Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, June 5, 1862
Title
Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, June 5, 1862
Subject
Description
Capers relates an account of retrieving four guns and how they met with the enemy on James Island. Capers was unharmed in the skirmish but fears for the safety of Charleston. He asks Lottie to send him needles and to make him a waterproof haversack.
Creator
Source
A1961.1, Box 2, Folder 47
Publisher
The Citadel Archives & Museum
Date
Rights
Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.
Relation
Ellison Capers Collection
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/471
Date Valid
Audience
Text
[Page 1]
Camp Zollicoffer
On the Fort Johnson road
James Isld. Thursday
June 5th 1862
My own, my precious wife
Since my return I have been so busy as not to have had time to write you at length. After the engagement with the enemy on Tuesday morning I sent you word by the authorities at Charleston that I was well & safe. I left our camp at day light on Tuesday morning with four companies to get off four guns which Capt. Chichester had been obliged to abandon near Legare’s. You will see it on your map, just above the point where our new road comes in to James Isld. I found the pickets driven in, and the enemy’s advance just behind our guns. The pickets were in two companies: the [illegible words] Riflemen, of Col. Gaillard’s Battalion, and the Beauregard Lt. Infantry of Col. Simonton’s Battalion. I took these companies with mine & attacked the enemy, driving him back slowly until he occupied Legare’s houses, which
[Page 2]
covered him from view & from which he poured a severe fire on me. I stationed my companies along the front of the woods on the edge of a large old field which was between me and the Legare’s houses. The fight continued there for 3/4ths of an hour, when I advanced my men on the right & left & was preparing my right for a charge on the houses, when Col. Gaillard, with his Battalion came to my relief. Being his senior in age of commissions I ranked him & ordered him to hold fast my left while I charged the houses. Capt. Goodings Company, the Evans Guard of the 24th were in the charge & three of Gaillard’s Battalion, all of which I led. We cleared the houses. The enemy that we did not take, running away, but a Massachusetts Regiment now came [illegible word] & occupied a long row of negro houses, from which they fired severely on us. This fire wounded six men & killed one. The Gun Boats, which were in the river & in full sight opened upon
[Page 3]
me & I retired with my prisoners. I thank God, my angel, for my safety. The balls whistled by me, & fell between my horses feet, but did come no harm. Our prisoners were neatly dressed in blue, well armed, and are very fine looking men. We are now within the lines awaiting the enemy’s advance, but pickets are on all the roads that approach us & near the river, or one side, and the Secessionville creek on the other. You see as soon as I gained the houses I had to retire because of the heavy fire of the boats & so it will always be outside of the lines. I fear Pemberton has done the worst for Charleston by leaving the Stono open. The enemy can now throw shell over our left flank & if they take Fort Pemberton they will have completely commanded & turned our right. They may not take the forts, but their artillery practice is so fine, their guns so heavy & numerous that I fear they will. Charleston is in my opinion in some danger from this fact. Our Infantry can whip them
[Page 4]
every time. I want you, my angel, to send me in a letter some needles, large ones. I want you also to make me a water proof haversack & make a small bundle of it & send it to me by mail. Direct your letters to me as before. I am quite well. Was soaked night before last & all of yesterday, but am well. God bless you, my angel. I need not say to you that my whole heart is filled with thought of you & Frank, & that I am always praying for you. Good bye, my own angel. Tell Mrs R. Mr R. is quite well & has been doing good service with his Battery. He has been hard at it since my fight, but is now very near me in the lines. I got your letter sending me one from [illegible word]. Good Bye, my own most precious wife-- Your Ellie forever, your devoted. Ellie
Kiss my boy
Camp Zollicoffer
On the Fort Johnson road
James Isld. Thursday
June 5th 1862
My own, my precious wife
Since my return I have been so busy as not to have had time to write you at length. After the engagement with the enemy on Tuesday morning I sent you word by the authorities at Charleston that I was well & safe. I left our camp at day light on Tuesday morning with four companies to get off four guns which Capt. Chichester had been obliged to abandon near Legare’s. You will see it on your map, just above the point where our new road comes in to James Isld. I found the pickets driven in, and the enemy’s advance just behind our guns. The pickets were in two companies: the [illegible words] Riflemen, of Col. Gaillard’s Battalion, and the Beauregard Lt. Infantry of Col. Simonton’s Battalion. I took these companies with mine & attacked the enemy, driving him back slowly until he occupied Legare’s houses, which
[Page 2]
covered him from view & from which he poured a severe fire on me. I stationed my companies along the front of the woods on the edge of a large old field which was between me and the Legare’s houses. The fight continued there for 3/4ths of an hour, when I advanced my men on the right & left & was preparing my right for a charge on the houses, when Col. Gaillard, with his Battalion came to my relief. Being his senior in age of commissions I ranked him & ordered him to hold fast my left while I charged the houses. Capt. Goodings Company, the Evans Guard of the 24th were in the charge & three of Gaillard’s Battalion, all of which I led. We cleared the houses. The enemy that we did not take, running away, but a Massachusetts Regiment now came [illegible word] & occupied a long row of negro houses, from which they fired severely on us. This fire wounded six men & killed one. The Gun Boats, which were in the river & in full sight opened upon
[Page 3]
me & I retired with my prisoners. I thank God, my angel, for my safety. The balls whistled by me, & fell between my horses feet, but did come no harm. Our prisoners were neatly dressed in blue, well armed, and are very fine looking men. We are now within the lines awaiting the enemy’s advance, but pickets are on all the roads that approach us & near the river, or one side, and the Secessionville creek on the other. You see as soon as I gained the houses I had to retire because of the heavy fire of the boats & so it will always be outside of the lines. I fear Pemberton has done the worst for Charleston by leaving the Stono open. The enemy can now throw shell over our left flank & if they take Fort Pemberton they will have completely commanded & turned our right. They may not take the forts, but their artillery practice is so fine, their guns so heavy & numerous that I fear they will. Charleston is in my opinion in some danger from this fact. Our Infantry can whip them
[Page 4]
every time. I want you, my angel, to send me in a letter some needles, large ones. I want you also to make me a water proof haversack & make a small bundle of it & send it to me by mail. Direct your letters to me as before. I am quite well. Was soaked night before last & all of yesterday, but am well. God bless you, my angel. I need not say to you that my whole heart is filled with thought of you & Frank, & that I am always praying for you. Good bye, my own angel. Tell Mrs R. Mr R. is quite well & has been doing good service with his Battery. He has been hard at it since my fight, but is now very near me in the lines. I got your letter sending me one from [illegible word]. Good Bye, my own most precious wife-- Your Ellie forever, your devoted. Ellie
Kiss my boy
Collection
Citation
Capers, Ellison, 1837-1908, “Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, June 5, 1862,” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed April 19, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/471.