HEADQUARTERS MORRIS ISLAND,
Battery Wagner, August 26, 1863-10 p.m.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that I arrived here about 2 o'clock last evening and relieved Brigadier-General Hagood. I found the following troops on the island:

Infantry:

54th Georgia, Lieutenant-Colonel Rawls, present, about. 340

61st North Carolina, Lieutenant-Colonel Devane,

present, about........................................ 263

Charleston battalion, Captain Blake, present, about.... 208

Sharpshooters, Lieutenant Dugger, present, about....... 13

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Total.................................................. 824

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Artillery:

Company H, Second South Carolina, Captain Kennady,

present, about........................................ 46

Company C, Lucas' battalion, Captain [T. B.] Hayne,

present, about........................................ 76

Gist Guard, Lieutenant Gilchrist, present, about....... 36

Detachment Marion Artillery, Lieutenant [M. L.]

Wilkins, present, about............................... 32

Detachment Company B, South Carolina, Siege Train,

Captain [A. J.] Hartley, present, about................ 14

Detachment Company K, First South Carolina Artillery,

Lieutenant Erwin...................................... 13

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Total.................................................. 217

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Cavalry:

Detachment Fifth South Carolina Cavalry, couriers,

present, about........................................ 10

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Grant total............................................ 1,051

The Charleston Battalion was relieved last night by the Twenty-third Georgia Regiment.

On assuming command here, I found that the two 8-inch siege howitzers had been dismounted, and one ruined, and that four other guns on land face were in very poor condition, leaving but three guns on said face in good order.

Only one of the 10-inch columbiads I found in good order. Owing to the want of carriages, &c., the condition of the guns remains the same at this time.

I kept up an irregular fire on the enemy arriving last night and to-day, with one mortar, and such guns as prudence would permit during last night.

The enemy returned the fire with a variety of guns from his land batteries, generally giving us three or four shots for one. About the middle of this afternoon, the enemy's fire on this place and Battery Gregg became quite warm, and about an hour before sunset the concentrated their whole fire on this work and our rifle-pits in front. This fire was not only exceedingly rapid, but very accurate, the enemy using every variety of projectiles. This fire continued about half an hour, when I discovered that my pickets had opened from the rifle-pits. This was immediately followed by volley after volley of musketry for about five minutes, when it partially ceased. As soon as it commenced, however, I ordered the night pickets, consisting of 175 men, to form immediately, to march to the support of the pits (this picket generally relieves and supports the pits at dark, it was then not yet sundown). I soon discovered that the partial cessation of musketry above alluded to was owing to the fact that the enemy had overwhelmed and captured a portion of our pits to the right, being distant from their only about 30 yards. Our pits on the left held out but a few moments longer; in fact, in ten minutes from the