When Gen. Hunter arrived from the North he ordered an immediate evacuation of the island. The command moved at midnight across the island to Battery Point, where we leveled to the ground two of the enemies’ batteries which they had evacuated for a season, destroyed by fire a long bridge that spanned a river, and then embarked. The Sixth and Seventh Conn. went back to Edisto Island with Gen.
Wright, while the remaining forces were sent to other stations. Our stay on Edisto was a brief one of only two weeks duration, when we were called to Port Royal. After reporting at the latter place we were sent up to Beaufort. This little seaport town was once the summer resort for the chivalry. It contained some very pretty houses, two medium-sized hotels, several churches and an arsenal; but how desolate in appearance now,—not a white inhabitant of the town remained to greet us; all had fled. The negro population welcomed the advance of the Union troops and gladly hailed the appearance of their deliverers. Brig. Gen. Brannon commanded the post here. We encamped in a fine grove of live oak trees that skirted the banks of the river and considered ourselves fortunate in getting such a pleasant place for our camp. The greater part of the summer months were inactive in this command. The forces settled down for the regular camp drill and discipline. Each regiment took its turn at the ten days’ picket service, which duty called them out to some fine plantations in the suburbs of the town. Here we enjoyed the life of the soldier. Our duties were not arduous and we had opportunity for reading and writing. The fields were filled with sweet potatoes and corn, together with the orange and fig trees which abounded near the houses, made our visits on this picket duty desirable. Our lines skirted the
banks of the rivers and streams, with an occasional raid upon the main land in search of the Johnnies. These raids sometimes resulted in great captures, not of the rebs themselves but of their fowls. The Union soldiers did not want the fowls to lack or suffer hunger, and so confiscated them that they might not starve. Lieut.Col. Ely left the regiment here at Beaufort, having been promoted to be Colonel of the Eighteenth Connecticut. During the intense heat of the summer many fevers prevailed and a number sickened and died. Yellow jaundice prevailed to a great extent. All seemed afflicted with it more or less, which was about as comfortable to endure as sea-sickness. Capt. Gerrish, of Company “K,” died on the 19th of August, of typhoid fever, after an illness of about three weeks; his loss was deeply felt in the regiment.
It was during our sojourn in Beaufort that orders were issued from Washington for the discharge of all regimental bands. The members of the Sixth deeply regretted the loss of their band; it was such a comfort to hear the strains of music, and we felt that we could march better, yea, fight better, with the band to enliven the scenes that surrounded us; but the order was peremptory and home they went, regretted by all.
In the latter part of October an expedition was conceived by Maj. Gen. Mitchel, commanding the Department of the South, to proceed inland with a
small force and burn the railroad bridges between Charleston and Savannah. Scouts had been sent out on several occasions to find the position of the enemy. A negro lent valuable assistance on one of these occasions, and the attempt at least seemed practicable. Sergt. Robert Wilson, of Co. “D,” Sixth Connecticut, had been selected to pilot the raid, as his knowledge of the position of the enemy had been carefully gained by his recent daring scouts in their vicinity. Two brigades of troops under Brig. Gen. Brannan were selected for the occasion. The first brigade was led by Col. Chatfield, including his own regiment; the second brigade being led by Gen. Terry. The fleet consisted of nine gun boats, three transports, one schooner and two tugs. The Sixth was commanded by Lieut. Col. Speidel, a man noted for his bravery and his keen judgment and foresight. The fleet sailed on the afternoon of the 21st of October, through Broad River, twenty miles from Port Royal, and the next morning at 7 a. m. we landed at a place called Mackay’s Point, at Boyd’s landing. Here the whole command rapidly disembarked and pushed forward. The first brigade led the advance, and the force, in column by companies, kept together as closely as the state of the road would permit. We passed many recently deserted plantations, pushing on over corn and cotton fields, through ditches and swamps for about five miles, when we discovered the
enemy posted on a rising ground beyond a marsh and flanked by thick wood. They immediately opened upon us with a heavy fire of musketry and howitzers as we entered a large corn field, and our command quickly formed in line of battle and “went for them” pretty much the same as “Bill Nye went for the heathen Chinee.” Haversacks and blankets were immediately thrown off and we were very soon hotly engaged. The rebs fled along the road before the second brigade was fairly on the ground. The first brigade entered the woods under a galling fire of grape and cannister. Here we found it difficult to proceed, as the underbrush was so thick we could scarcely stand upright, and all the while subjected to a storm of bullets without a chance to make an effective return shot. We were ordered to fall back in the corn field while the skirmish line moved up the road. We soon cleared the woods of the enemy and again pushed forward through a deep morass, over ditches and through such thick briers that the blood oozed from our hands and faces. The jolly Jack Tars from the gun boats, led by the Middies, brought up several field pieces by means of drag ropes, and did very effective service in dislodging the enemy at this point. Here our regiment suffered severely. Col. Chatfield and Lieut. Col. Speidel were both struck with cannister shots while bravely leading the men. The old Sixth, as if to avenge the wrong, became
more desperate than ever and charged upon the Johnnies and drove them across the Pocotaligo river into the town bearing that name. They immediately fired the bridge to prevent our crossing, and the structure was rapidly consumed. The river being too deep to ford, we were obliged to remain on its banks. Our object was to destroy the bridges over the Pocotaligo, Salketchi and Coosawatchie rivers, and cut the railroad at this point, in which we were partially successful.
Col. Barton, of the 48th New York, landed at the mouth of the Coosawatchie river and proceeded inland to the railroad, where they encountered a train of cars loaded with rebel soldiers. They fired upon them, killing the engineer and also the color-bearer of the “Whippey Swamp Guard,” and captured his flag. The 48th was obliged to fall back, as the rebels outnumbered them three to one, but made good their retreat without the loss of a man. The first brigade was engaged felling trees to bridge the river preparatory to crossing, but the fire of the enemy was so deadly we were obliged to desist. During the lull a locomotive whistle was heard in the distance and a train of cars thundered into the village laden with rebel troops, which was received with cheers for “South Carolina.” Late in the afternoon our ammunition was spent and we were obliged to fall back. The Sixth Connecticut and 47th New Hampshire
covered the retreat. Our return to Mackay’s Point was slow and tedious, as we carried off all our wounded and gently laid out our dead, covering them as far as we could with the blankets of the soldier.