Numbers 7. Reports of Captain James M. Robertson, Second U. S. Artillery.

BATTERY LINCOLN,

Santa Rosa Island, Fla., October 10, 1861.

SIR: I have the honor to report that about 3.30 o'clock a. m. yesterday I was awakened by the report of musketry ont he island. i at once ran out and joined my company, which was just forming in rear of their bomb-proof. Almost immediately after I was joined by Company G, Sixth Regiment New York Volunteers Militia, under command of Captain J. H. Dobie, assisted by Lieutenant Black. When the companies were properly formed I moved forward, with the exsection of the detachments for the 12-pounder howitzers and rifled 42-pounder, to the cover of a sand hill near my camp, and ordered the men to lie down, at the same time sending out 5 men with a non-commissioned officer, with orders to take positions on the best grounds for observing the approach of an enemy from 100 to 300 yards in advance. After making these dispositions I waited for orders. About 4.30 a. m. Major Vodges, First Artillery, passed with a detachment of regular troops from Fort Pickens and took with him Captain Dobie and his company. Soon after this I received ordered from Colonel Brown to be ready and five on any boat which should leave this island for the opposite shore. When you arrived (H, Second Artillery, to which I am assigned for temporary duty), and joined your column with the remainder-48 men.

From this time till I was detached from your column with my company you are aware of what transpired. After leaving you I threw forward a portion of my company as skirmishers and advanced up the island about 1 miles, diminishing and extending my front according to the nature of the ground, when I discovered three steamers, each I at once put my company into a double-quick, advanced about half a mile in that manner, and took shelter behind a ridge of sand from 200 to 250 yards from the largest steamer (Time) and the flat sh had in tow, and which at that time was aground, and remained so for full fifteen minutes. I at once opened fire, cautioning the men to take cool and deliberate aim. Never was an order better obeyed. The men delivered their fire, lay down and loaded, then rose, took aim, and fired with as much coolness as on an ordinary drill of the company. For the fifteen minutes that the flat was aground, and nearly up to the time that you arrived with the remainder of your column, the enemy returned our fire very briskly, but owing to the almost perfect cover behind which my men were placed I have no casualties to report. During the whole fire my attention with the remainder of your column, the enemy returned our fire very briskly, but owing to the almost perfect cover behind which my men were placed I have no casualties to report. During the whole fire my attention was particularly attracted to one man, Private Michael M. Add, of Company H. First placing himself behind a small pine tree, turning his side to load, he would then step out, rest his piece against the side of the tree, take deliberate aim, and fire, almost every time remarking that "There goes another of them down." While loading he would frequently remark "Well, my tree saved me that time." He afterwards informed me that he dire sixteen rounds. After the action was over I examined the tree behind which Add stood, and found seven musket-balls queried in it in front of where his body was. When all the men behaved as well as the men of Company H did the whole time while under fire, it is hard to particularize. I cannot, however, pass this occasion to give special thanks to Sergt. Charles Wendall, and