Daniel Ammen, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 7.2, The Atlantic Coast
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

On May 23d, in an endeavor to aid army operations at Volusia, on the St. John's River, the tug Columbine, Ensign Sanborn, having an army detachment of 25 men on board, was fired upon, disabled, and ran aground from the wheel-ropes having been cut by the shells, at Horse Shoe Landing, on her return from Volusia. Master's mate John Davis, ‘while nobly performing his duty,’ was killed; also 16 soldiers were killed or missing, and 5 wounded. The remainder were taken prisoners, and the vessel set on fire without removing the dead.

On June 3, 1864, the Water Witch, Commander Pendergrast, blockading in Ossabaw Sound, was boarded and captured, only one man (a ‘contraband’) escaping. Seven cotton barges, carrying 150 men, approached the vessel, the night being dark and squally; they were, in fact, alongside almost as soon as discovered, and although boarding nettings were up, the vessel soon became a prize. The Water Witch lost 1 man killed, 13 wounded, and 2 missing. The Confederates lost their leader, Lieutenant Pelot of their navy, 8 or 10 killed, and 15 or 20 wounded.

Toward the middle of June Admiral Dahlgren received information from the Navy Department ‘that the enemy meditated a simultaneous movement on the blockade, inside and out, in order to cover the exit of a large quantity of cotton.’

This led to some strategic movements on the part of the army along the Stono River, aided by a naval force in those waters. These operations were concluded on the 9th of July, after which General Foster returned to Port Royal. General Schimmelfennig, in command of the troops on James Island, in a letter to the admiral says: ‘I take pleasure in informing you of the excellent practice by your gunboats and monitors on Stono River yesterday. They drove the ’