ably re-enforced from Dixon's Island, and as the enemy's gun-boats and land batteries controlled the peninsula, and it was of little consequence to us to hold it.

On the 4th, enemy continued shelling our pickets heavily and bombarded Pringle and the lines all day, and made several attacks at night upon our picket-lines near Grimball's Causeway, which were repulsed with loss. Captain Lewis, Thirty-second Georgia, commanded our pickets at the point of assault and deserves much credit for his stout and successful resistance. Major Manigault, siege train, commanded the general picket-line. The enemy shelled our lines and pickets with mortars all night.

On July 5th and 6th, the enemy maintained the show of strength on the peninsula, which, as far as could be ascertained, had not been diminished, and made several demonstrations upon our lines, which were checked. He continued to shell our pickets and batteries without cessation. Several transports (some with troops) came up the river and stopped at Battery and John's Islands.

On the 7th, the position of the enemy remained unchanged. Several additional transports arrived in the StoNumbers The fire upon our pickets continued, and the attack of the enemy with his monitors, the Pawnee, and other gun-boats and mortar-boats upon Battery Pringle was very heavy; but little damage, however, was done the work, and the fire was returned with evident effect. Colonel Harrison, with his regiment, Bonaud's battalion, and the Forty-seventh Georgia Regiment, were ordered to General Robertson, commanding on John's Island.

On the 8th, the position of the enemy's lines remained unchanged, with exception of entrenchments near Battery Island, which indicated that he had weakened his force here to re-enforce John's Island. This morning the enemy, with two monitors and his fleet of wooden gun-boats, opened a terrific fire upon Battery Pringle, which was continued for several hours without intermission, causing no serious damage to the work, but with extraordinary accuracy of fire disabling several guns. This fire war returned with spirit by the garrison. I had made arrangements for supplying heavier guns to this work, and a 7-inch Brooke gun had reached the fort, but had not been mounted, owing to an injury to the gin, and another (10-inch columbiad) was on its way to the work before these guns were disabled.

The number of vessels in the Stono was now twenty-two, and being satisfied by this persistent and severe attack upon Pringle that the plans of the enemy were developed, and that he would bend all his efforts to the reduction of that battery in connection with his movements on John's Island, and that several days would probably elapse before the issue could be determined and the enterprise abandoned; and believing it to be necessary to place at that battery the most experienced artillerists, I directed Colonel Rhett, First South Carolina Artillery, who had been assigned by me, as senior officer, to the command of the Western Sub-District, to relieve the command at Pringle, already much exhausted, with companies of experienced artillerists of his command. Major Blanding, First South Carolina Artillery, with two companies of his regiment, were ordered to that duty. On this day the enemy's boats directed their attention also to Battery Tynes, under command of Captain Richardson, Lucas' battalion, who returned the fire, and at night this battery shelled the enemy's position on John's Island, as it was afterward ascertained, with great accuracy.