A number of horses were killed-all the others attached to the guns being captured with them. This entire command, as you may readily conceive, is much elated by the brilliant victory above related. It is none the less glorious, of course, for having been achieved substantially by so small a portion of the command. Had the plan adopted by Gen. Blunt been fully carried out, had no halt taken place on the night march between Bentonville and Maysville, and could the entire command have reached here, as was his design, by the dawn of day on the morning of the twenty-second, there is reason to believe that a large proportion at least of the enemy's forces, with all of his trains, might have been surprised and captured; for Gen. Cooper himself, as is proven by the certificate of his Medical Director, a copy of which I inclose herewith, remained here yesterday morning until Gen. Blunt was close upon him, never apparently dreaming of such a thing as that he was coming. The result of the campaign, thus far, is completely to rid South-western Missouri, North-western Arkansas, and the "Indian Nation," of the enemy, who occupied all of that region only three weeks ago to-day, and to clear the road of him between here and Fort Smith, which is believed to be now open to our march upon that place. And this important work is mainly due to the Kansas division, under the command of General Blunt, which, I verily believe, would have done the whole work alone, without assistance; with some more fighting, perhaps, than has occurred, but none the less effectually on that account. The command will probably remain here a few days, for the subsistence trains to come up, and to recruit the men and horses, and then march on to its goal-Fort Smith thereby meaning. promised his freedom if he would reveal the enemy's position. He informed us that he was about two miles distant encamped. Without waiting for reënforcements to come up, the General or dered us-the Kansas Second mounted riflemen -into line, and we marched forward toward the enemy. We could see parties of them on the prairie, and as we advanced they retired. Presently we came to a corn-field and wood, where we dismounted, passed rapidly through the field and wood, coming out into the prairie beyond. Company B, mostly from Edwards, Wabash and Wayne Counties, Illinois, with one or two other companies, were on the left of the column, and reached the prairie last. On arriving thither, they heard the companies that were on the right engaging the enemy, about a half-mile distant. Our horses had been brought around the wood. We mounted and were soon on the field of battle. We dismounted, hurried forward, loading and firing, rapidly advancing upon the enemy, who were posted in a field grown up in small sassafras bushes, and were firing musketry and cannon at us with at least a determination to slay. They were three thousand in number, with one large brass mounted howitzer and three large brass pieces, European make. We were not six hundred strong, with two small mounted howitzers ; but forward was the command, and the command was quickly obeyed, the men making the air resound with their shouts. I have heard Indians yell, but they could not come up with our boys. At double-quick we advanced, waiting only to load; our muskets we depended upon, our pistols at our sides remaining untouched, and having no sabres and no bayonets. A strange charge! It was an exciting time. The air was musical with musketry and cannon-ball strains. ward! forward! and the cannon, all that the enemy had, were ours. The enemy was driven from the field. Just at this juncture Rabb's battery and several regiments came up, and the field was ours. Six hundred men had fought the battle and won the day, losing but three men、 killed and three wounded. The enemy shot over us, or else we would have been mowed down like grass. Qur movements were so rapid and our shouts so deceptive that the enemy thought the fields were full of men, and thus he was deceived. Will you be so kind as to allow these few lines The enemy's loss is stated at about three hunto find entrance into your paper? By so doing dred, ours ten in killed and wounded. Our sucyou will confer a favor upon myself and others cess seems a miracle, and we cannot but see the here with me, who would like our friends to kind hand of Providence favoring us. He delivknow our whereabouts, and what we are doing. ered us from the enemy and gave us the victory. The twenty-second of October is one long to be He saved us from seeming destruction and illusremembered by the few who were engaged in the trated the great truth that God can save by few battle of Fort Wayne, near our present encamp- or by many. Our men were almost wild with ment. We had travelled two whole