Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-07-04

| ~ CH6TdI DCntldtil, IL SCculS, Wd'
second in command under Genera
Hunter, and had three brigadcs under
his charge at James Island. It il
said that the attack made by Genera
Benham was undertaken without au
thority, General Hunter having civ
en- Instruction. no to make any attack
on the Rebel position. This state
ment derives an appearance of truth
fulness from the fact that General
Bcnham returns here under arres
with instructions to report himself at
Washington.
Among the men who participated in
the fight, it is said by the wounded
who arrived here This morning, a
strong and bitter feeling of dissatis
faction exists against General Ben
ham, the impression being quite gen
cral that he badly managed the affair
On the other hand, it is understood
| General Benham claims that his ad.
vance was designed only as q recon
noisanee in force, and that as such
it was successful.
The attack was made with three
brigades, commanded by Generals
Stevens and Wright. and Colonel( Ac.
ting Brigadier) Williams. The last
mentioned of them, it is asserted by
two of the returned officers, was un-
duly excited at the time of the battle,
and seemed to be reckless in dircc.
| ting the movements of his men.
y correspondent at Beaufort sends
us the following account of the bat.
tie:
Beaufort, S. c., June %.
Last Monday our forces on James
Island, under the command of General
Benham, made an attack on the en-
emy's position, when our troops were
repulscd. The infantry were march
ed in between the enemy's batteries,
and we're moved down like sheep
Two companies of the Michigan
Eighth took one of the batteries at the
point of the bayonet, and held it forty
minutes, when, from want of re-en-
forccmeRts, they were obliged to re-
treat. The enemy'S guns threw junk
bottles, old nails and pieces of chain,
| which at close quarters dealt death
and destruction on every side.
The Sd New Hampshire was Or
dered up by Gen. Benham. to support,
as he said, two other regiments there,
but saw, to their dismay, that they
were surrounded by three masked
batteries, which opened upon them
and finally obliged them to retreat
xo,.1, y,,,,ob o,,f m W. .r,ooo.o~JoI ::
taking eight prisoners. The enemy's
loss in killed and wounded was small.
AIN one of tn hand-to-haad contests a
lieutenant of New York regiment,
who was taken prisoner at Bull Run
and but lately discharged, reached
over in to one of the batteries, and
seizing a gunner by the hair Of the
head dragged him bodily consider
erable distance into our ranks. The
wounded Of the several regiments, to
the number Of seven or eight hundred,
arrived at Hilton Head on Friday
morning and were Immediately con-
veyed to the general hospital.
''Ths Third New Hampshire lost
one hundred and six killed and woun-
ded. The Michigan Eighth went in
to the battle with FIVE hundred men,
and brought only two hundred out
Our troops still hold their position on
James Island, and as the enemy's DO.
sition is now we'll known, the gun
boats can soon shell them out. A
Monitor or two would soon settle the
fate of Charleston, and l persume that
as soon as Richmond falls we shall re-
ceive a reinforcement of this descrip-
ton.
Commodore Dupont says that he
can take Charleston with five good
he will run by Sumter and
other Qualifications without the loss ofI
more than two, and with the remain
ing three can she'll the city. |