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The conduct of officers and men was deserving of all praise.

Lieut.-Col. David Morrison commanding, the One Hundredth Pennsylvania, Major David A. Leckey To Captain Hamilton, Third artillery, Chief of commanding, and the Forty-sixth New-York, Col. Artillery, of the left column, I desire to express Rudolph Rosa commanding, being in support. my obligations for the judicious management of A storming party, consisting of companies C and the artillery, which had much influence in sub- F, commanded by Capts. Ralph Ely and Richard duing the fire of the enemy; and to the various N. Doyle, of the Eighth Michigan regiment, was members of my staff, Col. E. W. Serrell, volun- in advance, followed by company E, Serrell's Enteer engineers, Chief Engineer; Capt. C. W. Fos-gineers, Captain Alfred F. Sears commanding. ter, Assistant Adjutant General; Capt. Goodrich, Four guns of the Connecticut light battery, Assistant Quartermaster; Lieut. Frederick A. Capt. A. P. Rockwell commanding, followed the Sawyer, Acting Brigade Commissary; Lieuts. First brigade, and company H, First MassachuT. L. Hayan and H. W. Hubbell, Aids-de-Camp;setts cavalry, Capt. S. M. Sargeant commanding, John Darlington, volunteer Aid-de-Camp, and followed in rear. Capt. J. M. Rice, of Gen. Hunter's staff, but serving with me as a volunteer Aid-I desire to acknowledge the prompt and satisfactory discharge of the various duties assigned them.

The troops of the entire column left the field in the most perfect order, the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania regiment bringing up and covering the rear, as far as our front line of pickets, where it was halted and remained in position till all prospect of an attack on the part of the enemy had passed away.

The withdrawal from the field of both columns was ordered by Gen. Benham.

Accompanying this are the reports of Colonels
Chatfield and Welsh, commanding brigades.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
H. G. WRIGHT,
Brigadier-General Commanding.

GENERAL STEVENS'S REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, N. D. D. S., L
JAMES ISLAND, S. C., June 19, 1862.

Brig.-Gen. H. G. Wright, Commanding United
States Forces, James Island, S. C.:
SIR: I have the honor to submit the following
report of the operations of my division in the ac-
tion of the sixteenth instant.

The strictest orders were given to maintain the most perfect silence, for each regiment to follow the preceding regiment within supporting distance, and to rely exclusively upon the bayonet in encountering the enemy, resorting to firing only in case of manifest necessity.

At the first break of day, or about four o'clock, it being a dark and cloudy morning, the entire command was in motion. My Aid-de-Camp, Lieut. Benjamin R. Lyons, with a negro guide, was at the head of the storming party. My Aidde-Camp, Captain William T. Lusk, guided the Twenty-eighth Massachusetts. The command pushed forward, surprised and captured the pickets at the house occupied by them, entered the fields beyond, and as they came within the effective range of grape and musketry, pushed forward into line of battle, and the entire Eighth Michigan regiment, at about one hundred yards from the enemy's works, the main body being preceded only about forty feet by the two storming companies, received his fire of grape, musketry and canister.

Up to this period not a shot had been fired, although five men of the Eighth Michigan had been wounded by the pickets who were surprised and captured.

At this period of time the entire three regiments of Fenton's had passed the hedge, some five hundred yards from the enemy's works, and I was engaged directing the attacking and supThe instructions of Brig.-Gen. H. W. Benham, porting force of Col. Leasure. They were orderwho commanded the forces, were to form my en-ed to keep to the left, and to push up to the tire division before the break of day, in secrecy work, regiment following regiment, as in the case and silence, at the outer pickets; and at the of Col. Fenton. break of day-say about four o'clock-to move rapidly upon the enemy's works at and about Secessionville, with a view of carrying them by a coup de main. In the attack, it was arranged that all the available forces of Wright's division and Williams's brigade were to move to its support as soon as the fire from my attack was heard. In the event the attack proved successful, the other operations of the day were to be determined by the circumstances of the occasion. My command was all in order of battle at halfpast three o'clock at the outer pickets, the head of my column being within rifle-range of the advanced position of the enemy. The First brigade, Col. Fenton commanding, consisting of the Eighth Michigan, Lieut.-Col. Frank Graves commanding, the Seventh Connecticut, Lieut.-Col. J. R. Hawley commanding, and the Twenty-eighth Massachusetts, Lieut. Col. M. Moore commanding, being in front, and the brigade of Col. Leasure, consisting of the Seventy-ninth Highlanders,

The firing now became general and continuous in front. The advance of the Eighth Michigan was on the parapet. The light battery of Rockwell was immediately pushed to the front, and took its position at the second hedge, and the Highlanders, led by Morrison, seeing the hot fire to which the Eighth Michigan was exposed, pushed forward at the double-quick, and moving from the left to the right of the field, entered a narrow opening, gained the parapet to the right of the point reached by the Eighth Michigan, and shot down the enemy whilst serving their guns.