nights with- excitement on capturing the pieces. The enemy out sleep, and early on the morning of the twen-rapidly retreated and saved most of his train, our ty-second found ourselves in Maysville, where Indians pursuing him a few miles. Since the we expected to find the enemy and give him battle company B has been converted into an arbattle. But the enemy was not there. Two tillery company, and commands the pieces taken farmers captured seemed loth to tell the where- in the battle. abouts of the enemy, when a negro was brought before the commanding officer, Gen. Blunt, and The members of the division staff now with Gen. Blunt are as follows: Major Van Antwerp, Inspector-General, and Lieut. Fin. Hill, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General; Lieut. Collier, of the Second Ohio cavalry, Aid-de-Camp; Capt. Haskall, Staff Quartermaster, and Captain Scott, of Leavenworth, Aid-de-Camp. LEVINUS HARRIS'S ACCOUNT. CHEROKEE NATION, NEAR MAYSVILLE, ARKANSAS, VOL. VI-Doc. 3 Yours, in love, for our common country, For ANOTHER ACCOUNT. CAMP ON SPANNIVAW CREEK, I. T., Oct. 24, 1862. On Wednesday, the twenty-second instant, the Kansas division of the army of the frontier, forcing a march in pursuit of Cooper, Col. Cloud of the Third brigade came up with the enemy on Spannivaw Creek, four miles beyond Maysville. The attack was sudden, energetic, and successful. The rebels were defeated, four brass pieces, all they had, were taken, and numbers killed and wounded. Our loss was three killed and seven wounded. The Kansas Second, Lieut.-Colonel Bassett, under Colonel Cloud, did the most of the work. X, Tenth Kansas Volunteers. Doc. 13. THE BATTLE OF POCOTALIGO, S. C. GENERAL BRANNAN'S REPORTS. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, GENERAL: I herewith transmit the report of an expedition from this department, ordered by the late Major-General O. M. Mitchel (then in command) to destroy the railroad and railroad bridges on the Charleston and Savannah line, in the vicinity of Pocotaligo and Coosahatchie. The forwarding of this report has hitherto been delayed, owing to the illness and subsequent death of Major-General Mitchel. The reports of the brigade and other commanders, together with a list of those officers and men who personally distinguished themselves, I will forward by the next mail. I have the honor to be, General, most respectfully your obedient servant, J. M. BRANNAN, Brig.-General L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General U. S. Army. HEADQUARTERS EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, To Lieutenant-Colonel W. P. Prentice, Assistant - tive strength, one hundred and eight; section First, United States artillery, Lieut. G. J. Henry, commanding effective strength, forty; section Third, United States artillery, Lieut. E. Gittings, commanding-effective strength, forty; detachment N. Y. Volunteer Engineers, Lieut. Col. Hall commanding effective strength, two hundred and fifty. Total effective strength, four thousand four hundred and forty-eight men. With this command I left Hilton Head, S. C., on the evening of the twenty-first of October, 1862, and proceeding up Broad River, arrived off Pocotaligo Creek, at half-past four o'clock A.M. with the transport Ben Deford and gunboat Paul Jones. Colonel William Barton, Forty-eighth regiment New-York State volunteers, fifty men Volunteer Engineer corps, and fifty men Third Rhode Island volunteers, in accordance with my orders, delivered early that morning, proceeded direct to the Coosahatchie River, to destroy the railroad and railroad bridges in that vicinity. The other gunboats and transports did not all arrive until about eight A.M., October twenty-second. I immediately effected a landing of my artillery and infantry at Mackay's Point, on the junction of Pocotaligo and Tullifiny Rivers. I advanced without delay in the direction of Pocotaligo bridge, sending back the transports Flora and Darlington to Port Royal Island for the cavalry. The First brigade being in advance with section from First United States artillery, followed by the Second brigade, with Col. Brown's command, the section of Third United States artillery, and three boat-howitzers, which Captain Steedman, commanding the naval forces, kindly furnished for this occasion, and a detachment of forty-five men from the Third Rhode Island volunteer artillery, under Captain Comstock, of that regiment. On advancing about five and a half miles, and debouching upon an open, rolling country, the rebels opened upon us with a field-battery from a position on the plantation known as Gaston's. I immediately caused the First brigade to deploy, and crossing my artillery to the front, drove the rebels from this position; they, however, destroy COLONEL In