are unfit for duty. Unless I have my company commanders, I cannot be responsible for the result of a night attack. Please send this at once to the commanding general.

October 30.-The haze prevents an accurate report of the fleet this morning. Seven hundred and seventy-nine short were fired at the fort yesterday; 80 of these passed over. Their effect was to cut away all of the top arches on the sea face, and to make that face and the gorge easy of access throughout their whole extent. Two hundred and sixty shots were fired last night, 80 of which missed. This makes 1,039 of all calibers, from 15-inch mortars and 300-pounder Parrotts downward.

From the present direction of the enemy's fire, I am led to conclude that he wished to avoid injuring the northeast and city faces of the work as much as possible. I think he will try an assault.

Fort Moultrie can sweep our sea fare, but there is no enfilade fire for the gorge wall. Unless a gunboat can be placed in position beforehand between this fort and Fort Johnston, her assistance will be useless, as the success of an assault will be determined in a very few minutes.

It would be all importance to have a guard-boat stationed between this fort and Comming's Point, which could signal the approach of barges; another stationed to seaward for same purpose would be of a great advance. I recognize the perilous nature of this service; but is not the holding of this post worth some little risk?

Private H. C. Castlebury, Company B, Twelfth Georgia Battalion, was killed, while on post yesterday, by the explosion of a 15-inch shell. Private B. W. Griffin, Company A, Twelfth Georgia, slightly wounded in hand; Private Z. Stanford, same company, slightly wounded in leg; Private Augustus Williams, Company A, Twelfth Georgia Battalion, stunned; Private [R. H.] Bearden, same company, wounded in shoulder; Private T. Goggins, Company K, First south Carolina Artillery, slightly, in head; Surgt. A. D. Freeman, Company A, Twelfth Georgia [Battalion], slightly.

Flag-staff shot away after retreat.

I was enabled to keep strong guard on the parapet last night, and the main body within a few yards, in readiness to move immediately.

The cutting of the Keokuk angle still continues; the greater portion of the fire this morning is done by mortars.

There men slightly wounded this morning.

October 30, 6.30.-Number of shots fired at Sumter from sun up to sun down to-day, 955, 68 of which missed.

October 30, 10.35 (to General Jordan).-The firing to-day was from two monitors, from two heavy and two light rifled guns at Gregg, from three heavy rifled guns and four 10-inch mortars at the middle battery, and from medium rifled guns at Wagner; 443 rifled shots were fired, of which 61 missed; 68 shots fired from monitors all reported as having struck, and 373 mortar shells, of which 120 missed.

October 31.-Sergt. W. C. Owens, Sergt. J. A. Stevens, Privates S. L. Burrows, F. M. Burrows, S. W. Anderson, James Calder, O. J. Burn. W. E. Gibson, J. W. Jones, L. S. Lee, and W. N. Patterson, of Washington Light Infantry, Company A, Twenty-fifth Regiment, Private W. Martin, of Twelfth Georgia Battalion, and Mr. Matthewes, an overseer, were buried this morning by the filling in of the barracks on the sea face, where they had been placed in position for mounting the parapet in case of an assault.