S. G. French to Brigadier- General, August 21, 1862

Petersburg, Va., August 21, 1862.

GENERAL:

Numerous causes have prevented my sending you a report ere this of an attack on the shipping and camp of General Mepoe by the expedition under my command on the night of July 31 ast.

On the morning of July 29 you directed me to have ‘the brigades commanded by Colonels Manning and Daniel ready to move the following night, but when I had an interview that evening at 10 p. m. you directed me to have them move at 7 o’clock the next morning together with six batteries of field artillery. All started at the hour named, and, according to instructions, halted at a saw-mill some 7 miles distant, on the road to Coggins Point. I left Petersburg at 10 a. m., aud on arriving at the mill found you, in company with General W. N. Pendleton, of the artillery, who had marched there under your orders, in command of thirty-two field guns and four siege pieces.

*Remainder of report relates to events in Northern Virginia, &c.,sub August 13, 1862, and will be found in Series I, Vol. XII. sila Rares

Although you had on the day previous shown me General Lee’s letter, suggesting that I would have charge of the expedition, it was there for the first made known to me that you designed the attack to be made at night, and showed me some sketches of Coggins Point, a sort of peninsula, around which the James River sweeps, diminishing its width to about 1,000 yards, and directly opposite to which is Harrison’s Landing. Beyond this landing were large encampments of the rey his shipping extending above and below for a distance of 2 miles. * .

No time could be lost; so, in company with General Pendleton and some of his field officers, I proceeded to examine the ground and select positions for the guns and observe the enemy. This reconnaissance occupied us until about 9 o’clock, and caused a delay in the advance of the artillery. On our return we met the advance guns and ordered them to be halted, and at the suggestion of General Pendleton I determined to report to you that an attack could not be made that night, chiefly because the night was far advanced, the darkness intense, and that many of the officers who would command batteries had not examined the ground, the roads, nor the shipping they designed to fire on, and many pieces of artillery were far in the rear,

I found you at the Merchant’s Hope Church, where you had posted the two brigades of infantry. In company with General Pendleton I explained to you the necessity of delaying the attack. You expressed apprehensions of a failure if not made at once, believing our position and forces would be discovered by the enemy on the morrow, and then, announcing that the expedition was under my command, informed me you would return to Petersburg.

The balance of the night was mostly passed in placing the different batteries in the shelter of the woods to prevent them being seen by reconnaissances from the balloons of the enemy. Thus it was 4 a. m. before the men or horses got any rest.

The better to secure success I found it necessary to order the particular part that each command was to perform, and directed that the officers of artillery who were to command guns should be sent to pass over the intricate roads, the difficult grounds, and examine the sites selected for the batteries, and erect stakes to direct the fire of their guns at night according to the position of the enemy. The ground not admnitting the advantageous use of all the guns, some seventy in number, it was deemed best to leave the lighter ones behind.

All being in readiness, and finding the enemy had not discovered us from their reconnaissance in their balloon, at 4 p. m. Colonel Brown proceeded to Maycox’s farm, opposite Westover, with twelve guns; Colonel Coleman followed to Coggins Point with eight 12-pounder howitzers; Major Nelson, with eight guns, to a position on his left, higher up the bank of the river; Colonel Cutts, with eleven long-range guns, still above Major Nelson, and Captains Dabney and Milledge were, each with two siege guns, to take position one-fourth of a mile below the dwelling of Mr. Ruffin, making forty-three guns in all.

As night approached thousands of lights from the shipping and their tents disclosed the objects for attack. The guns were silently conducted over the difficult grounds and winding: roads, and before 12 [o’clock]} all the guns were in position (except two siege guns, under charge of Captain Milledge) awaiting action. Silence as profound as the darkness of the night reigned in the enemy’s camps. Ata signal the thunder of over forty guns startled them from their midnight slumbers. From the screams, scenes of wild confusion must have followed, as sail942 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. (Cuap. XXII.

ors rushed on the decks of their vessels and soldiers fled from their tents in midnight darkness amid bursting shells falling fast around them. The gunboats soon returned the fire, and in about fifteen or twenty minutes a rapid fire was opened on us from their land batteries, but without any damage, many of the shots passing over the whole length of the point or peninsula. The red glare of the fire of so many guns and exploding shells on such a night is seldom witnessed. ‘Gradually the firing on our point ceased and the guns were withdrawn under a heavy fire. The rain, the difficulty of seeing the roads at all, and the exposed position of the peninsula induced us to leave the caissons behind with the baggage wagons, and thus the number of rounds to be fired was limited ; over a thousand were fired on our part.

What damage we inflicted on their vessels and their camps probably will never be made known; but considering that many of the guns were within from 1,000 yards to a mile of the transports, and that behind them was one vast encampment, it could not have been otherwise than destructive. Subsequent information from deserters and prisoners and friends place the men killed at over 40, and of their horses a greater number. Many transport steamers appeared in Norfolk greatly damaged shortly after the attack.

Our loss from the enemy was 1 man killed and 2 wounded. Three men were wounded by the careless and premature discharge of one of our guns and 2 men slightly injured by the overturning of a gun in the road.

I am indebted to General Pendleton and the officers under him for the careful and successful execution of the parts assigned them. Colonels Manning’s and Daniel’s brigades, and Major Ross, of the Second Georgia Battalion, at Ruffin’s house, protected the whole of the attack. General Ransom’s brigade guarded the City Point road 7 miles from Petersburg. ‘

Maj. A. Anderson, Lieut. C. D. Myers, Capt. J. A. Baker, Lieutenant Shingleur, Captain Overton, and Lieutenant Storrs, members of my staff, rendered valuable services.

Of the command exposed to fire all behaved well except some privates belonging to the siege pieces.

I inclose the report of General Pendleton.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brigadier- General.

General D. H. HI11, ,

, Commanding Department of North Carolina.

SPECIAL ORDERS.] HEADQUARTERS, July 31, 1862.

I. General D. H. Hill having been called to Petersburg, the undersigned is placed by the general in command of this expedition.

il. All the artillery is placed under the command of General Pendleton. He will place it in the positions selected as soon after dark as

possible, and he will have it done with great silence, cautioning all