Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 4.
Frank Moore, Ed.

As soon as Lieut.-Col. Fitzgibbon and Major Frye heard the firing, they hurried their commands toward the centre, hoping to flank the enemy; but the fight was so short that they arrived too late to assist in the skirmish. Our troops followed up the success for some distance, but the rebels having mules attached to their artillery, succeeded in eluding capture or destruction. It is thought the enemy must have lost some men in killed and wounded, but nothing positive respecting that is known. On our side one man was severely wounded. A Minie ball passed directly through his left arm, below the elbow, shattering it badly, and probably necessitating amputation. He was a private, named John Leonard, of Capt. Duffy's company A, and resides in New-Haven. After the gallant fellow was shot, he picked up his gun with his right hand, and leaning it on the stump of a tree, fired one more shot at the rebels. Drs. Gallagher and Avery, of the Ninth, are doing their best for the unfortunate man, and hope to save his arm.

As the rebels fled they attempted to burn a bridge over a small piece of water, lying between their camp and the place of the skirmish; but our troops were too fast for them and prevented it.

At about five o'clock in the afternoon, our troops reached Camp Suggville, (the name of the rebel camp.) There they found evidences of the most sudden departure. Dinners cooked and waiting to be eaten; clothing and trinkets lying about in profusion, and everything denoting a sudden stampede. The camp was most luxuriously furnished, the tents were of the best pattern, and the officers' quarters were supplied with feather-beds, and superior trunks well filled with good clothing, all betokening unusual comfort for the soldiers' life. As our officers had been informed that two sections of artillery had left in the morning for Mississippi City, to meet our troops, whom they supposed would march up from Biloxi, and as they would probably soon return and cut off our retreat to the wharf, while the troops that had been dispersed would have gained accessions to their ranks, and would renew the charge, and especially as it was getting dark very fast, Major Strong, who was the director of the expedition, decided that it was unsafe to attempt to carry off the camp equipage and other valuables, and ordered everything to be destroyed; and it was done effectually by fire.

A number of cavalry-horses were shot because they could not be brought off.

A handsome silk State flag, which had been presented to the Third Mississippi regiment, by the ladies of Harrison County, was captured by the Ninth regiment, and brought off as a trophy. As the regiment marched through the town, one of the ladies bemoaned its loss, weeping profusely. She said she didn't think the Southern soldiers were cowards; but she couldn't see how they could allow that flag to be taken. She had helped make it.

The troops reembarked on the Lewis about nine o'clock, on the evening of the fourth, and anchored out in the Sound until the next morning. While the regiment was on shore, a half-dozen men of the guard, left at the wharf, saw a schooner beating up; they jumped into a boat, pulled out to the schooner, and captured her. She was laden with army stores. This prize, with a little sloop, taken the day before in Biloxi Bay, was brought to Ship Island, on the evening of the fourth, by the Jackson.

About a dozen bales of the hay on the wharf were put on board the Lewis, and as there was no room for more, the balance, nearly a hundred bales, was thrown overboard. At Biloxi there was a large quantity of old iron junk on the wharf, waiting to be sent to New-Orleans, to be cast into munitions of war. This was also thrown overboard. In the tent of Col. Deason, of the Third Mississippi regiment, the annexed letter was found, with the pen with which it was written yet full of ink. It was written by the Lieutenant-Colonel, T. A. Mellen, and was intended to be flashed over the wires to Gen. Mansfield Lovell, at New-Orleans. It gives some information of the number of troops, but is otherwise valueless, except as a specimen of secession literature. In the Colonel's tent there were also found a number of silk dresses, giving the idea that a lady, probably the Colonel's wife, had been sharing his camp-life.

pass, April 4, 3 P. M.

Major--Gen. M. Lovell: At two o'clock on the morning of the third, Capt. Green, commanding post, was ordered, by Colonel Deason, to join him immediately, with his command, as the enemy, two thousand strong, had landed at Biloxi. Capt. Green left at sunrise, and reached the vicinity of Handsboro by eight o'clock, with the whole command, and was halted, by Col. Deason's orders, until two o'clock of this morning, where having arrived, I moved forward en route to Biloxi. As I passed through Handsboro, I was informed the enemy had left. I started on return for the Pass, at seven A. M., and when five miles from my camp, my advance-guard informed me that three gunboats and one transport were approaching Pass Christian wharf. They began shelling the town at once, and are now landing men in considerable force — about five hundred, I think. Two of their boats are aground by the wharf, and with present condition of tide, likely to stay so until morning. An effort was made