Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/141

 The Wee Nee Volunteers of Williamabury District. 135

mand of a small gunboat, had ihe first engagement with them. His boat was in the creek which separates Taylor's from James Island, and one of the enemy's gunboats was a little above Battery Island in the Stono. Bonneau fired six or eight shots; the enemy but three, before they drew off. It was thought that Bonneau's shots had done considerable execution. Before this affair, one of the vessels of the enemy threw a few shells into the camp of the regiment of Colonel C. H. Stevens. As the colonel had no artillery and could make no effective return of the fire, he moved inside of our line of breastworks- About the same date Captain G. H. Moffet and the writer went on a private reconnoisance of the enemy's gunboats. We were discovered by the man in the mast-head of one of the vessels, and fire was opened upon us promptly. Their shells burst quite near, and we concluded to restrain our curiosity to examine a gunboat till some more fitting occasion.

June ist, 1862. Lieutenant James F. Izlar, of the Edisto Rifles, was to-day sent out in command of a small detachment of sharp- shooters to pick off men on the enemy's gunboats. His command was made up of a detail from several different companies. He met one of the gunboats and drove it down the river and out of the reach of his rifles. The enemy replied with shell and grape-shot, but without doing Izlar's command any damage. The lieutenant reported the men as having behaved splendidly.

At this time the neck of the bottle shaped peninsula, on which Secessionville is situated, had a strong work running across it from the marsh, which separates James Island from Long Island, to the marsh bordering the Salt creek, which separates the peninsula from the mainland of James Island. This creek and marsh extend to what was then known as the Secessionville road. This road led past Secessionville by the Rivers House, which stood about three-quarters of a mile from the neck or isthmus of the peninsula, and almost in front of the work which I have mentioned. After passing the house the road led across a marsh, on a good causeway, and thence by way of Legare's Upper and Lower House to Battery Island. After pass- ing Legare's Lower House, it ran quite near the creek which separates James from Taylor's Island. Just below the Lower House a road leaves it and goes across a causeway and bridge to Taylor's Island. The marsh on the side of the peninsula, towards Charleston, is nearly or quite half a mile wide. This marsh, and the creek near its middle, was crossed on a military bridge, quite substantial but too narrow at first for vehicles. It was afterwards built a little higher up towards