Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/95

 The Coast Defence of South Carolina. 85

latest moment. Every man was there in the spirit of Timrod's "Cry

to Arms."

Come with the weapons at your call

With musket, pike or knife ; He wields the deadliest blade of all Who lightest holds his.life !

From Captain Louis F. Emilio's (U. S. A.) narrative of the battle the Federal advance under General Hatch began at 7:30 A. M., the 1 27th New York in advance, skirmishing. Bolan's Church was two miles from Boyd's Landing, arid the Honey Hill breastworks were two and a half miles from Bolan's Church. The objective point of Captain Peeple's small force was to delay the enemy's advance until the expected reinforcements could arrive at Grahamville depot, inarch from the railroad down to the breastworks at Honey Hill, and get into position there. Besides the two guns of Kanapaux and Earle and the 100 dismounted cavalry of Captain Peeples, there were in the vicinity of Honey Hill at 7:30 A. M., when the Federal ad- vance began, six other field pieces of the " Beaufort " Artillery, and "Kanapaux" and "Earle's" batteries, also the 47th Georgia in- fantry, Colonel Edwards, 350 veteran troops, which had arrived at sunrise, as promised by wire from Charleston, and about 140 3d South Carolina cavalry of Company B, Captain Campbell, Company E, Captain Raysor, and detachments from Companies C and I. Ad- jutant Williams writes that the "47th Georgia " waited hours at the railroad, with no one to tell them where to go this fine infantry force certainly did not reach the breastworks until about 10:30, four hours after their arrival at the station. I mention these facts to show that more guns and infantry could have been put in front of the ad- vancing Federal column, but Captain Peeples and his small force of men and two guns actually bore the brunt of this all-important re- sistance down the road; when towards the end of the unequal strug- gle some of the 3d South Carolina cavalry came to his assistance.

The guns of Lieutenants Zealey and Graham were the real weapons used, and the dismounted cavalry protected these pieces, and in many other ways retarded the advance. The enemy had to keep the road for some distance on account of the low grounds on either side, and here it was that the Federal advance was so seriously delayed. Lieutenant "Kit" Zealey, of the Lafayettes, as he was familiarly called, was, it appears, quite an expert in estimating dis- tances and cutting fuses to suit, and the bursting of shells in the crowded ranks on the causeway proved to be very damaging and