The troops were immediately landed on James Island and were placed in the second line of intrenchments. I proceeded to signal station at General Schimmelfennig's headquarters and assisted Lieutenant Roberts. On the 5th of July, I received orders from you to have communication opened with Lieutenant Carrique, with General Saxton, on John's Island. On the 6th instant, I was relieved by General Birney from signal duty, he having been ordered to Florida. Being unable to report to you, as you had gone to Hilton Head with General Foster, I used every effort to open communication with the forces on John's Island and with the fleet and general commanding. Every assistance was rendered me which I asked for, and I was thus enabled, by cutting down a large portion of the woods, to open communication with the forces on John's Island and also with the fleet in Stono River. I remained with General Schimmelfennig until the evening of the 10th, when we evacuated James Island and proceeded to Folly Island, where I found Lieutenants Brodie and Carrique with their parties, waiting transportation to Hilton Head. I immediately took charge of their horses, &c., and they were enabled to proceed to Hilton Head on the 11th. Same night I obtained transportation for horses and men and reached Hilton Head morning of July 12, 1864. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Capt. H. R. CLUM, GEO. A. FISHER, First Lieutenant, Signal Corps, U. S. Army. Chief Signal Officer. No. 7. Reports of Brig. Gen. Alexander Schimmelfennig, U. S. Army, commanding Northern District, of operations April 28-September 2. HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, Folly Island, S. C., May 5, 1864. CAPTAIN: Since the visit of Brigadier-General Hatch to this district (Thursday, April 28) nothing of importance has occurred. I have to report as follows: No prisoners have been made, no deserters come in. All the information received is from the outposts. On Sullivan's Island small working parties appear from time to time as usual. A battalion has been seen drilling as heretofore. The batteries fired an occasional shot at Morris Island, and last night they opened from Sullivan's and James Island, firing 20 or 25 shots, but without effect. Fort Sumter.-The bombardment has been confined to shelling from our mortars at irregular intervals, and at the rate of about 4 an hour; occasionally by volleys from all the mortars. About one-half of the shells explode in or immediately over the fort. The result within the fort is not known, but the steamers have discontinued to ply between the city and Sumter at night. This firing has been ordered to prevent the enemy from carrying on the work of repair, which they have been doing to a considerable extent during the past month. In Charleston Harbor the enemy shows more life than usual. They maneuver with their rams in the rear of Castle Pinckney, in Cooper River, and practice with their guns. The firing into the city is continued at the rate of 2 or 3 shots in twenty-four hours, at irregular intervals and in different directions. On James Island, in front of Long Island, and Black Island, viz, the line from John's Island to Secessionville, the enemy, it appears to me, has reduced his forces, or at least shows less than formerly. To ascertain the facts and find out the weak points, I have ordered the boat infantry to drive the enemy's boats out of the creeks and marsh between the two lines. I have also ordered the commander of Morris Island to take possession of a block-house in that marsh about midway between the fort on Black Island and Secessionville, and the commander of the outposts on Long Island to advance a post three-fourths of a mile in front of his outpost, and three-fourths of a mile from Secessionville, on a strip of land in the marsh studded with high trees. Besides this I will adopt other measures. In front of Cole's Island and on James Island the enemy shows his usual strength and thick, double line of outposts. I have ordered the commander of Folly Island to take possession of Battery Island and make a lodgment there. As regards John's Island nothing has been done on our part, and we have no information of the enemy. Occasionally a shot has been fired from the gun-boats into Legareville, which has effectually prevented the enemy from re-establishing their pickets and lookouts there. On Kiawah Island I have taken the guns from the forts, armed the large fort with rockets, and reduced the garrison to an outpost of 40 men. As deserters of the Forty-first New York Volunteers had probably informed the enemy of these facts, their cavalry came up to our outposts yesterday. I therefore shall remove the negroes from the Vanderhost farm to-day, under the protection of a party now following up the enemy on Kiawah Island. The command has been well supplied with rations, but no hay has been received for more than a fortnight, and the horses are now without