54 Southern Historical Society Papers.
were making arrangements to bring their families to camp. No one had any idea of how busy the enemy were preparing for the siege of Charleston, more vigorously than it had yet been pressed.
About the ist of July, First Lieutenant Samuel Dibble, of the Edisto Rifles, a restless, dashing and daring young officer, deter- mined to tind out whether the enemy were occupying Long Island. This island is the next below Secessionville, and was at the time cov- ered by a dense growth of pines, scrub oaks and such other trees as grow on the uncultivated islands on the coast. He received permis- sion to go on a scouting expedition, and selected to accompany him two men well qualified for such service, men of true courage and extraordinary presence of mind. These two men, both of whom were only too glad to have an opportunity to volunteer for desperate service, were Sergeant D. M. McClary of the Wee Nees and Cor- poral McLeod of the Washington Light Infantry Company B. A very light boat which belonged to the post was manned by these two non-commissioned officers, with the Lieutenant at the helm. During the night at high water they pulled across the marsh and landed on Long Island. The men were instructed by Lieutenant Dibble to wait at the boat till his return, proposing to go into the woods by himself and ascertain the situation, and telling them that he would not be gone very long. McClary and McLeod waited till daylight, concealing themselves in the grass, when a Federal sergeant came out of the woods, drew out a telescope and after adjusting the glasses rested it against a tree and leveled it at our works at Seces- sionville. The non-appearance of Lieutenant Dibble was now understood by his escort. They at once ordered the Yankee to surrender, and having disarmed him ordered him to take hold of one end of the boat, which was now aground, the tide having re- ceded, and assist in pushing it to the water. They had not pro- ceeded far across the mud flat before a squad of the enemy appeared on the edge of the marsh, and demanded their surrender. This they refused, and ordered their prisoner, on pain of instant death, to push the boat with all his might.
They had not many paces more to go till they got the boat to the water, when they got in, compelling their prisoner to follow them and still to protect them by keeping himself between them and the squad, loudly calling for their surrender. They soon got out of range without a shot being fired, the Yankees preferring to allow the game to escape rather than endanger the life of their comrade. He was brought safely to Secessionville. We searched him for papers,
