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

[52] enemy's hands, and fortified. He had at disposal ten thousand infantry, three hundred and fifty artillerists, and six hundred engineers; thirty-six pieces of field artillery, thirty Parrott guns, twenty-seven siege and three Cohorn mortars, besides ample tools and material. Admiral Dahlgren was to co-operate. On Folly Island, in our possession, batteries were constructed near Lighthouse Inlet, opposite Morris Island, concealed by the sand hillocks and undergrowth. Gillmore's real attack was to be made from this point by a coup de main, the infantry crossing the inlet in boats covered by a bombardment from land and sea. Brig.-Gen. Alfred H. Terry, with four thousand men, was to make a demonstration on James Island. Col. T. W. Higginson, with part of his First South Carolina Colored and a section of artillery, was to ascend the South Edisto River, and cut the railroad at Jacksonboro. This latter force, however, was repulsed with the loss of two guns and the steamer ‘Governor Milton.’

Late in the afternoon of the 9th Terry's division moved. The monitor Nantucket, gunboats Pawnee and ‘Commodore McDonough,’ and mortar schooner C. P. Williams passed up the river, firing on James Island to the right and John's Island to the left, followed by thirteen transports carrying troops. Col. W. W. H. Davis, with portions of his regiment—the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania—and the Fifty-second Pennsylvania, landed on Battery Island, advancing to a bridge leading to James Island.

Heavy cannonading was heard in the direction of Morris Island, at 5 A. M. on the 10th. Before night word came that all the ground south of Fort Wagner on Morris Island