The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-11-26
Gen. wright's Brigade, Hamiton's Battery,
the Rhode Island Battery and "a norfion Of

the Rhode Island Battery, and portion ol
Gen. Stevens force occupy the tents which
the rebels left standing, and also new en-
campment half q mile to the right Of the fort
on the sea shore. The Seventy -niuth High
landers have been sent to Bay Point and
will form the garrison Of that place. The sol.
diers are in first rate condition and excellent
spirits, 10 spite Of their long detention on ship
board.
SHORE REcoNsorsANcEs.
Two successful reconnoisaDces were made
forthwith on Hilton Head Island. The lar.
ger oee, under the direction Of Capt. @. A.
Gill, more, Chief Engineer, E. c., escorted
by the Seventh Connecticut Regiment, Col.
Terry, set out upon the Reconnaissance, the
principal object Of which was to proceed across
the Island TO Seabrook, on Skull Creek. a
distance of six miles by the nearest prac,ica-
ble route, and locate suitable portions for
batteries to control the island water comm =
nicaton by way o. Skull Greek. between Sa-
vsnnah and Charleston. @ .
The party reached Seabrook Landing about
2 o'clock p. M, without encoun ering any Of
the enemy, or any white person whatever. -
| The negroes said thc,e were no rebel troops
on any of tho northern portions Of HiltoD's
Head Island. About 800 rebels. with some
wounded, passed over the road the previous
evening, uncer the influence Of terrible pan
ic. Kuapsacks, blankets, hsversacks, csnteens,
cartridge box 8, &c., were found scatterel on
the road aud on the wharf at Seabrook.
A battery Of FIVE or six heavy guns at Sea
brook would be quite sufficient TO close this
inland water passage between Charleston and
Savannah.
Lieut.. J. H. Wilson, Chief Typographical
Engineer, D. G., directed n . other reconnoi
ssnce, accompanied by Pennsy ylvapia battal
ion. They marched from fif cen to sixteen
miles. On their way they found dead So
cesson soldier. in field, and near by six 9TH
els in house, who had BEEN wounded, one
OF whom died soon after the discovery. Four
of the Others were sullen, in consequence OF
the pain Of their wounds, and refused TO talk.
One, however, was communicative. He said
that the loss Of the rebels o. the day before
was very great, both in killed and wounded .
In his company, alone. 7 hal been killed. and
o, 10 wounded. He confirmed the report 8
s'"en by ".I~ra Of the P,oc;pit-,. 6sht Of the
enemy. and of the number on the Island at
the time Of the fight. Lieut.. Wilson's party
saw two rebels on horseback. but did not suc
ceed in capturing them They found the
roads incumbered with camp equipago, bag
gage and cartridge boxes, in such a manner a.
10 indicate very clearly that the chivalrv fed
for heir lives. The white people had all
deserted their houses. but there is no doubt
from what was learned of tho negroes, that
the rebels left the island on the evening Of The
cannonade.
The Notifications at Hilton Head and Bay
Point were commenced as early as last July,
and since that time the Ninth South Carolina
Volunteers, Col. Hayward, and the Twelfth.
Col. Elliott, have been stationed here These
troops were under the command Of Brig. Gen.
Thos. F. Drayton, whose residence is upon
Hilton Head Island, and who was present du-
ring the bombardmont. This General Dray-
ton is said TO be an accomplished soldier, bav-
ing had the benefit of West Point ednca-
ton, aud singular circums' ance Of the battle
was the fact that his brother Percival Dray-
ton, commander Of the United States war
steamer Pocahontas, was arayed against him.
! As soon as the fleet made its appearance off
Port Royal Bay, Gen. dayton sent TO
Charleston for reinforcements, and the day
previous to the fight 500 German artiIlerists,
com .nanded by Col. Wagener, came down.
Five thousand more troops, under Gen. Rip
ley, were expected, tut fore some reason they
! failed to appear, aud the South Caroinians
were forced into the fight with less than 1000
mer at both their positions.
UP THE RIVER TO BEAUFORT.
On Saturday afternoon, Nov. 9th, a recon.
noisance was made by the gunboats Curlew,
Seneca and Pempina sixteen miles up Broad
! River To Beaufort. Scattered here and there
on the route were the resilences Of the wealthy
planters, deserted by their owners, and left to
the tender merces Of the negroes. The town
of Bea Ifort. is private watering place. That
is, the wealthy planters, for miles around,
have erected commodious Summer resi- lences
there, apd in the highth Of the season che town
accommodates from 5000 to4 900 inhabitants.
The remainder of the year the white and
colored population together does not exceed
500. When the reconnoitering party landed
they found the extreme terror Of an attack
consequent upon the d feat Of their country
mon at the mouth Of the bay, had promp ed
a stampede Of all the white people, with one
solitary exception, the day before. The ex-
ception was a man who doubles would have
gone also, but he was too drunk to move.-
He was t, ken on board the Pembins and
questioned, but he was too stupid to give
cohereu. story. The negroes were then fock
ing in from the plantations and pil'aging the
houses They told dreadful stories Of how
their owners had attempted TO icter them
from coming 10 by shooting few down; but
they had heard that the "Ysnk es' would
give them liberty, aud for such a boon they
took the risk Of bullet.
Before left Hilton Head saw "a many
as one hundred negroes, who had come into
our camps. and they were constantly arriving.
At Bay Point l was informed there were rs
many more. AZ soon rs they made their
appearance they were bud He'd into dilspi-
dated building which was strongly guarded.
All ages were represented, hut only the male
sex. Until saw and couversed with the
greater number Of these persons, the chief
anxiety Of most Of them was to get their tam
lilies to join them. There was no difficulty
in learning from these people that our arrival
had been auIiously looked for with pleasant
anticipations. They Aocked along the bauk
r A.