The Advance On Charleston

From the N. Y. Tribune. Morris Island, two miles from Fóít } Sumter, July 10, 1863. ) On the 12th of June (ièn. Gillmors arrived in the Department of the South, and on the 14th assumed command, and mmediately entered upon the diséhargé of his dutiea. Scarcely had his staff officcrs taken íheir seats in ihe héadquarter rooms at Silton Head, the day before vacated by ;,he staff of General Huuter, bef'ore tho Chief Quartermaster of the Department was called upon for transportation to Folly Island f and in a few moment s thereafter the little steamer Mary Benton was seen specding out of the bay and over the oeean towards Charleston with the General commanding the department on board. Steamera from Beaufort, from Fort Pulaski, from Fernandina, and from St. Simon's Island, with offieers on board who desired to pay their respects to tho new commandcr, carne up the wharf at Hilton Head, but upou learning that 3en. Gillmore had more important business on hand than even to become personally acquainted with bis principal offieers, returned to their posts and awaited his pleasure for an interview. Upon arriving at Folly Island, Gen. Gillmore diseovered that the southeru point of the island, commanding StonO and Folly Rivers, and also Coles Island, was sufficiently fortified to prevent incursions upon the transporta in the little harbor from the rebel ironclads bul that upon tho extreme north point, commanding Lighthouse Inlet and the southern point of Morris Island, not & singla earthwork had been erected nor a gun mounted, and nothing but a few picketi scattefed thinly along the beach offcred any resistance to the rebel occupation qf the island. So strong was the southeru extremity and so weak the northern, that Gen. Gillmore remarked to the officer n command of the island, that could it be turned round on a pivot, several weeki bard shoveling and engineering would be saved to him ; but as it was, all the availble troops must take hold and accoinplish in twenty days, what, if commenced in time, might have been extended through three or four months, Folly Island, it will be seen by reference to the accompanying map, is a strip of land extending from Stono River to Light-house Inlet, a distanco of seven miles, ind from the ocean to Folly Rirer, one mile. Tho lower two thirds of ths islsnd is covered with a thick growth of palmetto and pine trees; the upper onethird consists of low raarshy swamp with the exception of the small point running out upon Light-house Inlet, whieh is covered with a thick stunted growth of oak and palmettoes, springing out of sand hill made from the sea, rangiug from ten to twenty feet in hight, and to the quick perceptive factïlties of General Gilknoro furniahing admirable posit'rons for masked batteries. On Morris Island, on the opposite side of Light-house Inlet, the rebels had already erected, siuce the late naval attack upon Fort Sumter, several batteries, in all mounting nine heavy columbt ads, and three teninch mortars, all bearing upon Folly Island, the mouth of Light-house Inlet, and the approach to; the Island via Folly River. Thrce of these guns are also upon pivots, and could be brought to bear upon monitori or gunboats in case they should again make the atteropt to reach Charleïton through the southern channel. At the time of General Gillmore'a arriral upon Folly Island the rebels wero aware, from several little night reconnoissances they had made, that no guns had been mounted by us upon the extreme northern point ; that the only thing resembling an earthwork was at the southern side of the swamp, and that wooden instead of iron columbiada wore mounted in them. After General Gillmore's arrival, and naturally supposing that a new commander would adopt a different plan from the General he had superseded, the rebels commenced the aliuost daily practice of throwing a few shells over to Folly Ialand, intending thereby to bc able to prevent tho erection of batteries directly bearing upon their own. Gen. Gillmore kept h ia own counsel, maintained the profound silence, if anything weakened instead of streDgthencd his picket force, did OOt in a single nstance reply to their canhonading, but during the day time did everything bc oould to lead them to suppose tbat ho was S'mply standing on the defensive, and had no thougbts of entering upon an active campaign until the bot summer months had passud. But, if quiet, ltstless and idle bydaylight, at nigbt ho worked with alinost supcrhuman energy. The sand-bills at the Dortbern point of Folly Island tcomed with life. Hundrcds of spades and shovels nightly flashed in the moonligbt, but not in sigbt of tho rebels.