot that you will be able, day after to-morrow, to open and sustain a heavy fire on Sumter. I shall, therefore, postpone, at least for to-night, an intended movement. DAHLGREN, Admiral DAHLGREN : Admiral. MORRIS ISLAND, August 31, 1863-10 p. m. I regret that any verbal report from your chief pilot has caused the postponement of any intended movement, when time is of such great value to the enemy in increasing the batteries on Sullivan's Island. Sumter did not fire on the monitors while they were in range to-day. I will open on Sumter to-morrow with five heavy guns, including two in the naval battery. The Whitworth guns are of no use, and can be taken away. SPECIAL ORDERS, GILLMORE, General. HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, Morris Island, S. C., August 31, 1863. I. The Third U. S. Colored Troops, Col. B. C. Tilghman commanding, are hereby relieved from duty in the trenches, under the direction of Maj. T. B. Brooks, and will hereafter be subject to such details as the commanding officer of the brigade may direct. II. The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, Col. M. S. Littlefield, Fourth South Carolina Volunteers, commanding, are hereby detailed for special duty in the trenches, under the direction of Maj. T. B. Brooks, aide-de-camp and assistant engineer. The whole of the available force of the regiment will be divided into four equal reliefs, which will succeed each other at intervals of eight hours each. The first relief will report to Major Brooks, at the second parallel, at 8 a. m. this day. No other details will be made from this regiment until further orders. By order of Brig. Gen. A. H. Terry : ADRIAN TERRY, Captain, and Assisiant Adjutant-General Abstract from return of the Department of the South, Brig. Gen. Q. A. Gillmore, U. S. Army, commanding, for August, 1883; headquarters Folly Island. Abstract from "Record of Events" on the several returns of the Department of the South, for August, 1863. DEPARTMENT RETURN. August 1.-The brigade of Colonel Alford reported and was assigned to Folly Island. August 2.-The brigade of General R. S. Foster reported and was assigned to Folly Island. August 2-9.-The brigade of General Wild reported and was assigned to Folly Island. August 4.-The One hundred and seventy-sixth Pennsylvania Militia was ordered home to be mustered out, by expiration of term of service. August 13.-The division of General Gordon reported and was assigned to the south end of Folly Island. Breaching batteries opened on Fort Sumter. August 13-29.-The brigade of General Ames was employed on Morris Island. August 23.-Bombardment of Fort Sumter ceased. Saps advanced toward Fort Wagner during the month. |