The new South. (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, February 07, 1863, Image 1
' Toll, No.24. MRTMY ? 7, 1863. (kM M
THE NEW SOUTH. 1
Published every Saturday Morning bv,
JOS. S. SEARS, Proprietor.
Prick: Fivf Ckxts Pkr Copy.
Adrertisunienta, fifty ceut&.*.ttue, each insertion.
Trims: invariably rash.
OFFICE: Post Office Building, Union Square.
THE EXPEDITION* TO ST. MARY'S lUYti't.
OFyiCI.lt REPORT OF CGt. UIUCINSOX.
On Board Steamer Ben Defgrd, \ '
prima?# 11, lstta. j ;
? i . n. It. SAATO.Y, Mili'ar# G'trermr, Jr.
GeneralI have the honor to report the safe
return of the expedition under tny command, consisting
of four hundred and sixty-tivo officers and
men of the first reginicut South Carolina Volun- j
teers, who left Beaufort on January 2dd, on board
the steamers John Jdams, Planter and Ben De/ord.;
- i :~j *u? : ??l d.,?
1 ne expedition uas carrieu vuu ivgiiuvuiai nag,
and the President's Proclamation far hto the into.
ior of Georgia and Florida. The men have
been repeatedly under fire, have had infantry, cav.
airy, and even artillery arrayed against them, and
have in every instance come off not only with unblemished
honor but with undisputed triumph.
At Township, Florida, a detachment of the expedition
fought a cavalry company, which met us
unexpectedly on a midnight march through pine
* woods, and which completely surrouuded us. They
were beaten off* with a loss on our side of one mau
killed and seven wounded, while the opposing par.
iy admits twelve men killed, ^including Lieut.
Jones, iu command of the Company,) besides many
wounded. So complete was our victory that the
enemy scattered ard hid in the woods all night
not returning to his camp, which was dvc miles
distant, until noon the next day, a (act which was
unfortunately unknown until too late to tollowupour
advantage. Had 1 listened to the urgent appeals o:
iny men a. d pursued the flying enemy, we could
have destroyed his camp; but in view of the dark,
ness, his uncertain numbers and swifter motions,
with your injunctions of caution, I judged it better
to rest satisfied with the victory already gained.
On another occasion a detachment of about two
hundred and fifty men on board the John Adams
fought its way forty miles up and down a river re
garded by the naval commanders as the most dangerous
in the department?the St. Mary's?a river J
left untraversed by the gunboats for many months
as it requires a boat built like the John .idami
to ascend it successfully. The stream is narrow,
swift and winding, and bordered at many places
with high blufls, whieh blazed with ride shots.
With our glasses, as we approached these points,
we could see mounted men by the hundred, galloping
through tbe woods from point to point to
await us; and though fearful of our shot and shell,
they were so daring against musketry that one
rebel actually sprang from the shore upon the large
boat which was towed at our stern, where he was
hot down bv one of mv sergeant*. We could
Mic our shell scatter the rebels as they fell among
them, and some terrible execution must have been
done; but not a man of this regiment was killed or
wounded, though the steamer is covered with bullet
marks, one of which shows where our brave
Captain Clifton, commander of the vessel, fell dead
beside his own pilot house, shot through the brain
k \ -? * 1
Ife-.
by a minie ball. Major Strong, who stood beside i
him, escaped as if by nijtgic, both of them being 1
unnecessarily exposed without my knowledge.11
The secret of our safety was in keeping the rcgi- I
ment below, except the gunners; but this required e
the utmost energy of the officers, as the men were e
wild to come on deck, and even implored to be 1
landed on shore and charge on the enemy. a
V/.hi.,lv L-nows .an.vthine about these men who s
has not soon tlieih in battle. I find that I myself .
knew nothing. There is a fiery energy about them 1
beyond anything of which I have ever read, unless '
it be the French Zouaves. It requires the strictest 1
discipline to hold them in hand. During our first 1
attack on the river, before I got them all formed ^
below, they crowded at the open ends of the steam- 5
er, loading and firing with inconceivable rapidity, '
and shouting to each othejr "never give it tip!"
When called into the hold^Hhey actually fought '
each other for places at the few port holes from 1
which they could fire on the enemy. Meanwhile 1
the black gunners, admirably trained by Lieuten- J
ants Stockdale aud O'Ncil (both being accomplish. 1
ed artillerists) and Mr. Heron of the gunboat, did
their duty without the slightest protection and
with great coolness, amid a storm of shot.
? - A J
Tills river cxpcamon was noi unucriaKen in i
| mere bravado. Cspt. Sears, U. S. A., the con-1
structor of Forfrliuch, lad urged upon the War
Department to endeavor to obtain a large supply
| of valuable bricks, said to remain at tbe brickyards,
thirty miles up the St. Alary s, from which
; Fort cliuch was originally supplied. The War
Department had referred the matter to Col. Hawley,!
who appro veil my offer to undertake the enterprise.