-" From Hilton Head hugo mortars and" Columbiads aud Parrott guns woro'pui' on board of transports, whiuh, und'r the ' ligbt of the stars or the mocn, sail?d fo.i Stono Inlet, discbargod théir clafgóeo,' and before morning dawned wero on theif' return to the point of their departure From Stono Inlei thcáe imuiense guti's vore dragged to the batteries éreeted fór them through sandroads over'wljich it;i$ almost impossible to tirge yoar horse' faster tban a walk. Immense quantitïes' of roundshot and shell, lioavy timbere,' pondoroas derricks and. cranes, in'faot, everything neecssary tö complete the works by raau and horse-power, werö' transported during the nigbt, at times through terrific thunder storms, to th ?xaot position required by the enginoers ijU charge of the works. o IH'W ' "' ' " .■ r f "-■ In lew (ma tiiaii tlirce weeks ten batteries - in uil coutaining forty eight rram of the heavjest c-ulil.ro - w'ore "creotixi witbiu fonr hnidred yards of the enGMy's woiks without his living tho slightcst RUpkiim ihat aiiytliiug inore formidable 'Jmn light ariiüisy w.ïe within sevcn miles of liim. Thu' onrthworics crected, tlie gans in positiun, the ammunition all "ii lumd, nolhing was wnuting but tb csecutin tif a few Hght military com binations bcfurc the attaek upou Morri Isl.jnd filmu! J conmienee. At Ad anre linie tlmt Gen. Gilhnor wasoreotiug these battcries, he was als M-ansPOrtïiig all his available infantry i'rm At. Helenn and Port Royal Island to Fl!y I.-land. In the darkness trans porta Iieavily laden with troops left th bay of Port Jioyal, and bcfore morning disenibajked their louds on Folly Islanc Wliole divisioiis were in this vvay trans ferrcd to the field of action. The pin and paljuetto grovcs of this little island of the sea soon swarmed with troops lut so well wero they protected by th .shrubbery and sft'nd IliUs, that ono migli have sailed aruund ihe. island for week without havingdiscovered anything more than a luw tents on the beach audalong the margin of tho river. Kverytiiing 80 far as human foresigh could di.sceni, oouncoted with the expedí tion had been succossful. Artillery aud ïnfantry ware all on hand, and deserten and prisoncrá almost daily arriving told ns that tictbing was kuown within th rebel unes of the movement. Geu. öillmore, to ensuro perfect succegs in captumig tho lower batteries on JUums Lsland, deeided not to rely upon ihe strungth of the works he had himself ereeted, but to bring to his aid a storming party iVorn some of the bost reümenta of the old lüth Army Corp?. G(. Stiong, au esperioneed and bravo nfljeér, who had served with Gen. Butler in New Qrleans, asked pennission to lead the ffluran. Ou the night before tho attack was to be made soniething more than 1.00 small boa's and launches were towed up Folly Kiver, and before dayhght worc filled with detaehmeuts irom tho th Conneetieut, Lieut. Colonol Kodman m command; the Cth Conncclicut, Go!. Chitfield; the 9th Maine, Col. lvncry; 76th Pennsylvania, Goloael btrawbndge ; four corapauies of the 48th New York, Lieut. Col. Green in command, and the 3d New Hampshire, Col. Jackson. Daiiors trom the Ironsides, Wabasb lowhattan, Canandaigua and Pawnee ïnanned many of the boats and workec the howitzers mouated upon the bows of the anvanoed onos. At flve ó'olook this morning we opened upon the halterios on Morris Island froro our entire lino of works on Folly Island. ihe fitst shot from a 20 pounder Parrott dismouuted the gun it had beeu trained upon tbc day before, and highly eomplimented the guanera for their accuracy 1 he rebels, entirelj taken by surprise, sprang upon the top of the sand hills to eee vvhere the firo carne from, but as run after gun opeued along the line, soon dropped back, and were not again seen until (hey were prisoners within our own lines Por three hours wc continued thecannonading, nenrly one half of which time we were also assisted by the monitor fleet- Admiral Duhlgrcn, on board of the Latskill, in command- which at an early hour had orossed the bar at the Fouthern channel, and had drawn up in luie of battle along the eouthern end of Morris Island in order to deliver an enñlading fire and harrass the enemy on his Joft and rcar. In this naval attaek the (Jatskill, the Nahanf, the Montauk and tlia Weehawken, were engaged, and, if the prisoners taken can be beliuved, did innch to