1 Bucks County
Intelligencer, From the 104th
Regiment. May 31, 1864 Col. 5
Page 3 1
From the 104th Regiment.
HILTON HEAD, S. C., May 19, 1864.
Messrs. Editors :—By the arrival of the Arago, yester-
day at early morn, we have Northern dates to the 11th inst.,
which convey to us gratifying intelligence of the important
movements of Lieutenant-General Grant. Another week
of silent suspense before we again hear of the great struggle,
and I hope the final one. Eight days of the most despe-
rate battles have been fought, yet the decisive one has not
begun. God grant that we may soon receive the tidings of
news—sad though it be—of the downfall of Richmond.
Another attack has been made on Sumter—the fleet parti-
cipating in the formidable bombardment. On the 13th,
Fort Putnam, Battery Chatfield, and the Columbiad Battery
fired two hundred and forty shells at Fort Sumter, of which
two hundred and twenty were effective. Two casemates
were opened, and a large portion of the new parapet tum-
bled into the water. Two of our monitors moved up at 11
A. M. of the same day, and continued their fire until 6 P.
M. The enemy directed all his fire at the monitors, but did
no serious damage. On the 14th the fire, was again resumed
form Fort Putnam and Battery Chatfield, and 308 shots were
fired, knocking down the larger part of the Moultrie face.
Two monitors again took part, and report says they were be-
yond Sumter, but it cannot yet be credited. On the 14th
the enemy’s fire was principally directed at our land batte-
ries. Four hundred and fifty shells were thrown around our
batteries, doing some damage to the traverse and parapets.
The enemy displayed several batteries of whose existence
we before were ignorant. They opened from all their bat-
teries on James’ and Sullivan’s Islands, with the exception
of Fort Johnson. An expedition also crossed to James’ Is-
land from Folly, capturing a picket post of five men. They
brought us news to the 12th, from Charleston papers, that
Meade had been repulsed and had fallen back to the Rappa-
hannock. They represent the force of the enemy as six
regiments of infantry, eight light batteries, 3,000 men of the
heavy artillery, and 400 men with the siege train. The
prisoners stated that the enemy estimated our force on Mor-
ris and Folly Islands to be about 5,000.
The expedition of Gen. Birney’s in Florida, proved to be
a complete success. At Smyrns, 75 miles south of St. Au-
gustine, our mounted troops captured two blockade runners,
nine steamers, all loaded ready to run out. Over two hun-
dred bales of cotton were taken with the steamers, and other
articles of value. A large number of horses and cattle were
also captured, and many slaves liberated from the galling
yoke of bondage. Thus the sad disaster to our arms at
Olustee is being wiped away by the recent successes in that
quarter.
We have lost another steamer—the Harriet Weed. She
was blown to atoms by rebel torpedoes, while off the mouth
of Cedar creek, and carrying down with her all on board,
the officers and crew numbering about forty men.
Col. Davis has been granted a leave of absence, in conse-
quence of the news that his wife was dangerously ill. Gen.
Birney, who lately returned from Florida, succeeds him tem-
porarily in command of the district. Major Edward L.
Rogers is on the staff of Gen. Birney, as Acting Assistant
Adjutant General.
The troops at this point are again busily engaged in erec-
ting fortifications, or at least the 104th and 52d Regiments
are thus engaged. I think, by the expiration of our term,
we will be professional engineers in the topographic line, as
we have been constantly at work, day after day, since our
arrival in the Department. Why is it that our regiments
are at this work, when there has been numbers of troops here
through the winter idle, is a problem which the boys have
not yet solved.
The men who were on recruiting service at Philadelphia
returned on the steamer Arago. They have enjoyed the
pleasure of their Northern homes for two months, and now
return to the Department, where we are luxuriating on
blackberries, &c.
A member of the 52d, while on guard duty, was struck
by lightning, yesterday afternoon, during a thunder-storm.
The lightning passed down his side, cutting his belt, clothes
and boots, and injuring him so badly that he is not expected
to survive.
Gen. Foster has not yet arrived, but will most probably
reach here by the next steamer.
The District and Post have been consolidated, and Gen.
Birney assumes command of the whole. We will have no
post commandant.
The 104th Regiment is now likely to be entirely broken
up, and distributed at various places and assigned different
duties.
Salutes were fired at sunrise, noon, and sunset, to-day, in
honor of the recent brilliant victories of Lieut.-Gen. Grant,
in the armies of Virginia. T. C.