from the prisoners and other sources I am enabled to submit the following statement:

About 8 o'clock on Monday morning the enemy advanced toward Whitemarsh Island in two parties. One consisted of eleven surfboats, each carrying 20 men, and passed over the flats at high tide. The morning being hazy, and the high grass of the march covering them, they were enabled to effect a landing without being seen about 100 yards below the picket at Fleetwood's, and immediately advanced upon that picket, which fired upon them. The picket, consisting only of 3 men and 1 non-commissioned officer, immediately retreated upon the Oatland bridge, closely pursued by the enemy, who also drove in the sentinels at the bridge. Some of 20 of the enemy dashed across the bridge toward the battery. Lieutenant Richardson, commanding section of artillery, was informed by the retreating picket of the advance of the enemy and immediately opened fire of canister upon them, driving them back very rapidly to the cover of the woods.

One lieutenant and 2 privates of the Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers surrendered themselves rather than recross the bridge under fire of our artillery. The rest of this party kept up a fire of skirmishers upon the artillery, by which we lost 1 man and 1 horse killed. Lieutenant Richardson finally drove them off by a fire of shell. They then advanced toward the picket at Gibson's house, composed of a detachment of the Fifty-seventh Regiment Georgia Volunteers, under the command of Captain Tucker.

About the same time that the party landed below the Fleetwood picket the lookout at the Gibson house reported three steamers crowded with men at the point of Wilmington Island and coming up. Captain Tucker immediately sent a courier to Captain Turner, at Turner's Rocks, to inform him of the fact, and disposed his men to resist the enemy's approach, who were then landing. Just then the force of the enemy which had been driven back from the bridge advanced upon the rear of Captain Tucker's position and were for some time believed to be a re-enforcement, but becoming convinced of the contrary, Captain Tucker ordered his men to fire upon them. About half of them did so. The enemy replied, and Captain Tucker's men broke in wild confusion. Notwithstanding the most earnest efforts of Captain Tucker and his officers, it was impossible to rally them until they reached the main road and effected a junction with the picket from Turner's Rocks, under Lieutenant Readick, which had been ordered by Captain Turner to concentrate with the other pickets at the cross-roads.

At the first information received by him, Colonel Pritchard had ordered that portion of the Fifty-seventh Regiment at their camp near Fort Bartow to cross over, and had formed them in line of battle. He now ordered Captain Turner to take his company and advance to the Gibson house and reconnoiter the enemy. Captain Turner found them there in force and fired upon them. The main force at the landing returned Captain Turner's fire briskly. At the same time the boats commenced shelling vigorously. Before re-enforcements could be brought up the enemy re-embarked and disappeared, leaving behind them a number of haversacks, canteens, blankets, and clothing, some of them saturated with blood, and three excellent surf-boats with oars.

The enemy were piloted by 2 negroes whom the prisoners described so accurately that their identity is well established. These