and throaty-four transports at Hilton Head. Brigadier-General Ripley was instructed this day to have the guns intended for the Legare Point Battery mounted immediately, and to open fire with them as soon as possible. Brigadier-General Mercer was telegraphed to send on, if practicable, another 10-inch columbiad from the Savannah works. At 2 p. m. a shell from the enemy's battery struck Fort Sumter, and some eight or ten 30-pounder parrott shots were fired at the fort from a distance of 3,500 yards.

Five casualties occurred in Battery Wagner on this date and 1 in Fort Sumter.

On the 21st, the enemy sent in a flag of truce, with a communication from General Gillmore, requesting an interview between General Vodges and the officer commanding Battery Wagner. The proposal was agreed to, and the flag of truce was met by an officer from that work. While the conference was proceeding, the fleet opened a bombardment on Wagner. This gross violation of the usages of war was responded to on the part of General Hagood by an abrupt termination of the interview. During the day, the enemy's gunboats and land batteries shelled Battery Wagner. The enemy had apparently mounted eight new guns in their batteries. Colonel [Alfred] Rhett reported that from that want of profert appliances he had been unable to dismount the guns in Fort Sumter which I had ordered to be removed.

The bombardment continued throughout the 22nd from fleet and land batteries, with an interval when General Vodges, U. S. Army, requested, under a flag of truce, another interview with Brigadier-General Hagood. This was refused until an apology should be made for the breach of truce the day before. This having been given and deemed satisfactory, General Vodges verbally proposed an exchange of prisoners, mentioning that they had but few of ours, all excepting those recently captured having been sent north; that as we had the exceed, of course we could select whom to exchange. He abstained from any reference to negroes, while intimating that a mutual parole of prisoners, without regard to excess, would be agreeable.

The following instructions were given to Brigadier-General Ripley: Not open fire from the new James Island batteries until their completion; then to carry on a vigorous fire with guns and mortars on the enemy's works. Sorties to be made at night whenever practicable.

in my telegram to you of this date, I mentioned the continual re-enforcement of the enemy; that I had to guard three important lines of approach (James, Morris, and Sullivan's Islands), and requested the balance of General Colquitt's brigade, with more troops as soon as possible.

No gun was fired on either side during the 23rd. Our men were engaged in repairing damages. The enemy were busy erecting batteries and throwing up traverses to protect them from the fire of the James Island batteries.

On the morning of the 24th, a heavy bombardment was opened upon Battery Wagner from five monitors, two gunboats, two mortar vessels, the Ironsides, and land batteries, which continued until 9.30 a. m., when the steamer with the prisoners on board proceeded to the fleet, and the exchange was effected, as previously agreed on.

Colonel Harris, chief engineer, having inspected Battery Wagner, reported no material damage to the work. The guns on the see face unserviceable' on the land front in good order. The enemy's stockade within 700 yards of the fort.