The front on which the attack was made was narrow, not over two hundred yards in extent, stretching from the marsh on the one side to the marsh on the other. It was at the saddle of the peninsula, the ground narrowing very suddenly

had taken on that flank, and do the best, in concert with our attack, the circumstances of the ground permitted. The movement of Col. Williams was, in my judgment, the best thing that could be done, and he executed it in a manner worthy of all admiration.

at this point from our advance. On either hand were bushes on the edge of the marsh for some little distance. The whole space at the saddle was occupied by the enemy's work, impracticable abattis on either hand, with carefully prepared trous de loup, and in front a ditch seven feet deep, with a parapet of hard-packed earth, having a relief of some nine feet above the general surface of the ground. On the fort was mounted six guns, covering the field of our approach. The whole interior of the work was swept by fire from the rifle-pits and defences in the rear, and the flank of the work itself, and the bushes lining the marsh on either hand, were under the fire of rifle-action, and the remainder of the regiments were men and sharp-shooters, stationed in the woods and defences lying between the work and the village of Secessionville.

It will thus be seen that the whole front was scarcely enough to deploy a single regiment. Col. Fenton, in command of the First brigade, used every exertion to throw the Eighth Michigan as far to the right as possible, and to bring on, in support, the Seventh Connecticut and the Twenty-eighth Massachusetts, but the terrible fire of grape and musketry from the enemy's works cut the two former regiments in two, the right going to the right and the left to the left, whither, finally, the whole of the Twenty-eighth Massachusetts took its position, and where they were joined without scarcely an interval of time, by the One Hundredth Pennsylvania and the Forty-sixth New-York, of Leasure's brigade. These regiments had been brought up with great promptness and energy by Col. Leasure, and the right of the One Hundredth had pushed up to and joined the Seventy-ninth in their charge.

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It was during this brief period of less than one half hour from five to half-past five o'clock that the greater portion of the casualties occured. The Eighth Michigan made the most heroic exertions, and suffered the most terrible losses. Captains Pratt, Church, Guild, and Lieut. Cattrell, commanding companies, were killed, and Capts. Doyle and Lewis and Lieut. Bates, commanding companies, were wounded on or near the parapet of the work. My Aid-de-Camp, Lieut. Lyons, who led the storming party, and the first man to cross the ditch, was severely wounded on the berme of the work, and was obliged to retire. Of twenty-two officers of that regiment who went into action, twelve were killed and wounded.

Seeing that without supports and re-forming the line it was useless to continue the contest, I ordered the troops to be so formed on the hedge nearest the works, and the regiments that had suffered most, namely, the Eighth Michigan, the Seventy-ninth Highlanders, and the Seventh Connecticut, to be withdrawn to the second hedge, to be re-formed.

It was not until in execution of this order the line at the advanced hedge had been formed, and the regiments at the second hedge were forming, that Col. Williams's advance was to be seen to our left, and soon afterward his Aid-de-Camp, Lieut. Adams, reported to me for orders. My orders to Col. Williams were to maintain the position he

Some time was occupied in establishing the whole line at the advanced hedge. The remains of two or three companies of the Eighth Michigan, and of several companies of the Highlanders never once abandoned their advanced positions on the right and left of the enemy's works, till ordered to do so at a subsequent period of the

gallantly led - that of the Eighth Michigan, by Capt. Ely, twice wounded, and the only officer of the storming party not killed or disabled, and that of the Highlanders by their gallant Lieut.Col. Morrison, who, wounded in the head on the parapet, seemed only the more eager to lead on to the assault. The Seventh Connecticut also moved up in a beautiful and sustained line of battle; for it must be borne in mind there had not been the least panic or running from the field on the part of a single regiment. Commands, in consequence of the roughness of the ground, the unexpected abrupt narrowing of the front at the neck of the peninsula, the destructive fire of grape and musketry from the enemy, and the rapidity with which regiment followed regiment, were divided, became somewhat intermingled, and it was simply a necessity to disentangle and re-form them. Not a fugitive did I observe passing from the battle-field.

