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106 Series I Volume VI- Serial 6 - Fort Pulaski - New Orleans

Page 106 COASTS OF S. C., GA., AND MIDDLE AND EAST FLA. Chapter XV.

CAVALRY BATTALION PHILLIPS LEGION,

March 24, 1862.

You are hereby notified that four pickets belonging to the Green Rifles, lately under my command at Bluffton, are missing, and I am fearful they were captured by the enemy on the morning of the 20th instant.

Yours, respectfully,

JNO. B. WILLCOXON,

Major, Commanding Cavalry Phillips Legion.

Lieutenant Colonel S. JONES, Jr.


HDQRS. CAVALRY BATTALION PHILLIPS LEGION, GA. VOLS.,
Stony Place, S. C., March 24, 1862.

SIR: In answer to the request of Brigadier-General Drayton, as per note of J. I. Middleton, aide-de-camp, 23rd instant, I report the following:

About daylight on the morning of the 20th instant the pickets from Hunting Island and Buckingham reported the enemy landing at those two points, as verbally reported. I then ordered Captain Du Bignon's company to Hunting Island, the officer in command of which dispatched a courier to inform me that one regiment and one piece of artillery had landed. The courier reported one regiment and one battery. The officer of the pickets, after relieving them, reported to me (cannot state at what hour) that about one regiment had landed at Buckingham. I then made my written report from that of those two officers.

Respectfully submitted.

JNO. B. WILLCOXON,

Major, Commanding Cavalry Phillips Legion.

HENRY A. YOUNG,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


Numbers 4. Report of Captain Carlos Tracy, volunteer aide-de-camp.


HEADQUARTERS SIXTH MILITARY DISTRICT,
Camp Lee, March 23, 1862.

SIR: In compliance with instructions from Brigadier-General Drayton, delivered at New River Bridge about 8 p. m. yesterday, that I should proceed to Major Willcoxon, commanding in the vicinity of Bluffton, and acquait myself as accurately as I could with the facts of the reported landing and advance of the enemy on that day into and from the village of Bluffton, I proceeded towards that place, and found Major Willcoxon, with his command, 2 miles this side of Bluffton. I learned from Major Willcoxon that the enemy-reported shortly before by his scouts to him and by him to the major-general commanding as having retired from Bluffton-had returned. I inquired if this fact had been reported to Brigadier-General Drayton, but found it had not been, because, as Major Willcoxon stated, he had not the countersign, and besides did not know if the report was true.

I got Major Willcoxon to call before me the men of his command


Page 106 COASTS OF S. C., GA., AND MIDDLE AND EAST FLA. Chapter XV.