accordance with instructions re-ed all the small bridges in the vicinity, causing ceived from headquarters, Department of the South, I assumed command of the following forces, ordered to destroy the railroad bridges on the "Charleston and Savannah line." - much delay in my advance. These, with the aid of the Engineer corps, were reconstructed as we advanced, and I followed up the retreat of the rebels with all haste practicable. A portion of the First brigade (Brannan's) Col. I had advanced about one and a quarter miles J. S. Chatfield, Sixth regiment Connecticut vol- further when a battery again opened on us from unteers, commanding effective strength, two a position on the plantation called "Frampton." thousand; a portion of Second brigade, Brigadier- The rebels here had every advantage of ground, General A. H. Terry, commanding effective being ensconced in a wood with a deep swamp in strength, one thousand four hundred and ten; front, passable only by a narrow causeway, on detachment Third regiment Rhode Island volun- which the bridge had been destroyed; while on teers, Colonel Brown commanding effective our side of the swamp and along the entire front strength, three hundred; detachment Forty- and flanks of the enemy (extending to the swamp) eighth regiment New-York State volunteers, Col. was impervious thicket, intersected by a deep Barton commanding-effective strength, three water ditch, and passable only by a narrow road. hundred; detachment of First Massachusetts Into this wood the rebels threw a most terrific cavalry, Capt. L. Richmond, commanding-effec-fire of grape, shot, shell, canister and musket balls, killing and wounding great numbers of my command. Here the ammunition for the fieldpieces fell short, and though the infantry acted with great courage and determination, they were twice driven out of the woods with great slaughter by the overwhelming force of the enemy, whose missiles tore through the woods like hail. The bridge across the Pocotaligo was destroyed, and the rebels from behind their earthworks continued firing on the only approach to it through the swamps. Night was now closing fast, and seeing the utter hopelessness of attempting any thing further against the force which the enemy had concentrated at this point from Savannah I had warmly responded to this fire with the and Charleston, with an army of much inferior sections of First and Third United States artille- force, unprovided with ammunition, and not havry and the boat-howitzers, until finding my am- ing sufficient transportation to remove the woundmunition about to fail, and seeing any flank move-ed, who were lying writhing along the entire route, ment was impossible, I pressed the First brigade I deemed it expedient to move on Mackay's Point, forward, through the thicket to the verge of the which I did in successive lines of defence, buryswamp, and sent a section of the First Uniteding my dead and carrying our wounded with us States artillery, well supported, to the causeway on such stretchers as we could manufacture from on the further side of the wood, leaving the Second brigade with Colonel Brown's command, the section Third United States artillery and the boathowitzers, as a line of defence on my rear. branches of trees, blankets, etc., and received no molestation from the rebels; embarked and returned to Hilton Head on the twenty-third instant. Facts tend to show that the rebels were perThe effect of this bold movement was immedi- fectly acquainted with all our plans, as they had ately evident in the precipitate retreat of the reb-evidently studied our purpose with care, and had els, who disappeared in the woods with amazing rapidity. The infantry of the First brigade immediately plunged through the swamp (parts of which were nearly up to their arm-pits) and started in pursuit. Some delay was caused by the bridge having been destroyed, impeding the passage of the artillery. This difficulty was overcome, and with my full force I pressed forward on the retreating rebels. At this point, (apprehending from the facility with which the rebels progressed heading "Pocotaligo Creek" that they would attempt to turn my left flank,) I sent an infantry regiment with a boat-howitzer to my left to strike the "Coosahatchie road." The position which I had found proved, as I had supposed, to be one of great natural advantages to the rebels, the ground being higher on that side of the swamp, and having a firm open field for the working of their artillery, which latter they formed in a half-circle, throwing a concentrated fire on the entrance to the woods we had just passed. The rebels left in their retreat a caisson full of ammunition, which latter fortunately fitting the boat-howitzers, enabled us at a later period of the day to