The battery which had been temporarily withdrawn to the road, was again advanced to the hedge, and opened a destructive fire upon the enemy. Of my entire command, all were thus advanced except the Twenty-eighth Massachusetts, which had withdrawn, and now occupied a position on the left at the road.

The command was in excellent spirits and in a position enabling them clearly to discern the effect of our fire, and were prepared and eager to be led to the assault. The flank movement by Williams was having a very marked effect. I sent word to Brig. Gen. Benham, commanding the forces, through his staff-officer, Capt. Elwell, that my troops were in line of battle, my guns in position at the hedge, and that I was preparing to move upon the enemy's works.

At this stage of the action, Williams's troops were withdrawn, and I learned from staff-officers, who reported to Gen. Benham in person, that they were withdrawn by his orders. I still maintained my advanced position. Nor did I withdraw a regiment till, by the orders of Gen. Benham, Williams's had been entirely withdrawn, and every regiment of Wright's, except the Ninetyseventh, had passed to the rear of the road. My troops were then withdrawn in good order, and were returned to their several encampments.

I must express my profound sense of the intrepid bearing and soldierly conduct of my brigade commanders, Colonels Leasure and Fenton, who did every thing that commanders could do

to lead their respective brigades to the attack; and it is mainly due to their exertions that their lines of battle were maintained throughout the action. Col. Fenton left a sick-bed to command his brigade, and the bold, well-sustained charge of the Eighth Michigan regiment was made under his direction, as was that of the Seventy-ninth Highlanders, led by Morrison, was under the direction of Col. Leasure. All which these officers have to say in commendation of their staff, I know from personal observation to be true.

gineer company the storming party, did most excellent service, first at the advanced hedge, under circumstances of great exposure, preparing embrasures for Rockwell's battery, and afterward at the road, removing obstructions therefrom, and arranging the openings in the hedge both for infantry and artillery.

There was no opportunity for cavalry movements proper; but the orderlies furnished from Capt. Sargeant's company did most gallant service, and the remainder of his company served effectively as videttes and pickets. Two men of his company were severely wounded and two horses were killed.

To my own staff I am under the greatest obligations, and it is owing to the great harmony and concert of action between myself and brigade and regimental commanders, and their respective The firing from the batteries at the point by staffs, that exact information was had in regard company F, Third Rhode Island volunteers, Capt. to the field, and that the command was not longer Charles G. Strahan commanding, was commenced exposed, without purpose, to a destructive fire. immediately after the unsuccessful charge of our My Assistant Adjt.-Gen., Capt. Hazard Stevens, troops had been made upon the works of the enewas in all parts of the field carrying my orders my. Although having every gun but one disand bringing me information, to the great expo-abled very soon after the commencement of the sure of his life, as was Aid, Captain William T. action, the firing was conducted with great preLusk and my Acting Aid, Lieut. O. M. Dearborn, cision and regularity, nearly every shot taking Third New-Hampshire volunteers. Lieut. Lyons, effect in the fort, or in the woods in rear of my Junior Aid, led the storming column; was the work, where the large force of the enemy the first man to cross the ditch and make the were lying. The single gun was worked with as ascent of the parapet. My Division Quartermas- much rapidity as possible during the entire enter, Lieut. Jefferson Justice, One Hundredth Penn-gagement, in the course of which one sergeant sylvania volunteers, volunteered his most accept- was killed. able services at the outer pickets and served on my staff throughout the action. He communicated with me and Leasure's brigade, and I call attention to his services so conspicuous for their gallantry, and to the mention made of him in Col. Leasure's report. My Signal-Officers, Lieuts. Taffts and Howard, are worthy of honorable mention. Lieut. Taffts took his station in an advanced and exposed part of the field, kept constantly in communication with Lieut. Howard at the gunboats, and Lieut. E. H. Hickock, Seventysixth Pennsylvania at the battery, and was perfectly efficient and self-possessed under the heavy discharges of grape from the enemy. In the latter part of the action he carried my orders and aided in the formations and movements.

The staff-officers of Col. Leasure, were:
Lieut. S. G. Leasure, One Hundredth regiment
Pennsylvania volunteers, Acting Assistant-Adju-
tant General. Lieut. Jefferson Justice.

The staff-officers of Col. Fenton, were:
Lieut. S. C. Brackett, Twenty-eighth regiment
Massachusetts volunteers, Acting Assistant-Adju-
tant General.

Lieut. H. G. Belcher, Eighth Michigan, Aid-de-
Camp.

Lieut. Jas. B. Fenton, Eighth Michigan, Aidde-Camp.

