Now came an aide from General Gillmore, at Port Royal, with your cipher-dispatch from Midway, so I steamed down to Port Royal to see him.

Next day was spent in vain efforts to decipher-finally it was accomplished.

You thought that the state of the roads might force you to turn upon Charleston; so I went there on the 15th, but there was no sign yet of flinching.

Then I went to Bull's Bay next day (16th), and found that the troops were not yet ashore, owing to the difficulties of shoal water.

One of the gunboats had contrived to get up to within shelling range, and both soldiers and sailors were working hard.