ORA. Volume XIV: Series 1, Volume 14, Part 1, 317-318.

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DISTRICT OF GEORGIA,
Savannah, June 27, 1863.

Brigadier General THOMAS JORDAN, Chief of Staff

GENERAL: Captain Thomson, commanding at the time Twentieth Georgia Battalion Cavalry, made a report concerning the burning of Darien, a copy of which was forwarded to you. Wishing a more detailed account, I called upon the officer in command of the pickets, through Major Millen, for a report, and forward you herewith copies of letters from Captain Lane, commanding Company D, and Major Millen, commanding battalion.

It appears to have been impossible to concentrate a force sufficient to oppose a landing, and Captain Lane seems to have been misled by the size of the force to believe more extended operations intended, and to have acted with a view to protect the large number of families and valuable property at the ridge until re-enforcements could arrive. I regret exceedingly the impunity with which the enemy escaped….

H. W. MERCER, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Report of Captain William A. Lane, Twentieth Battalion Georgia Cavalry. CAMP JACKSON, June 19, 1863.

MAJOR: In compliance with your order I proceed to give a statement of about affair at Darien:

About noon on the 11st instant two steamers and two gunboats made their appearance in Doboy Sound, and without halting proceeded with great rapidity southward along the channel known as the inland pass from Savannah to Brunswick. Mr. Pease (a large owner of real estate in Darien and familiar with all the navigable streams thereabout) was with me, and expressed the opinion that they were going southward and not to Darien. When they reached the Altamaha, however, instead of proceeding southward they turned in the direction of Darien, and in a few minutes were vigorously shelling our pickets just east of the town, and in thirty minutes from the commencement of the shelling the town of Darien was being burned. The position of said picket being open and exposed, they retired and took position on the ridge road out of sight of the gunboats.

So soon as I discovered that the fleet had turned in the direction of Darien I dispatches couriers to the respective pickets, ordering them to rendezvous at a point between the ridge and Darien, and succeeded in getting 15 together. The woods surrounding Darien (which I may here remark is an open pine barren for several miles) were shelled during the burning of the town. I threw out pickets on all the roads leading out from Darien, with instructions to reach the town if practicable. When near the town on one of the roads I was informed by picket from one of the other roads that a party of the enemy, supposed to be 200 strong, had attempted to get in their rear and that the picket had fallen back.

There were no white people living in Darien; all of its former inhabitants who remain in that vicinity are at the ridge. They were in hourly expectation of the enemy there, and they could have reached there easily without the knowledge of the picket unless all the roads were picketed. By so doing the picket could speedily be drawn to any road by which they might advance to retard their movements.

From the best information I have I suppose that 300 or 400 landed. They remained until the town was consumed, when they (the vessels) went out into the sound….

W. M. LANE, Captain Company D.

Report of Captain W. G. Thomson, Twentieth Battalion Georgia Cavalry. Camp Jackson, June 13, 1863.

GENERAL: I have to report that the enemy have burnt Darien to the ground; there is only one church and two or three small buildings standing. This was done on the 11th instant. They came up the river in three gunboats, shelling as they came along.
The officer in command of the picket states that between 150 to 200 negroes, under white officers, landed and burnt the town. They captured a pilot-boat, with about 60 bales of cotton on board. The men aboard the pilot boat state they did not have time to burn her; that they hardly escaped themselves. They carried off some few negroes - most of them were free - the number not known. They also captured 2 white women, but afterward released them, telling them that they intend to come back and burn the whole of the houses on the ridge and along the coast. They then returned down the river and now lie outside of Doboy Island….

W. G. THOMSON, Captain, Commanding Battalion