harge in his
gun, and it had burst just where he gripped the barrels with his left
hand. My sack coat was cut in several places. One shot struck me in the
arm near the shoulder and went about six inches between the muscles
towards the elbow. That little piece of lead has been my constant
companion for just thirty-four years the 5th of December. I can always
tell when wet weather is coming, by feeling a dull pain in my right arm.
During the general conversation, I found out the cause of so many men
being ready to receive us on shore. It seems that the first shell we had
fired from the brig went very high over the schooner and landed in the
camp in the woods. They were enjoying an after-breakfast smoke when it
fell in their midst. It was laughable to hear them twitting each other
about vacating their quarters. We could not make them believe that it
was a chance shot. They insisted that one of the refugees on our vessel
had pointed out their camp to us. They also believed that they had
killed all the men but one in the boat the day before. Arrants and
myself told them that we were the two officers on shore, but they would
have it that we were both killed. The continual report of our broadside
guns had been heard for quite a distance north and south of Murrell
Inlet. All the rebel pickets thought that a blockade-runner had been
run ashore by the Yankees, so all hastened to the scene of action,
especially as there might be a prospect of looting the vessel if ashore.
When they arrived and found out the true state of affairs they concluded
to remain, in the hope that we would send men ashore to burn the
schooner. There were present two companies of cavalry--one each from the
Fifth and Twenty-first Georgia Regiments and under command of Captains
Bowers and Harrison. There was where Captain Gregory made a blunder in
sending us ashore after cannonading the schooner. Instead of a few men
to contend with, we had a force of one hundred and twenty to give us a
warm reception, which they did in most orthodox style.

If still living, one of those misguided men is telling his grandchildren
how he captured my sword, for which I had paid twenty-five good dollars.
The rifle and the revolver belonged to the Government.

At four o'clock that afternoon we started for Charleston, S. C. Those
who were too badly wounded to walk were put in an old wagon. Our boat's
coxswain had been hit in the head with a number of buckshot. He must
have had a t