Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-02-25
The Recent Scout on Hilton Head Is
land.-Statemen of Prisoner.


The recent daring adventure of the scout,
j. J. Magee, and his comrades, R. F. Gels.
ton, Barton Wells and R. o. Reynolds,
deserves more detailed mention than our
brief notice of last Saturday morning, and
we have been at some pains to gather the
particulars. The party. in a small canoe,
made q landing on Hilton Head Island on
Wednesday night, about, 8 o'clock-Wells
and Reynolds remaining with the boat in q
safe retreat, while Magee and Gelston se-
creted Themselves in thicketto await day.
light for the accomplishment Of their pur-
pose, which was no less than to capture. a
Yankee, with the view Of eliciting informa.
tion of the recent movements of the enc.
my's forces. Daybreak revealed to them
their situation, which appeared to be very
exposed one-the wood scarcely affording
sufficient protection to conceal them in a
crcuching position. They found too, that
they were within hundred yards of
the picket station Making uptheiy minds
that they would have to keep close to avoid
detection, they lay on the ground with the
prospect of having to remain in this pos
ture until evening. At 8 o'clock, a. M,
when the guard was relieved, the Yankees
passed to and fro almost within reaching
distance. Their conversation, however, was
not of interest. During the morning as
many as forty persons passed and repassed.
About 8 o'clock, p. M, soldier turned
into the thioket, and approached quite near
them. Magee felt that his danger was i'm
minent.7 Drawing his revolver, he levelled
it at the fellow, and, putting his finger to
his lip to enjoin silence, he called, in low
voice, "Come here, sir" The Yankee
turned pale with fright, and in hurried
voice exclaimed, "Don't shoot !" Upon
being assured that no harm would come to
him if he would lie down and keep quiet,
the prisoner stretched himself on the ground
between the two bold rebels, and a pair Of
navy revolvers ready for instant use. For
sic long hours the three kept mute company,
Magee forcing the prisoner even to suppress
his cough, which was very troublesome
At tattoo, the time agreed upon for leaving
the island, the three started noiselessly for
the rendezvous previously agreed upon, the
Yankee wondering how they were to. get off
the island. He was soon relieved by the
appearance, in safe place, of a canoe, into
which he was requested to take seat. He
was at this time very anxious that his rebel
friends should get in first, so as not to wet
their feet; but Gelstou was very solicitous
about bis cough, and fearing that wet feet
would increase it, insisted upon his getting
a good seat. and himself offering to push
the boat off and then jump in. A FIVE
miantes' row brought them well off from
shore; they were halted, but being out of
reach of the sentinel's musket, they did not
heed him.
The prisoner is ia middle aged man, a na.
tive of Maine. He reports, in substance,
that thirty new regiments recently arrived
from North Carolina that they average
possibly 500 men each, and that General
Foster came with them, but had since re.
turned. The observatory on Mr.. Baynard's
house was in charge of signal corps, who
kept up communication between the feet in
Port Royal and Fort Pulaski, by means of
flags by day and lanterns by night. No
privates are allowed to 60 up into the sig.
nal station nor are they informed of any
contemplated movements. Whenever they
get orders to cook rations for number of
days, they know that work is at hand. No
such orders have been issued, although the
talk was common in camp That Charleston
was to be attacked. The fight at deneoia'
Point was thought to be intended to draw
attention to Savannah, but no one believed
that the fight vas to be there. All looked
forward to what they believed would be the
great battle of the war at Charleston. He
has heard o rumor that one vessel was sunk
off Charleston, and that others were badly
damaged; but the officers generally kept
such news to themselves. He said Maine
had contributed 40, 900 men to the war, and
expressed fears lest he might be considered
deserter, as the circumstances Of his leav-
ing the island were so peculiar. When
asked how many vessels we're at Port Royal,
he stated that there we're many schooners,
&c., that had brought out stores, and that
these we're the vessels seen from our look
ont The steamers were going and coming
all the time, and seldom remained long at
Port Royal.-Charlsston Mercury.
18 It is rumored that, Mr.. Boyce has
been making speech in secret session ad-