E. D. C. Anderson to W. F. Nancg, July 24, 1863

Capt. W. F. Nancg, Assistant Adjutant-General:

Captain: In compliance with your instructions, we proceeded, at half past 9 this morning, in the steamer Alice, under flag of truce, to the enemy’s vessels off the harbor, for the purpose of delivering up, under parole, the wounded officers and men captured in the recent assaults upon Morris Island. The firing of the enemy cope.

tinued up to the time of our immediate approach to the iron-clad steamer bearing the flag of Admiral Dahigren, when we were hailed and directed to heave-to until further instructions from General Gillmore.

It may be proper to add, that before we came up with the squadron a rifle shell was thrown directly over the Alice, dropping on the port, quarter of the vessel, some distance off. The wounded men were taken off by the transport steamer Cosmopolitan, and the rolls signed mutually by the representatives of the respective parties. We delivered over to the enemy 104 wounded, 1 having died on the passage, and received in return, of our wounded, 40 non-commissioned officers and privates, and 5 surgeons and assistant surgeons not included in the parole.

After the signature of the papers, we were informed that one of the prisoners, Private Francis Ford, First South Carolina Artillery, was not in condition to be removed. Subsequent inquiry proved this statement to be incorrect, and we learned from the officers on board that Ford had declined being returned to his countrymen, prefering to remain with the enemy. A protest upon his being permitted to remain, after having been enrolled in the list as one of those who were to be delivered up, resulted in the prevarication of Colonel Hall, of the United States service, acting as provost-marshal on the occasion, and the conviction of his prevarication by the surgeon in charge of the Federal wounded that Ford was not debarred by the severity of his wounds from being conveyed on board the going contains, in substance, the summary-of the transfer, &c. We were informed that 54 of the First South Carolina Artillery had taken the oath of allegiance to the United States Government. An effort was made to bring under discussion the prisoners of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Regiment, but, in compliance with instructions, all information or conversation upon these troops was declined.

Respectfully submitted.