quartermaster, or subsistence departments yet. I will make all the details I can; think it very important to erect traverses to protect from fire from Black Island. Bomb-proof is reported not mortar-proof. Traverses much needed at Battery Gregg. Will you direct the colonel commanding at Sumter to open whenever practicable upon the enemy's works and working parties?

Gunboats now opening. Lieutenant Horlbeck is ordered away, and his boats will be taken off. It is important that I should have some boats at Cumming's Point. Will you permit me to retain their boats? Send order.

WM. B. TALIAFERRO,

Brigadier-General.

General RIPLEY,

Commanding.

MORRIS ISLAND, July 14, 1863-9.30 p.m.

Shelling over for to-day. Firing entirely from the boats. No damage done the fort or men by shells. One man killed by sharpshooters.

TALIAFERRO,

Brigadier-General.

Brigadier General R. S. RIPLEY,

Commanding, &c.

[VIA] FORT SUMTER, July 16, 1863-3.45 p.m.

Rifle (32-pounder) burst at 1 o'clock this afternoon, destroying carriage.

Monitor fleet with gunboat coming in. One monitor engaged; range too great for 10-inch to be very effective; won't waste ammunition. Can heavy gun be replaced? Want also gin and block.

W. B. T. [TALIAFERRO.]

Captain W. F. NANCE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

JULY 21, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report, for the information, of the brigadier-general commanding the District of South Carolina, the operations of the troops of my command on Morris Island during the week commencing Monday, 13th instant, and particularly the occurrences of Saturday, the 18th instant, which terminated in a most decisive and overwhelming repulse of the enemy.

On Monday, the 13th instant, I made such an inspection of parts of the island as the limited means at my disposal offered, and on Tuesday morning relieved Colonel Graham of the command of the troops including the garrisons of Forts Wagner and Gregg. I found that the Abolitionists occupied the island in force from the southern part to Gregg's Hill, upon which they were already erecting batteries, and had constructed a signal station; that they had thrown forward their skirmishers to a point indicated by a single Palmetto tree (one mile and a quarter to their front, and about three-quarters of a mile from Fort Wagner) at which last post the undulating and successive