foot of the embankment, and some succeeded in mounting it with the few brave men of the Seventy-ninth who were there, with a portion of the Eighth Michigan. It was here that Lieut.-Col. Morrison was wounded, and many of the Seventyninth either killed or wounded, as were also some of the One Hundredth Pennsylvania. The principal casualties to the Seventy-ninth New-York occurred at this point from the enemy's musketry; while the principal casualties to the One Hundredth Pennsylvania occurred during the few minutes that the centre of the regiment was under the fire of the guns of the fort, throwing every conceivable kind of missile, and that portion of the left which remained with a portion of the left of the Seventy-ninth New-York, under partial cover of the ravine before spoken of.

The One Hundredth Pennsylvania volunteers went into battle a fragmentary command. Three hundred and odd privates, with the necessary officers, were on the advanced picket-posts, not more than fifty of whom could rejoin before we went into battle. The previous morning report, as shown by Major Leckey's report, verified by the official report, shows five hundred and eightythree privates present for duty. This would leave two hundred and eighty-three privates to go to battle, added to which the fragmentary portions of companies that were able to join from the pickets, amounting to not more than fifty men, would make the whole number of that command in battle not more than four hundred men, with the necessary complement of officers, and of these one hundred and thirty men who joined from pickets, three companies did not arrive in time to join their regiment till it was under the thickest of the fire, when they joined on the left, and suffered severely. It was of these companies that Lieut. Morrow was mortally, and Lieuts. Blair and Gilliland seriously wounded.

colors at the hedge, three hundred yards in front of the fort, and on these, with the assistance of Lieut. Leasure, Assistant Adjutant-General, and Lieut. Justice, Acting Post and Division Quartermaster, I soon succeeded in rallying the whole of my command, and formed in regular order for attack where we lay, till orders came to fall back to the hedge in the rear, which we did in good order, bringing off our wounded, but leaving our dead."

During the battle two of my mounted orderlies were wounded, and one had his horse shot under him. I may be permitted to report further, that at the time I arrived in front of the hedge near the fort, I saw nothing of any part of the supporting regiments of the First Brigade, between the advancing Highlanders and the fort, and only a portion of the Eighth Michigan, who led the attack in front of the fort, that regiment having already been more than decimated by the murderous fire through which we all had to pass. After I had formed my command behind the hedge ready to move again to the attack, I rode down to the troops lying back half a mile in reserve, behind a hedge where I had myself rallied not half an hour before, and begged them for God's sake to come up to the front and support me in a charge, and was very coolly told that those troops did not belong to my division, and could not either obey my orders or Gen. Stevens's. Of course, this was a very distant support; and I did not feel at liberty to take the responsibility of acting without the order of Gen. Stevens.

The troops under my command behaved with much intrepidity and coolness, and did not shrink from exposing themselves, as the list of casualties will show, and did not at any time evince any tendency to panic, though to maintain a position for two and a half hours under a constant stream of fire, was an affair calculated to try the disposition of soldiers pretty severely.

Accompanying this report please find the reports of the several regimental commanders, together with a list of their casualties.

As soon as the advance had been checked it was found impracticable for the few troops on the embankment to take the fort. Capt. Stevens, as I am informed, ordered them to fall back and let the artillery play upon the works, which was accordingly done in very good order. Meantime about two companies of the One Hundredth regiment Pennsylvania volunteers had rallied to their

HAZARD STEVENS, Captain and Ass't Adj.-Gen., Second Division, N.D.D.S.

hind which the enemy's field-guns were concealed. In effecting this object we encountered a galling fire from the enemy's sharp-shooters in the thickets at our front and left, and many were wounded in our ranks, but all pressed forward, the men cheering and firing with spirit.

bankment.

I desire to express to your Excellency my extreme admiration of the courage and soldierly conduct of Major Metcalf's battalion, and particularly of the Major himself. It is my belief that no officers or men could have behaved better under fire than they did, and certainly no officer could have led his command with more skill or bravery than did Major Metcalf.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
ROBERT WILLIAMS,
Col. First Mass. Cavalry, Commanding Post.