demoralizo the enemy, and haston f'. e capture of the works. As soon as the fire from Morris Island began to slacken and groiv wild, Gen. Giflmore signaled to Gen. Strong, who with his little boat fleet lay eoncealed in Folly Kiver, to land his forens and assault and earry the batteries at the point of the bayonct. The order was no sooner given than executed. With houts and cheers the troops sprang ashore, .formed in line of battle, with the 7th and Cth Connectieut on tlse right, the 9th Maine and 76th Pennsylvauia in the center and the M New Hanipshire and 48tb New York ontheleft. In.less than ten minutes the right and center had carried all the batteries, and the left all the rifle-pits- capturing ten columbiads, two 10-inch mortavs, one Whitworth gun, together with nearly the entire garrison, consisting of the lst South Cnrolina Artillery and 10 companies of the 2lst South Carolina Volunteers, in all numbering 185 men. This unexpectedly quick and brilliant suceess in eapturing these strong works and obtainiug so important a footing upon the island filled our troops with the greatest enthusiasm. Cheer after cheer rent the air. Men ran through sand kneedeep as if they were upon a hard madcadamized road, in search of plunder; hnules, asses and horses, pigs, chickens and duoks were soon running or flying in every direction. The Jack Tars from the fleet witli pieces of rope in their hands diverted themselves by running down sorao old mule, mounting his bare baak and galloping up and down the beach in sight of the monitors and to the envy of the crews on board of them. In a fow moraents Gen. Gillmore and staff crosscdi to. the island, and on foot, mider a sun, seramblod on the ssnd-hills, esamined the works and ascertaiued theexteut of the victory.. The batteriea had been. in command of oneCapt. Mitehel, sou, of the Irish orator and John Mitehel, who, beneath aivinrmificDrif. fnnf iti u tln!n. C . 1 _ like oriental splendoiybut who ran frightened and terror-strioken tho moment (Jen. Strong advaneed upon the works. HÍ3 subordinato cnptains and lieutenants romuiiied at the gans until they were shot dowu, and wounded and dying feil into our hands. With the exception of the lst South Carolina Aïtillery and lbo 2 lst South Carolina Voluoteers, Col. Graham, all thfi rest of the troops, who the week before had been encamped upon the island-, had suddenly left'fór Secsstúonville, on James'-s the feint of (jen. Terry, who liad' proceeded up Stono River, tour mile to. tlïe Old Battcry Landing, disembarked' hi troops :tnj pushed one brigade two or three iai)m into the interior of the island, liaving sucoeeded in throwing them completely off their guard, and exposed twothirds of Morris Islaad to au easy capture. Gen. Bcauregard, supposing Genera ■Qülinore, froiu tlie raovenient up Stouo ltiver, intended advancing by thc saín roads along wbich Gen. Huntur was de feated but iittlo inore than a year siuce threw Lis cutiré stréagtl iu tliat direc tion, and vvould undoubtedly liave given us a severo battle if we liad leca so un rcise as to havo acceptcd tlie challenge But Gen. Gillmore did uot for a moment con témplate -so hagardous an undertaking For warfare upon the Sea Islands óf the South iic prefers the spade, the ax the siege-gun, and the cultivated brait of the enginoer, and no one wlio has observed what difficultics he has surmownted within the past few weeks will venture to suggest a doubt with regard to the wisdom of bis dioico. This evccing, as I close tliis hasty accouDt of the day's work, we are in possession of twothirds of Morris Island, and with nearlj onehalf of thp guns captured this morning a'ready tuj-ned upon Fort Waggoner, the only romaiüing fort, with the" exception of Cummiiigs Ppint, required to be taken before we have full possession. Neurly all the afternoon the Monitors have been tbrowing shell directly into Fort Waggoner, and have been receiving her fire in return, but without suffering any material damage, although the Admiral's flag-ship, the Catshill, has been struek fifty times. Fort Sumter bas also fired soine twenty shots from her barbette guns, nearly all of which feil short from one quarter to half a mile. At daylight in the mo-uing an attempt will be made to carry Fort Waggoner at the point of the bayonet. Detachments froui_tho 7 tb. Gonnecticut, 9th Maine, and 76th Pen isylvania, all undcr the command of Gen. Strong, have been detailed to porform the duty. God grant that tbis desperate and bloody undertaking may be suecessful.