About 9 p.m., being informed that transportation was ready, the embarkation commenced, and went on briskly and quietly until all had been embarked except the rear guard, which was commanded by Captain T. A. Huguenin, numbering 35 men-25 men of the First South Carolina [Regular] Infantry (Company A), and 10 men of the Twenty-fifth South Carolina Volunteers, under command of Lieutenant [F. B.] Brown and [R. M.] Taft.

At about 11 p.m. I turned over the command of Battery Wagner to Captain Huguenin, and ordering my adjutant-general, Major H. Bryan (a member of General Beauregard's staff, who had volunteered for special duty on Morris Island) to accompany me, I proceeded toward Cumming's Point. At the rifle-pits I received information that more transportation was ready, and I immediately ordered Major Gardner to embark his regiment and to take with him the 12-pounder howitzer, which he did, but could not bring it off the island.

The transportation, under the direction of Major M. A. Pringle, post quartermaster in Charleston, was admirably managed. Lieutenant-Colonel Dantzler, Twentieth South Carolina Volunteers, having been specially detailed by General Ripley to superintend the transportation, under his spirited and excellent management, it succeeded perfectly.

When the infantry were all embarked, I directed Captain [C. E.] Kanapaux, commanding light artillery, to spike his three howitzers and embark his command. Captain Lesesne was then ordered to spike the guns of Battery Gregg and embark his men. The rear guard from Wagner, coming up at this time, were embarked. I had ordered Captain Huguenin down, sending word by Private John A. Stewart, Gist Guards-the cavalry couriers having left without permission. There was no light kept at Gregg, so I could not well note the hour. With two or three boats, I now anxiously waited for Captain Huguenin's party. Finally, perceiving that the enemy's barges from Vincent's Creek were attacking our boats with musketry, I ordered the safety fuse to the magazine of Battery Gregg to be lighted; it was lit. The firing then ceased. As I desired the explosions at both batteries to be simultaneous, as ordered, I ordered Captain Lesesne to extinguish the fuse, intending to relight it or apply another fuse,w hen Captains Huguenin and Pinckney and Lieutenant Mazyck, who were the only persons who had not yet come to the point, arrived. Major Holcombe, who had lighted the fuse, immediately attempted to extinguish it. He informed me from the parapet of the battery that it would be difficult to cut it in twain, and that it was burning brightly. At that moment the absent party arrived, and I directed him not to interfere with the fuse, which was then burning brightly.

About 1.30 a.m., with the rear guard of my command, I embarked, thus successfully withdrawing from Morris Island, and my responsibility ended. As we started off, the Yankee barges directed their musketry fire upon us, causing the bullets to whiz around us, but doing no harm.

Bearing toward Fort Sumter, I proceeded to flag-steamer Charleston, and notified Captain [J. R.] Tucker that the evacuation of Morris Island was accomplished, and requested him to give the rocket signal to our batteries.

I then proceeded to district headquarters and repeated the information, arriving 3 a.m. on the 7th.

During the day and evening of the 6th, Captain [J. E.] Adger, the