Emilio, Luis F., History of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry , 1863-1865

December 7, orders came for the abandonment of the cross-road at Boyd's Neck. General Hatch directed the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts, the cavalry, and some artillery to remain and hold the landing covered by the gunboat Pontiac. About midnight the pickets were drawn in by Captain Emilio, brigade officer of the day, and joined the Fifty-fourth, which had marched to the landing. From its arrival until nearly daylight, the regiment was embarking amid a heavy rain-storm on the steamer Mayflower, on which were General Hatch and Colonel Silliman. Our transport started out of the creek when day dawned, ran up Broad River, and into the Tullifinny, where she grounded. Small craft were brought, and the command was ferried to the lower landing, while rain still poured down. Lieutenant-Colonel Hooper without delay, soon after 2 P. M., marched to the front, where the regiment formed division column and bivouacked.

General Jones, upon receiving news of our invasion of Devaux's Neck, gathered a force to attack us. Col. A. C. Edwards, Forty-seventh Georgia, with his regiment, a battalion of the Thirty-second Georgia, Major White's battalion of South Carolina Cadets, and the German Artillery (four guns), was to move from the Tullifinny trestle-bridge, and give battle. General Gartrell, with the Coosawhatchie force, was ordered against our left. At 7 A. M. on the 7th, covered in their advance to within sixty yards of our front, by a heavy growth of timber and foggy weather, the enemy moved to surprise us. He first struck the Thirty-second United-States Colored Troops, causing severe losses; but