Isaac I. Stevens to L. H. Pelouze, January 3, 1862

Beaufort, 8. 0., January 3, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report, for the information of the commanding general, the complete success of the joint expedition of which the land forces were placed under my command, and the return of the several regiments to their respective encampments. The object of the joint expedition was to seize and destroy the enemy’s batteries on the main opposite Port Royal Island, bring away the guns and other property, but not to engage the enemy except in the accomplishment of this object, and not to advance into the interior.

To effect it Commodore DuPont furnished five gunboats, under the command of Capt. 0. R. P. Rodgers, U. S. Navy, to operate with the land forces, which consisted of my own brigade and the Forty-seventh and Forty-eight New York Regimen’s of General Viele’s brigade. The plan was for three of the gunboats to operate from Coosaw River and two from Broad River, both entering the Port Royal ehannel, and moving the former towards the ferry and the.latter towards Seabrook. A force was at early dawn to effect à landing at some convenient point on the right, move rapidly towards the fort, whilst simultaneously should operate from the ferry and from Seabrook. ,

On the 31st instant, leaving two companies of the Roundhead [Ono hundredth Pennsylvania] Regiment as a guard for the town and depot of Beaufort, and one company at the cross-roads, 3 miles from this place, to relieve the two companies of the Fiftieth Pennsylvania Volunteers there on duty, I advanced the remaining eight companies of the Roundhead Regiment to the advanced posts on the island. I withdrew, at the same time, seven companies of the Seventy-ninth New fork (Highlanders) from these advanced posts for the operation on our right. At Seabrook two companies of the Highlanders and two companies of the Roundheads, under Captain Elliott, of the Highlanders, were to cross the river, land on the main, destroy the enemy’s works, and bring away his guns and other property. At the ferry one company of Highlanders and four companies of the Roundheads were to observe the enemy and cross over should circumstances favor it. At the point running down from the ferry opposite to the Brick-yard Ransom’s two guns of Hamilton’s battery were placed to cover the advance of the land party and to act according to circumstances. The entire remaining force, consisting of seven companies of Highlanders, Major Morrison; the Eighth Michigan, Colonel Fenton; Fiftieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Ohrist; the Forty-seventh New York, Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser, and the Forty-eighth New York, Colonel Perry, were destined to form the land party, to operate against the enemy’s left.

Ever since my occupation of this island I had taken great pains to collect every boat and flat that could be found, and in consequence had already at Seabrook and the ferry transportation enough to cross the two bodies of troops in position there. These boats I caused to be prepared for their work. I sent up all the boats and flats I had at Beaufort and could find at other points on the nights of the 30th-31st, to a secure and good landing on the creek which flows into the Coosaw at the Brickyard and well up the creek, so as to be screened from the observation of the enemy, and from this point I designed by one embarkation to cross to the main that portion of the party which belonged to my own brigade.

At 12 m. of the 31st Captain Rodgers, in command of the naval portion of the expedition, arrived with the Ottawa and the Pembina, and towards night was joined by the Hale, the force destined to operate from the Ooosaw, and we arranged the details of the joint operation, and especially agreed upon the signals which would enable us to act in concert in engaging the enemy. About dark Colonel Perry, Forty-eighth New York, and Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser, Forty-seventh New York, arrived from Hilton Head. They were ordered to follow the gunboats, effect a landing at the Adams house, and act in co-operation with the party which were to cross the river in flat-boats.

It was expected that the landing from the flat-boats would have been made at daylight, and that the gunboats, creeping up the Port Royal channel at night-fall of the 31st to within a short distance of the Brickyard, and passing through that channel at daylight, would appear in the Coosaw shortly afterwards, and thus aid in the advance of the land forces. These forces were, in crossing the river, to be accompanied by four launches, under the personal command of Oaptain Rodgers, each launch having a 12-pounder gun, and when the landing was effected they were to move towards the ferry pari passu with the advance of the land forces. This plan was in substantial points carried out. Four companies, however, of the Fiftieth Pennsylvania, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Brenholts, were moved directly from the town of Beaufort by means of flats collected in that vicinity on the 31st, and the flats collected in the Brick-yard Creek were found insufficient to embark the six companies of the Fiftieth Pennsylvania, which had therefore to wait till the boats were sent back.

