Garrison.-Detachments Companies C and K, Seventh Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Lieutenant S. S. Atwell, Seventh Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.

Besides the above-mentioned guns, there were in position in the second parallel, at a distance of 885 yards from Wagner, eight field guns for defensive purposes, to repel sorties, viz:

Four 12-pounder howitzers of Light Company B, First U. S. Artillery, Lieutenant Guy V. Henry, First U. S. Artillery, commanding, and manned by detachments from Company B, First U. S. Artillery, and Light Company E, Third U. S. Artillery; two 12-pounder Napoleon guns of Light Company F, Third New York Artillery, Captain James E. Ashcroft commanding, and two 12-pounder Wiards, of Light Company B, Third New York Artillery, Lieutenant Paul Berchmire commanding.

The fire from the breaching batteries upon Sumter was incessant, and kept up continuously from daylight till dark, until the evening of the 23rd. For five days all the guns were directed upon the gorge wall, and had resulted in bringing it down to such an extent that on the evening of the 21st a practicable breach had been accomplished. On the morning of the 22nd, the fire from Batteries Meade, Rosecrans, and Brown was directed upon the parapet of the southeasterly face,or right flank, of the work, with the view of dismounting the guns on the barbette of this face, which commanded the entrance to harbor, as well as to destroy the guns on the orth easterly face, which this fire would take in reverse. The fire upon the gorge had, by the morning of the 23rd, succeeded in destroying every gun upon the parapet of it, and, as far as could be observed, had disabled or dismounted all the guns upon the parapet of the two faces looking toward the city, which it had taken in reverse. The parapet and ramparts of the gorge were completely demolished for nearly the entire length of the face, and in places everything was swept off down to the arches, the debris forming an accessible ramp to the top of the ruins. Nothing further being gained this day upon the southeasterly flank, and continued an incessant fire throughout the day. The demolition of the fort at the close of this day's firing was complete, so far as its offensive powers were considered. Every gun upon the parapets was either dismounted or seriously damaged; the terre-plein for the entire circuit of the place must have been shattered and plowed up by our projectiles, hundred of which had been sen to strike upon it. The parapet could be seen in many places, both on the sea and channel faces, completely torn away down to the terre-plein; the place, in fine, was a ruin, and effectually disabled for any immediate defense of the harbor of Charleston.

Having accomplished the end proposed, orders were accordingly issued on the evening of the 23rd for the firing to cease, having been continuously sustained for seven days. There had been thrown 5,009 projectiles, of which about one-half had struck the fort.

The labor required for the service of these heavy guns for such a long period of continuous firing was very great, and at its termination both officers and men were nearly exhausted. The zeal they displayed and the manner in which they performed their duties throughout entitle them to much credit. The battery commanders are deserving of especial mention for the interest and attention which they gave to their duties and for their efforts to attain that accuracy of fire so essential to success, and which, with the service of rifled guns in the field, is attained only by unremitted attention.