The Negro in the American Rebellion: His Heroism and His Fidelity

by William Wells Brown

CHAPTER XXXIII.—BATTLE OF HONEY HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA.

Union Troops.—The March.—The Enemy.—The Swamp.—Earthworks.—The Battle.—Desperate Fighting.—Great Bravery.—Col. Hartwell.—Fifty-fifth Massachusetts.—The Dying and the Dead.—The Retreat.—The Enemy’s Position.—Earthworks.—His Advantages.—The Union Forces.—The Blacks.—Our Army outnumbered by the Rebels.—Their concealed Batteries.—Skirmishing.—The Rebels retreat to their Base.—The Battle.—Great Bravery of our Men.—The Fifty-fifth Massachusetts saves the Army.

Honey Hill is about two and a half miles east of the village of Grahamville, Beaufort District. On the crest of this, where the road or the highway strikes it, is a semicircular line of earthworks, defective, though, in construction, as they are too high for infantry, and have little or no exterior slope. These works formed the centre of the rebel lines; while their left reached up into the pine-lands, and their right along a line of fence that skirted the swamp below the batteries. They commanded fully the road in front as it passes through the swamp at the base of the hill, and only some fifty or sixty yards distant. Through the swamp runs a small creek, which spreads up and down the roads for some thirty or forty yards, but is quite shallow the entire distance. Some sixty yards beyond this creek, the main road turns off to the left, making an obtuse angle; while another and smaller road makes off to the right from the same point.

The Union forces consisted of six thousand troops, artillery, cavalry, and infantry, all told, under the command of Major-Gen. J. G. Foster; Gen. John P. Hatch having the immediate command. The First Brigade, under Gen. E. E. Potter, was composed of the Fifty-sixth and One Hundred and Forty-fourth United-States, Twenty-fifth Ohio, and Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth United-States (colored). The Second Brigade, under Col. A. S. Hartwell, was composed of the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Massachusetts, and Twenty-sixth and Thirty-second United-States (colored). Col. E. P. Hallowed, of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, had, in spite of his express desire, been left behind in command of Morris and Folly Islands. As at the battle of Olustee, the enemy was met in small numbers some three or four miles from his base, and, retreating, led our army into the swamp, and up to his earthworks. So slight was the fighting as our troops approached the fort, that all the men seemed in high glee, especially the colored portion, which was making the woods ring with the following song:—

“Ho, boys, chains are breaking;

Bondsmen fast awaking;

Tyrant hearts are quaking;

Southward we are making.

Huzza! Huzza!