Numbers 2. Report of Captain William A. Lane, Twentieth Battalion Georgia Cavalry.

CAMP JACKSON, June 19, 1863.

MAJOR: In compliance with your order I proceed to give a statement of about affair at Darien:

About noon on the 11st instant two steamers and two gunboats made their appearance in Doboy Sound, and without halting proceeded with great rapidity southward along the chanell known as the inland pass from Savannah to Brunswick. Mr. Pease (a large owner of real estate in Darien and familiar with all the navigable streams thereabout) was with me, and expressed the opinion that they were going southward and not to Darien. When they reached the Alabama, however, instead of proceeding southward they turned in the direction of Darien, and in a few minutes were vigorously shelling our pickets just east of the town, and in thirty minutes from the commencement if the shelling the town of Darien was being burned. The position of said picket being open and exposed, they retired and took position on the Ridge road out of sight of the gunboats.

So soon as I discovered that the fleet had turned in the direction of Darien I dispatches couriers to the respective pickets, ordering them to rendezvous at a point between the ridge and Darien, and succeeded in getting 15 together. the woods surrounding Darien (which I may here remark is an open pine barren for several miles) were shelled during the burning of the town. I threw out pickets on all the roads leading out from Darien, with instructions to reach the town if practicable. When near the town on one of the roads I was informed by picket from one of the other roads that a party of the enemy, supposed to be 200 strong, had attempted to get in their rear and that the picket had fallen back.

There were no white people living in Darien; all of its former inhabitants who remain in that vicinity are at the ridge. They were in hourly expectation of the enemy there, and they could have reached there easily without the knowledge of the picket unless all the roads were picketed. By so doing the picket could speedily be drawn to any road by which they might advance to retard their movements.

From the best information I have I suppose that 300 or 400 landed. They remained until the town was consumed, when they (the vessels) went out into the sound.

Respectfully, major, your obedient servant,

W. M. LANE,

Captain Company D.

Major JOHN M. MILLEN,

Commanding Battalion.

Numbers 3. Report of Captain W. G. Thomson, Twentieth Battalion Georgia Cavalry.

HDQRS. TWENTIETH BATTALION GEORGIA CAVALRY,
Camp Jackson, June 13, 1863.

GENERAL: I have to report that the enemy have burnt Darien to the ground; there is only one church and two or three small buildings