keep up our fire when all other ammunition had failed. Still pursuing the flying rebels, I arrived at that point where the Coosahatchie road, joining that from McKay's Landing, runs through a swamp to Pocotaligo bridge. Here the rebels opened a murderous fire upon us from batteries of siege guns and field-pieces, on the further side of the creek. Our skirmishers, however, advanced boldly to the edge of the swamp, and from what cover they could obtain did considerable execution among the enemy. The rebels, as I anticipated, attempted a flank movement on our left, but for some reason abandoned it. The ammunition of the artillery here entirely failed, owing to the caissons not having been brought on, for want of transportation from Port Royal, and pieces had to be sent back to Mackay's Point, a distance of ten miles, to renew it. two lines of defence, "Easton and Frampton," before falling back on Pocotaligo, where, aided by their field-works and favored by the nature of the ground and the facility of concentrating troops, they evidently purposed making a determined stand; and, indeed, the accounts gathered from prisoners leave no doubt but that the rebels had very accurate information of our movements. I greatly felt the want of cavalry, who, in consequence of the transports having grounded in Broad River, did not arrive till nearly four P.M., and who, in the early part of the day, would, perhaps, have captured some field-pieces in the open country we were then in, and would, at all events, have prevented the destruction of the bridge in the rear of the rebels. Great praise is due to the brigade and regimental commanders for their calm and determined courage during the entire day, and for the able manner in which they handled their several commands. Col. Barton, Forty-eighth regiment New-York State volunteers, as will be seen from the accompanying copy of his report, partially effected the object of this movement on the Coosahatchie, but meeting with too strong a force of the rebels, was forced to embark. I desire to call the attention of the Major-General commanding the department to the gallant and distinguished conduct of First Lieutenant Guy T. Henry, First United States artillery, commanding a section of light artillery. His pieces were served admirably throughout. He had two horses shot. The section of Third United States artillery, commanded by First Lieut. E. Giddings, Third United States artillery, was well served. He being wounded in the latter part of the day, his section was commanded by Lieut. Henry. The three boat-howitzers furnished by Captain Steedman, United States Navy, commanding the naval forces, were served well; and the officers commanding them, with the crews, as also the detachment of the Third Rhode Island volunteers, deserve great credit for their coolness, skill, and gallantry. The officers commanding these guns are as follows: Lieutenant Lloyd Phoenix, Ensigns James Wallace, Samuel P. Adams, and Frederick Pearson. The conduct of my entire staff, Capt. Lewis J. Lambert, A.A.G.; Captain I. Coryell, A.Q.M.; Lieuts. Ira V. Germain, and George W. Bacon, Aid-de-Camp, gave me great pleasure and satisfaction. My orders were transmitted by them in the hottest of the battle with great rapidity and correctness. To Col. E. W. Serrell, New-York Volunteer Engineers, who acted as an additional aidde-camp, I am much indebted. His energy, perfect coolness and bravery, was a source of gratification to me. Orders from me were executed by him in a very satisfactory manner. Lieut. G. H. Hill, signal-officer, performed his duties with great promptness. He acted also as additional aid-de-camp, and gave me much assistance in carrying my orders during the entire day. Col. T. H. Good, Forty-seventh regiment Pennsylvania volunteers, Col. Chatfield being wounded early in the day, commanded the First brigade during the latter part of the engagement, with much ability. Nothing could be more satisfactory than the promptness and skill with which the wounded were attended by Surgeon E. W. Bailey, Forty-seventh Pennsylvania volunteers, (Medical Director,) and the entire medical staff of the command. The troops of the command behaved with great gallantry, advancing against a remarkably heavy fire of musketry, canister, grape, round-shot, and shell, driving the enemy before them with much determination. I was perfectly satisfied with their conduct. and Savannah Railroad. In accordance with orders from General Mitchel, received on the evening of the twentieth instant, I left this port at eight o'clock A.M. on the twenty-first instant, with three hundred men of the Forty-eighth New-York volunteers, and fifty men of the Third Rhode Island artillery, (the latter under command of Capt. John H. Gould,) with three days' cooked, and seven days' uncooked rations, on board the armed transport Planter. On arriving at Hilton Head, I received instructions as to my number on the line of the fleet, and also directions to report to Brig.