ordered to retire, which we did in good order. The officers and men behaved very well.

Herewith I have the honor to transmit an account of loss - killed, wounded, and missing.*

I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

M. MOORE,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Twenty-eighth Regiment Mass. Vols.

Colonel WILLIAM M. FENTON,

Commanding First Brigade.

Numbers 12. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Graves, Eighth Michigan Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH MICHIGAN VOLUNTEERS,
James Island, S. C., June 16, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to present the following report of the action of the Eighth Regiment of Michigan Volunteers in the attack upon the Tower battery of the enemy near Secessionville, S. C., to-day:

The regiment marched from camp at 2 a. m. In accordance with orders from Brigadier General I. I. Stevens, commanding Second Division, Companies C and H (Company H in front) were advanced within supporting distance of the regiment, with positive orders from general Stevens to push rapidly forward, using only the bayonet, and not to fire a shot unless compelled to do so by an attack of a much superior force. Upon arriving at the first negro hoses in advance of our camp a halt was ordered, when Major Watson, of this regiment, who was there on duty as field officer of the day, was ordered to report to me, which he did promptly, and joined the regiment, acting as lieutenant-colonel. I moved my command rapidly forward without opposition to the first houses beyond our lines, where we found a picket of the enemy, condition of a lieutenant and 3 men, who, after firing two shots at us, wounding 5 men of Company H, ran away. Two of them were soon captured by some of Company H. The others having gained considerable distance, the men were unable to catch them, when I dashed after them, soon overtook, captured, and sent them to the rear.

The regiment soon arrived at the open field in front of the enemy's works, when I formed my advance and battalion companies forward into line, and moved forward at a charge bayonet at the battery. By this time we could see the enemy formed in his entrenchments ready to receive us. The lines advanced steadily and in good order to within good musket-range, when the enemy delivered a close and deadly fire of musketry along his whole front, accompanied with rapid and heavy discharges of grape and canister and the fire of sharpshooters from cover. Still the regiment moved rapidly on, preserving their order and leaving the ground in their rear strewn with their dead and wounded, and did not stop until they gained the parapet and delivered their fire upon the enemy in his works. But they were unable to contend against such great odds, and being entirely unsupported for a considerable time they fell back slowly, contesting every inch of ground a short distance, where they maintained ground until ordered to retreat, which

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 51.

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