This combined attack was a serious one and taxed the heroism of the brave defenders of Charleston, but, as in previous emergencies, they were successful in meeting the enemy at every point. Birney, Foster said, encountered a small force of the enemy with a battery, and though Foster helped him with gunboats on Dawho creek, he retreated and fell in behind Schimmelfennig on the Stono. The latter carried a battery on James island, but was shelled out of it by the batteries from Secessionville to Fort Pringle. Hatch marched across John's island but found it too hot to fight the Confederates concentrated at the ferry. Colonel Hoyt, of the boat expedition, was compelled to surrender with 5 officers and 132 men. Such, in effect, was Foster's summing up of results on July 7th. On the 12th, he added, that having been successful in one respect, forcing the Confederates to accumulate a large force to meet him, he had re-embarked to give his men a few days' rest, after a loss of 54 killed and drowned, 133 wounded and 143 missing. His rest continued until November.
Gen. W. B. Taliaferro was in command on the Secessionville line, which included Forts Johnson, Haskell and Pringle, and Batteries Simkins, Wampler, Cheves, etc., whence an active fire had been maintained at the enemy, varied at times with skirmishing against Federal demonstrations. On July 2d he observed the advance of the enemy in force, driving in the cavalry vedettes upon the infantry pickets stretching from Rivers' causeway to the Stono. There a stubborn resistance was made by Maj. Edward Manigault, supported by Lieutenant De Lorme's light artillery and a detachment of the siege train serving as infantry under Lieutenant Spivey. The gallant De Lorme, fighting too long against a line of battle, at the fourth charge of the enemy lost his guns after they had occasioned great loss in the Federal ranks. The picket line was withdrawn in range of the batteries, and the enemy advanced and intrenched, Taliaferro not having force enough to attack, being compelled to weaken Fort Johnson to hold his main line. A gunboat came up the Stono to cover the Federal flank, but was driven back by Battery Pringle. The enemy made one advance in force, but met such a warm reception from the artillery that no further effort was made that day.
Next morning at daylight the enemy landed from barges at Shell point and made the attack on Battery Simkins and Fort Johnson. Both were fiercely assaulted by the Federals, but, said General Taliaferro, "the gallant garrison, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Joseph A. Yates, received them with heroic determination, and soon staggered and drove them back, when, with a rapid charge headed by Lieutenants Waties and Reynolds, 140 prisoners, including 5 commissioned officers, were taken." The participants in this brilliant affair were the companies of Lieutenant Waties, Captain Gaillard and Lieutenant Cooper, of the First artillery, and of Lieutenants Halsey and Raworth, Second artillery. These officers and Corporal Crawford were distinguished for gallantry. Five barges were captured.
The 3d was opened with an artillery battle along the line, and the enemy's monitors and gunboats were seen ascending the Stono. Legaréville and other points on John's island were occupied, and Taliaferro was led to believe that the enemy was engaged in a serious movement, on the same line as that adopted by Sir Henry Clinton in March, 1780, who occupied John's island, crossed the Stono at the site of Fort Pemberton, and after gaining possession of the Stono, moved from James' island to the mainland. Nevertheless the Confederate line put on a bold front and Colonel Harrison, with his Georgians, advanced and drove back the Federal pickets to their original line. For several days afterward artillery firing continued along the lines, and attacks upon Manigault's picket line. The Federal fleet opened a terrific fire on Battery Pringle, disabling several of the guns. To relieve the exhausted garrison at the latter point, Colonel Rhett was assigned and Major Blanding with two companies of the First artillery. Battery Tynes was also under fire, but ably defended by Captain Richardson, of Lucas' battalion.[G]
On the 8th Colonel Harrison, with his brigade, was sent to the assistance of Gen. B. H. Robertson, commanding on John's island. The latter had repulsed several assaults, Major Jenkins commanding at the front, and after the arrival of the Georgians, made an attack in turn, on the morning of the 9th, driving the enemy from his first intrenched line to the second, beyond Burden's causeway, and occupying the elevated ground necessary to the Federals to enfilade Taliaferro's line on James island. The entire Confederate loss was 37 killed and 91 wounded.[H]
While the battle was in progress on John's island, a Brooke gun, brought to Battery Pringle, drove the enemy's wooden boats down stream. An attempt of the enemy to float fire rafts with the tide against the Stono bridge was defeated by Lieutenant Smith, with a detachment of the naval battalion, who brought them to shore, and a second barge attack on Fort Johnson was repulsed, the garrison being aided by Le Gardeur's battery and a company of marines. On the 11th the enemy disappeared.
In his detailed report, Gen. Sam Jones said: "Officers captured concur in representing that the expedition was well and carefully considered and planned, and was confidently expected to result in the capture of Charleston. That it failed is due, under Providence, to the gallantry and good conduct of our officers and men." His aggregate of losses was 33 killed and 96 wounded.
The part of this campaign which fell upon Fort Sumter was a fierce bombardment by day and night, in which from July 7th to July 31st inclusive, 7,000 shot and shell took effect. On the 7th the flag was cut down three times. On the 20th Commandant Mitchel, one of the most gallant officers of the artillery service, was mortally wounded while making an observation from the highest point of the fort. Capt. John Johnson, the faithful engineer-in-chief, was severely wounded on the 28th. But in spite of this terrific bombardment, and a new sort of attack—floating powder boats to explode in its vicinity—Sumter remained invulnerable. Capt. Thomas A. Huguenin succeeded Mitchel in command, and remained in charge until on the night of February 17, 1865, he went the rounds of the indomitable fortress for the last time, and abandoned it to the enemy who had never been able to enter its walls while a Confederate soldier remained on guard.
Major Jenkins, on August 20th, found it necessary to burn the village of Legaréville. The Stono scouts, owners of property in the place, volunteered to aid in the work, sixteen of the members applying the torches to their own dwellings.
On October 5th, Maj.-Gen. W. J. Hardee took command of the department, relieving General Jones, whom he assigned to command of the State, exclusive of General McLaws' district in the southeast.