South Carolina, of the battle of the 7th ultimo, together with the reports of his subordinate officers, and of Majs. D. B. Harris and W. H. Echols, Provisional Engineer Corps.

The accumulation of the enemy's troops, transports, and iron-clad vessels at Port Royal during the months of February and March and subsequently in the North Edisto and Stono Rivers, having convinced me that the long-threatened attack on Charleston was immediately impending, every possible precaution was at once made for the exigency, including the concentration at strategic points in this vicinity of all available troops for the defense of the several land approaches to the position, and provisions for the further and rapid concentration upon this point of forces from other of the military subdivisions of the department.

On the 5th of the month of enemy's iron-clads of the monitor class appeared and anchored off the bar, which they crossed on the following day, accompanied by the iron-mailed frigate New Ironsides, bearing the admiral's pennant.

On the 7th of April, in the afternoon, the enemy moved forward to the attack in single file, seven single-turreted monitors, to wit: Weehawken, Catskill, Montauk, Nantucket, Passaic, Nahant, and Patapsco; the Keokuk, with two fixed turrets, and the New Ironsides, the Weehawken leading and the New Ironsides fifth in the order of battle. By 3 o'clock p. m. the head of the line had come within easy range of Forts Sumter and Moultrie, and Batteries Beauregard, Bee, Cummings Point, and Wagner; a few minutes later the first gun was fired from Fort Moultire, and soon the engagement became general. On our side seventy-six guns of various calibers, including nine mortars and fifteen smooth-bore 32-pounders, were brought to bear on the fleet, which carried thirty-two guns of the heaviest calibers ever used in war, to wit, 15 and 11-inch Dahlgren guns and 8-inch rifled pieces.

The Weehawken, in advance, provided with a contrivance for catching and exploding torpedoes, was soon compelled to retire before the iron storm it encountered. The New Ironsides, at the distance of 1,700 yards from Fort Sumter, was frequently struck, and was next forced to fall back out of range, evidently injured.

The Keokuk, having mean time approached to about 900 yards of Fort Sumter, was quickly riddled, her guns silenced, and she was withdrawn from the fight vitally crippled.

The remaining monitors, six in number, with twelve guns, maintained their fire until 5.25 p. m., when they too retired out of range of our batteries and came to anchor, four of them hors de combat and one of them (the Passaic) so disabled as to make it necessary to send her under tow at once to Port Royal. On the following morning the full extent of the injury done to the Keokuk was shown, as she sunk at her anchors in the shallow water off Morris Island. Her armament, two 11-inch Dahlgren guns, two U. S. flags, two pennants, and three signal flags have since been taken from her, and the former are now in position for effective service-substantial trophies of the affair. The New Ironsides and six monitors remained at anchor within the bar, but out of effective range of any of our works, until the afternoon of the 12th of April, their crews and a corps of mechanics visibly and actively employed repairing damages and apparently preparing to renew the attack; then, weighing anchor, they all recrossed the bar, the New Ironsides to resume her position as one of the blockading fleet and the monitors (four of them in tow) to return to Port Royal. For the details of this conflict I

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