No. 48. Reports of Major John Jenkins, Third South Carolina Cavalry, of operations July 3-10 and the burning of Legareville.

JOHN'S ISLAND, July 14, 1864.

CAPTAIN: In obedience to orders from Brigadier-General Robertson the following report of the operations of my command during the recent movements of the enemy on John's Island is respectfully submitted:

The enemy on the 3rd instant landed three regiments, with a few cavalry, on Seabrook Island, also a body of infantry, with some artillery, at Legare's Point place and Legareville, and a third body of troops at Rockville. Captain E. L. Parker, then commanding on John's Island, having no force to resist their advance, judiciously withdrew his troops, a mere picket of about 80 mounted men, to Curtis', and scouted the island in his front, and placed a piece of artillery to cover the crossing from Wadmalaw. The enemy rebuilt the bridge over the Haulover and crossed their troops and wagon train from Seabrook to John's Island, and advanced up to the Cocked Hat, where they encamped and formed line of battle.

On the 4th, they marched down the Kiawah River road to the Stono side of the island, concentrating their forces for their advance up the river road. Having made a personal reconnaissance to the Haulover and ascertained definitely this move, I sent a scouting party down the Stono River to learn the position and strength of the enemy.

This party encountered their advance at McElhany's on the morning of the 5th, and were fired into, W. Godfrey, of the Stono Scouts being shot severely in the foot, but escaped and brought me intelligence that the enemy were advancing in very heavy force.

I immediately ordered all the cavalry except a few vedettes to that side of the island to confront and check, or at least retard, their advance. I had morning been re-enforced by the First Georgia Regular Regiment, Major Wayne, about 230 men. My force being insufficient to beat the enemy back, I marched with the troops and a Napoleon gun, of the Marion, and a howitzer, of Charles's battery, down the Bohicket and Edendale roads to get in rear of the enemy, with the hope of alarming them for their communications, and thus inducing a withdrawal, which I had not force to compel by a direct attack in front. We attacked and routed a body of troops (colored), killing 2 of them, at Huntscum's Corner, and advanced to attack their force at Roper's and the Aberpoolie, when I received information that the enemy in overwhelming numbers were steadily driving our cavalry, who were too feeble to offer effective resistance to them, and that they had advanced to Gervais'. Upon this information of their rapid progress we countermarched 11 miles to get in their front, and took position at Grimball's Waterloo place.

On the morning of the 6th, enemy threw forward his skirmishers, who approached to within 400 yards of our line, but were dispersed and driven back in confusion by a few rounds of canister and shell, which did some execution among them.

On the 7th, they took possession of some buildings in Gervais' field with their sharpshooters, who were very annoying, but whom we finally succeeded in dislodging and silencing. The enemy for the