Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-03-11

BEAUFORT. ;. C.. Feb p
The expedition Was under immediate COM
mand Of Brig. Gen Seymour, and consisted Of
about eight thousand men II seems 70 have
proceeded with singular lack Of caution, for a
Light battery led the advance, without any scouts
preceding IT, and with no szirmishers out The
other forces, considerably out Of supporting dis
lance. followed, the 9th Mass and 1T v C.,(coLl
IN tine rear OF the column with the baggage
The expedition had gone on very successfully,
had captured large quantity Of stores, ami
seemed likely TO terminate prosperously when
d heavy cavalry force Of the enemy set upon the
battery, and an ambuscade Of infantry and
sharpshooters opened fire, and in a very short
time some forty Of the horses aud some thirty or
forty men Of the battery were wounded or
killed. The point at which the attack occurred
was Olustee, a place about sixty miles from
Jacksonville Evidently the enemy were per-
iectly aware If our approach. for the place in
which the attack began was one in which our
forces could not form line Of battle without
standing In a swamp, and where artillery could
not operate, and while there large numbers
were wounded. evidently from sharpshooters in
trees, for most Of the balls were from above aui
passed. on, below. or from the shoulder TO the
wrist The enemy employed no artillery. II
was soon seen that the rebels were in very
strong force, about 1900. They were under
Gems. Gardner, Hariee and Finnegan The
fight commenced at /, T. NJ, and terminated At
:, when our forces were obliged 20 retreat. leav-
M our field hospital, and It Is supposed two Of
three hundred killed and wounded and other
prisoners in the hands Of the enemy. our ar
tllery irel handsomely, but uselessly, owing 70
the character Of the attack IL could not,
however, have done much service owing % one
OF those unacc0untabl. hlunlers that 50 fire.
queutiy occur in this war. At the most critical
juuciure in atfiir-. a supply % ammunition sent
from the rear for the batteries was discovered Co
be- % the wrong size
Our loss ia killed. wounded AMI missing. 10 Is
reported, viii not prove less than from 500 20
1000, undoubtedly under the last figure. Had
the enemy followed mp our retreat sharply, We
must have been nearly destroyed. But they did
not reach point eight miles from the battle
field till seven sunday morning Meanwhile
our forces hli arrived at Baliwinsville railr0aI
station, and the wounded in good part were able
TO get oi.
hear loud praises of the 54th Massachusetts,
sth United States, and lst North Carolina lcol-
oreil. They went up AZ the double quick when
our advance was nearly destroyed, and saved
the lef; from being turned, in which case the
whole force would have been anuihIated. As It
was there were small forces, particularly SHARP
shooters, on cur tanks. from which We suffered
severely. s. far as appears the number Of
killed and seriously wounded IS small, compared
with the slightly wounded, most o. whom were
shot with rife balls in the arms and legs The
general opinion s that the expedition went into
a trap, without any excuse Gen. Seymour.
who commanded, led the disastrous thrst) night
assault on Fort Wagner. and whether Justly or
not Is generally condemned for his management
Of the expedition. He IS thought TO be brave,
but 20 lack judgment. To precsde a column in
an enemy country, liable TO be attacked at any
moment, with battery in advance, and follow
it at long interval with mounted infantry
scarcely month in the saddle. IS certainly
new mode Of warfare.
The conduct Of the troops Is represented 10
have been uniformly admirable The colored
troops did nobly. In the sih L. 5 colored. ore
Of the battle flags was lost, bat not till after
eight men in the color guard had been killed.
We lost ave guns in the retreat and captured
eleven in the early part Of the march, So that
in the matter Of artillery we are decidedly ahead
The same is true Of cotton and other stores cap
tured and destroyed; but there our advantage
ends. Undoubtedly we shall pick our fints and
try again. trust that the inscription on the
next enterprise viii not he, " Some one has blum
dered Cor. Boston Journal