it. The health of the troops in the district is good, with the exception of some of the colored regiments. From an investigation made, it appears to me that the surgeons excuse more men from duty than they should, and I have given the necessary orders in that respect. The Massachusetts colored regiments are dissatisfied and difficult to manage, having received no pay for more than a year. I beg to call the general's attention to the fact that at this district about 500 men will have served out their time at the end of this or the beginning of next month. As will be seen by orders annexed, I have divided the district into two posts, at Morris Island and the south end of Folly Island, respectively. In order to keep up communication with Long Island, I shall leave a garrison of 40 men in a closed work at Pawnee Landing, and the same number in a similar work at the white house. Patrols will be kept up between the works. Besides this, I very much need facilities for mounting a small force of infantry for the purpose of patrolling the whole of Folly Island and also Kiawah, as well as occasionally for offensive purposes. I would therefore respectfully beg the brigadier-general commanding to approve a requisition by my quartermaster, Captain Cushing, for 80 horses and equipments complete, for mounting infantry. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. SCHIMMELFENNIG, Brigadier-General, Commanding District. Capt. W. L. M. BURGER, Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, CAPTAIN: Nothing of special interest has occurred within the command since my last report, dated the 5th instant. The disposition of my own troops remains unaltered, with the exception of the arrival on the 6th instant of the Thirty-second Regiment U. S. Colored Infantry, numbering 752 enlisted men, and of a company of engineers under Captain McKenna. The Thirty-second U. S. Colored Regiment was assigned to the post of Morris Island, but I have to-day ordered the left wing over to this island, where such arrangements have been made by the post commander that they will have half their time for drill and the other half to do fatigue duty on the new works to be built. The force and disposition of the enemy on my front seems to remain the same, except that a new camp is reported as having been established behind Secessionville. Fort Sumter.-The occasional throwing of mortar shells into Fort Sumter, sometimes by volley, is still continued, with the view of preventing the work of repair. Guns have been mounted bearing on the sea face of Sumter. Within the last few days a new battery is being erected by the enemy near Mount Pleasant. Charleston Harbor.-On the morning of the 5th instant, a small river steamer was discovered aground about 2 miles below Mount Pleasant Landing, and about 3 miles from Fort Putnam. She was fired at from our batteries, but the distance was too great for very good practice. Several shots struck her, but not sufficient to disable her, and on the morning of the 6th she was no longer to be seen. Ele Morris Island.-A 100-pounder Parrott gun in Battery Chatfield burst on the afternoon of the 5th instant, at the second round. vation when fired, 18 degrees. No casualties occurred. Twelve contrabands, field hands from Christ Church Parish, 7 miles from Charleston, came into our lines at Fort Putnam on the morning of the 7th instant. Colonel Gurney's report of these refugees will be herewith forwarded. I have not yet examined them myself. James Island.-At about 8.30 a. m. of the 8th instant, the enemy's batteries on James Island, near Secessionville, opened fire on Long Island. They were replied to by one gun from Long Island, and also by Fort Greene. The firing lasted about three-quarters of an hour, without any casualties on our side. Kiawah Island.-A party of 100 men was sent out on Kiawah Island the 5th instant, reaching Vanderhost's plantation at daybreak, patrolling the island during the day, and returning at night. They did not meet the enemy. While this party was out, the negroes at Vanderhost's plantation (8, old and young) were allowed to move within our lines, where they are now established. With the above exceptions, no movements have been made on our part or that of the enemy. The new battery to be erected near white house is commenced. The work of putting the oyster-shell fort on Cole's Island in a state of defense is going on. I have directed the bomb-proofs to be enlarged in Fort Putnam and Battery Chatfield. The health of the troops is good with the exception of the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Massachusetts (colored) Regiments. