and would bring it as near the town as they dared on the track, and then shell us. Our gunboats were not slow to disperse them, however, and they were soon driven back. On one of these occasions a shell entered a house (which the writer visited), passing through the bed-room in which a man and wife were sleeping, and in its course it passed through a stuffed-seat rocking chair on which lay the man’s coat, cutting off the skirts and forcing them through the back of the chair. The window glass were shattered and two looking glasses hanging in the room were broken, while the occupants of the bed were literally covered with plaster and splinters. The lady remarked to the writer that she was not partial to balls of that kind, and told him if he ever met Gen. Finnegan (the rebel commander), to present her compliments with the request that fish-balls would be more acceptable next time.
We found ourselves busy each day in preventing the raids of the enemy, and several times were called up at night by the pickets being driven in. Our force was so small that an advance very far would have been with a great sacrifice of life for us, and our gunboats prevented a very long stay of the rebel troops in the town. We suffered no loss of life in our regiment while here; a few were slightly wounded. An expedition of the negro troops went up the river as far as the town of Pilatki, where they surprised a
small force of rebels and captured 14; the rest fled in dismay, fearing a large force was at hand. They also captured some horses and about $3,000 worth of cotton, which they brought away in safety. While on their way down the river the enemy fired upon them, wounding Lieut. Col. Billings of the First S. C. troops, a ball passing through the palms of both his hands and another through his leg.
On Sunday, the 29th of March, Gen. Hunter ordered the evacuation of Jacksonville by all the Union troops. The inhabitants begged permission to accompany the troops, as their lives were in danger as well as their property, if left at the mercy of the rebel troops. Their request was partially granted and they flocked in numbers to the transports with large quantities of household goods, which so completely blockaded the room that orders were issued to put the goods on the wharves again. Large numbers of negroes secreted themselves on board the boats, fearing to be left behind. As we left the town an old lady appeared on the veranda of her house wringing her hands and sobbing as if her heart would break, doubtless sad at our departure. A large number of the houses and stores were set on fire just before we got on board the steamers, and as we left the wharves the larger part of the town was in flames and was probably destroyed. This wanton act of vandalism was charged upon the negro regiment, and they in
turn said the Eighth Maine Regiment was to blame; no doubt both of these regiments had something to do with its destruction. It was entirely unnecessary and uncalled for, and the wanton act of burning a town would not destroy the Rebellion nor reflect any credit upon those soldiers of the Union who fired it. Justice should overtake all, and severe punishment meted out to those who so far forget the bounds of propriety as to disgrace the honored cause in which they are engaged.
We did not arrive at Beaufort as soon as we expected, owing to a heavy storm of wind and rain which set in, and as our boats were old and so heavily laden it was not deemed prudent to venture outside in such a gale. The storm passed by and we reached our destination in safety on the morning of April 1st. We pitched our tents, expecting to settle down again; but the soldier has no abiding place in time of war, nor does he know one day where he will be the next. After thirty-five hours in Beaufort, we were off again on another “excursion.”
The rumors in camp seemed to indicate that this time the expedition was to be more formidable than any previous ones, and this was true, as the sequel will eventually prove. Large numbers of troops were being put on board steamers at this place and at Hilton Head; gunboats were active and all was bustle and excitement. The wildest rumors prevailed as
to our destination; some asserted that we were going to Virginia, while others claimed Charleston as the most probable place of attack. The Sixth embarked on the steamer Belvidere and steamed down to Hilton Head, where we lay for one day awaiting orders; in the mean time troops were embarking and getting ready to sail. When all seemed ready, we were off for the conflict and came to anchor in Stono River, a little below the village of Legaresville. Here we found other troops had preceded us and were also waiting to land. The monitors and other gunboats were busily engaged up the river shelling the camps of the enemy. Two shots from the enemy came in rather too close proximity to our steamer for safety, and we hoisted anchor and dropped a distance down the river out of range. The gunboats were engaged nearly every day for a week in the direction of Charleston, while we remained on board ship awaiting orders. Finally it was rumored that there was some trouble existing between some of our officers high in command, and that the whole force was to be withdrawn. The rumor proved correct. Admiral Dupont and Gen. Hunter disagreeing in the plan of the battle, it could no longer avail anything and the whole affair proved a fizzle. In the meantime Gen. Hunter was relieved and Maj. Gen. Gilmore appointed to command. Gen. Gilmore was well known for his engineering skill and also his military prowess.
The morning of April 11th, the fleet withdrew to Hilton Head and reported, while the different regiments were sent to various posts. The Sixth encamped at Hilton Head, just outside the breastworks, where we remained till the 18th of April, when we again embarked and sailed for North Edisto, arriving there the next morning and anchored in the stream close to the dock, but we did not land till the 26th, when we were put ashore on Botany Bay Island, which is near the Edisto. We were immediately ordered out on a scout of about seven miles, after the Johnnies; but with the exception of passing a deserted cavalry camp we saw no evidence of the enemy. We returned to the landing and went on board the steamer, where we passed four more days, when we finally made a landing on Folly Island. The island was rightly named, for a man in civil life must indeed be a fool to think he could live on such a barren place; but a soldier is expected to live anywhere where he is sent. The island is a long strip of land about three-quarters of a mile wide at the widest point, and about four miles long, lying immediately south of Morris Island, from which the northern point is separated by only a narrow stream called Lighthouse Inlet. The lower part of the island runs down to a sharp angle and is covered with a thick growth of pine and palmetto trees, while the upper part was a low, marshy swamp. With swarms of
sand fleas and mosquitoes for our constant companions, we pitched our camp on the sand hills; there could be no order or regularity to our company streets, for some tents were pitched on a hill, while others were in a valley. Our fatigue duty was quite arduous, as we were obliged to work nights, and had to maintain the utmost silence, speaking only in whispers. From the upper or northern portion of the island, where we built the batteries, we could see the Johnnies on Morris Island very plain; but they little thought of the doom that was in store for them. They suspected no serious movement on our part, and did not think we had more than one field piece on the whole island. When we were obliged to fell trees we sawed them in two and lowered them gently to the ground by means of ropes. All the heavy cannon were brought through the woods and mounted at night, and then masked by covering them with leaves and dirt. It was with the greatest secrecy that the work was pushed forward. The enemy saw none of our troops nearer than the woods except the picket line, and while we seemed idle by day, hundreds of shovels gleamed at night by willing hands, while battery after battery rose up, yet nothing was visible to the rebels. Huge mortars and parrot guns came from Hilton Head, landed at Stono Inlet and were dragged slowly and tediously to their place under cover of darkness. Ammunition was taken forward