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Letter Irom . the IClovcutk (;. or<rla.
CtMP lITII GEORGIA, 1
Centreville, Dec. 2. f
A weolc Rgo, to-day, then was a general review
of the army at tl is place, by Generals Beaure
gard, Johnston, Smith, and our Brigadier Gon
oral, Jones. At ten o’clock, we received or.lut
to get ready to form the line ot battle nt eleven,
which occasioned considerable excitement aiaon,
the uninitiated; and until that I,me, we were busi
ly engaged in mnking preparations for the ex
pected battle. Ten minutes after eleven, all tin
surrounding bills and fields, as far ns the eye
could reach, were covered with our “ fiery lu
gions,” as they marched up, to take their place in
the lino of battle ; and “ the soul stirring drum
and car -piercing life ” resounded from every lull
side and vale. The “ Eleventh ” drew np in line
of battle nt fortification “ K,” to support thc
splendid artillery company which was already in
the battery, and w hose guns were frowning upon
the broad expause of holds toward the North aud
North east. We stood in the line two or three
hours ; and during that time many an eye glanced
over those Holds, half expecting to see the Y an
kee armv merge in sight ; but at last our Gener
al* reviewed us ; und we afterwards learned that
they only wished to review their men, an (hey
were drawn np in " battio array,” precisely as if
tho Y'ankees were advancing. While we wen
standing in the line, impatiently waiting’ to ; ■■ -
what would come of this “ warlike demonstra
tion,” rumors sh-w thick and fast, and would havt
been startling indeed, bail they be n true; but nt
they were only rumors, I will not mention any
except that after the review, it was reported that
we had been reinforced by twenly thousand men
from tho rear, and would have a big cattle here
the next day.
We are now expecting a fight here daily,—
Courier* report the Yankees steadily but slowin',
advancing, au I that the plan of attack is to ad
vanee in three culuinns -one to ad. unco udlm
three or four utiles of this place, on the the north
cas* side, and hold us at buy until n second col
umn can execute a Hank movement, aud the third
column get between us and Alan ansa and attack
us in tho rear. Hut mu Vile invaders will liud that
this i.-s all very easy to talk about, but quite a
different tiling to put into executi m, ler our for
tifies’ions arti so constructed as to resist an attack
Irom any direction. We have leeoived orders to
puck up every thing hut one suit of clothes and a
blank.”, ready to send oil', and to be ready to
strike touts and fall into line ot battle at abort
notice. I see in the Richmond Dispatch, Ilia'
.McClellan has also had a general review, together
with a sham battle, aud that he is goingto put his
Bull Runners to a u v thorough test by throwing
them on us. II ■ had better acton tlia advice
which a rebel ladv ot Kentucky is said to have
given a \ unkeo General —1 am ins soldiers how
1o swim before he crosses the l’otomac to light
us, as they may s o>n have occasion to recross >t
in a big hurry. It is my opinion, though, that
but few of thorn will escape to toll tho til!" ot tlu ir
defeat, it they aPaek us hero in our fortifications.
In conseqpenoe of tho resemblance of tho two
flags; Yftiiki o anil Confederate,)whio!i has i uabltid
thuonetm to often counterfeit and. deceive us,
nearly all tho c -gii u nts have adopted anew flag,
which 1 think ts destined to become our unbonal
colors everywhere. The Ung is almost ns wide its
it is loug, with two crosi-bars of blue, running
from tile coru. rs, on a ml ground, while the
twelve stars of our young Conlcdetiicy are ar
ranged mi the blue bars. 1 hope to see the day
whtMi this flag will bo adopted as our national
emblem; for I always did think that our present
colors resemble the Federal flag too mu h Our
artillerists are nearly all ibe lime “practicing,”
so as to obtain tho proper “range” of different
points of api reach, that when the Y ankc*. s con n
they can m ike every shot do execution.
