Today in History:

271 Series I Volume XIV- Serial 20 - Secessionville

Page 271 Chapter XXVI. ENGAGEMENT IN CHARLESTON HARBOR, S. C.


HDQRS. SECOND SUB-DIVISION, FIRST MILITARY DIST., Sullivan's Island, April 10, 1863.

Respectfully submitted.

J. H. TRAPIER,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. SECOND SUB-DIVISION, FIRST MIL. DIST. S. C., Sullivan's Island, April 15, 1863.

Captain W. F. NANCE,

Asst. Adjt. General, First Mil. Dist. S. C., Charleston, S. C.:

CAPTAIN: I respectfully request that the paragraph immediately preceding that which covers my report of the action of the 7th may be altered to real as follows:

"To Capts. William Greene and B. G. Pinckney, of my staff, and First Lieutenant A. H. Lucas, my aide-de-camp, I am indebted for valuable assistance; and my thanks are also due to Lieutenant Colonel O. M. Dantzler and Dr. G. W. Westcott, volunteer aides for the occasion."

I beg leave also to invite the attention of the brigadier-general commanding the district to the heroic conduct of Private Joseph Harrison, Company G, First South Carolina Regular Infantry, as related by Colonel Butler in his report. The haste with which my report was prepared under the stringent order from district headquarters must be my excuse for inaccurate phraseology and inadvertent omissions.

Very respectfully, captain, your obedient servant,

J. H. TRAPIER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

SULIVAN'S ISLAND, April 18, 1863.,

DEAR GENERAL: If my report of the late action is to be published will you be kind enough to correct for me a slight error in it.

I say "Colonel Keitt, as previously arranged between us, made his headquarters at Battery Bee," &c. This is not expressed precisely as it should be. After I had taken post at Fort Moultrie Colonel Keitt reported to me and said that with my consent he would go to Battery Bee. Of course I consented.

The alteration which I would like to have made is this. For the sentence quoted above substitute the following.:

"Colonel Keitt, by my consent, took post at Battery Bee and remained there during the action."

The phraseology more exactly describes what actually took place.

My report was prepared very hastily, under a very stringent order from the brigadier-general commanding the district, and is not what it ought to be; but so long as it tells the story truly I am willing to let it stand as it is.

With great respect and esteem, I am, very sincerely yours,

J. H. TRAPIER.


Numbers 8. Report of Colonel Lawrence M. Keitt, Twentieth South Carolina Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS SULIVAN'S ISLAND, April 13, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I had the honor this morning to send to you the reports of


Page 271 Chapter XXVI. ENGAGEMENT IN CHARLESTON HARBOR, S. C.