Lieutenant Belcher, though early and severely wounded, continued actively on duty throughout the action, and was the last man to leave the field. Capt. A. P. Rockwell, of the Connecticut battery, deserves particular mention for his gallant bearing and skilful handling of his guns on that field. His senior Lieutenant, S. P. Porter, was remarkable for his energy, daring and persistence throughout. Capt. Sears, following with his en

The gunboats Ellen and Hall came into action at a later hour, but by their excellent range, obtained by the assistance of Signal-Officer Howard, who had been upon the Ellen for several successive days, did very great execution among the ranks of the enemy. Although the gunboats did not advance up the river as far as could have been desired, in order to give a more effective flanking fire upon the fort, still much credit is due them for the wonderful precision with which their fire was directed at such long range. The whole force which went into action was as follows:

First Brigade, Col. Fenton Comd'g.
Eighth Regiment Michigan Volunteers,....
Seventh Regiment Connecticut Volunteers,
Twenty-eighth Regiment Mass. Volunteers,

Total First Brigade,..

Two companies of the Twenty-eighth did not join their regiment. Massachusetts were on fatigue-duty, and

Second Brigade, Col. Leasure Comd'g.

Seventy-ninth Highlanders, N. Y. Vols,..
One Hundredth Regiment Pa. Vols.,..
Forty-sixth Regiment, N. Y. Vols.,..

Total Second Brigade,.
Rockwell's Artillery,.
Strahan's Artillery,..
Sears's Company of Engineers,..
Sargent's Company of Cavalry,

Total Special Arms,..
General Staff,..

Grand total,

Field

Officers.

Officers.

476

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21

509

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17

57 1,602 1,676

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Company E, volunteer Engineers, Capt. A. F. Sears, one wounded.

Total of special arms, one killed and three

The missing are unquestionably killed, and the

First Brigade,...
Second Brigade,.
Special Arms,.

Killed. W'unded. Pris'ers. Total. Ag'reOff. Men. Off. Men. Off. Men. Off. Men. gate.

4

15 224

100

8

70 35

0 1

9 114
0 8

12 179 0 0 5

20 29 314 334 10

191 4

7126

24 341 1 30

81 498 529

Total,.. Total loss, 32 officers; 497 men, or grand aggregate, 529 men.

Moreover, the Seventh Connecticut had been Company H, First Massachusetts cavalry, Capt. on very severe fatigue-duty the three previous L. M. Sargent, two wounded. nights. I desire, in this official report, to place on record my objections to these early morning attacks. They are justifiable, in my humble judgment, only under extraordinary circum-wounded. stances. The troops get necessarily but little rest the night before, and they go to the work total loss is as follows: fatigued and excited. An attack at a more advanced period of the day I consider vastly preferable. These views I presented with all possible cogency and earnestness to Gen. Benham on the evening of the fifteenth-in stating my objections to his proposed attack at daylight on the morning of the sixteenth. I must confess that the coolness and mobility of all the troops engaged on the sixteenth instant surprised me. And I cannot but believe, had proper use been made of the artillery, guns from the navy, and our own batteries, fixed and field; had the position been gradually approached and carefully examined, and the attack made much later in the day, when our batteries had had their full effect, all which, you will recollect, were strongly urged by me upon Gen. Benham, the evening of the conference, the result might have been very different. From the best information I can get, I am satisfied the force of the enemy on the Peninsula, at Secessionville and in the immediate defence of his works, was five regiments, or about three thousand effective men. It was the headquarters of his advanced forces on James Island, and was in command of a general officer.

The medical officers of the division were, and have been, unwearied in their exertions and attentions upon the wounded, both on the battlefield and in the hospital. The Medical Director of my division, Dr. George S. Kemble, is specially entitled to commendation for his good arrangements and activity.

I herewith submit the reports of brigade and regimental commanders, and of commanders of special arms. I call special attention to the mention therein of gallant conduct on the part of both officers and men. Where so much intrepidity and devotion were exhibited, I cannot do more than refer to the sub-reports, with the expression of my judgment that every case noted is

The casualties in the action of the sixteenth well deserved. were as follows:

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I am, sir, very respectfully,

Your most obedient,
ISAAC I. STEVENS,
Brigadier-General Commanding.

