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[536] cover of their fire, succeeded in effecting a landing at Oyster Point, and the main shore of Morris Island. The enemy advanced immediately, driving back our inferior force of infantry, and succeeded in expelling our troops from the south end of Morris Island, and capturing the artillery above named, with its munitions. This was not effected without a severe struggle, in which we lost two hundred and ninety-four killed, wounded, and missing, among whom I mention, with especial regret, the following officers: Captain Cheves and Haskell, and Lieutenant Bee, who had rendered important service previous to, and behaved with distinguished gallantry in, the engagement.

The first reinforcements, Nelson's Seventh battalion South Carolina volunteers, arrived at the close of the action, and could only assist in covering the retreat, which was made under the flank fire of the monitors to Battery Wagner, where our troops were formed to resist further advances, and the guns of which opened on the pursuing enemy. Fort Sumter and Battery Gregg also opened fire, and put a stop to their proceedings for the day.

In the evening Battery Wagner was reinforced by Colonel Olmstead's command of Georgia troops, and the garrison kept on the alert for defending it against an attack. This occurred at dawn on the eleventh, when the enemy advanced upon the work in two columns and made a desperate assault, which was gallantly and decidedly repulsed, with a loss to the enemy which may safely be estimated at over eight hundred men. Our burying parties interred over one hundred inside of our lines, and one hundred and thirty were taken prisoners.

Our loss was one officer and five privates killed, and one officer and five privates wounded. The enemy on land remained comparatively quiet during the day, being engaged burying his dead and strengthening his position. Three monitors and three wooden gunboats engaged and bombarded the fort.

On the twelfth, Brigadier-General Hagood took command of the positions on James Island. Brigadier-General Taliaferro was assigned to the command of the works on Morris Island. The armament of the fort was increased by four twelve-pounder howitzers, under Colonel Du Pass and Lieutenant Waties, and two thirty-two-pounder carronades, on siege carriages. The enemy's shot took effect on the steam-scow Manigault, lying at a partially constructed battery at Vincent's Creek, disabling the scow and scattering the workmen. Battery Wagner was shelled by the enemy's fleet continuously during the day. One monitor took a position to the northward, apparently to enfilade the rear of the work. Lieutenant-Colonel Yates ordered Battery Gregg to open rapidly, which it did, driving the monitor off, apparently severely injured, as she transferred her crew at once to one of the gunboats.

On the thirteenth, under the able supervision of Brigadier-General Taliaferro, continued preparations were made against a renewed attack. The Twenty-first South Carolina volunteers and two companies of the First South Carolina artillery were relieve l by the Fifty-first North Carolina and a detachment of Georgia artillery under Captain Buclner. The land operations of the enemy consisted in erecting batteries and protections, in which they were interrupted by the fire from Fort Sumter and Battery Gregg. The gunboats and monitors kept up a continued shelling throughout the day, with but slight intermissions when they had suffered from the sea fronts of Wagner and Gregg. In the evening the enemy succeeded in setting fire to the wreck of the steam-scow Manigault, in Vincent Creek.

On the fourteenth, two regiments, under Brigadier-General A. H. Colquitt, arrived, which were sent to James Island to reinforce Brigadier-General Hagood's command. Brigadier-General Clingman's command, consisting of the Eighth, Thirty-first, Fifty-first and Sixty-first North Carolina regiments, had arrived the previous day, and, with the exception of the Fifty-first, were stationed on James Island.

The enemy's wooden gunboats shelled Battery Wagner during the day at long range. During the night, Brigadier-General Taliaferro threw out a party, one hundred and fifty strong, under Major Ryan, of the Seventh South Carolina battalion, which drove in the enemy's pickets from his rifle-pits, extending across the island about three-quarters of a mile from Battery Wagner, back upon his main supports, inflicting a considerable loss, with but small upon our part.

On the fifteenth the enemy landed troops in force on Morris Island, and .there were indications of a renewal of the assault on the fort. The frigate Ironsides had crossed the bar on the night of the fourteenth. During the day the enemy was strengthening his position, our troops being engaged in repairing damages and replying to the enemy's monitors, gunboats and sharpshooters. The Charleston battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel P. C. Gaillard, relieved the Seventh battalion and three companies of the Twentieth regiment South Carolina volunteers; Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Simkins, First South Carolina infantry, relieved Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Yates, in command of the artillery on Morris Island; Captain Adams' company, of First South Carolina infantry, relieving Captain Chichester's company of artillery.

Brigadier-General Hagood made a reconnoissance of the enemy, in his front, on James Island.

On the morning of the sixteenth, in accordance with instructions, Brigadier-General Hagood advanced against the enemy, from his headquarters near Secession ville, James Island, driving in the enemy's pickets on his left, and making an advance against that portion of their force. Two columns made the attack, one led by Brigadier-General A. H. Colquitt, and the other by Brigadier-General Hagood in person. The enemy was protected by the fire of his gunboats in Stono


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