James Island

“Repulse of the Confederates at James Island, near Charleston, S. C., June 10th, 1862, in the attempt to capture the pickets of General Wright’s division. Our correspondent wrote: “General Benham conceived the design of making a dash across James Island and taking Fort Johnson by surprise. After due deliberation General Hunter agreed to his plan, and troops were transported from Port Royal and taken up Stono River, which was occupied by our gunboats. Two camps were formed on the shore of James Island, about two miles apart, one commanded by General Stevens, and the other by General Wright. Between these camps and Charleston a large force of Confederates, said to be eight thousand men, under command of Colonel Lamar, was stationed to check the advance of the Federals. The advance of this force held possession of a powerful earthwork, about two miles from the Federal camp. The first collision between the hostile forces took place on the 4th of June, in which the Confederates captured about twenty of our men. Later in the day we drove them from their position, and captured a battery of four guns. Things remained quiet until the 10th, when a reconnoissance in force was made for the purpose of advancing our picket lines and taking an earthern fort the Confederates had erected at a place called Secessionville, whose guns threw their shells into our camps, and even into the river where the gunboats were lying, while they were beyond our range. On the afternoon of the 10th the Confederates attacked General Wright’s pickets, and were repulsed with heavy loss, our loss being very slight."” —Leslie, 1896

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