Numbers 2. Report of Colonel T. W. Higginson, First South Carolina Infantry (Union).*

ON BOARD STEAMER BEN DE FORD,

February 1, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report the safe return of the expedition under my command, consisting of 462 officers and men of the First Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, who left Beaufort on January 23, on board the steamers John Adams, Planter, and Ben De Ford:

The expedition has carried the regimental flag and the President's proclamation far into the interior of Georgia and Florida. The men have been repeatedly under fire; have had infantry, cavalry, and even artillery arrayed against them, and have in every instance come off not only with unblemished honor, but with undisputed triumph.

At Township, Fla. a detachment of the expedition fought a cavalry company which met it unexpectedly on a midnight march through pine woods and which completely surrounded us. They were beaten off, with a loss on our part of 1 man killed and 7 wounded, while the opposing party admits 12 men killed, including Lieutenant Jones, in command of the company, besides many wounded. So complete was our victory that the enemy scattered and hid in the woods all night, not venturing back to his camp, which was 5 miles distant, until noon next day, a fact which was unfortunately unknown until too late to follow up our advantage. Had I listened to the urgent appeals of my men and pursued the fleeing enemy we could have destroyed his camp; but in view of the darkness,his uncertain numbers, and swifter motions, with you injunctions of caution. I judged it better to rest satisfied with the victory already gained.

On another occasion a detachment of about 250 men, on board the John Adams, fought its way 40 miles up and down a river regarded by the naval commanders as the most dangerous in the department-the Saint Mary's-a river left untraversed by our gunboats for many months, as it requires a boat built like the John Adams to ascend it successfully. The stream is narrow, swift, winding and bordered at many places with high bluffs, which blazed with rifle-shots. With our glasses, as we approached these points, we could see mounted men by the hundred galloping through the woods from point to point to await us, and though fearful of our shot and shell, they were so daring against musketry that one rebel actually sprang from the shore upon the large boat which was towed at our stern, where he was shot down by one of my sergeants. We could see our shells scatter the rebels as they fell among them, and some terrible execution must have been done, but not a man of this regiment was killed or wounded, though the steamer is covered with bullet-marks, one of which shows were our brave Captain Clifton, commander of the vessel, fell dead beside his own pilot-house, shot through the brain by a Minie ball. Major Strong, who stood beside him, escaped as if by magic, both of them being unnecessarily exposed without my knowledge.

The secret of our safety was in keeping the regiment below, except the gunners; but this required the utmost energy of the officers, as the men were wild to come on deck, and even implored to be landed on shore and charge on the enemy.

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*In February, 1864, the designation of this regiment was changed to the "Thirty-third United States Colored Infantry."

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