New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-08-17
snOn DrpAnTmESr OF THE SOUTH.
An Expsditoa-The ColoVed Treops-Blsody
Bridge Battle.
of the N. Y. Tribune.

The Quiet of this usually calm military de-
partmcpt has experienced CONFUSION, the
sffects Of which are yet apparent in the arms
one sees resting in slngs, and stumps Of legs
ou1e sees in our hospitals since our return TO
camp. Our late movement may be called an
expedition, or it may be called a reconnaissance
aad it's object may have been TO capture
Charleston, or to ascertain what the reoes
were made Of, OF diversion on eur part 10
draw the rebels from other points An expo
ditiu Is supposed to have for its Solee' 'he
capture of some point, and since nothing mas
been accomplished by US on this movement
b Is well enough to conclude that 1t was not an
expedition, for congratulatory order from the
general commanding the forces, states that the
.sbiect for which We set out has been accom-
pHsiled." i: Is clear, therefore, that III order
% consummate the object OF the movement,
which was, eventually, TO draw troops from be-
fore Gen. Sherman, feint was made on
Charleston. And rs / hear II rumored that
The rebs across the way have strengthened
their lines, incline to the belief that the con-
smmation deyoutly 10 be wished" has been ac-
co,nplished Well, the several parts Of THE
movement started from their respective en-
eampments on the first Of July. 1t was CON-
posed of q brigade from Florida, under Gen.
Bisney, q brigade from Beaufort, S. C., under
Gen. Saxton, a brigade from Hilton Head, s.
G., under Gen. Hatch, who also commanded
the three brigades, already mentioned, as one
Division. Another brigade from Morris Island,
under Gen. Sheinelfeining, was to cooperate
Some time IN the forenoon Of the I'd we land
sd,--or at least two Brigsdes,--on Seabrook
Island, at the North Edisto Inlet, while the
ether Brigade proceeded farther up the river, &C
cSspanied by two gunboats. ] shall not give
any very minute details of our operations from
the I'd 10 the 5th, as nothing Of note occurred
farther than several cases Of sun-stroke. Our
course lay overland, to Johns Island The az
terneon Of the 4th brought us to place some
tive miles west Of Legareyille ION the StoDoI
RIVER called Deckerville Our march hither
kad been q severe one have served for more
than TIVE years in the Army of the Potomac,
and taken part in some Of its Jtsgcst marches,
and yet the twenty-five and thirty miles day
In Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, was
not half 50 fatigung as six and seven miles per
S8n ON the burning, secession-egg Matching
SOL of South Carolina. The roads are lined on
either side with thick hedge of brush, almost
impenetrable by the eye or anything else. This
hedge was Just thick enough to shut out all air,
and not tall enough to keep of the rays
Of the scorchiny sun overhead. Just ina
CINE several thousand men passing over these
yosds, with the dust several inches deep. We
halted frequently, and then each man, balfsuf
located, and nearly overcome by the heat,
would try to penetrate the thicket to shield
himself, for short time, from the fierce attack
Of the suns rays and as the road ran in q d.
fection almost east and west We had the benefit
ofthe sun from the time of starting in the NOR
ming till we reached the spot where We were
only TOO glad to bivouac We reached Deck
efville about noon on the 4th the men more or
less exhausted or overcome by the hest, al
though the distance marched was not moro
than six miles
The next day, the 9Th, the 26th U. 8 Colored
Troops had the first opportunity Of testing their
nerve under fire. The column started about
am, leaving portion of this regiment-four
companies-back, to guard this point 1t was
necessary to keep this place clear, as means
of keeping the communication open with our
shipping, (Which had been transferred from the
North Edisto to the Stono) till position far
ther in advance could be secured. This road,
over which the column had thus far been pass
ing, ran nearly cast and west: near Decker
vile, by-road branches from it. that leads TO
Legsreville-which by-rosd it was for the time
being necessary to hold Some two miles from
Baskerville this main road strikes another road
which runs south to Legareyile, and north to
some point unknown 10 the undersigned After
the main column had proceeded on the adj
vance, the companies remaining back were We
ny judiciously posted by Col. S.lliman. About
noon force Of rebels was discovered at short
distance in our front. They presented very
heavy skirrnish line, and were advancing upon
rs Which seeing, the Colonel concentrated as
quickly as possible the troops he had with him
and made the best possible disposition OF thsm.
II was soon ascertained that there were some
Ahree hundred rebels, with two pieces of artil-
2ery, and as we had no artillery 1t was policy
Cor US 70 act most decidedly on the defensive.