MAJOR METCALF'S REPORT.

JAMES ISLAND, 8. C., June 18, 1862. LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report, that in accordance with instructions received in the evening of the fifteenth instant, from the Acting Brigadier - General Commanding First division, headquarters brigade, my battalion was held in readiness to move at three o'clock on the morning of the sixteenth, company I (Capt. Strahan) being detailed for duty at the battery in advance of the First brigade, and a detachment under Lieut. Metcalf, of company K, remaining in charge of the battery at this point. My command comprised but five companies, B, E, F, H, and K, numbering three hundred and sixty enlisted men, with two field, three staff, and fourteen company-officers.

Leading the brigade, three companies, B, F, and K, of my battalion were deployed as skirmishers, under the direction of Major Sisson, at the entrance to the wood covering the approach to the rebel battery. The other companies marched steadily to the front, halting in a position to support the troops of the First brigade, who had fallen back, and being joined at this point by the parties thrown out as skirmishers.

After again advancing in line, under orders to support the Ninety-seventh Pennsylvania volunteers, the battalion was ordered to take position on the right of the Third regiment New-Hampshire volunteers, and for this purpose crossed the marshy ground flanking the enemy's battery. We had hardly formed in line of battle and commenced firing, when an order came to capture a

I urged them into the cover of the woods as rapidly as possible, and with great difficulty they forced their way in, encountering small parties of rebels, many of whom were shot and bayoneted, one prisoner being secured. A few of my men succeeded in reaching the inner edge of the thicket and gaining sight of the field-guns, three in number, without horses, and supported appary. I felt confident of securing them, but the Third New-Hampshire regiment having fallen back, I deemed it my duty to order my men to retire, which they did in good order, but slowly and reluctantly, bringing off such of our dead and wounded as could be seen on our way.

Feeling my utter want of experience, I have great hesitation in speaking of the conduct of those under my command, some of whom were not, like myself, for the first time under fire. I keenly appreciate the honor of leading such men into battle, and cannot too highly praise their coolness, steadiness, and courage. If any faltered, I was spared the shame of seeing it, where all did their duty so well. I mention a few whose bearing was conspicuous, without detracting from the merits of others.

Major H. T. Sisson deserves much credit for his successful management of the skirmishers during the advance, and for his constant efforts to aid me in carrying out the various orders received in the course of the morning.

I take great pleasure in speaking of the Adjutant of the battalion, First Lieut. J. Lanahan, Co. I, always prompt and cool, and sustaining me in every difficulty by his good judgment and long experience as a soldier. First Lieut. A. E. Green, commanding Co. B, was especially ener getic and active. Second Lieut. E. S. Bartholemew, Co. E, nobly proved himself deserving the commission he had received since our departure from Hilton Head, falling mortally wounded while cheering on his men into the thicket from which the enemy so severely annoyed us. H. Rogers, Jr., and First Lieut. C. R. Brayton, of Co. H, were untiring in their exertions, and zealously supported me. First Lieut. A. W. Colwell, of Co. F, and Second Lieut. D. B. Churchill, of Co. K, particularly attracted my notice by their coolness and energy.

Capt.

I am pleased to name First Sergeant G. W. Green and Sergeant J. B. Batchellee, of Co. B, First Sergeant O. A. Thompson, of Co. E, and First Sergeant W. Wheeler, Jr., of Co. K, as distinguished for gallant conduct. I shall feel justified in recommending them to the Governor of Rhode Island for promotion.

It is with a bitter feeling of regret, though with no sense of shame, that I have to report the serious loss sustained by my battalion. One sergeant, six privates, killed; two officers, four corporals, twenty-four privates, wounded; one corporal, seven privates, missing; total, forty-five.

I have the honor to be, Lieutenant, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDWIN METCALF, Major Command'g Second Battalion, Third Regt. R. I. Artillery. To Lieut. CHANNING CLAPP,

A. A. A. General,

GENERAL STEVENS'S ORDER.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, JAMES ISLAND, S. C., June 18, 1862.