-Gen. Brannan-who commanded the expedition-on reaching Mackay Point, for further orders. Soon after daylight on the morning of the twenty-second, I reported to Gen. Brannan on board the Ben Deford, and was directed by him to proceed with my command up the Coosahatchie River, as near to the town of that name as I might deem practicable, and disembarking under cover of the gunboats, which were to accompany me, to move toward the town, and, if possible, reach the Charleston and Savannah Railroad and destroy it at that point, and the bridge on it over the Coosahatchie. I was fully instructed, however, not to hazard too much in order to accomplish the above, but if opposed by a force at all superior, to fall back under cover of the fleet. There was some delay in starting, arising from the gunboats being well to the rear, which I improved in borrowing from Commander Steedman, on board the flag-ship Paul Jones, a twelve-pound Dahlgren boat-howitzer, and fifty-two rounds of ammunition, which proved of great service to me, and for which I desire to return my thanks. I was also furnished by Gen. Brannan's order with fifty men from the New-York State Volunteer Engineers, under command of Capt. Eaton, provided with the necessary implements for cutting the railroad, etc. It affords me much pleasure again to report the perfect cordiality existing between the two branches of the service, and I am much indebted to Capt. Charles S. Steedman, U.S.N., for his valuable aid and assistance in disembarking and reembarking the troops; also in sending launches (with howitzers) to prevent an attack on our We were soon under way, and had proceeded pickets while we were embarking to return to some three miles up the river, when the gunboats Hilton Head. The fitting out of the expedition, turned around and came back, in compliance, as I as relates to its organization, supplies, transport-am informed, with an order from the flag-ship. ation, and ammunition, was done entirely by the Major-General commanding the department, who at first proposed to command it. I was not assigned to the command till a few hours previous to the sailing of the expedition from Hilton Head. I, however, continued on my course in the Planter, meanwhile signaling to the flag-officer for at least one gunboat, in reply to which he kindly sent two, namely, the Patroon and the Marblehead, which followed after the lapse of a few minutes. The river at this point was very narrow and The reports of the brigade and other command-winding, but the water in most places was over ers, with a list of the officers and men who ren- twelve feet in depth at low-tide. dered themselves personally worthy of notice during the engagement, I will forward as soon as received. I have the honor to be, Colonel, most respectfully, your obedient servant, J. M. BRANNAN, I found no difficulty, therefore, in reaching a point two miles distant from Coosahatchie, but it now being almost dead low-tide, further progress by water was rendered impossible by the Planter running aground. Throwing a few shells in the woods, I disembarked with my infantry and engineers as expeditiously as possible, taking with me the boat-howitzer referred to above, in charge of Capt. Gould, Third Rhode Island artillery, and a detachment of twelve of his men. The swampy nature of the ground rendered landing difficult, CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report my share but losing no time, I advanced toward the main in the recent operations against the Charleston | road, sending a request to the officer in command COLONEL BARTON'S REPORT. of the Patroon, the gunboat nearest me, and about a mile and a half astern, to cover the road in my rear as I advanced. I should state here that both of the gunboats were unfortunately aground, and were thus prevented from taking a position nearer to the Planter. My advance reported squads of cavalry in sight as the main body entered the road, which it did at right angles to the point of disembarkation. The road proved to be an excellent one, hard and firm, and evidently repaired but an hour or two before, the dirt being still fresh, and the tracks upon it showed plainly that artillery, infantry, and cavalry had just passed over it. I continued my advance toward the town, driving in the enemy's pickets and skirmishing the country as thoroughly as possible. When about one mile from the village the whistle of a locomotive was heard. I was informed by the contraband, who had been furnished as a guide, that it was the dirt-train which always passed at that