No. 2.
Report of Brig. Gen. Joseph Finegan, C. S.
Army.
GENERAL: I have the
honor to report that on the night of the 24th instant I directed Lieutenant [T.
E.] Buckman, chief of ordnance, to proceed with the rifled 32-pounder furnished
me by Brigadier-General [H.] Cobb, mounted on a platform car on the railroad,
and a sufficient infantry support for the gun, to within range of the town, and
open on it with shot and shell. In obedience to this order Lieutenant Buckman
proceeded to within 1½ miles of the town and opened on it with effect, throwing
shell with great accuracy into those parts of the town where the enemy were
located. The gun was admirably served, and great credit is due to Lieutenant
Buckman and to Private Francis Soulé, of Captain [Edwin] West's company, First
Special Battalion Florida Volunteers, commanding gun detachment, for its
effective service. The firing of the enemy from a large number of heavy guns on
their gunboats and some in battery soon became concentrated and accurate, and
the gun, in pursuance of orders, was withdrawn after inflicting some damage on
the enemy and without loss on our side.
On the succeeding
morning the enemy advanced in force, about 1,500 strong, in three columns,
driving in pickets with skirmishers, and formed in line of battle about 3 miles
from town. My entire force was immediately ordered with all possible expedition
to proceed to the ground where they were drawn up and engage them. The rifled
32-pounder, under command of Lieutenant Buckman, with a strong support of
infantry and cavalry on left flank, protected on the right by the main body of
our troops, was sent down on the railroad, and opened on the enemy as soon as
they came within range, gradually approaching them until within full view of a
considerable force protected by a 12-pounder Parrott gun, and engaged in destroying
a culvert over which it was necessary for our gun to pass in order to shell the
town. Lieutenant Buckman opened on them with effect, throwing shell with great
accuracy and dispersing the party.
In the mean time a
section of Captain [R. H.] Gamble's battery of Florida artillery was ordered
some little distance in advance of our main body, and under command of Captain
Gamble and Lieutenant [F. L.] Villepigue opened on the enemy a cross-fire in
the direction where they were supposed to be lying concealed in some force. The
enemy had in this fight, in addition to the Parrott gun on the railroad car, a
small hand piece, with which he opened in the direction of the firing from
Captain Gamble's section. He did not await the advance of the main body of our
troops, but retired precipitately soon after the 32-pounder gun had opened on
him. I continued to throw shell into their column for some distance on their
retreat, and found evidence of considerable loss on their part--a number of
guns, caps, haversacks, canteens, and fragments of human bodies and portions of
skulls were found on the several roads occupied by their columns.
The conduct and
services on this occasion of Lieut. T. E. Buckman, chief of ordnance, and of
Private Francis Soulé, of Captain West's company (First Special Battalion),
commanding gun detachment of 32-pounder rifled gun, is again entitled to
special commendation.
The enemy having
retired, I sent forward a strong body of infantry, under command of Major [T.
W.] Brevard, First Partisan Rangers, with orders to hold them in reserve under
cover from the enemy's guns, and to send forward a body of skirmishers to
approach cautiously and ascertain the position of the enemy in the immediate
vicinity of the town and endeavor to draw them out in force. The order was
executed by Major Brevard with promptness, gallantry, and discretion. The
skirmishers, under command of Major Brevard in person, advanced to within a
short distance of the town. Finding the enemy's pickets drawn into their outer
battery (a strong position on the brow of a hill), a ravine in front, and a
strong force well posted for its defense and under good cover on either flank,
and having no further object to gain, I ordered Major Brevard's command to
retire, and replacing and strengthening my pickets, returned with the main body
of my force to camp, having inflicted on the enemy, as I have reason to
believe, a probable loss of 10 or 15 men, without any casualties to my own
troops.
