Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/142

 136 Southern Historical Society Papers.

the head of the marsh, and made wide enough for any purpose. This bridge struck the mainland of James Island as one travels from Se- cessionville towards the city, below Clark's House. A redoubt, in which two or three heavy guns were mounted, had been built above Clark's House. A line of breastworks commenced below Clark's House and ran in a northeasterly direction to New Town Cut and thence to Wappoo Cut, below the house of Dr. Robert Lebby, Jr. Freer's Store, situated on the Fort Johnson road where the Secession- vine roads leaves it, was outside of these works and about half a mile west. A road led from the direction of Lawton's House (which will be remembered as standing just above the remarkable clumrvof pines so conspicuous from White Point) to and across the Fort John- son road, and thence across the Secessionville road to the Presbyte- rian church and beyond that church. About a half mile from the church the road forked, one went by way of Dill's to the mouth of Elliott's Cut on the Stono; the other led to Grimball's House and then over a causeway, and intersected the road from Secessionville to Battery Island near Legare's Lower House.

June 2d, 1862. Colonel Simonton received orders to-day to select another camp inside of the line of breastworks, and across the marsh in a northeasterly direction from Secessionville. Captain Moffet, our adjutant, and I, had gone out and were looking for a suitable place, when the enemy's gunboats in Stono river came up as far as Grim- ball's House and opened fire on Secessionville. We heard the shel- ling and returned to camp. The battalion marched across the bridge by Clark's House, and went into camp on the road leading from the Presbyterian church towards Lawton's plantation, where that road crosses a marsh and some low grounds, and about three hundred yards inside of the lines.

June sd, s862.This day opened with a fight between the pickets of our army, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Ellison Capers, of Colonel Stevens' regiment, and the enemy. Capers made the attack alter the pickets of the enemy had opened fire on him. His force consisted of the Charleston battalion and the Beauregard Light In- fantry, Captain White, of the Eutaw battalion. A captain and about eighteen or twenty men of the enemy were captured. Four of Cap- tain White's men were wounded, and a few of the Charleston bat- talion were killed and wounded. Colonel Simonton was ordered to reinforce Capers, and I was sent in command of four companies: Washington Light Infantry, Company A, Captain Carson ; Wee Nees, Captain China ; St. Matthew's Rifles, Captain Sellers ; and