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Graham, Twenty-first South Carolina volunteers; Colonels Olmstead and Harrison, of the Georgia volunteers; Lieutenant-Colonel P. C. Gaillard, Charleston battalion; Lieutenant-Colonel Yates, Captains J. C. Mitchell, Lesesne, First South Carolina artillery; Captains Chichester, Mathews, Buckner, Dixon, Du Pass, and Lieutenant-Colonel Harris and Captains Ramsay and Barnwell, engineers, deserve especial consideration for their gallant and valuable services.
The Signal corps, under Lieutenant Markoe, have been actively employed, and that officer has reported Sergeant J. E. Edgerton, privates W. S. Lance, E. W. Martin, W. D. Du Barry, A. Grimball, and F. K. Huger, for zeal and gallantry in performing their duties under the heavy and continuous fire of the enemy.
During this period of anxiety and activity, the officers serving upon the district staff have performed their duty in such manner as to enable me to rely with confidence upon their further exertions during the continuance of the contest.
I feel it proper to refer, with special commendation, to Captain William F. Nance, Assistant Adjutant-General, whom I have more than once recommended for promotion, and whose services become steadily more valuable as they become more arduous.
I have also to express my satisfaction with the manner in which their respective and laborious duties have been discharged by Majors Motte A. Pringle and C. H. Juber, Quartermasters, and Captain C. C. Pinckney, Ordnance Officer, Captain B. H. Read, A. A. G. and Lieutenant Schnierle, A. A. D. C., were present and actively engaged in the operations of the sixteenth. Lieutenants Rogers and Wagner, A. D. C. have been continuously employed.
I have to acknowledge the services of Major J. Motte Middleton, and Captain Thomas D. Eason, upon my personal staff.
The limits of this report are such, that it may be that many things are omitted which should be mentioned to the credit of many meritorious officers, and these I will endeavor to mention in a supplement.
Accompanying, are the reports of Colonel R. T. Graham, of the action of the tenth instant, and of the assault on the morning of the eleventh ; of Brigadier-General Taliaferro, of the operations of the troops on Morris Island, from the thirteenth to the nineteenth instant, inclusive; of Brigadier-General Hagood, of the engagement with the enemy's pickets on James Island, and with the Pawnee, in the Stono; of Lieutenant Markoe, Signal Officer, and of all subordinate commanders.
I also enclose tabular lists of the killed, wounded and missing, and list of prisoners captured during the period of this report.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
R. S. Ripley, Brigadier-General, commanding.
Upon which appears the following indorsement:
Respectfully forwarded for the information of the War Department. I see but little to add to this clear and full report of recent operations in this quarter, submitted by the commanding General of this district, whose disposition of troops and general conduct of the responsible duties intrusted to him, I beg to commend to the special notice of his Excellency the President. In connection, however, with this relation of events, between the ninth and nineteenth ultimo, I beg to call attention to my letters to the Secretary of War, of the tenth May and twentieth July, and one to General Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector-General, dated June fifteenth, as containing information essential for a proper knowledge of the situation. I beg leave also to express my high appreciation of the gallant conduct of the officers and men engaged, especially those mentioned by Brigadier-Generals Ripley and Taliaferro, and by subordinate commanders. The conduct of Brigadier-General Taliaferro during the operations of the eighteenth of July, and the assault on Battery Wagner that night, cannot be too highly commended. Lieutenant-Colonel D. B. Harris, Chief Engineer, present on that occasion, behaved in the emergency with characteristic and conspicuous coolness, energy and professional skill. He aided materially to repulse the enemy. Accompanying are the following papers, viz.: Report of Brigadier-General Taliaferro and subordinate commanders, marked “A ;” report of Colonel R. T. Graham and subordinate commanders, marked “B;” report of Lieutenant F. Markoe, commanding Signal corps, marked “C;” list of officers and men captured by our forces on Morris Island, marked “D ;” papers relative to exchange of wounded prisoners, marked “E;” and list of negro prisoners, marked “F.”G. T. Beauregard, General, commanding.
Report of Brigadier-General William B. Taliaferro of the bombardment and assault of Fort Wagner, July Eighteenth, 1863.
Captain: I have the honor to report, for the information of the Brigadier-General commanding the District of South Carolina, the operations of the troops of my command, on Morris Island, during the week commencing Monday, the thirteenth instant, and particularly the occurrences of Saturday, the eighteenth instant, which terminated in a most decisive and overwhelming repulse of the enemy:
On Monday, the thirteenth instant, I made such an inspection of parts of the island as the limited means at my disposal offered, and on Tuesday morning relieved Colonel Graham of the command of the troops, including the garrisons of Forts Wagner and Gregg.
