The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1863-03-20
FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 20, 1863.
a Successful Fo,ay on hilton Head Island
fs. -.Ni Full IA rfieulnrs
tLe Ckarlestoh Mercnry. leth /


From tie Charleston Mercury, letb
wetake pleasure in recording the ua,tieplan OF
what considered one of the b0de,t and most sue,
ctsaln eats OF the war. We aIlRds 10 the brllihpt
fTay Of Capt lin John II. Mickler, and detaehmen nj
! o. M ms company llth Regiment s. Q, vi on last
THURSDAY nlght, which resulted In surprising and
capturing detachment Of pickets and signal corps
meni OF the Spanish Wells Observatory. on Hilton
Head Island, few hundred yards from regiment of
infantry and within sound Ut The long roll at General
hunters headquarters. BY examining map OF the
l0cahty, It will be obs rived that Hilton Head Island
ssepsraed from the main land by wide water couFs
es, navlgal eto ganboats of al classes which rem
ders al approaches TO It difficult IL not dangerous
e1cepl 70 men Who can pull an oar Justify as well
handle the rifle with deadly precision Washed BY
the Atlantic ocean on the front and the rear SO
guarded naturally, Hilton Bead was Ia every respect
what might have been thought safe place lor aDs-
paHment Headquarters;' but 1t seems that our salt
water loys have found way t9fe, there.
On Thursday evening, oil proper arrangements
having been previo sy made the "torayersn started
ia their canoes, aud 0llOwei May River down 20 its
junction with Mackays Creek, wnere the union OF the
two saeams torms Catalogue Sound. Learning IRON
close observation the picket stations they effected
safe landing The night was dark and the wind high
enough to send the tide 10 the shore with heavy
murmur After making oil necessary dispositions to
ensure success The scouts moved cautiously 10 the
nigh ground, aud thence Owalds the house, which is
used AZ picket aud signal station Their plan was
| IA approach the place u the lear, and ii possible
pture OF bayOnet every one there without firing y
gum but they found that sentinel was posted on the
front. Under these CircumstluCes, .here was al
tentative bIt TO shoot down the sentinel at the back
door and then do their work with dispatch. Bang
went musket aud, as target practice Is not certain
in the dark, away scampered the sentinel, followed
by the attacking party, who rushed close upon his
heels into the hOase,
Before the sleeping guards cJJ$d throw of ther
blankets, they i1und themselves in the grasp OF a
band OF stern rebels. Rather than take the twenty
Gdd bright bay0nes OF our men, the RstOnshed Yam.
KEGS quietly surrendered. Meantime the noise below
had awakened the sleepers above. and Lieutenant
of the signal CORDS rushed down stairs en- diSabHe
10 ascerlaiu what had occurred but be- too was
a prisoner in the hands of a sturdy grayback, with
pistol cooked whom be encountered at the foot OF the
stairs This much having been accomplished, no
time was TO he lost. Tie prisoners were marched at
the double quick 10 the landing, the Yankee Lieuen-
ant shveirg severely from Lriars and thorns he be-
! ing baleOoted, without hat and coat The retreat
was safely conducted, and that too over nine miles
of water courses, available for gunboats OF large size.
The following Is n list of the captivesi
First Lieut.. Thomas B. Rushby U. S. Signal Corps.
Alfred S. G. Williams, U. s. Signal Corps. John
Merrimau. u. s. Signal Corps, John lludgin, U. s.
Signal Corps, ,sSVrseatS 5. l.. Sbey, 9th Maine lteg
ment Volunteers, Private Leonard Baker, 9th Maine
| Regiment Volunteers, Nrivate L. Connell, 9th Maine
Regiment EVounteers, Private j. o. Chandler, 9th
Maine Regiment Volunteers, Private j. A. Hannah,
| 9th Maine Regiment Volunteers,
! A Lieutenant Of the Signal Corps and private,
who remained up stairs escaped unobserved and the
pckcts ON the bluff made their escape All the rest
were taken and brought of the Island without the
| loss Of man on our side.
| But litlle information was obtained General Burn
side had not arrived Hp to Thursday, bat hourly
expected. An attack on Charleston aud vigorous
campaign on this Department had been the camp
talk for six weeks, and the troops did n6 understand
the delay. There had bcen movements OF troops,
&c within few days but the object in view was not
kn0wn. Our pickeis reported an iron clad up Broad
River as high HOgg's Neck on Wednesday last, but
she retired after firing two guns. ..s l..
This il the fifth sixth successful foray made by
Capt Micker In May last he secured a large quan-
Itity of corn and cattle on Cawassee Island; in Ju.
lily he took two Yankee pickes from Pinckney Island,
and killed third; in August, with Capt Stephen
Elliott they killed. wounded or took prisoners COM
pany Of Yankees on Pinckney Islaud last week he
orsged on Dawfiske Island, supplying his men with
hogs poultry eggs, &c, and burnt the wharf before
leaving. Iuru gy3f.
In addition to these exploits, he has been on fre
duent scouts giving to headquarters valuable inlOr'
ina tion from time to time. Gen. Walker sfJrtunaie
IN having so efficient force OF "marinesp and we
have reason to know, holds thom in the highest es,
teem .art r.f H..l....F