Yesterday a wagoner stopped on the turnpike,
near our encampment, aud announced that lie
had turkeys aud apples for sale; and someone,
wishing to purchase a barrel ol the latter, pointed
to one, and inquired the price. Ninety dollars
wag answered ; ami unotUi r barrel, a little larger,
was priced only ten dollars! This difference in
price, as well as the smell if tho smaller barrel,
aroused the suspicions ol many, who immediately
■ ,formed Col. Anderson ot theoiri amstance; und
upon investigation, the content* ol ihe suspicious
cask was lound to be apple brandy! Col. A. at
once Lad the transgressor arrested, and sent to
Gen. Jones’ iKadquartois, whilst the “goods”
wore"'' ..ti aled” and the wagon driven around
to tlio Colonel'': headquarters where uu cxamiua
tiou of its contents showed that there were ten
barrels of uppl. s, fifty 01 sixty turkeys, amt tor.
gallons of liquor. Cot. A. treated each com] uy
to a barrel of apples, uud half a dozen turkeys.
yVbat disposal was made of the brutuly I have
not yet ascertained. Those apples are the best
1 have eaten since I have bee.i in Virgiuta; and
some of “t he boys” uncharitably remarked, us
they tried the flavor ol one, "1 would’nt cure if
such n fellow would come along every day ! ’ The
unlawful vender oi brandy is in jail now, I|re j
suuie, to meditate at leisure on his felly, ami the j
many dollars be lost by it.
Cold weather has set ni in earnest now, and one i
has soma trouble to keep comfortable warm.— j
I expect a large number of tents will be burnt j
down ere cold weather leaves us. I have se t j
several burned in other regiments near hero ; and
veaterday otto of Mai- Goode’s tents caught tiro j
and burnt up. “Our mess'’ has it chimney and |
tire place in one eud of our teat, and last uight. j
about twob’clock, our tent caught tire, by son . i
means, near the tire place. A negro man, who
was in iTtirteut, awake at the time, discovered the
fire and gave the alarm ; at the same time, ht i
threw a bucket of water on the tire and < x:lu- :
guished it. It was a very narrow escape, for had
the negro man beeu asleep, or no water near, the
teut would have burned down over our heads.—
The tiro was at the entrance, and burned a hole
there about three lent .-quart*.
1 will close by correct), g a mistake regarditu
our company, tiie ”\\ niton Infrantry,” in t.ie list
of Georgia troops, which 1 bav. otten seen pub
tished. The mistake is in crediting t e">> . 1. "
to Union county, when it ought to hi Walien
c >uaiy ; and the’list of officers is not corr et—i'
should be, Sunnal'y, Captain ; McUauiel, lb : ?ou
ntid Ar .old. Lieutenants, Walton has four com
panies in Virginia, and ouc on the coast.
“Coerix.”
A Frasr at thh Dut hoax or Cheat River j
A F:ght Nrvbr tut PrßtiSHSD.— From the j
Correspondence Rockingham Va.) Register, we |
take the follow ug :
FaxNxns, Pendleton Cos., Va., >
December Sd, IS6I. j |
Ou the 14th day of September last the Yankees
attempted to pass through the Dry Fork of Cheat ’
River, so as to penetrate into the county of Fen- I
dleton. They hail no idea that a few hunters, i
living in the fastnesses of the rugged AlleghanU s
would dare to interrupt or molest them. One hou- 1
dred and ninety-two picked men left Beverlr and
marched to John Taylor's on the 13th of that 1
month. Ou the morning of the 14th they march
ed to Laurel Fork, a Drauch of the Drv ' Fork of
Cheat river. By the time the Yankees had arriv
ed at the Laurel Fork, Capt. Samson Elzy bid
collected 21 men together, who at once, determin
ed to give them battle —nothing daunted on ac
cont of the fearful odds arrayed against thita.
They waited the approach of the enetrtv with
steady, firm nerves, and when within proper dis~-
tance, the sharp crack of 20 rifles broke the deep
and solemn silence of the Vailev of Dry Fork
•leventeen men fall dead and three were mortally
wounded. I’snio stricken, they attempted to re
treat. A youth by the name of Hendrick, who >
had found a musket tost by the Ist Georgia regi- ;
ment, on their retreat from Laurel Hill, had load
ed his musket with h tide balls, and as -.he fee
came rushing by, this youthful hero fired into
their midst, wounding severs!more. Some ot the
Yankees broke out :rto a thicket of laurel, aid
the rest ran nine miles before coming to a halt.
