Particulars of the fight near Charleston.
In the fight at Poeotalige, it appears that the enemy's force consisted of detachments of eight regiments from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Each detachment numbered 400 men, so that the attacking force of infantry consisted of about 3,200 men, besides which there was a full battery of field pieces and two boat nowissers. These troops were commanded by brigadier-General Terry. Having effected their landing at an early hour and driven in our pickets, the Yankees advanced rapidly towards the railroad. The Charleston Mercury says:‘ They first encountered our forces about eleven o'clock A. M., and the fighting was kept up with more or less spirit from that time until five o'clock P. M., when the enemy began to waver and finally fall back in disorder, leaving his dead upon the field. The action is described by an eye-witness to have been a second Secessionville affair, in the disparity of the forces engaged, in the stubborn character of the contest, and in the completeness of the repulse. Capt. Elliott's battery and the Virginia battery are said to have covered themselves with glory. A later report, though not official, places the number of our casualties at twenty killed and sixty wounded.
The heaviest loss was suffered by the Virginia Artillery; Captain J. N. Lamhin, a gallant corps, which has served on our coast ever since the fall of Port Royal. They had four killed and sixteen wounded, most of the latter slightly. The following are the names of the killed:
C. Peters, J. F. Flucher, W. A. Thacker, T. J. Allen. Lieutenant Massie was wounded in the head and arm slightly. The battery went into action with thirty-five men, mire number of its horses were killed. The Old Dominion boys also lost a caisson, owing to the horses having taken fright, but captured one from the enemy, which made things even. The enemy burned the caisson which they took.
’ The Courier adds the following to this account:
‘ The 46th Georgia and a detachment of cavalry, under the command of Col. Colquitt, were ordered down Thursday morning to follow up the enemy, a courier having arrived stating that the enemy was in force at Mackey a Point. The Georgians on the read gathered up quite a large stock of overcoats and other articles found on the read. Two new-made graves were also discovered. The enemy's dead lie scattered along the route, down to the point of landing. During the whole engagement they were carrying their wounded and dying to the rear. One man who saw them on their retreat, states that he met a continued stream of ambulances going and coming from their boats. On their advance they had killed some sheep, but in the hasty retreat were obliged to leave their plunder.
Our troops buried forty of the enemy's dead.--The force that first met the enemy consisted of the Rutledge Mounted Riflemen, Captain Trenholm; Charleston Light Dragoons, Captain Rutledge; Beaufort Volunteer Artillery, Captain Wm. Elliott, and an infantry company, who stubbornly and successfully contested the enemy's advance until the arrival of reinforcements. The others after wards engaged were Nelson's Virginia Battery, Morgan's Squadron of Cavalry, Major Abney's First Battalion of Sharpshooters, consisting of Captain Chisholm's company, Captain Allston's company, and Captain Buist's company.
’ A deserter from one of the blockading steamers off Charleston, arrived in that city on the 27th.--The Courier gives the following report from him:
‘ Before be left he was acting as Assistant Quartermaster, and overheard a conversation between Capt. Dennison and another officer on the poop of his vessel, in which one of the officers stated that an attack on Charleston would be made on the arrival of two iron- clads and some additional vessels, with an expected reinforcement to the land forces of some seventeen thousand men. They expected to make the attack by land and water between the 1st and 10th of November. Their light draught gunboats were to run up the Stone, shell the woods and attack the batteries along the banks, while the iron-clads and larger vessels are to come up and attack Fort Sumter and the city.
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