of which the river was full. The shot and shell struck and burst all around us, and but one boat was struck - that contained some of the Sixth Connecticut Volunteers - killing one and wounding one or two. Rodman was now sent ashore to see what he could ascertain. Lieutenant Hicks, Captain Chamberlain, and a part of Company A, accompanying him, soon returned. About this time the general's boat got two extra discharges of grape. It seemed to completely envelop it, yet, strange, no one was struck. Just at this moment Rodman said to the general, "Let me land my command and take that battery." The general hesitated at first and then said, "Go." Then Rodman stood in the stern of his boat, and in a loud voice gave the command, as the boats were all in line and good order, "Seventh Connecticut, man your oars, and follow me."

We had previously detailed 50 men as oarsmen, leaving us about 175 effective men and officers. At the order, we all headed for the shore, and, as the boats struck, every man sprang as if my instinct, and in an instant were in line. Captain Chamberlain sent forward skirmishers, under Lieutenant Van Keuren, and we advanced rapidly to the first line of rifle works; our skirmishers cleared it with a bound, and advanced to the second line; our main forces moved to the first line; the foe retired, firing. Rodman now sent word back for the general to land his whole forces, as we could hold the line we then occupied. Colonel Rodman sent Company B to the left and Company I to the right, to engage the enemy at short range and drive them out, if possible, while A and K held the line we then occupied. After exchanging a few shots, and the brigade being now landed and ready to advance, the enemy began to give way, and Captain Burdick followed them close on the left and captured a number of prisoners and one or two secesh camps. Lieutenant Jordan, with a detachment of Company I, pushed right up into their batteries on our right, and, not finding the first gun in a working condition (it having been disabled by a shot), he pushed forward to what is now called Battery Rodman, in which there was an 8-inch seacoast howitzer, and turned it on the retreating foe, and burst several shells over their heads before they reached Fort Wagner. Our boys now being wearied out and hardly able to drag one foot after another, a halt on our part was ordered.

Our forces captured eight single-gun batteries and three mortars, and not far from 200 prisoners. There are several regiments which claim to have captured this or that battery, but the Seventh Connecticut Volunteers were the first to land, the first in their batteries, and sent their card after Mr. Secesh in the shape of a few 8-inch shells, from a gun which they had just left in good working order, as they rapidly retreated under cover of Fort Wagner. Others did gather up prisoners and take possession of batteries that were bagged and isolated by Company B on the left, Captain Burdick, as they drove up the main road, across the island, to the north side, entirely cutting off all that were on the lower side of the island. All behaved well, both officers and men. All of the officers of the battalion were present, including Dr. Porter. Our loss on the 10th was 7 [wounded], as follows.*

We bivouacked for the night under easy range of Fort Wagner, and but this moment a shell has burst directly in front of my tent. Their crack and their pieces have a peculiar kind of a whistle, that

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* Nominal list omitted. See revised statement on p. 210.

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