, 1862-01-17

D6TH LdN.
-
From our Special Correspondent
HEADQUARTERS MAINLAND NEAR FERRY, ONT
CoosA~ EWEn, $. C., Jan. g. 1862 { |
# you received mine ofDecernber 31st, 1861, /
you arc now anxiously awaiting report Of |
the battle Of CooEaW River. lean now inform /
you Of the plan Of the whole affair, which was /
10 make combined attack at this point upon !
Savannah and at this point Gen. Butler landed j
On Hilton Head on the 30th with 4 large force, /
and advanced on the 3lst through Catalogue /!
Sound, to Land and attack Savannah in the |
rear 1t was our duty here to make IN attack
aud draw the attention Of the rebel troops and
hold all here that was possible. You will by
this time have had an official account Of the
rcsultof Rutlcr's attack All VIC know is, that
rumor reaches us from Beaufort that he Was
quite successful, and took 4 large number Of
prisoners. But Of our OWL entire success I
can give you the fullest particulars.
The entire GOODNESS Of all onr men, 4 gal
liant charge upon tie masked batteries Of the
enemy, the overwhelming vo1tcy Of shot and
she'll thrown by the gun-boats, Who after our
landing threw shell over our heads at the cue-
my in the woods beyond us, the great destruc-
tion Of lives On the part Of the enemy, the
speedy evacuation Of the TWO earth works on
the river, and the capture Of the cannon, the
panic Of the rebels and their hasty flight
towards the railroad, dinging away their arms
and baggage, and leaving their tcnts-these
form the main points of the narrative which
will try to give in detail.
At 8 o'clock OF the morning Of the New
Year, three regiments Of the I'd brigade, viz:
the n. 7. 18th, the 8th Michigan, and the 50th
Pennsylvania, took up the line of march for
the point On The creek where have already
informed YOU our flat boats vert placed 10 1c-
ceiyc us. The Roundhcad regiment held the
| position on the Island fronting the ferry. The
| cmbarkation Of the three regiments was made
in silence and good order. The boats were
| then pulled to near the mouth Of the creek
| (Which is between two and three miles below
the fcrry) and there awaited the expected ad-
vance Of the gun=hoats. Shortly after day
light there appeared coming through the chan.
mel between Ladder and Port Royal Island,
three yun-boats, the PaFnce and two others
followed by the transports Boston and DeEt
ware, having On board the 47th and 18th Y. Y.
regiments.
Immediately upon their appearance the N
| 7. 18th started across, followed shortly affel
by tic Michigan sth. About the same tint
two sun-boats which had come up Broad rive
and entered the other end Of tue Coosaw
1n:dc themselves manifest BY opening upo1
the carthwork opposite Scabrook, which wa!
soon cyaeuated. Tie two then advaneedto til
| attack Of the main work opposite the Ferry
which 1nade steuter resistance, but Was dur
ing the morning also cYacuatcd. Meanwhile
tic 18TH landed about mile below poin
Immediately opposite the mouth Of the creek
) between three and four miles below the Garth
work al the ferry. They took up tue Lac G
march towards the ferry, While the gunboat:
| also advancing, diligently shelled the wood
T in advance Of their march. Shortly after LIANT
ing, they encountered small force who lire
on them. The Higllnnders returned tic fir
but at long range, when tho rcbcls lied bac
: into the woods. 1t not being part Of tho;
: orders to follow, it is not known whetht
their fire look effect or not.
: The fiat boats containing the Michigan st?
wcrc in the meantime on their way across sr
made landing ut the plantation Of Mr.. Adam
| h4t0 1t Ill LIZ CS4l4CutldlL AA46
l about two miles below the ferry. Major Wa
+ son, Of the Michigan Sth, Outer in the day E
5 veruy wounded in the thigh, while leading
Z ski1mishing party aoas the first man to ra
T. tie Stars and stripes on tie main land Of Sou
l. Carolina About this time the transpol
Boston and Delaware, {who lad followed t
:. gunboats around), having on board tho II
~ New York regiments, reached the same poi
" and began to land the troops by means
q small boats. The 50th Pennsylvania SO
;e followed, having been compelled to await /
lc return If the fat boats which were USED
ID Cross the 10TH AT about ono o'clo
Is the line Of march was taken up By the Per
>. eylv:mia 501h, and 18th and 10TH New Yo
~ succeeeively.
- Thu 10Th reached the rebel ea1tlworks
L. the ferry without any attack being made up
T. them. But as the Michigan Sth march
re towards the same point, field battery Of t
cs guns opened brisk fire Of shells upon the
4 The regiment kept on their narcll Lowey
ut | until two men had been wounded by the bu1
IN ing Of the shells, when, having reached IL
trout, 1lc reg imcnt was halted, and the first:
tenth companies "a and b were dcploycd
skir1nslcrs and ordered to ''cllargc on
n battery" They Werr followed by comp
i'd T, tho whole under command ot Major A.
in Watson. Inc men advanced stead1lE and "
led perfect coolncss, against steady frc OF sh
.te which BURT continually among the men,
IN without IN the least dlsconccrting their
ng vance. As they approached the battery t
cn wcrc fully exposed to the fire, marching!
1t they were across broad cotton field towa
ate the guns, which we're concealed in the G
he of1he woods and supported (as wc discove
On when their fire opened,) By regiment Of
1antry, Col. Jones's 18th South Carolina.
Of When our boys reached SO near that I
The second fuses carried the shells clear over
he skirmishcrs before they burst, the artiIler
;ysc. yc. tried two doses OF canister. It Was now (
to to hear the voices OF the officers in comm:
&c o. though, with an occasional exception, no
could be seen; and it was thus, being wa1
BY the commands to fire, that the boys d
ped 1of an Instant, letting the ire pass
ent | &hem' ana were saved from oelng D
on cut up Al thls moment llnes OF anta
lth- spr:ns OIL on Int 'agn1 ana 4e1e OF the
be- lef5 ana poured IN sf1ong Eoney OF mus
site n upon 1ne me- IL "as IN thc hfst VI
was sha' MAJOR WATSON received oau through
7ear 1h,gh.
.or ! sThr Mfchirnn hNys sfond fhpsr vn11o,