Apart from this it was the desire of Lieutenant
Hughes, U. S. N., commanding the l\ S. steamer
Molnu-k, now lying at Feruandina, to obtaiu information
regarding a rebel steamer, the Boroau, said
to be lying .Mill farther up the river, awaiting an
opportunity to run the blockade. Doth objects .
were accomplished. 1 brought away all the bricks
and ascertained the Burosu to be worthless.
I have the honor to state that i nave on noara
the Ben Deford. '*!>0 tons of the best new railroad
; iron, valued at $5,000 and much needed fh this
department. This was obtained on St Simon's
and Jekyl Islands, Georgia, from abandoned rebel
forts, a portion of it having been previously blown
up and collected by Captain Steedman of the Paul
Jones. 1 have also eight large sticks of valuable
yellow-pine lumber, said to be worth $700, which
came from St. Mary's, Georgia. There is also a
quantity of rice, resin, cordage, oars, and other
.small matters, suitauie ior army purpu>v?. wu
board the John .idams there is a (lock of sheep
from Woodstock. Florida. I have turned over to
J Captaiu Sears about d0,(X)0 large-sized bricks, valued
at about u thousand dollars, iu view of the
preseufhigh freights. 1 have also turned over to
Judge Latta, civil Provost Marshal at Fernaadina,
four horses, four steers, and a quantity of agricul;
tural implements suitable for Mr. Helper's operations
at that location.
! 1 have seen with my own eyes, ami left behind I
i for want of transportation (and oecause oricK was
even more valuable) enough of the choicest South- (
ern lumber to load five steamers like the Ben Deford?an
amount estimated at more than a million
feet, and probably worth at Hilton Head, $50,000.
I alao left behind, from choice, valuable furniture
by the houseful?pianos, china, ke.., all packed up j
'or transportation tb It -was sent lirian<hfi>rsafe "" *^5
cceping. Not only were roy officers and men for>idden
to take any of these things for private use, ' .
>ut nothing was taken for public use save articles
itrictly contraband of war. No wanton deitnntion
was remitted, nor were any buildings
Mimed, unless in retaliation for being fired upon,
iccording to the usages of war. Of course no perlonal
outrage was permitted or desired.
At Woodstock I took six male prisoners, whom
[ brought down the river as hostages, intending to
and part of them before reaching Fernaudina and
eleasc theni on parole. Hut in view of the furious
ittacks made upon us from the banks, this would
lave seemed an absurd stretch of magnanimity,
ind by the advice of Col. Hawley, I have brought
them for your disposal.
At the same place we obtained a cannon and a
flag, which I respectfully ask permission for the
regiment to retain. Wo obtained also some
trophies of a different description, from a slave
jail, whieh I shall offer for your personal accept
ance: three sets of stocks of different structure,
the chains and staples used for confining prisoners
to the floor, and tl^ key of the building. They
furnish good illustrations of the infernal barbarism
against which we contend. *
We return at the appointed time, although there
are many other objects which I wish to effect, and
our rations are not near exhausted. But the
Ben Deford is crowded with freight, and the am.
munition of the John Jdams is running low. Capt.
Hallet, of the Ben Deford, has been devoted to our
interest, as was also, until his lamented death, the
brave Captain Clifton.
Of the Planter I have hitherto said nothing, as
her worn-out machinery would have made her
perfectly valueless but for the laborious efforts of
Captain Kldridge, and her engineer, Mr. Laker, aided
by the unconquerable energy ot Capt. Trowbridge,
of Company A, who had tin; command on
boardl Thanks to this they were enabled during
our absence up mo si. .Marys iu j<uv uucuuuu i?
the salt-works along the coast. 1 hiding that the
works at King's Kay, formerly destroyed by this
regiment, had never been rebuilt, lit -y proceeded
five miles up Crooked River, where salt works were
seen. Capt. Trowbridge, with l apt. Rogers, of
Co. F. and thirty men, then marched two miles
across a marsh, drawing u boat with them, and
destroyed the works. There were twenty-two
large boilers, two storehouses, a large quantity of
salt, two canoes, with barrels, vats and all things
appertaining.
I tlosire to make honorable mention not only ot'
the above officers, but of Major Strong, Captains
James (Co. Bi, Randolph (Co. C?. Metealf (Co. (*),
and Dolly ,Co. II). Indeed, every officer did him
self credit, so tar as he had opportunity, while the
checlfulness and enthusiasm of the men uiade it a
pleasure to command them.
We found no large number of slaves anywhere,
yet we brought away several whole families ami
obtained by their means the most reliable information.
1 was interested to observe that the news of
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the rrcsiaem s rruciHuittuuu piuuu^vu ?? iuwmvi?
effect upon theni, ami in one case it was ot the
greatest service to us in securing the hearty aid of
a guide who was timid ami distrustful until he
heard he was legally free, after which he aided us
gladly and came away with us.
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