and knew it would be some time before any one could get to us to rescue us from the flames, the steam, and some unexploded ammunition of the disabled guns, under the rubbish of the broken down cabin, and other lumber, splinters, &c.

After getting ashore, which was at the edge of a bog or marsh nearly a mile in breadth, the men struggled on toward solid grond under a hot fire of shot and shell form the enemy. The officers and men lost all their what they stood in, and several in the fatigue of the passage through the swamp were completted to throw some of that away, as the mud was very deep and heavy, and to or three had their clothing blown entirely off them before leaving the boat. The boat contained, belonging to the army, myself, Lieuts. J. b. Blandingand George L. Smith, of the Third Rhode Island Artillery, and Lieutenant Williams, of the quartermaster's department, and thirty four enlisted men belonging to Company A, Third Rhode Island Artillery, of whom Lieutenants Blanding and Smith escaped without a scratch. Lieutenant Williams was lightly cut and bruised by pieces of shell or splinters of wood, and cuts. Of the men, 22 were uninjured excepting some slight bruises, 10 were baddly wounded, 1 killed instantly, 1 died on the boat after being put in by Lieutenant Blanding, adn 2 are missing. If not inconsistent with a report of this kind I would speak in terms of the highest praise of the officers and men of the First South Carolina Volunteers, who rendered valuabe aid to the wounded, half-drowned, and thoroughly exhausted officers and men, giving us dry clothing and much needed refreshents. The officers and crew of the boat, I believe, were saved unharmed except a few slight bruises. The officers adn men, as well as those of the boat, behaved admirably under as hot a fire of shot and shell as ever fell to my lot to witness. It is my opinion, as well as that of the officers under my command, that if the Hale had communicated with me before leaving on the morning of he 9th the catastrophe might have been prevented or we might have made a more successful defense. In fact, I doubt very much if they would have fired on us at all.

List of killed, wounded, and missing.*

I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOS. B. BRIGGS,

Captain, Third Rhode Island Artillery, Commanding Expedition.

Captain STUART M. TAYLOR,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Beaufort, S. C.

[14.]

JULY 10-SEPTEMBER 7, 1863.-Operations on Morris Island, S. c.

Report of Major Lewis Butler, Sixty-seventh Ohio Infantry, of second assualt on Battery Wagner, July 18.

HDQRS. SIXTY-SEVENTH Regiment OHIO VOL. INFANTY,
Hilton Head, S. C., February 2, 1863 [4].

GENERAL: Agreable to your request I have the honor to report that on the evening of July 18, [1863,] in the charge on Wagner, my regiment, the Sixty-seventh Ohio Volunteers Infantry, went into the

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* Shows 2 men killed, 10 men wounded, and 2 me missing.

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