operations upon men who had been idle for an entire year. It has, in truth, acted like a process of reclamation. All but two regiment of the forces from Major-General Foster's department are here.

If my command continues to improve in health, I shall require no more men than I now have, to accomplish the reduction of Fort Sumter. After that is done, the monitors must take the lead, in accordance with the project which was discussed and informally adopted when I left Washington.

General Beauregard has, for the defense of Charleston, twice as many men and more than five times as much artillery as I have. I therefore beg the Department not to lose sight of the fact that after the grate is opened to the monitors and iron-clads, by the reduction of Fort Sumter, the army here, so long as it remains greatly inferior in numbers to that of the enemy, must remain defensively upon these sea islands.

My operations are progressing satisfactorily. I expect to open a heavy fire on Fort Sumter on the 14th instant.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Q. A. GILLMORE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

On the 16th of August, I wrote to the General-in-Chief as follows:

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,
Morris Island, S. C., August 16, 1863.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have to report a steady progress in our operations here. In consequence of the inferior and irregular quality of the only powder in this department suitable for heavy guns, a fact which was not suspected by my ordnance officer until developed by our preliminary practice after the magazines had been filled, I was unable to open my batteries on the 14th, agreeably to my expectations, as stated in my letter of the 10th instant.

I have borrowed some powder from the navy, which (with some recently arrived from the north) will enable me to open to-morrow, the 17th instant. Two monitors, witch one rifled gun each, are expected to co-operate with me against Sumter, at a distance of about 2,000 yards. The others will remain abreast of Fort Wagner, to keep down its fire.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Q. A. GILLMORE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

129. A sufficient number of breaching guns being in readiness on the 16th of August to warrant our opening upon Fort Sumter, and arrangements having been made with Admiral Dahlgren to assist in subduing the fire of Battery Gregg and Fort Wagner, particularly that of the sharpshooters in the latter, from which we apprehended considerable annoyance to our breaching batteries in the second parallel, the following order was issued:

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, Numbers 481.
In the Field, Morris Island, S. C., August 16, 1863.

I. All the breaching batteries established against Fort Sumter that are completed and in condition for efficient service, and the other batteries herein below named, will be opened at break of day to-morrow. Those in process of construction will commence firing as soon as the several pieces in succession are ready to open effectively. The firing will continue from day to day, under the immediate supervision of the chief of artillery, commencing at daybreak and ending at dusk in the evening, with such intermission during the heat of the day as may from time to time be ordered, as follows:

First. Battery Brown, Captain C. G. Strahan, Third Rhode Island Volunteer Artillery, commanding, comprising two 8-inch Parrott rifles, against the gorge well of Fort Sumter, one piece firing shot, and the other percussion shell, exclusively.

Second. Battery Rosecrans, Captain J. J. Comstock, jr., Third Rhode Island Volunteer Artillery, commanding, comprising three 100-pounder Parrott rifles, against the gorge wall of Fort Sumter, one piece to fire percussion shell, and two pieces to fire shot, exclusively.