from Grahamville within an hour after my arrival at Pocotaligo, had been sent to Coosawhatchie, as I directed, or if, instead of sending forward only a battalion, General Gartrell had employed all of his available force to engage the enemy on the Gregory's Neck road, leaving a small support for the guns in the fort at Coosawhatchie, I think the enemy would not have succeeded in establishing themselves on Gregory's neck. The position they succeeded in securing was strong, being on a peninsula, not more than a mile and a half in width, between the Coosawhatchie and Tulifinny, with both flanks protected by those rivers and swamps, some of them thickly wooded. They also occupied Mackey's point, making it necessary that I should employ a part of my small force to watch the enemy on Graham's neck, to guard against a movement on the railroad from that quarter. I was convinced that I could not, with the force at my command, dislodge the enemy from his position by a direct attack in front, and therefore directed my attention to their rear. The only plan offering any prospect of success was an attack in the rear from the Tulifinny side. To do this it was necessary to bridge that stream and concentrate a column of reliable troops to attack the enemy in his entrenchments. The means of bridging the stream were procured, and I selected the most suitable point of passage, but at no time was I able to concentrate for the attack more than a thousand troops reliable for such service; for, by the concurrent testimony of the subordinate commanders, the reserves and militia could not be relied on to attack the enemy in their entrenchments. The number of the enemy on Gregory's neck I estimate at between four and five thousand.
[Note.—It was the same body of troops, General Hatch commanding, that was defeated at Honey Hill, on the 30th November. It was then said to consist of 5,000 men of all arms. General Grant, in an official report, states the Federal loss at Honey Hill to have been 746 in killed, wounded and missing. Six days later, General Hatch landed with his command on Gregory's neck, and it is reasonable to estimate the number between four and five thousand.]
Under instructions from the Lieutenant-General commanding, directing me if I could not dislodge the enemy from his position, to strengthen my own so as to hold the railroad, and send him all the troops I could spare, I sent him the part of General Young's brigade that had arrived, and a few other troops, to operate in the immediate vicinity of Savannah, and directed my attention to