In the night of the 31st and 1st I visited. all the troops and positions on the island, and at 3.30 o’clock was with all the troops at the place of embarkation, which I superintended in person. At the first break of day we were under way, viz: seven companies of Highlanders, four companies of the Fiftieth Pennsylvania, and the entire Michigan regiment. This side of the Brick-yard met Captain Rodgers and his four launches, and immediately pushed for the opposite shore. Meanwhile the gunboat Ottawa had made her appearance. I landed at about 8 o’clock at a good landing place below the cotton-gin and some 3 miles below the Adams house, and immediately sent back boats to take off Colonel Christ)s command, with orders to land them at the Adams house. I found also that the Eighth Michigan was still waiting in the creek, having misunderstood my orders. I sent word to them to push at once to the Adams house, and turned off in the same direction all the flats which had not come up, and with five companies of the Highlanders, and the four companies of the Fiftieth Pennsylvania, consisting of about 500 men, and with two howitzers from the boats under the command of Lieutenant Irwin, U. S. Navy, I commenced my march. We moved rapidly and in good order, employing the Highlanders as skirmishers and the howitzers to drive off small parties of the enemy. We observed them at several points, but without noticing the few shots they fired at us we pushed to the Adams house, where we arrived after a very fatiguing march at about 11 o’clock.

It was some two and a half hours before I was able to resume the movement with the remaining forces. At 1.30 o’clock I formed my order of march, and avoiding the main road, but pushing across the open field, I marched for the fort. The Highlanders were in advance, preceded by two companies thrown out as skirmishers. The two howitzers of the Navy followed. The support were the regiments of Colonel Christ and Colonel Fenton, and the Forty-seventh and the Forty-eighth New York constituted the reserve, under Colonel Perry. Now the signals came most beautifully and effectively into use. All the commands bore the flag which had been agreed upon, viz, a ground of white and blue. The signal officer, Lieutenant Tafft, was with the skirmishers, communicating constantly with his colleague, Lieutenant Cogswell, on board the Ottawa. The concert of action thus established was absolutely perfect. The skirmishers marched steadily on, followed at proper intervals by the entire command, moving in column of companies or , divisions or by flank, according to the ground. The shells from the gunboats tore through the woods just in advance of the skirmishers. They had well passed the position taken by the enemy in the woods when he opened his battery upon our columns. I got my command into the position I desired before the troops ascertained that it was not the fire of the boats but the fire of an enemy. It was exceedingly well adapted to the ground and favored my getting information by means of skirmishers. Nor was it possible for the enemy, although in large force, to make a flank movement against me without my being able in

4 E R——VOL VI season to make my dispositions to repel it. The two regiments, the Forty-seventh and Forty-eighth New York, were formed in line on the right, and about at right angles to the remainder of the line. The Eighth Michigan and Fiftieth Pennsylvania were formed in line in the center, and the Highlanders in column of companies, with their skirmishers in position, constituted the left. ana :

Inow ordered Colonel Fenton to send forward skirmishers from his regiment, the Eighth Michigan, to feel the enemy, and, if cireumstances favored, to seize the battery. He first sent three companies to the front and left, under Lieutenant-Colonel Graves, and soon four companies to the front and right, under Major Watson, the flanks resting under cover of the woods, which extended to our right and ran down quite closely to our left. These companies advanced in most admirable order, pushed forward rapidly, plunged under a heavy fire of musketry into the woods at a double-quick, and engaged the enemy. The firing showed that he was in large force. I at once ordered Colonel Perry to push skirmishers from his right along the skirt of woods, and Colonel Christ, with one wing of his regiment, to move well to the front and left in column of companies and push skirmishers to the rear of the enemy’s position. My object in these several dispositions was to ascertain the force of the enemy, the particular character for the passage of troops of the wooded country in which the enemy lay concealed, and to carry out the plan which I had formed of interposing the bulk of my force between him and his battery, and thus compel the latter to surrender.

