Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[279] （two companies,) under similar orders, also to James Island. By like orders, the buildings on Coles's and on Battery Islands were fired by our men before retiring. Volumes of smoke from the burning buildings. Our men on the qui vive. On appearance of a gunboat off mouth of Folly River, carronade on marsh battery, near Folly River, thrown overboard by those in charge. Coles's and Battery Islands shelled by the enemy.

May 21.--Six of our pickets, of Capt. Jones's company, Twenty-fourth regiment South Carolina volunteers, made prisoners on Battery Island. Expecting, apparently, the enemy to pass by, without discovering them, they, instead of withdrawing, hid themselves in the magazine on the approach of a gunboat up the Stono. Enemy saw them and landed. Legare's, on James Island, shelled this day by a gunboat slowly going up the Stono.

May 25.--Gunboats to this time had been running up the Stono for several miles every day, shelling both sides of the river, and returning in the evening to Battery Island. Effort to-day of Brig.-Gen. Ripley to draw them within effective reach of guns of Fort Pemberton, failed. Gallantry of Capt. Frank Bonneau, and the men of our little floating battery, stationed for the day in the creek near Dixon's Island, remarked. A gunboat which engaged the battery, was driven off in a few minutes. The battery was moored to the land. Three gunboats had been drawn up the river a short distance, by Gen. Ripley's movements. On their return, they had passed by all together, when one came back, apparently to learn what was the little dark object across the marshes and the small islands. Capt. B., who was aboard, had just received orders not to fire unless attacked. He had his men ashore, under cover. The gunboat opened on him. Capt. B. promptly fired his battery (two or three guns) himself. His men, at the first sound of the enemy's gun, came bounding to their little float, and soon manning their guns, drove the gunboat away.

May 31.--Gunboats, to this time, running up the Stono every morning, as before, shelling every one who came in sight, whether on foot, on horse, or in a vehicle. Some peaceful citizens crossing Newtown Cut Bridge in a buggy, during this period, were very much startled by a shell, and took to flight on foot across the fields. Today a few shell thrown from the Stono, toward Secessionville, fell near the camp of Twenty-fourth regiment South-Carolina volunteers, and toward Brig.-General Gist, Capt. James Gist and Capt. Joseph Glover, of his staff, who were riding out.

June 1--(Sunday.)--A gunboat came some distance up Folly River, but soon retired. Reconnoitring apparently.

June 2.--A gunboat came up Folly River this morning, on the flood, about nine A. M., shelled the battery of Capt. Chichester at Legare's Point, that of Capt. Warley, close to Secessionville, and Secessionville itself. This place being then occupied by the Eutaw battalion, Lieut.-Col. Charles H. Simonton commanding; the Charleston battalion, Lieut.-Col. P. C. Gaillard commanding; the cavalry companies of Capt. W. L. Disher and of Capt.----McKewn, and being the headquarters of Brig.-Gen. S. R. Gist, commanding on the island. Our batteries responded rigorously. No damage done by the enemy, except to a horse, which had his leg broken by a shell that passed through an out-house just behind the General's headquarters, and exploded. After firing for about an hour, the enemy withdrew. No damage, up to this time, done by the enemy's firing, except to horses.

Evening.--More than twenty vessels in sight off Charleston Bar and Stono Inlet, and in Stono River. Enemy reported as being on James Island, at the point nearest Battery Island, and as having driven in our pickets. Capt. Carlos Tracy, volunteer aid to Gen. Gist, and Lieut. Winter, Wassamassaw cavalry, fired on while reconnoitring their position. Gen. Gist and Capt. Tracy repeatedly fired on, same evening, by enemy's advance-guard. This firing, the first news in camp of enemy's landing.

June 3.--Last night the enemy and a small party of our men lay near each other all night, at Legare's. Capt. Chichester's guns, in being withdrawn from Legare's Point during the night, stuck in the mud. Men engaged in endeavoring to extricate them, driven off by the enemy near morning. Lieut.--Col. Ellison Capers, Twenty-fourth regiment South-Carolina volunteers, with several companies, sent just after daylight to bring off the guns, and to ascertain enemy's position. Sharp skirmish with the enemy at Legare's, in which Lieut.-Col. Capers drove back, for a half-mile and more, the enemy's troops in his front, though very much outnumbering him. Took twenty-three prisoners, and retired only on the appearance of the enemy in heavy force on the field, supported by a cross-fire from gunboats in the Stono and in Folly River. Enemy engaged said to have been Twenty-eighth Massachusetts and One Hundredth Pennsylvania volunteers. Our loss, several wounded and one taken prisoner. Lieut. Walker, Adjutant Charleston battalion, wounded in the leg, in an endeavor to bring off whom, it was said, Private Bresnan, Irish volunteers, was mortally wounded. Gallantry and discretion of Lieut.-Col. Capers marked. Capt. Ryan, Irish volunteers, Charleston battalion, distinguished himself by his gallant courage. Lieut. J. Ward Hopkins, Sumter Guard, Charleston battalion, wounded in shoulder. Our companies first engaged, were reenforced during the action by several others. All fell back across the causeway to River's merely, and joined the main body of our troops. Enemy ascertained from prisoners to be in strong force at Legare's, under command of Brig.-Gen. Stevens. Heavy bombardment all day by gunboats, of our troops in line of battle, to resist enemy's advance from Legare's; our troops necessarily much exposed. A section of Capt. William C. Preston's battery light artillery, under Capt. Preston and Lieut. Julius Rhett, was carried with great promptness