Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/143

 The Wee Nee Volunteers of Williamsburg District. 137

Ripley Guards, that day in command of Lieutenant F. J. Lesesne. The men were in excellent spirits, and were eager for the fight. Capers' muskets could still be heard. We took the road to Seces- sionville, but arrived at the scene of action just too late to join in the pursuit of the enemy. We saw Capers returning with his prisoners. We met Brigadier General S. R. Gist just before reaching the Rivers House. He directed me to file to the right in the direction of Grim- ball's, on the Stouo river, and after leaving the road about a quarter of a mile to file to the left, pass through a strip of woods and take position in front of a field, across which I was told to expect the enemy. My instructions were to hold that position. We found our- selves behind a ditch, on the banks of which the bushes had grown into a thin hedge. The banks of the ditch would have afforded some protection agaitist an attack of infantry, but were none against the shot and shell from the fleet of gunboats in the Stono, about three- quarters of a mile in front of us. It began to rain before we got into position, and continued at intervals through the whole day and nijht. We were soon thoroughly wet. Brigadier-General Mercer, of Savannah, Georgia, a West Pointer, and once in the United States army, who had for years been in civil life, was in command on the island. General S. R. Gist was assisting him. The commanding, general deeming our line too weak to withstand the attack, which was momentarily expected, Colonel Simonton, with the remaining companies of the Eutaw battalion, was ordered up. He soon joined us, and took command of the whole battalion. Other troops were also brought to the front. Our line of battle, when the colonel came up, was parallel to the Secessionville road. We then changed front, and took up a position in the woods at right angles to our first line. Before the end of the day it became very evident that our generals did not understand the topography of the island. This want of acquaintance with the ground upon which we were operating ac- counts for so many changes in our position during the day. After occupying our new position for a short time we again changed front, and got back to our first place behind the ditch-bank and hedge. The enemy's gunboats opened fire upon us by the time we first got into position in the morning, and continued to shell us furiously all day. Their shells were mostly from rifled guns, and were percussion. A great many of them failed to explode. If time-fuses had been more generally used we could not have failed to suffer greatly from their fire. In the afternoon the enemy attempted to advance across the causeway below Rivers House. The shelling from the fleet be-