On the evening of the 18th I steamed down to Stono to see how matters were going there.

Passing Charleston, I noticed two large fires, well inside--probably preparing to leave.
On the 17th, in Stono, rumors were flying about loose of evacuation.

In course of the morning, General Schimmelpfennig telegraphed me, from Morris Island, that there were symptoms of leaving; that he would again make a push at Stono, and asked for monitors.

General Schimmelpfennig came down in the afternoon, and we met in the Folly Branch, near Secessionville.

He was sore that the rebs would be off that night, so he was to assault them in front, while a monitor and gunboats stung their flanks both sides.
I also sent an aide to order my battery of five eleven-inch guns, at Cumming's Point, to fire steadily all night on Sullivan's Island, and two monitors to close up to the island for the same object.