ing Major Barnwell and Captains Yates and Read, of the Regular Army; Major Lee, of the engineers; Colonel Gaston Allen, who kindly acted as my special aide, and my entire staff, who did their duty well.

I may further mention as deserving of great praise Captain Bedon and his officers and Captain Harms and his officers, Captain Werner and his officers, especially Lieutenant Melchers, who fired the last gun. Private Heidenreich and Corporals Peterson and Stelljes, of the German Artillery, deserve to be praisefully mentioned, likewise several members of the Ninth [Eleventh] Regiment, whose names I have not been able to remember. Captains Canaday and White and their officers, Lieutenant Scanlan, of the ordnance, and Sergeants Cameron and Bruggermann, have also done well. Indeed, where all were heroes, with very few exceptions, it is the voice of our country only which is strong enough to proclaim their "well done."

The entire force in the works consisted of 220 men, as detailed by my special alarm regulations, and these had to resist an overpowering array of seventeen war vessels, with nearly 400 guns of the best and heaviest caliber. All the guns, as is usual in sand batteries, worked hard, adding much to the labor of the men, who had already worked hard and enjoyed little or no rest for several days proceeding. I had great reason to be grateful to Captain Read's regulars for their brave and valuable aid.

Under the circumstances of our retreat nothing whatever could be saved by the men. They had been working at the guns in most cases in shirt sleeves; the sand had covered their knapsack and muskets, sometimes two or three feet deep, and very few arms were therefore bough off and very few knapsacks and clothing saved. They are entirely destitute, and should be cared for by the State. The officers have also lost all, in some cases even their swords. The Confederate flag was rent into so many shreds that no piece could be found. The Palmetto flag, however, had been bough home, decorated with many a token of the enemy's wrath.

The battle of Port Royal, it is true, has been lost, but the enemy, I sincerely believe, have paid very dear for their success, and we may console ourselves with the conviction that we have not only done our duty manfully under the most terrific circumstances, but we have for five hours defended a position against the most scientific and bravest seamen which one of our best generals and engineers had pronounced untenable.

I am, sir, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN A. WAGNER,

Colonel First Artillery, S. C. M., late Comdt. Fort Walker.

Captain H. E. YOUNG,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 4. Report of Colonel William C. Heywrad, Eleventh South Carolina Infantry, of the bombardment of Fort Walker.

HDQRS. NINTH REGIMENT S. C. VOLS.,* THIRD MIL. DIST., DEPT. SOUTH CAROLINA, Camp Lee, November 26, 1861.

SIR: On the morning of Thursday, the 7th November, I was placed in command of Fort Walker, Colonel J. A. Wagener and Major A. M. Huger

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*This organization is borne on the Confederate registers as the Eleventh Regiment.

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