Orders by signal were issued in the morning to General Hagood, commanding Seventh Military District, to relieve with two fresh companies of the same regiment the two companies of the Twenty-fifth South Carolina Volunteers who have now been in Fort Sumter for about five weeks. The quartermaster's department not being advised of the expected movement, did not have the necessary transportation prepared and only a portion of these two companies were transferred to Sumter. They were sent over in the post-boat belonging to the fort.

The enemy's fleet at Port Royal to-day is two steam frigates, three sloops of war, one cutter, one iron-clad, six wooden gunboats, and seventy-five transports.

Yesterday at 2 p.m. one gunboat, accompanied by ten schooners, went to sea. The weather was too hazy to observe whether they had any troops on board.

His Excellency the President arrived to-day in a special train from Savannah.

[Colonel D. H. Hamilton assumes command of outposts on Sullivan's Island.*]

November 2, 1863.- This morning an English ship of war is observed with the enemy's fleet, which is composed of the Ironsides, four monitors, one gunboat, who mortar-boats, and seventeen vessels inside the bar and the usual blockading squadron outside.

As usual, a slow fire from the enemy's land batteries was kept up against Fort Sumter during the night.# Of the 87 rifle shots thrown, 36 did not strike the fort. Five mortar shells were thrown, all of which fell inside.

Early in the morning a heavy bombardment was recommenced from the shore batteries, and again about noon three monitors assisted in the attack, relieving in a measure the heavy guns on Morris Island.

During the day, 140 15-inch round shot and 6 1/2-inch rifled bolts were fired from the monitors, all of which struck the fort. Two hundred and fifty bolts and 345 mortar shells were fired from the shore batteries; 85 of the rifled shots and 135 of the mortar shells missed. The upper portion of the scarp wall on the southwest angle is cut away, but the debris assuming the natural slope, contributes to the safety of the lower casemates.

Immediately after dark, a small boat containing 4 of the enemy's scouts effected a landing at the southeast angle. Our sentinels, believing it to be our picket-boat, allowed the men to escape. Several shots were fired at them as they disappeared in the darkness, but the effect was not apparent.

The infantry garrison at Fort Sumter was relieved to-night by 2 officers and 40 men each from the Sixth, Nineteenth, Twenty-third Twenty-seventh, and Twenty-eighth Georgia Regiment, and by Companies C and D, Twenty-fifth South Carolina Volunteers, 96 men.

Only one casualty occurred in the fort to-day, viz, Private Calvin Giles, Company B, Twelfth Georgia Battalion.

The fire of the enemy was replied to by Battery Simkins, which threw 33 mortar shells.

Commander [John R.] Tucker reports that a section of the obstruc-

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*Hamilton's report.

#These shots were fired on the night of the 1st instead of the 2nd; entered by mistake.

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