The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-12-13
THE BATTLE OF HONEY HILL. 8. @


This battle took place. near Gnhamville, s. c.,
not far from the line of Railroad running from
Charleston to Savannah, on Wednesday the Both
OF Nov. Gen. G w Smith commanded the Con-
federate troops. It resulted in Confederate VIC
tory, and, for the numbers engaged is one of the
most important of the war. The movement on
the part of the enemy from the coast was clearly
tor the purpose of cooperating with Sherman.
Honey Hill is about two and half miles East
OF the village of Grahamyille, Beaufort District
On the crest of this, where the road, or highwsy,
strikes it, is semi-croular line of earthworks de-
fective though in construction as they are too high
for infantry and have little or no exterior slope
These works formed the centre of our line on
Wednesday, whilst our left reached up into the
pine lands without protection, aud our right along
a line of fence that skirts the swamp below the
batteries. They commanded fully the road iE
front it passes through the swamp at the base of
the hill, and only some fifty sixty ysrds distant
Through the swamp, during the winter months,
runs small creek, which spreads up and down the
road for some thirty or forty yards, but is quite
shallow the entire distance. Some sixty yards be-
yond this creek the main road turns off to the left
making an obtuse angle, whilst another and smaller
road makes off to the right from the same point.
The enemy came by the former road and turned
the angle apparently before they aware of the
presence of an opposing force. They consisted of
four regiments of whites and the same number of
blacks. Prisoners, of which ten or twelve are in
possession state that this force was commanded
by Generals Potter and Hatch; some of them say
General Foster was also present as chief of CON-
nand. The negroes, as usual, formed the advance,
and had nearly reached the creek when our bat
teries opened upon them down the road with ter
rible yoley of spherical case. This threw them
into temporary confusion but the entire force, esti
mated at five thousand, was quickly restored to
order and thrown ipto line of battle parallel with
our own, up and down the margin of the swamp.
Thus the battle ragged from IL a. m. till dark
The enemy's centre and left were most exposed
and suffered terribly. Their right was posted be-.
bind an old dam that ran through the swamp, and
maintained its position till the close of the fight.
Our left was very much exposed and an attempt
was once or twice made by the enemy to turn it
by advancing through the swamp and up the hill,
but they were driven back without prolonged
struggle.
The centre and left of the enemy fought with a
desperate eaInestness. Several attempts were |
made to charge our batteries and many got nearly
across the swamp, but were, 10 every instance,
forced back by the CALLING fire poured into them
from our lines. We made visit to the field the |
day following and found the swamp and road lite |
rally strewn with their dead. Some eight or ten |
were floating in the water where he road crosses,
and in ditch on the roadside iust beyond, we |
saw six negroes piled one on top, the other. A |
Colonel of one of the negro regiments with his |
horse, was killed while tearlessly leading his men
across the creek in a charge. With that excep-
tion, all the dead and wounded d6cers were car |
ried off by the enemy during tn. night. Many |
traces were left where they were dagged from the |
v oods to the road and thrown into ambulances or
carts. We counted some sixty otseventy bodies I
in the space of an acre, many of shich were hor-
kly Tad h,,c chatlS kolc khasr
heads shot off and others completely disembowe- |
ed. The artillery served with great accuracy |
and we doubt if any battlefield of the war presents
such havoc among the trees and shrubbery. In |
mense pines and other growth wGe cut short off |
or torn into shreds.
AS before stated, the general command was ves-
ted in Major-G General Gustavus Smith, of the |
Georgia State forces, though the line was imme- |
diately under the direction of Col Joleock, whose
conduct on the occasion is spoken Of as beyond all
praise. The gallant Col. Gonzales was active
participant in the fight and might have been seen
everywhere along the line posting the guns, and
encouraging the troops.
So much for the battle of Honey Hill. The
enemy whipped long before its close but they
waited for night to save themselves from disaster
10 their retreat. Soon after dark, they made off
with all possible speed, and, the evidences show,
with the widest fright and confusion. Nearly
everything was thrown away In their hight. ne
road and woods for miles was strewed with cloth
ing of every description, canteens, cooking uten-
ss, &C., &c, whilst in their camp about two miles
from the battlefield, they left everything Any
quantity of provisions, bottles Of liquor, preserved
meats, blankets, overcoats, &c, were abandoned in
their hasty retreat. With the exception of she'll
ing from their gunboats next day. which was
harmless, nothing has been heard of them since
their CALLING defeat and inglOrious fght.-Sdvan-
nah Republican.
The yankees near Grabamville have made no
further demonstrations, but are forifying under
cover of their gunboats. The infantry engaged
on the federal side in the recent engagement, con-
sisted of four regiments of white and four of negro
troops. The slaughter of the assailants much
greater than at first reported. An officer counted
200 of their dead and between eleven and twelve
hundred wounded left on the feld-Angusta Con-
Dee. 4.
HooD's ARMY.-The latest tidings from Gen.
Hood show large accession to his army from re-
crnits. Gen Forrest is sweeping everything be-
fore him, and his horses and men revelling among
the rich fields and yankee stores of Tenuesssee.
The yankees have been forced to eyaeuate Hunts
vile, Decatur, Pulaski, Columbia, franklin, and
other towns in North Alabama and Middle Ten
nessee, destroying vast amounts of yankee stores.
At the late Presidential election in the North,