hour, and which he said was well on its way to Savannah. A few moments, however, proved that he had misinformed me, for when the main body arrived at a point within a few hundred yards of the town, and when the skirmishers had already reached the railroad track and telegraph line, the train was heard and seen rapidly coming down the road. I quickly placed my battalion in position, and as the train approached I directed a heavy and rapid fire upon it, with grape, and canister, and musketry. This fire was very destructive. three pieces of artillery commanding the bridge. They immediately opened fire upon us with their artillery and infantry, fortunately for us, however, firing too high. I fired a few rounds in return, when, as it was now nearly night and the enemy's reenforcements above were double my entire force, I marched slowly back to my boats. During my retreat the skirmishers frequently observed and encountered small bodies of the enemy's cavalry, who were, however, easily driven off. I directed Capt. Eaton, of the engineers, to destroy the bridge on the road in my rear, which he did thoroughly, thus in a measure hindering the pursuit. The enemy, however, made his ap pearance and attacked us with infantry and artillery several times during my embarkation, but in each instance we drove them off with serious loss, as they were directly under the guns of the Planter and Patroon. As soon as the steamer again floated we returned to Mackay's Point by order of Gen. Brannan, and thence by way of Hilton Head to this port. I regret to report that during the last attack of the enemy Lieutenant J. M. Blanding, Third Rhode Island artillery, at that time in charge of the Planter, was dangerously wounded in the left arm and side. He is now, however, doing well. This was the only casualty on our side during the day. at the necessity of a retreat. Major Green, Acting Lieutenant-Colonel Fortyeighth New-York volunteers, and Acting Major Captain Strickland, New-York volunteers, were especially useful. It affords me great pleasure to state that every officer and man of my command behaved during The train consisted of eight cars, six of which the day in the most commendable manner, evincwere platforms crowded with men, the two box-ing only a desire to meet the enemy, and regret cars filled with officers. There were also two light field-pieces on board. Many were seen to fall at the first fire, (among them the engineer,) and twenty-five or thirty jumped from the train, most of whom were maimed or killed; the rest, with one exception, betaking themselves to the Capt. Gould, of the Third Rhode Island artilwoods and swamps on the other side of the track. |lery, also rendered me most efficient service, as We carried away or destroyed here about thirty did also Captain Eaton, Serrell's Volunteer Engistands of arms, mostly rifles, and secured one of-neers, all of whom displayed the utmost zeal, enficer's sword and cap, and a stand of silk colors ergy, and ability in all they were called upon to belonging to the "Whippy Swamp Guards." We perform. left a number of the enemy's dead and wounded on the track. We have since learned from the Savannah papers of the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth, that among the killed at this point was Major Harrison, of the Eleventh Georgia regiment, which regiment, with the Guards named above, were on the train. Immediately after the train had passed, Capt. Eaton, by my directions, set vigorously at work tearing up the railroad track, and continued thus until the retreat was sounded. After this occurrence I concluded, if possible, to push rapidly into the town and attack the troops while in the confusion of disembarking. I had proceeded but a short distance, however, before I came in full view of the enemy's forces, avantageously posted on the other side of the public road bridge, between that and the railroad bridge. They were flanked on their left by the river, and on their right by a thick swamp, with I have the honor to be, Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WILLIAM B. BARTON, Colonel Forty-eighth New-York Volunteers, Commanding Fort. Capt. L. J. LAMBERT, Assistant Adjutant-General. A NATIONAL ACCOUNT. PORT ROYAL, Friday, October 24, 1862. Encouraged by the perfect success of the recent enterprise at St. John's River and the Bluffton salt-works, and true to the promise that he made his troops, of giving them active employment on assuming command of the Department of the South, Gen. Mitchel has just prosecuted a third expedition, of greater magnitude and of more important aim, which, while yielding fresh lustre to our arms, I grieve to say, has only partially achieved its object, and adds another long list to the names of martyrs in the Union cause. |