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Zouaves, succeeded in getting some collected, and Colonel Wilson also advanced, the enemy precipitately retreating.

"Major Arnold, Captain Robertson, and Lieut. Shipley's companies promptly followed and attacked, and as they were embarking, the other companies arriving upon the ground successively, Captain Robertson opened a heavy fire at short musket range on the crowded masses, and Lieutenant Shipley, some fifteen minutes later, joined him, and their fire must have been very effective. This was continued so long as they were within range. When they got beyond it, the Major ordered the men to cease firing, and to give them three cheers, to which there was no response. During the time of this occurrence, Major Power came up with two small companies of Zouaves, and subsequently Colonel Wilson, with a portion of his regiment.

"When it is considered that less than 200 regulars with some 50 volunteers pursued five times their number four miles and expelled them, under a heavy fire, from the island they had desecrated, it will, I trust, be considered an evidence of their having gallantly performed their duty. The plan of attack of the enemy was judicious, and, if executed with ordinary ability, might have been attended with serious loss; but he failed in all save the burning of one half of the tents of the Sixth Regiment, which, being covered with bushes, were very combustible, and in rifling the trunks of the officers. He did not reach within 500 yards of the batteries, the guns of which he was to spike, nor within a mile of the fort he

was to enter pell-mell, the fugitives retreating before his victorious arms. I have now in my possession nine spikes taken from the bodies of the dead, designed for our guns.

"Our loss is, of regulars, four killed, twenty-six wounded-most very slightly, and eight missing, among whom is Major Vodges; of the Sixth Regiment New York Volunteers, ten killed, six wounded, and sixteen missing.

"The enemy's loss, as known to us, is fourteen killed, including one captain, seven wounded, including one lieutenant

two have since died-and five officers and twenty-two enlisted men, prisoners; and, as he was known to have carried off some of his dead, and probably most of his wounded, those in our hands being severely so, and unable to be removed, and as the heaviest loss is supposed to have been in the boats at the re-embarkation, it was probably three times as great in killed and wounded as I have named.

"I close, with the agreeable duty of naming to you the officers engaged, who so faithfully performed their duty. I mention Major Vodges first-who unfortunately was taken prisoner before a gun on our part was fired-to say that, as second in command, and my executive officer, he has efficiently and industriously performed his duty during the whole time of my command, and his services have been very valuable. Major Arnold, who succeeded to the command after the capture of his superior, conducted the affair with great gallantry, prudence, and ability; he speaks in the highest terms of Captains Robertson and Heildt, and

be made, and shortly after he reported that the alarm was false. About halfpast three o'clock he again reported that volleys of musketry were heard at the camp of the Sixth Regiment New York Volunteers. I immediately ordered the roll to be beaten, Major Vodges to take two companies and proceed to the spot, and Major Arnold to man the guns on the ramparts on the space.

"About half an hour after this time the firing was heavy, and the light of the burning camp seen. I sent a staff officer to communicate with Major Vodges, who returned very soon and said he had fallen in with a large body of the enemy on the inside shore, and could not find the Major. I immediately ordered Major Arnold to proceed to support Major Vodges, with two companies, and at the same time sent an order to Colonel Wilson to advance and attack the enemy. I also dispatched a staff officer on board the steamer McClellan, with orders for him to take position opposite the landingplace, and open on the enemy; unfortunately at the same time directing him to go to the Potomac, lying near, and ask for some men to assist him in case landing was necessary. Captain Powell directed him to tow his ship to the scene of action, which so delayed him that he did not arrive until after the enemy had vacated. Captain Powell acted from the best of motives, and, under ordinary circumstances, from correct principles, but the result was unfortunate, as the McClellan could have driven the rebel steamers away, and we must have made prisoners of most of the invaders.

"At the request of Major Arnold, late in the morning I sent forward a light field gun, which, however, did not reach until the affair was over.

"As I propose only briefly to allude to the volunteers, I respectfully refer you to the official report of the colonel of the regiment. The picket of this regiment, and the guards, sustained its principal, if not entire loss, and behaved well. Captain Daly's company, on duty with the regulars, did good service, and the captain is spoken of by Major Arnold in terms of high approbation. He had two men killed. men killed. Captain Bailey's company was at a battery, and was not called out; he was performing his appropriate duty during the fight. Major Vodges, with Companies A, First Artillery, and E, Third Infantry, proceeded behind the Spanish fort, about a mile from this fort, when, from the obscurity of the night, he found himself and command completely intermingled with the enemy. He was immediately recognized and made prisoner, the command devolving on Captain Hildt, of the Third Infantry, who disengaged his command from their perilous position and opened a heavy fire on the enemy, and finally, with great gallantry, forced them to retreat-he being ably supported by Lieut. Zeeley, my assistant adjutant-general, who volunteered for the occasion-with a loss of ten killed.