GENERAL ORDER No. 26.

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The Brigadier-General commanding the Second division, in communicating to his command the thanks of the Commanding General, for the good conduct of the troops in the action of the sixteenth inst., desires to express his own profound sense of their valor, conduct and heroism.

I. Men of the Second division! You displayed in the attack on the fortified position of the enemy at Secessionville, on the sixteenth inst., the highest qualities of veteran troops. You formed in silence and secrecy in the darkness of the night. You moved forward in perfect order at the earliest dawn, and surprised and captured the enemy's pickets. You were ordered not to fire, but to push forward and use the bayonet. You obeyed the order. You formed in line of battle under a terrible and murderous fire of grape, canister and musketry. You pushed to the ditch and abattis of the work from right to left. Parties from the leading regiments of your two brigades, the Eighth Michigan and the Seventy-ninth Highlanders, mounted and were shot down on the parapet, officers and men. Those two regiments especially covered themselves with glory, and their fearful casualties show the hot work in which you were engaged. Two fifths of the Eighth Michigan and nearly one quarter of the Seventy-ninth Highlanders were struck down either killed or wounded; and nearly all the remaining regiments-One Hundredth Pennsylvania, Seventh Connecticut, Forty-sixth New-York, and Twenty-eighth Massachusetts-had a large number of casualties.

II. Notwithstanding these fearful losses you were not discouraged. Some of you were temporarily withdrawn from the murderous fire of the enemy. You retired in order of battle, and you returned to the attack in order of battle. Some held, throughout the action, the advanced position at the abattis and ditch of the work. This position was held by you unflinchingly and confidently. And at this very hedge the light battery of Rockwell threw its effective fire upon the enemy.

III. In obedience to orders from superior authority you all finally returned in good order and

in line of battle, and the enemy did not venture to interrupt you.

IV. Men of the Second division! You covered yourselves with glory on that gory field. Your intrepid and able brigade commanders, Leasure and Fenton, in the hottest of the thick fight; your regimental commanders, like the heroic Morrison, who, shot through the head on the parapet, again led his men to the assault, eager to avenge his wounds; at all points rallying and cheering on their men, and officers and men alike gave signal proof of their devotion to duty and their country. In congratulating his comrades on their heroic valor and constancy on that terrible field, the Commanding General of the division has not words to express his and your grief at the sacrifices that have been made. Our best and truest men now sleep the sleep that knows no waking. Their dead bodies lay on the enemy's parapet. Church, Pratt, Cottrel, Guild, Morrow, Horton, Hitchcock, and many other gallant and noble men we shall see no more.

Honor therefore, all honor to you, men of the Second division. You have shown what you will do when you shall have the proper opportunity. You did not seize the fort, because it was simply impossible, and known now to be impossible by the reconnoissance referred to in the orders of thanks of the Commanding General. By order of

HAZARD STEVENS,

Brigadier-General STEVENS.

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. CHARLESTON " MERCURY ACCOUNT.

CHARLESTON, June 18, 1862. Secessionville is a small village, the summer retreat of a few of the James Island planters. It is on the eastern side of the island, on a high plot of land on a bold creek, which winds through the marshes between James, or Morris, or (Solly) Island, and empties into the Stono River, near its mouth. This creek runs immediately up to Secessionville. On the west of the village, a short shallow creek makes its way toward the waters of Charleston Bay. Thus a tongue of land is formed between the two creeks. It is connected with the body of the land by a narrow neck of thirty yards width, some four or five hundred yards south of Secessionville. Here Lamar's battery is located across the high land, and flanked on each side by marsh and the creeks. It is a simple earthwork, heavily constructed, having a plain face, with an obtuse angle at each side. It faces south, in the direction of Battery Island, Legare's, River's and Grimball's plantations, on the Stono River, which is about two miles off. From this point the cleared high land stretches out toward the Stono River, like the top of a funnel, for the distance of near a mile, interrupted only by the division lines between fields, hedges and ditches. These fields are covered with weeds three feet high. The edges of the high land and marsh are skirted with brushwood and sea myrtles. In the background are