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Rebel reports and Narratives.


General Beauregard's despatch.

The abolitionists attacked in force Pocotaligo and Coosahatchie yesterday. They were gallantly repulsed to their gunboats at Mackay's Point and Bee's Creek Landing, by Col. W. S. Walker, commanding the district, and Col. G. P. Harrison, commanding the troops sent from here. The enemy had come in thirteen transports and gunboats. The Charleston and Savannah Railroad is uninjured. The abolitionists left their dead and wounded on the field, and our cavalry are in hot pursuit.

G. T. Beauregard, General Commanding.


Richmond Dispatch account.

Richmond, October 31, 1862.
In the fight at Pocotaligo, it appears that the enemy's force consisted of detachments of eight regiments from Pennsylvania, New-Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Each detachment numbered four hundred men, so that the attacking force of infantry consisted of about three thousand two hundred men, beside which there was a full battery of field-pieces and two boathowitzers. These troops were commanded by Brig.-Gen. Terry. Having effected their landing at an early hour and driven in our pickets, the Yankees advanced rapidly toward the railroad. The Charleston Mercury says:

They first encountered our forces about eleven o'clock A. M., and the fighting was kept up with more or less spirit from that time until five o'clock P. M., when the enemy began to waver, and finally fell back in disorder, leaving his dead upon the field. The action is described by an eye-witness to have been a second Secessionville affair, in the disparity of the forces engaged, in the stubborn character of the contest, and in the completeness of the repulse. Capt. Elliott's battery and the Virginia battery are said to have covered themselves with glory. A later report, though not official, places the number of our casualties at twenty killed and sixty wounded.

The heaviest loss was suffered by the Virginia artillery, Captain J. N. Lamkin, a gallant corps, which has served on our coast ever since the fall of Port Royal. They had four killed and sixteen wounded, most of the latter slightly. The following are the names of the killed: C. Peters, J. F. Flucher, W. A. Thacker, T. J. Allen. Lieut. Massle was wounded in the head and arm slightly. The battery went into action with thirty-five men. A large number of its horses were killed. The Old Dominion boys also lost a caisson, owing to the horses having taken fright, but captured one from the enemy, which made things even. The enemy burned the caisson which they took.

The Charleston Courier adds the following to this account:

The Forty-sixth Georgia and a detachment of cavalry, under the command of Colonel Colquitt, were ordered down Thursday morning to follow up the enemy, a courier having arrived, stating that the enemy was in force at Mackay's Point. The Georgians on the road gathered up quite a large stock of overcoats and other articles found along the road. Two new-made graves were also discovered. The enemy's dead lie scattered along [41] the route down to the point of landing. During the whole engagement they were carrying their wounded and dying to the rear. One man who saw them on their retreat states that he met a continued stream of ambulances going and coming from their boats. On their advance they had killed some sheep, but in the hasty retreat were obliged to leave their plunder.

Our troops buried forty of the enemy's dead. The force that first met the enemy consisted of the Rutledge mounted riflemen, Capt. Trenholm; Charleston light dragoons, Capt. Rutledge; Beaufort volunteer artillery, Capt. William Elliott, and an infantry company, who stubbornly and successfully contested the enemy's advance until the arrival of reenforcements. The others afterward engaged were Nelson's Virginia battery, Morgan's squadron of cavalry, Major Abney's First battalion of sharp-shooters, consisting of Capt. Chisholm's company, Capt. Allston's company, and Captain Buist's company.


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William Elliott (2)
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