"Major Arnold at this moment came up, and, the enemy retreating, followed on. During this time, Major Power and Lieutenant Jackson, whom I had successively sent on to push forward the

and fired upon by a succession of volleys as they were embarking and making sail, they suffered greatly. One of their launches loaded with men being completely riddled by bullets, sunk, and it was estimated that they lost 150 men in all. Twenty-two were killed, five wounded, thirty-three were left on the island, and others were drowned or carried away to the mainland. The Federal loss in all, although the enemy claimed to have killed a hundred men, was computed to amount to thirteen killed, thirty wounded, and nineteen taken prisoners.

The enemy seemed little satisfied with the result, and recorded it with less than their usual exultation:

"Our men," wrote one of their chroniclers,*"retired in great confusion, and the line was a confused mass, moving without orders, and almost without object. We expected every moment to be shelled by Pickens and the fleet, which could have swept the island and not left a man. Fortunately for us they had sent out several companies to intercept our boats and cut off our retreat. These lay behind the sand hills and embankment, and fired upon our disorganized masses. Several attempts were made to rally into line, but without effect. The island is alternate marshes, ravines, and hills, with occasional long sandy plains. Whenever we met these squads we had to carry the place by storm, yet their advantage was too manifest.

They could hide behind sand hills, completely protecting themselves from our bullets, and fire into our disorganized

Atlanta Intelligencer.

body for several minutes before we could come upon them. Several times we met these hostile squads and mistook them for friends, occasioning us heavy loss. One time, I remember in particular, we were assailed by a body of Zouaves who stood in a swamp; as they commenced firing we gave the watchword, and were answered 'friends.' I thought perhaps they had forgotten the reply, yet they continued to shoot down the men around me at a fearful rate. I noticed them more closely, and could perceive the peculiarity of their dress, and could tell by the whiz of their bullets that they were armed with rifles that were not like

ours.

"We then turned upon them and soon cleaned out the company. This was the severest tug of all, and we suffered severely before we discovered their complexions. In the spot I fought from I saw some seven or eight of our men fall within five feet of me, while several others fell around. This was about the last skirmish we had, yet straggling bodies fired for miles, doing but little damage. Scattered as we were for such a distance, and exhausted as were our men, they could have completely cut us off with cavalry or flying artillery had they had either. It took a long time for us to reembark. As we were huddled together in open scows, they fired upon us after we were out of reach, and shot several of Their large Enfield rifles carry a ball a great distance, and elevate my musket as I would, the bullet fell short of the beach, while their balls fell among us or passed just over our heads. Here

our men.

558

THE enemy, apparently desirous of emulating the imposing naval ex1861. peditions of the Federalists, ventured in their turn to make an assault upon Santa Rosa Island, opposite to Pensacola. Here the Fire Zouaves, recruited in the city of New York, and commanded by that civic notability, Colonel "Billy Wilson," had lately arrived and encamped about a mile from the Federal Fort Pickens. The object of the enemy was to surprise and capture those robust fellows, against whom a bitter hostility had been engendered at the South by their supposed unscrupulous designs. The secessionist leader, General Anderson, had mustered some fifteen hundred men, who volunteered their services from the various camps in the neighborhood of Pensacola. Embarking his force at Oct. night upon several steamers, laun9. ches, and small boats, he landed about two o'clock in the morning at Deer Point Santa Rosa Island, four miles

above the encampment of the Wilson Zouaves. Anderson immediately advanced, dividing his troops into three columns, each taking a different direction. Meeting first with the picket guards and driving them back, they soon came upon. the encampment itself, which the several divisions of the enemy surrounded and began to attack. The Zouaves were taken by surprise, and although they fought well, were forced to fall back and seek the cover of the two batteries, Lincoln and Totten, situated on either side of the island, about 400 yards from Fort Pickens. The enemy having soon rifled the encampment, set fire to the tents and barracks. In the mean time, the Zouaves, as they were retreating, were met by a reinforcement of regulars sent out from Fort Pickens, and the combined force returned to the charge. The enemy, as soon as they discovered their danger, made for the boats with great speed and in much confusion. Followed closely,