Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 5.djvu/117

Rh er’s front. Finally the Federal artillery ceased firing, and the entire force opened on Walker s left an incessant discharge from their rifles. Captain Sligh and the Charleston light dragoons on Walker s left replied with so much spirit and effect that Brannan gave up the fight, and at 6 p. m. withdrew from range and began his retreat to his boats at Mackay’s point.

The bridge being destroyed and Walker’s men thoroughly exhausted, it was some time before Colonel Walker could organize and direct the pursuit. Lieut. L. J. Walker, commanding the Rutledge mounted riflemen and Kirk’s rangers, passing around the head of the Pocotaligo, pushed on down the Mackay’s point road in the rear of Brannan’s force; but the bridges were torn up and Walker could not reach the flying foe until the night made it impracticable to proceed. Brannan reached his gunboats in safety and re-embarked for his base at Hilton Head.

The force which attacked the bridge over the Coosawhatchie was met by Le Bleux’s and Stuart’s artillery and the fire of Captain Wyman’s company, and was promptly repelled. A detachment, however, while the main force attacked the bridge, marched to the railroad, cut down a telegraph pole, cut the wire, and tore up two or three rails. A train carrying a portion of the Eleventh regiment and one company of Abney’s battalion, under the command of Maj. J. J. Harrison, unhappily ran up just in time to receive a volley from the party on the railroad, by which the engineer was killed and Major Harrison lost his life.

Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson, with his cavalry, arriving at this juncture, the Federal force retreated and joined the force retiring from the bridge. The destruction of several bridges over marshes and creeks, which are numerous in the tidewater section, so impeded Colonel Johnson that he dismounted his men, and thus moved three companies in line to within 130 yards of the boats