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Chapter 13: operations about Pocotaligo.
About Boyd's Landing on the morning of December 1, the wounded were being gathered for conveyance to
Hilton Head.
In the forenoon the division moved out to the cross-road, where with the other troops, the Fifty-fourth maintained a line of battle for some time.
It was formed in the woods, a small stream and swamp covering a portion of the front.
The Twenty-sixth United States Colored Troops having arrived, its colonel,
William Silliman, assumed command of our Second Brigade.
During the day Companies A and I with
Captain Homans as brigade officer of the day went out on the skirmish line.
A few of the enemy were seen, but they made no demonstration, though reinforced since the battle by
Brig.-Gen. James Chestnut, with three hundred and fifty South Carolina Reserves and
Baker's brigade of two thousand men. Their Georgia State troops returned to
Savannah that day.
A quiet night followed; but at 7 A. M. on the 2d the enemy opened with field-pieces, forcing the skirmishers back and then shelling the centre of our line, to which our guns replied.
An intrenchment was ordered constructed covering the cross-road, and the Fifty-fourth completed its allotted work rapidly.
Trees were cut and laid to form a foundation for the parapet.
As the ground was wet in places, large areas of the surface had to be taken to procure sufficient earth.
Rations were not procurable;
