connaissance was designed to ascertain the state of our works on John's Island.

Working parties of the enemy extending for half a mile are engaged in making causeways connecting the small islands opposite Legareville.

The enemy's fleet at Port Royal is composed of one steam frigate, two sloops of war, one cutter, five gunboats, and seventy-two transports.

A number of dispatches of the enemy were intercepted to-day by our signal corps, but they are unimportant and generally relate to private affairs.

In accordance with orders from the War Department, Anderson's brigade left this morning en route for General Bragg's army.

Pursuant to instructions from department headquarters, General Ripley issued to-day an order restricting the fire of our batteries bearing upon Morris Island to 50 shot or shell per day in the aggregate, excepting upon extraordinary occasions.

October 8, 1863.-Working parties of the enemy are rivetting and strengthening Battery Gregg, where a 200-pounder Parrott is mounted on the northeast angle, in place of a 10-inch columbiad previously in that position.

A mortar bed is being put in position in a battery east of Gregg. The mortar battery south of Battery Gregg appears to be completed.

Wagner is being pushed forward to completion, and has embrasures for four guns. Traverses have been constructed for protection against the fire of our James Island batteries.

The two nondescript affairs previously reported inside the bar are now thought to be constructed to remove torpedo. As seen from Sullivan's Island, they are described as elliptical in shape, low in the water, and flush deck.

The enemy's fleet this morning is unchanged.

Two shots were fired last night by the advanced monitor at a schooner loaded with sand-bags, lying between Sumter and Battery Bee.

A 42-pounder rifled and banded gun was yesterday mounted in Sumter, and a 10-inch gun was placed in position ready for mounting.

They did not reply to-day to the fire of Moultrie, Bee, Simkins, and Cheves. One hundred and seventeen very satisfactory shots were fired from Simkins, and 37 from Cheves.

Two experimental shots were fired to-day at Wagner from the mortars in Haskell, which resulted as follows:

First shot, 10 pounds [chamber full], 45 27.36"; burst high in air and to left.

Second shot, 10 pounds [chamber full], 45 30.4"; fell short and to right; burst after falling.

October 9, 1863.-A steady fire has been kept up by our batteries [principally from Simkins and Cheves] in the past twenty-four hours against Wagner and Gregg. This fire was continued during the day, and was replied to in the afternoon by a few shots from Gadberry Hill, directed against Fort Johnson, which, however, did no damage nor caused any casualties.

There is but little change to note in affairs on Morris Island, excepting the gradual advance toward completion of the enemy's works. A wide embrasure at Gregg, directed toward Sumter, is being rivetted, as also the half-moon battery in the sand-hills.