1861 Nov[ember] 10 Camp, Skidway Geo

Dear Pa,
Before you get this you will have
read in the papers an account of the bom-
barding of Fort Walker, Hilton Head Island
South Carolina. You have seen that Col
W. H. Stiles’ Reb. also figured there. __ I will
in a very hasty manner give you some of the
particulars. - - - On Saturday the 2nd inst.
Orders came from head quarters to be ready
to march at a moment’s notice. The boys
were glad to hear it. It was further ordered
that two days rations be prepared, and on
Sunday the entire regiment was alive, cooking
rations, rubbing guns, packing knapsacks &c.
All day Sunday we were on suspense, expecting
every moment for marching orders to come.
It was rumored that the great federal fleet
had made an attempt to land on the
South Carolina coast, and that Gov. Picken
had telegraphed to Gen. Lawton for aid.
We all expected therefore to be sent there.
Tuesday came and yet no orders. The boys

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began to think the alarm was false. At
10 o’clock P.M. that day the orders did come
to march immediately, and a boat came
to take us off. Every thing now was confusion
& hurry. As soon as possible we were em-
barked, and at 4 P. M. were on our way to
Hilton head Island South Carolina, to meet
the Yankees. We went down the Savan-
nah river and when near the mouth, we cast
anchor, to wait till morning for fear of
encountering the blockading fleet. Early Wednes-
day morning we weighed anchor & went on
our course. A half past 7 A.M we hove in
sight of the federal fleet drawn up in line
of battle, off Fort Walker. We ran up in
about 5 miles of the fleet and seeing they
were about to fire upon us we turned about,
went four miles back, and landed. Just
as we landed the firing commenced on the
other side of the island, at the fort, and
we set out at double quick for that point.
The Officers left their baggage at the landing,
the men had their knapsacks strapped
to their backs. - It was 6 miles from the land-
ing to the fort, and you may imagine how tired
we were when we got there. We made the trip in
an hour & a half. When in about half a mile of

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the fort, the men unslung their knapsacks
& piled them on the road side. Every man then
loaded his gun, fixed his bayonet & prepared
himself for the fight. On we marched. When
we came in sight of the Fort a spectacle
presented itself which I can not describe.
The smoke of the cannons was like a cloud,
bombs bursted in the air, and cannon balls
whistled around us. Peal after peal burst forth
from the tremendous guns of the enemy, and
were answered nobly by the 90 South Carolinians
with their 20 guns, in the fort. – That morning
we had counted 26 of the enemy s vessels in line,
and several others were lying off at a distance. How
many were firing on the fort we could not tell,
but such a roaring was never heard by Dooly
boys before. Our Regiment was drawn up in
line of battle in the rear of the fort, in an
open cotton field. Here we were exposed to a
galling fire from the ships. Our regiment could
be easily seen by the enemy, who soon began
to direct their deadly missiles at us. We were
ordered to lie down so as to be out of sight of
the rascals, but it was too late. Already their
keen eyes had fell on us & directly there
came a shower of shot & shell. They were
out of reach of our guns, so we were compelled
to receive their shots without being able to return them.

[Page four is blank]. This letter ends as an unsigned fragment.

L. H. Bedingfield, Private in Co. C, 6th Georgia

MSS 13119