These orders were obeyed with great alacrity and without a moments delay. Both bodies moved forward and engaged the enemy. Colonel Christ’s movement was very opportune. It drove back the skirmishers on our left, and enabled the skirmishers of Fenton and Perry to fall back and give information of the condition of the field; for, be it remembered, our men had gained positions from which they could not be dislodged, and rendered certain the feasibility of my plan of attack. Indeed, the cheers at this moment from all portions of our line showed that our troops looked upon the day as theirs. The progress of our troops had been observed from the mast-heads of the gunboats, who threw shells over their heads into the ranks of the enemy. At this moment I received word that the skirmishers of the Highlanders, never once halting, had pushed on and entered the fort almost simultaneously with the force from the front under Colonel Leasure. The enemy’s fire had ceased for some fifteen minutes, and I gave orders for moving the whole command into the fort, where we arrived at about 4.30 o’clock. Here I met both Colonel Leasure, who was placed by me in command of the front and of the special movement from the ferry, and Captain Elliott, who commanded the crossing party at Seabrook, and learned of the complete success of the latter. The gunboats, the Seneca, Captain Ammen, and the Ellen, Captain Budd, entered Whale Branch, as originally intended, and opened fire upon the battery opposite Seabrook. Captain Elliott erossed with his party and found a battery ready for guns, but no guns in position, and after destroying the works returned to Seabrook.

Captain Rodgers most kindly sent on shore a 12-pounder howitzer gun, under the command of Lieut. J. H. Upshur, and kept there one of the howitzers which had accompanied our march by land under Acting Master Louis Kempff. One of the wheels of the other howitzer had been broken a short time before reaching the fort. Night signals were also specially arranged to communicate with the gunboats.

Just before dark Lieutenant Lyons came in from the pickets, bringing word that he had met a flag of truce, and that the officer bearing it asked for permission to take off their dead. The gunboats were about firing a few shells into the woods where the skirmishers of the enemy had been observed. The firing was immediately Stopped, and I sent Lieutenant Lyons back twice, granting a truce of one hour for that purpose, but he did not on either occasion find the flag. The gunboats were now brought into position on either side of the ferry and placed suitably to cover our operations, and I at once proceeded to make the proper dispositions for the night, established a strong picket force, with the entire Roundhead regiment as a reserve, and had the ferry properly prepared for the return of the troops.

My post and brigade quartermaster, Capt. William Lilley, in this business was most efficient, for he, entirely in the night, absolutely restored the old ferry, ropes, windlass, and all, and with the assistance of two of my staff, Lieutenant Cottrell, Eighth Michigan, and Lieutenant Lyons, Fiftieth Pennsylvania, made arrangements for the most rapid and most orderly recrossing of the troops. The use of the ferry was required early in the morning for the passage of wagons and the 12pounder and its carriage, which was the only one piece of ordnance found in the fort.

About 9 o’clock the work of crossing the troops commenced. The passage-way is about 550 feet wide. The whole force of 3,000 men, with their horses, was over at 12 o’elock. It was not less orderly than rapid. The enemy was in considerable force in the woods back of our position, watching our movements. The shell from the gunboats kept him very quiet At12o’clock I myself crossed with the last of the forces, having caused the buildings in the vicinity of the fort to be burned and the fort to be leveled sufficiently for all practical purposes.

I cannot close this report without congratulating the commanding general and the country on the good conduct of the troops under my command, none of whom, except the Highlanders, had ever been under fire before, and on the perfect success of the expedition, placed by him, so far as regards the land forces, in my hands. Looking to the marches by land and the movements by water, looking to the very considerable combination involved in the final concentration of troops, it is a little remarkable that every departure in detail from the original plan, and indeed every accident, seemed only to further it. We effected in flat-boats, manned by negroes alone and without the aid of a single employé, a landing on the enemy’s shore, having to cross in our boats a space of 3 miles. We moved to our point not along the main road, but across the fields and along paths shown us by negroes picked up upon the shore. We engaged the enemy on our own and not on his field. We gave him fair challenge of battle. Every regiment of my command was, through its skirmishers, brought into contact with him. He kept under cover, fell back from his position, and yielded the field to us. Our troops have confidence in themselves and faith in the bayonet.

