Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-12-08
From the Savannah Republican, Sd irst.
The Battle OF Honey FIilI.

In our account of this affair, in Thursday morning
issue, we spoke of it drawn battle" both armies
having continued the fight until dark We wrote with
The official despatch OF General Smith before us, in
which his modesy, which is equal to Bis merit, led US
into by Withholding character of the
es and the real magnitude of the victoy-fOr such it
was, and tor the numbers engaged, one Of the most
brilliant and Important OF the 1t was clearly &
movement on the part OF the enemy 30 cooperate with
Sherman so large force would never have been sent
Simply 10 cut the Charleston Railroad when the Yan
KEGS believed it to be defended only by company Of
cavalry.
Honey Hill is about two and half miles east of the
village OF Grahamville, Beaufort District. Ga the
crest of this where the road highway strikes it, is
semi-crcular line CT earthwOrks, defective though in
construction they are too high for Infantry and have
little exterior slope These works formed the
tire of Cur line Wednesday,, whilst left reached
up into the pine lands without protection, and light
along line OF fence that skirts the swamp below the
batteries. They commanded fully the road in front
1T passes through the swamp at the base of the hill and
only some fifty or sixty yards distant. Through the
swamp during the winter months, runs q small creek,
which spreads up and down the road for thirty or
forty yards but is quite shallow the entire distance
Some sixty yards beyond tbs creek the main road
Oft to the left, making Obtuse angle whilst another
and smaller road makes off to the right from the
point.
The enemy by the former road and turned the
angle apparently before they of the pre-
seuce OF On opposing force They c0nsis ei Of tour
giments OF whites and the number of blacks
Prisoners OF which ten or twelve IN our possess on
state that this force commanded by Generals Pot
ter and Hatch; some OF them say General Foster was
also present as chief Of command The negroes, as
usual formed the advance, and had nearly reached the
creek when our batteries opened them down the
road with terrible volley of spherical case. This Il rev
them into temporary confusion but the entire orce
tma;ed at five thousand quickly restored to order
and thrown into line of battle parallel with our OVID,
up and down the margin of the swamp. Thus the bat
tie ragsd from II till dark. The enemys centre
and left were most exposed and suffered terribly Their
right posted behind an old dana that through
the sWamp, epd it maintained its position till the cCs2
Of Tire fight. Our left very much exposed and az
attempt twice made BY the enemy to turn
=! n7 advancing through the swlmp ard up the hill,
but they driven back without prolonged strug-
gle.
The centre and left OF the enemy fought with DIES
perate earnestDess. Several attempts were made to
charge our batteries and many got nearly across the
swamp but xete IN every instance forced back by the
calling fire poured into them from lines. We made
a visit to the haid the day following and found the
swamp and read literally strewn with their dead Some
eight ten bodies were floating in the water where
the road crosses, and in ditch the roadside just be-
yond, we saw SIX negroes piled on top the ofher-
Colonel OF one of the negro regiments With his horse
was Killed whilst teariessy leading his men across the
crcek In charge. With that exception, all the dead
. ard wounded officers were carried oft by the enemy
dur'lg the night. Many traces we're left where they
were dragged from the woods the road and thro "n
into amoulances or carts. We counted some sixty or
seventy bodies in the space of about acre. many OF
which were horribly mutilated by shells some with
half their heads snot of and others completely dsem
boWeled. Inc artillery was served with great accu
racy and We DOUBT if any battle field of the war pre-
such havoc among the trees and shrubbery In
mense PINES and other growth were cut short OF OF
| torn into shreds.
From all indications it is estimated that the loss Of
the enemy is fully five or six hundred This is the low
est estimate we have heard Many officers are of the
he lasath
Ours eight killed outright and thirty wounded
three four MORALLY. The enemy fought to come dis
advantage they fred up hill and most of their ahots
ranged too high.
] Our infantry behaved with the greatest Valor
throughout the protractei struggle there little OF
no struggling, nearly every standing to bis post
! duty. The Georgia Brigade was commanded by Col
Willis, whose behavior the field is highly commend
able The Athens Battalion under Aejor Cook, aad
Augusta Battalion Major Jackson, stood manfully tc
Aihoiz ArtiIlaru also aoted