Fight Between Col. Wilson’s Zouaves and Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama Soldiers on Santa Rosa Island
Baltimore, Oct. 12,1811.
The Norfolk Day Book, received this morning, contains despatches from New Orleans giving an account of a surprise and attack made on Col. Wm. Wilson’s Zouaves, at Rosa Island, on the 8th inst. Detachments from several Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama regiments made a landing in the night and drove in Wilson’s pickets, and shortly afterwards a fierce fight began. The Zouaves of Colonel Wilson are credited with having fought with great bravery, and the rebels admit a loss of forty killed and about double that number wounded. The rebels claim to have spiked the guns of the Zouaves and destroyed all their camp equipage. They also claim to have committed great slaughter among the Zouaves, but give no number of the killed. The rebels also say they carried off a number of prisoners.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
Baltimore, Oct. 12, 1861.
The steamer Louisiana arrived here this morning and brought nearly a hundred passengers, Including sixty from Norfolk, who were permitted to leave by the rebel authorities, a large proportion of whom are ladles and children. Before they were permitted to leave they were closely searched, to prevent the concealing of any newspapers.
One gentleman, however, who had placed the Norfolk Day Book in his trunk, escaped detection. It contains despatches from New Orleans giving an account of a desperately fought battle between Colonel William Wilson’s Zouaves and a thousand rebels, at Santa Rosa Island, on the 8th inst.
The despatch says:—
About two o’clock on the morning of the 8th inst., the confederates, commanded by General Andenson, crossed the bay and landod on Santa Rosa Island, near Wilson’s Zouave encampment, without being discovered, drove in the pickets and stormed the place in less than an hour. They destroyed all of Colonel Wilson’s tents with the exception of the hospital one, captured a large amount of rations, equipments, stores and ammunition, and spiked all the guns placed in position.
Among the rebel loss are Captain Bradford, of Florida, and Lieutenant Neims, of Georgia, killed, and Lieutenants Bugler and Syre, badly wounded.
The rebel force consisted of three companies of Georgia regiment, a portion of tho Mobile Continentals, three companies of regulars, a detachment of Mississippians and Georgians, two hundred Alabamians, and a number of officers naval and seamen, commanded by Captain Brent, formerly of the Union navy.
Lieutenant James E. Slaughter, while carrying a flag of truce for a cessation of hostilities, was badly wounded. Major Israel Vodges, of the Union Second artillery, recently at Fortress Monroe, was taken prisoner.
THE ATTACK UPON WILSON’S ZOUAVES.
The Position of the Troops—Our Map of the locality—Wilson’s Defences—the Names of the
Officers, Etc.
By the above despatch, received from New Orleans via Norfolk and Baltimore, it appears that a body of rebels—number unknown—selected from several Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama regiments, made an attacK upon Col. Wilson’s Zouaves stationed on Santa Rosa Island.
The position of the camp of the regiment was peculiarly exposed to the enemy. It lay on a level plateau, and every tent was in plain sight of the rebel forces across the river. The commander of Fort Pickens, Col. Brown, ordered the regiment to pitch their tents there but did not supply them with artillery or throw up batteries or intrenchments to cover them. Col. Wilson, therefore, with the civil engineers attached to his regiment, proceeded to construct a system of intrenchments and places of shelter for his force. The difficulties in the way, of this undertaking were many, and of the most serious kind. The road to the fort was almost impassable with swamps and heavy chapperal, alternated with sand hills. This was remedied first, for the position was to the fort precisely that of an outlying picket, and in case of the landing of an attacking party all the course left open for them to pursue, was to skirmish away to the fort. The road where it crossed swamps was filled in with brushwood covered with sand, the sand hills were dug through, the intervals were filled in, and wherever embankments were thrown up they were disguised and masked by the bushes which they had to cut and dig out. They thus secured a covered way to within twenty rods of the fort, and the innumerable twistings and winding of the road afforded secure positions from which their skirmishers could annoy and retard the advance of the enemy in case they should make an attack. Attention was next turned to the securing of places of shelter for the men in case a bombardment of the camp should occur. This work was done in the night, by the light of the stars alone, so that the rebels could have no idea of the location of these places of refuge. In building these, advantage was taken of the “lay of the land,” which is ribbed and corrugated with sand hills that sometimes rise abruptly to the height of twenty or thirty feet from the level. Behind and into these they dug and threw up shelter sufficient to cover a thousand men. The approach to these shelters was protected by an embankment seven feet high and four feet wide on the top, while advantage was taken of every angle or elevated spot, to repel a force attempting to march upon them. This was the place for sharpshooters to work. It was stated that a force marching down upon the regiment would find that while roads leading nowhere would lead them astray the very sand hills behind which they expected to advance in safety were but the hiding places from which a murderous fire would decimate their ranks.
This work was completed in two weeks, and with the expectation that every minute the rebels would open their fire upon the workmen.
The rebels confess that the Zouaves fought bravely, and they acknowledge a loss of forty killed and about eighty wounded. They also state that they committed great slaughter among the Zouaves: but, as they give no approximate number of the supposed killed and wounded, some doubts of that part of the account may be allowed, after a consideration of the above description of their position and defences. They state that they spiked the guns belonging to the regiment, hut we have yet to learn that the Zouaves had been supplied with artillery. At the date of our last advices they had not been so supplied.
Our map will show the location of Santa Rosa Island, with the range of the guns of the fort, which should have completely covered the position of the Sixth New York Volunteers.
The rebels do not mention anything about the troops in the fort supporting the volunteers, either by firing their mounted artillery or advancing their infantry. This certainly appears very extraordinary; but doubtless, when we receive the Union statement of the engagement, we shall have a different account of the affair. The rebel surprise must have been very sudden, and they must also have as suddenly vacated their newly acquired ground, else the fort would have assisted in the engagement, if only for self-protection. The island is certainly forty miles long; but Wilson’s troops were, as before stated. located near the regulars. The anchors in the map denote the positions at which the fleet usually were stationed, the guns of the vessels also covering the camp.
The following are the names of the officers of the regiment at last advices:—
SIXTH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
Colonel…………………………. William Wilson.
Lieutenant Colonel….. John Creighton.
Major……………………………… William B. Newby.
Adjutant……………………….. J. J. Heary.
Quartermaster………….. M. E. Bradley.
Surgeon……………………….. P. C. Peace.
Assistant Surgeon…… Edward Lynch.
Colonel’s Aid………………. James T. Roberts
Captains.
Company A………………… — Burgess.
Company B……………….. A. T. Whiting.
Company C………………… K. H. Hazeltine.
Company D………………… Patrick Huffy.
Company E…………………. — Du Frame.
Company F…………………. — Norman.
Company G………………… — Dobey.
Company H………………… Peter Huffy.
Company I…………………… — Kauffman.
Company K…………………. — Hobzle.
Some of the above companies have been sent to man the fort at Tortugas; but not being at present able to designate the particular companies we give the whole regiment as being at Santa Rosa Island.
The New York Herald, New York, NY