e was preparing (after thirty-six
hours' incessant bombardment) to evacuate Morris Island; which was done,
I suppose, last night. He feared the loss of the garrisons, if he
delayed longer; and he said Sumter was silenced. Well, it is understood
the great Blakely is in position on Charleston wharf. If the enemy have
no knowledge of its presence, perhaps we shall soon have reports from
it.

Gen. Lee, it is said, takes _two corps d'armee_ to Tennessee, leaving
_one_ in Virginia. But this can be swelled to 50,000 men by the militia,
conscripts, etc., which ought to enable us to stand a protracted
_siege_, provided we can get subsistence. Fortune is against us now.

Lieut.-Col. Lay reports great defection in North Carolina, and even says
half of _Raleigh_ is against "the Davis Government."

The Secretary of War has called upon the Governor _for all the available
slave labor in the State, to work on the defenses, etc._

The United States flag of truce boat came up to City Point last night,
_bringing no prisoners_, and nothing else except some dispatches, the
nature of which has not yet transpired.

SEPTEMBER 8TH.--We have nothing further from Charleston, to-day, except
that the enemy is not yet in possession of Sumter.

Mr. Seddon, Secretary of War, said to Mr. Lyons, M. C., yesterday, that
he had heard nothing of Gen. Lee's orders to march a portion of his army
to Tennessee. That may be very true; but, nevertheless, 18,000 of Lee's
troops (a corps) is already marching thitherward.

A report on the condition of the military prisons, sent in to-day,
shows that there is no typhoid fever, or many cases of other diseases,
among the prisoners of war. Everything is kept in cleanliness about
them, and they have abundance of food, wholesome and palatable. The
prisoners themselves admit these facts, and denounce their own
government for the treatment alleged to be inflicted on our men confined
at Fort Delaware and other places.

An extra session of the legislature is now sitting. The Governor's
message is defiant, as no terms are offered; but he denounces as unjust
the apportionment of slaves, in several of the counties, to be impressed
to work on the defenses, etc.

SEPTEMBER 9TH.--Troops were arriving all night and to-day (Hood's
division), and are proceeding Southward, per railroad, it is said for
Tennessee, via Georgia Road. It may be deemed impracticable to send
troops by the western route, as the enemy possesses the Kn