Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 02.djvu/207

 2d instant, during which time the enemy made several attacks at various points of this district, and a determined and persistent effort to reduce our Stono batteries, turn our southern lines of works, and to hold the upper Stono.

On the morning of the 2d, at daybreak, it being low tide, the enemy threw a considerable force upon the peninsula at the south extremity of this island, from Long and Dixon's islands. Driving in our cavalry videttes, they advanced rapidly upon the line of infantry pickets, stretching from Rivers' Causeway to the Stono.

Here they were met with a stubborn resistance by Major Manigault commanding; and on the left—the pickets being supported by Lieutenant De Lorme's section light artillery, with a detachment of siege train artillery, acting as infantry, Lieutenant Spivey—they were several timetimes [sic] driven back with great slaughter.

Unfortunately, Lieutenant De Lorme, whose gallantry was conspicuous, over-confident of his ability to repulse them, delayed too long before attempting to retire his pieces, and at the fourth charge, which he was unable to resist, lost his guns, taking off, however, his limbers and horses. The caissons had been left at camp.

The prisoners subsequently captured admit a loss of two hundred (200) in front of these guns, and the number of ambulances and boats employed transporting the wounded and dead, easily seen from our observatories, together with the number of unburied dead, subsequently found, fully confirm this statement. Our picket line was retired within range of our batteries, and established from the Stono to Secessionville.

The enemy advanced to within a few hundred yards of our pickets, when they established a skirmish line, and began to entrench. I had not force enough to attack them, requiring all the troops that I could collect to hold the main lines, and to do the necessary picket duty in front. In order to accomplish this, I had to make drafts upon the garrisons at Fort Johnston, and batteries Haskell, Tatum, &c., which, although small, were the largest that could be spared, and then at some hazard. In this way one hundred (100) men were withdrawn from Fort Johnston. It is to be observed that troops had been noticed passing from Morris' to Folly island the previous day, and the exhibition of strength in my front, estimated at three thousand, induced me to believe that most of the troops on Morris' island had been withdrawn. Simultaneous with the advance of the enemy, a large