This, in brief, is the history of the expedition and its morale, to be ‘ shown, I trust, more signally on future fields. Moreover, this is the first occasion the system of signals invented by Major Myer has been tested in actual battle. I claim for the signal officers of my staff—Lieutenant Tafft and Lieutenant Cogswell—the merit of showing the code to be a perfect success, and myself the good fortune of commanding on the occasion.

Says Lieutenant Cogswell, who was on board the Ottawa:

Permit me, before closing, to call your attention to the able and efficient manner in which Lieutenant Tafft managed the signals on shore. During the whole march from

Adams Landing to the ferry he so managed it that only for a few minutes was he se situated that Hs could not instantly open communication, though in order to accomplish this he was frequently exposed to the direct fire of the enemy.

] must also express my warm acknowledgments and high appreciation of theservicesof the Navy. Captain Rodgers on all occasions responded to my requests. The working of the gunboats in the narrow channel of Port Royaland thehandling of the guns was most masterly and most beautiful. The signaling was perfect throughout. The whole operation reflects the highest credit upon the Navy and upon the officers and men specially engaged in it. Irepeat, my whole command, as well as myself, will mark with a white stone the day of this fraternal and patriotic cooperation. In saying that the troops under my command behaved with great coolness and constancy, I only say what every man observed. I will not particularize, except-to say that the skirmishers of the Highlanders first met the enemy, and those of the Highth Michigan came into the severest contact with him. This regiment has been and still is a great sufferer from sickness, but it showed that loyal steel from the frozen North has fire and power against the enemies of our country.

I must return my acknowledgments to the several members of my staff, to my assistant adjutant-general, Capt. Hazard Stevens, who is referred to in the highest terms in the accompanying reports; to Lieutenant Porter, Eighth Michigan Regiment, who, by means of the negroes, guided my force all the way from the first landing to the ferry (in this he was assisted by Lieutenant Taylor, Roundhead Regiment); to Lieutenant Lyons, Fiftieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, who organized the transportation on flat-boats, in which duty Lieutenant Cottrell, Eighth Michigan, rendered service; to Captain Fuller, assistant quartermaster, for valuable aid in his department and on my staff; and to Lieutenant Holbrook, who volunteered and served most aeceptably as aide throughout. Dr. Kemble, the brigade surgeon, was very efficient. He examined in person, under fire, the ground occupied by our skirmishers, and personally superintended the bringing off of our wounded men. I am under very special obligations to my post and brigade quartermaster, dition and efficient in furthering it. He furnished the crews of negroes for the flats and removed the 12-pounder gun and carriage to Beaufort. At midnight he remounted it, took it across the ferry early in the morning, and brought it into Beaufort before night, taking along with him a wagon load of three-inch plank, and making eight bridges on the road. The large ferry-boat itself, with all its appurtenances, is now safely laid away at Beaufort in his charge, for use on future occasions.

The loss of my brigade is one killed, one missing, and nine wounded, as per surgeon’s report, herewith appended;* in addition to which 3 men were slightly wounded of the Forty-eighth Regiment. Among the wounded is Major Watson, of the Eighth Michigan Regiment, a most excellent officer, and who gallantly commanded in the late affair. The enemy’s loss must have been very considerable from our skirmishers alone, and still heavier from the shell practice of the Navy. We buried 3 of their men and have 1 of their wounded men in our hands.

A reconnoitering party I sent out to-day landed at the Adams house, examined the battle-field, and went tothe ferry. They found and buried 1 of our missing men, known to have been wounded, and the only one

killed, and encountered but one small scouting party of 6 mounted men of the enemy.

* Embodied in No. 14.

The negroes all report that there are no troops this side of Garden’s Corner. This party consisted of 20 men of the Eighth Michigan, under the command of Captain Ely.

From the observations made from the mast-heads of the gunboats and those made on the field, I estimate the force of the enemy at about 3,000 men, and from information obtained to-day they had 2,000 more within two hours’ march. The force which I moved from the Adams house was about 2,500 men, which, with the command of Leasure and of Elliott, made my whole force 3,000 men.

I append the sub-reports; and, in conclusion, I hope the general commanding may be gratified with our celebration of New Year’s Day.

very respectfully, your most obedient,