The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-02-07

and the moon had risen.
The doors of the powder magazine
were opened and the fuse ignited !;
then they fastened down to the beach
to take their places in our last boat.
"Hurry p shouted the sailors who
manned this barge, for the enemy had
discovered that something unusual was
taking place and had sent their barges
forward either to make another attack
on Battery Gregg or. to discover our
movements. They had intercepted
two of our boats and captured forty
nine men. In obedience to the warn
ing summons the little squad of off,
GERS hastened on, but Major Huguenin
had been twice struck that day by
fragments of shells, which had explod-
ed near him, and was SO lame that he
could not advance rapidly. "Go on"
he said to his comrades, "and I will
overtake you" But when he reached
the beach he found, to his dismay,
that in the darkness and confusion
they had gone off and left him, sup
posing him to be on board. His posi-
tion WAS now truly a melancholy and
precarious one, for the guns Of the
enemy's batteries and those Of the
fleet swept the open beach, as the tide
was out, and if he returned to Battery
Wagner he would find no refuge there,
as he hoped every instant to hear the
explosion of the magazine, and Moul-
trie and all of our batteries had been
| instructed to concentrate their fire
upon that work as soon as the signal
of our having evacuated Morris Island
was given. To surrender himself
prisoner was also dreadful. Just as
these fearful alternatives presented
themselves to his mind a boat, which
was apparently going out to sea, swept
by. He hailed it and was informed to
his joy that it was ten-oared Confed-
crate barge which had turned back to
escape capture, and was going round
by Sullivan's Island. The officer in
charge, in reply to Huguenin's earnest
appeal, 'For Gods sake, take me with
you," replied. 'The Yankees are too
near to stop, but wade out and we will
take you in"
So the last Confederate soldier who
left Morris Island waded out breast
high in the water, and was hauled
aboard as the boat shot by.
They reached Fort johnson at about
3 o'clock in the morning, and found
that Col. Yates and a detachment Of
the 1st South Carolina regular artillery
were about to set off for Morris Island
to make an attempt to rescue him, but
the effort would probably have been
vain.
A report that Major Huguenin had
been killed preceded him to the city,
and when he reported himself at about
8 o'clock at Gen. Ripley's headquar-
ters the greeting given him by the
General was very characteristic. In
his bluff military manner he said:
"Is that you ? Why, I thought you
were dead. I am glad to see you
1t appears, therefore, that in South
Carolina, as we'll as in Scotland,
."short greeting serves in times of
war"
Gen. Beauregard was much disap-
pointed at Batteries Gregg and Wag-
ner not having been blown up. Why
the jealous and reliable officers who
were deputed to do this failed to ac-
complish their design was because the
fuses they were ordered to use were
defective.
As soon as Major Huguenin was
told that the duty Of blowing up Bat
terry Wagner was assigned to him he
out off several pieces of the fuse and
touched them off to ascertain if this
important factor was in good order,
but he soon found that it. was worth
nothing. In some parts the fire died
out after being kindled and in others
the powder fared up so quickly that it
was anything but slow match. He,
therefore, went to Col. Keitt, and said:
''This fuse will never explode the
magazine. 1t was brought here in an
open rowboat, and probably got wet,
| for it is useless; but, if you will allow
me to use my discretion, I will guaran-
| tee such an explosion that where Bat
| terry Wagner now stands there will
| soon be creek. We have two barrels
! of resin here. I will put them into
the hospital, which adjoins the pow
der magazine, set them on fire, and
open the doors of the magazine, so
shat the flames may soon ignite the
powder, and if the Yankees take pos
session of the fort one minute after l