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. SCHIMMELFENNIG, Brigadier-General, Commanding District. Capt. W. L. M. BURGER, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Department of the South. HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that nothing of importance has occurred within this district since my last communication. The enemy has kept quiet and I myself postponed small operations in order to hold my force in readiness, for reasons stated in a letter to the general commanding the department. The enemy has continued to fire from Secessionville on the pickets lately advanced to Pine Island, in front of Long Island, and his fire has been answered. We have now an idea of the armament of his batteries at Secessionville, which is of inferior description. Our fire into Charleston is the same as heretofore; so also on Sumter, with the exception that the 100pounder recently mounted has been brought to bear on the sea front, where the enemy's guns are supposed to be. The enemy has fired at various times, and heavily, at Fort Putnam and Battery Chatfield from Moultrie and Simkins, and as usual, imitating our fire, now use mortars. Morris Island.-On the 11th instant, a 30-pounder Parrott from Fort Putnam, used for firing at the city, burst. I have given orders that some of the embrasures in various batteries on Morris Island be so arranged that the guns shall bear on Fort Johnson as well as on Fort Sumter and Sullivan's Island. On the night of the 11th-12th instant, 7 deserters from Fort Johnson, coming over in a boat, were met and brought in by our boat infantry. The information received from them I have made the subject of another communication. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Capt. W. L. M. BURGER, HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, Folly Island, S. C., May 16, 1864. CAPTAIN I have the honor to report as follows with regard to operations and occurrences within this command since my last report of May 13: In order to test the information given by deserters I instructed my command to embrace any opportunity presented along our lines for taking prisoners from the enemy. An attempt to this effect by the One hundred and third New York Volunteers, from Long Island, proved highly successful. They crossed Secessionville Creek from the fort on Long Island by boat, advanced through the marsh on James Island, and captured a picket-post of 5 men. These men report the news in the Charleston papers of the 12th to be that Meade's army was thrown back by Lee, but that Meade had received re-enforcements and made a stand south of the Rappahannock. The prisoners are of the Second South Carolina Artillery Regiment, and, having been about more on James Island than the deserters from Fort Johnson, know more with regard to the troops remaining there. They represent the force of the enemy as over six regiments of infantry, among whom is Colquitt's (Georgia) brigade, six light batteries, about 3,000 men of the heavy artillery (being the First and Second Regiments South Carolina Artillery and Lucas' battalion), and 400 men with the siege train. This does not include troops on John's Island and in the vicinity of Adams' Run nor the cadets in Charleston City. The prisoners stated that the enemy estimated our force here to be about 5,000. Morris Island.-On the 13th instant, Fort Putnam and Battery Chatfield and the columbiad battery fired 240 shells at Fort Sumter, of which 227 were good, striking the point fired at. Two casemates were opened, and a large portion of the new parapets tumbled into the water. During the night mortar shells were fired into Sumter, at intervals, to prevent working parties from repairing damages done. Two of our monitors moved up at 11 a. m., and continued their fire until 6 p. m. The enemy directed all his fire at the monitors, without apparently doing them any serious damage. On the 14th instant, we fired 308 shells at Fort Sumter from Fort Putnam and Battery Chatfield. The injury to the sea face of the fort was still further continued, and we knocked down the south portion of the Moultrie face. It will require perhaps one or two days' more firing to be certain that the guns which they had again mounted in Fort Sumter are unserviceable. Two monitors again took part in the action, but this day the enemy's fire was directed at our batteries on Morris Island. Four hundred and fifty shells were thrown around our forts and batteries, doing some damage to the traverses and parapets. No casualties occurred. The enemy opened from all his batteries on Sullivan's and James Islands, with the exception of Johnson. On Sullivan's Island he displayed several batteries of which we were before ignorant, and which I shall have duly noted on the map. No changes have taken place in the number or disposition of troops in my command. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, Capt. W. L. M. BURGER, HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, Folly Island, S. C., May 21, 1864. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report as follows since my last communication: On the 16th instant, we fired 49 shells at Fort Sumter, and the enemy fired 70 shells at our batteries. Two monitors took part in |