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Company I, Third Rhode Island volunteers, eighth Captain C. G. Strahan, one killed.

the advance was fired on by the enemy's pickets, and two at least of company H, Eighth Michigan, wounded. Silence was still preserved, no shots returned, but the four men of the enemy's pickets were captured and sent to the rear. The two advance companies were deployed into line beyond the hedge, and marched toward the enemy's works, followed by the Eighth Michigan, which came up into line on the march. Advancing with this regiment, as they formed into line in open field, in view of the enemy's works, and observing as well as practicable his position, I deemed it desirable to gain ground to the right, for the purpose of flanking his left in the assaults, and advancing the other regiments into position for effective fire on his infantry, supporting their works, and ordered an oblique march, which was executed promptly and in good order. I then despatched Lieut. Belcher, Acting Aid, to bring up the Seventh Connecticut, to form on the left | of the Eighth Michigan, and Lieut. Brackett, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, to bring up the Twenty-eighth Massachusetts to the support of the two former, taking my position in the front and centre, to receive and direct the other regiments as they advanced.

tion of names, to the report of Lieut.-Col. Hawley Commanding.

The Twenty-eighth Massachusetts volunteers filed through the first hedge, and came rapidly up, after the advance of artillery which preceded them, forming column of companies and then coming into line, and, arriving near the Seventh Connecticut, filed up to the left by the flank. For a short time the left of the two regiments were clustered together in the bushes, but the march of the Seventh Connecticut cleared them. The Twenty-eighth then filed up to the obstructions, a short distance from the enemy's intrenchments, near the tower, opening fire upon them. Lieut.-Col. Moore's report embraces further particulars of the action of this regiment, to which I respectfully refer. All the regiments behaved well, subjected as they were to the most galling and raking fire until they retired.

The storm of grape and canister, as well as musketry, continuing, and many of our officers and men being disabled, orders were received to withdraw the troops. My command was then withdrawn and re-formed behind the main hedge, from which an advance was again made to the I cover of a ditch or second hedge, in support of a The order not to fire but use the bayonet, was field-battery, which was pushed forward. In the obeyed, and the advance companies reached the woods on our right, near the angle of the Fort, parapet of the works, at the angle on our right, were posted some of the enemy's sharp-shooters. and in front, engaging the enemy at the point of They were also in rifle-pits, and under cover in the bayonet. They were closely followed by the the rear as well as in the house, which was filled remaining companies of the regiment. During with them. From these and other covers in and our advance, the enemy opened upon our lines about the fort, and on its right, a constant fire of an exceedingly destructive fire of grape, canister musketry was kept up by the enemy, who were and musketry, and yet the regiment pushed on in considerable force. The Second brigade of as veterans, divided only to the right and left by the Second division was promptly pushed forward a sweeping torrent from the enemy's main gun in to our support, and from all accessible points the front. This brought a portion of the regiment to enemy were vigorously replied to. I have no the left, near the tower or look-out, and a brisk doubt they suffered a severe loss of killed and fire of musketry was soon opened on both sides. wounded. From the enemy's floating-battery or The enemy's fire proved so galling and destruc-hulk, to our right and front, at least four shots tive, that our troops on the parapet were obliged were fired. When the order to retire was given, to retire under its cover, and that of the ditch I sent Lieut. Fenton, Acting Aid, to our extreme and slope on our right at the marsh, and slope right and front, to recall the men there. At this and trees on our left. They maintained their po- time he found them near the angle of the Fort, sition partially covered, doing good execution as and directed them to fall back, which was done by sharp-shooters. Further details, and honorable most of the troops, but after the regiments were mention of gallant officers, will be found in Lieut.- re-forming behind the hedge, one hundred or more Col. Graves' report. of the Eighth Michigan still remained at the angle, and were recalled by Lieut. Belcher, who rode over the field to bring in all who were able to move. The field of battle was furrowed across with cotton ridges, and many of the men lay there loading and firing as deliberately as though on their hunting-grounds at home. All the horses connected with my command were either killed or wounded, and all my aids and orderlies hit in some way. During the engagement the Eighth Michigan's colors were carried on to the parapet, and after the men first withdrew were unfurled to protect them from shots of friends in the rear.

The Seventh Connecticut volunteers, Lieut.Col. Hawley, formed into line as they advanced, reaching a point in the open field, in front of the tower, with their left resting in the bushes skirting the marsh, when I ordered their march by the right flank across the field, and up to the support of the troops on the right. I personally directed the movement, which was executed in good order under a continued shower of grape and canister, as well as musketry, on nearing the work.

In the mean time, one section of the Connecticut battery had opened on the enemy from our left, and the march of this regiment at first was between two fires. I refer for further particulars of the action of this regiment, and honorable men

While the fire was hottest, and during the day's action, through the efficient attention of Surgeon Francis Bacon, and Assistant Horace

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