The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-03-04
The Fight In Florida.


The following letter from Lieut. Eddy, Of
the Third Rhode Island Volunteers, gives a
fuller and more connected report of the late
repulse of our forces in Florida than we have
found elsewhere. Lieut.. Eddy writes on board
Hospital steamer Cosmopolitan, Port Royal
Harbor, Feb. 22d:
Thursday morning, the 18th ult., we left our
camp at Jacksonville, in light marching order,
with ten days rations; marched all day, and
as the roads were bad, we only made sixteen
miles when we halted for the night. Friday
morning, 10Th, started early in the morning,
marched all day, made seventeen miles, and
stopped over night at a small place called
BARRIERS. Saturday morning, Goth, at o'clock,
started once more for place called Lake
City," thirty-six miles distant, which, If we
succeeded In occupying, would stop supplies
being sent to the western armies of the enemy.
Marched eighteen miles, when we met the en-
envy. Skirmished with them for the next four
miles, when we found that they were in force
and had formed their line of battle. Our col
umns were at once deployed into line, and our
advance was soon sharply engaged. Hamil-
tons Battery was then ordered forward. Four
pieces of the battery, including my section,
were placed in position, within two hundred
and fifty yards Of the rebel lines, under Sc
we're fire of musketry. We went in with four
pieces, fifty horses, eighty-two men and four
officers, viz: Capt. H., Lieut.. Myrick, Lieut..
Dodge and myself. In twenty minutes, we
lost iorty-four men, forty horses, two pieces
and four officers, when we managed to get of
with what little there was left. 1t was our
misfortune to have for supports, a negro regi-
ment, who, by running, caused us to lose our
pieces. The fight lasted three hours, when
finding his small army so much cut up, the
General ordered retreat. We returned to
Jacksonville, fifty -eght miles distant; reached
there last night at II o'clock. We had 5000
men engaged on our side, and lost 1900 as near
as can learn. The enemy had 1900 men
opposed to us, and of course whipped us badly.
Capt. Hamilton is wounded in the left arm Sc
verely, and in the hip; Lieut.. Myrick, wound
ed in left foot badly-probably will lose some
OF his toes; Lieut.. Dodge, wounded in the left
arm, not badly. l am wounded in the right
leg, about three inches above the ankle joint,
not bad by any means. | have had the ball
taken out, and think the wound will heal in
few weeks. All of us officers had our horses
shot under us. Myrick and Dodge left theirs
on the field dead. Captain and myself brought
ours off We are now on board of this steam
er bound for Beaufort, where all of the wound
ed will be landed except us four officers. We
return to Hilton Head tomorrow. The bat
terry remained at Jacksonville, which think
our forces will find difficult to hold, as the en-
envy were following US closely. Lieut.. Irwin,
whose section was not SO holly engaged as the
balance of us, is in command of the battery,
what there is left it, He was struck on the
little finger Of his left hand, but so slightly
hurt that he is capable of performing duty
Taking everything together we have done
pretty sharp work. In ninety hours we have
marched 100 miles, fought battle of three
hours duration, got badly whipped, and what
there is left of our little army is back again
where we started from.s
A passenger was told by a wounded soldier
at Beaufort, that in the retreat the Federal
army was saved from capture by the desperate
fighting of the Mass. 55th (colored) regiment.