The conduct and
spirit of both officers and men of the entire command were excellent, and I
desire to mention favorably to the commanding general Col. Duncan L. Clinch,
Fourth Georgia Cavalry; Lieutenant-Colonel [A. H.] McCormick, Second Florida
Cavalry; Major R. B.] Thomas, inspector-general and acting chief of artillery;
Maj.[R. B.] Brevard, First Battalion Partisan Rangers; Major [Robert] Harrison,
Second Florida Cavalry; Major [J. C.] McDonald, Fourth Georgia Cavalry; Captain
[Edwin] West, First Special Battalion; Captains [John] Westcott, [Samuel W.]
Mays, P. B. Bird, and J. Q. Stewart, of Brevard's battalion of Partisan
Rangers, and Lieut. ——— Tucker, commanding company from camp of instruction,
and his officers and men.
On the succeeding
day (the 26th instant) I placed early in the morning a strong force of
infantry, with a battery of artillery, under Major Brevard, First Battalion
Partisan Rangers, under cover some woods to the right of where the enemy were
posted on the 25th instant, with the design of getting in their rear should they
again venture out. During the day information reached me that they were out in
force, and I again marched to meet them, with the intention of cutting them
off, but they retired before we got near them. On the night of the 26th
[instant] they were out in some force attempting to destroy the railroad track
about 1 mile from town. Lieutenant Buckman was again ordered with the rifled
32-pounder and an infantry support to drive them in. This he accomplished with
a few rounds. On each succeeding day I posted a large body of infantry under
cover for the purpose of cutting off any force that might come out; but the
enemy kept closely within their lines in the suburbs of the town and under the
immediate fire of their gunboats and batteries.
On Sunday, the 29th
instant, while reconnoitering the town from a position on the river, I
discovered it was on fire in several places and that the transports were being
loaded with troops. I immediately conjectured that the enemy were leaving, and
pressed on into the town, arriving just after the departure of the last
gunboat. I found the town in great part consumed, but succeeded in
extinguishing the fire in some valuable buildings. There were evidences of
precipitate departure by the enemy, and some quartermaster's stores were left
by them, which were taken and turned over to the proper officers.
I regret to report
that on the night of the 27th instant Lieutenant [O. F.] Braddock, of Captain
[John] Westcott's company Partisan Rangers, who had obtained, through the
solicitation of his officers, permission to proceed to the east bank of the
Saint John's River to bring across the wives and children of men in the service
who were there destitute and exposed to the outrages of the negro troops of the
enemy, after having <ar20_236> crossed
the river, some 12 miles above my camp, and met the wagons sent by his captain
to convey the women and children, was captured, with 15 men, 2 wagons, and 8
mules, by a three of the enemy under Col. ——— Montgomery. The mules were
recovered by a force which I sent in pursuit, but the wagons were burned by the
enemy and the women and children carried off. I have ordered the arrest of this
officer (who subsequently escaped from his captors), and will ask for his trial
by court-martial whenever the proper witnesses can be produced. The
fortifications erected by the enemy around Jacksonville were formidable.
I desire to bring to
the notice of the commanding general in the highest terms of praise the conduct
and services of both officers and men of the command in the recent operations,
and herewith transmit a copy of General Orders, No. 12, issued by me, to which
I beg to refer the commanding general for special mention of instances of
individual merit. I will, however, here mention as pro-eminently entitled to
consideration the services and conduct of Lieut. T. E. Buckman, chief of
ordnance on my staff, a most accomplished, brave, ingenious, and energetic
officer, and Privates Francis Soulé, of Captain West's company, First Special
Battalion, and James Chestnut, of Captain Chambers' company, Second Florida
Cavalry; also Capts. W. E. Chambers and Winston Stephens of the Second Florida
Cavalry, and their officers and men.
I have ascertained
that the enemy's force in Jacksonville was as follows: Eighth Maine, 1,100
strong; Sixth Connecticut, 800 strong (whites); First South Carolina Volunteers
(black troops), commanded by Col. T. W. Higginson, a full regiment, estimated
from 900 to 1,500; Second South Carolina Volunteers (blacks), Colonel
Montgomery commanding, not full.
Chief of Staff, Charleston, S.C.
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