August 24, 9 a.m.-The enemy opened fire upon this point at 8 a.m. yesterday, and continued at intervals during the morning. In accordance with orders, I opened on the enemy's Marsh Battery with all my available force at 10 p.m. At about 11 o'clock he replied with Parrott guns and a mortar . The former [firing] on the city, the latter on Battery Cheves. No casualties among the artillerymen.

August 25, 11.20-I fired yesterday upon enemy's advanced works on Morris Island and at Marsh Battery from all guns bearing upon these positions.

11.30 a.m.-The enemy commenced building another Marsh Battery last night, similar to the one completed and to southward of it. They are not working on it to-day. The attention of the commanding general is respectfully called to the fact that these batteries will have exactly a reverse fire on all the batteries at or near Fort Johnson.*

August 28, 8 p.m.-General Colquitt reports our shells falling just right.

September 1.-One of the Brooke guns was removed immediately on reception of the order, three days ago, and mounted near the tower.

September 6.-The lights are fixed. The 7-inch Brooke gun carriage is here on the ground. No platform has been laid on Battery Wampler. There is a chamber ready in Martello Tower. Had she better be mounted there, so as to have her ready for action?+

September 8, 7.30 a.m.-The 8-inch columbiad exploded last night. No one hurt. This gun had been fired about twelve hundred times since she has been mounted at Shell Point, and very often before, at Sumter.

HEADQUARTERS FORT JOHNSON,
November 27, 1863.

COLONEL: Your communication of the 26th instant, making inquiries connected with the movements of the enemy on Folly and Morris Island, ending in the events of the 10th of July, 1863, has just reached me, by your request, I answer the questions proposed, in detail:

Answer to question No. 1. There was no movement of note in the enemy's fleet until, I think, about the 6th of July, when four monitors and one light ship arrived off the bar. We could notice no movement of the enemy on Folly Island from Morris Island, but, in obedience to instructions, we shelled Little Folly Island frequently throughout day and night . On the morning of the 9th of July, we noticed that some of the underbrush on Little Folly had been cleaned away during the night previous, and could indistinctly, discern the outlines of what we took to be batteries or breastworks; also the number of tents on Big Folly Island greatly increased. Colonel Graham, the commanding officer of Morris Island, being absent, I immediately sent to Brigadier-General Ripley, commanding the district, the following telegram, as near as I can recollect:

The enemy have unmasked batteries on Little Folly, and have been strongly re-enforced on Big Folly. An attack on this point imminent. Send re-enforcements.

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* Rear traverses must be used.-G. T. B.

+ Yes. Put it in position temporarily.-G. T. B.

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34 R R-VOL XXVIII, PT I