Such is the victory won by twenty-one brave
mountaineers, and ons of them only a youth.
€|nmicle ft Hcntind.
; Vessels of M ar Sold to the Confederates
ttfidvr to- N-»-‘ <>| the Urlttsb
Government.
Tii N Y ork ilcra'd publishes the following
1.-. p r Iww London, addrer lt® its Editors, and
signed by George Francis Train :
No. IS St. Jambs Street, j
Fa the Editor of the New Y'.-rk Herald :
Wh. n am-hit.s owned hy Kngliihrnen, loaded
hv Ea/I ’ difpa'obui by Englishmen,
mann. /: nader English color-, under the very eye
lof the American J,-gat on and the English For-
I:• lot ti ■•- •in mi rebellion against th * Federal
Govern., it; when Lord l'almerston replies to
Mr. Ad tins, “ Yes, wc know jt—catch them if
the Em-iish army is ceex.-ioir, tre English aria
tocra'-v < icccsiaon, the English mercantile ma
rine and the English bankers an secession, as you
mav on . dav by reading the accession arti
cles in the secession daily, weekly and monthly
press -i say, wbe you »• the entire dress circle
of England is sece- -ion to the backbone, it is time
:n ie. lnre .rom personal observation that the
E gi -b pit i.. f-ouud, and goes for the Union to
tlm las* the boxes breathe hostility, but the
galleries are true l« the Union cause.
YVar b .i and A nerieg is absurd,
simjdy because when tue war cabinet declares
var i lie p.-uce people will demand peace. The
people of Eng rid will not light the people of
America ; butt 1 - leaders are doing their b'-st to
egg them ou to bloodshed.
There are more- of the former in Europe than
the latter, I regre 1 to say. Secession seems
fashionable with many ot our merchants and
to I) •rn o'lal, :.s they Call it I cousider neutral
ity the ha*- at kind of treachery—an open enemy
is preferable to a neutral friend. The highway
man who demands your money or your life in
open road i- nobler than the scamp who fires at
you from behind a tree and robs you afterwards.
I have si cn one, two, three vessels load under
my very face with caunon, lifl s, shoes, and blan
kets for the Southern conspirators.
Tessin took in eighteen large rifled guns, two
one hundred mid twenty pound Whitworths, 7500
Enfield, 1 ,ouo Belgian rifles, 00, OOP pairs of shoes,
ami 00,000 overcoats in the Bermuda. Tho Fin
gal le.. tho Scottish'shore a fortnight since with u
duplicate cargo. Tho Thomas Watson, lam glad
to see, has been *unk < ff«ihadeston. One or two
o’la in ■ Is are now due a tho pirate rendez
vous; but tlii-. loiter made public through your
colusiii s, is to make :iure and stop the Gladiator,
eighty lior? • power, 000 tons , steams niue aud a
half knot i old Lisbon screw steam packet, held
by Bake, Adam & Cos , h aded by the “Biivute
Joint Stock Company” (unlimited) of English and
Southern secessi.iiiiMs; with COO cases rifl is, can
non, s', es, blankets, provisions, and a large quan
tity "t i tiupowder, which she took in lust night
1 Erin. She clears to-day for Tenerifle aud
Nassau.
I ■ given nil these particular, to A. B. Mur-
I uu i, li.-lq . comma ,der of (he United States war
-tenii.sliip James Adger, just arrived at South
ampton, viaQ i > :nat own ands almoutli, one. but.—
dre-1 und sixty-thiv* men and nine guns, who is
nilv dive to eapturin -tl is English pirate—esti
oi.t and value <d cargo it A’llo.oyo—having on board
requisites i.o an army of 25,000 men. The
chief men in I” company are reported to be iSa
1, |i . in-r and ship broker, Liverpool; Capt.
.V. D-. 1 -rmr; I'rioleau, Charleston
firm nt Fraser, Ti niliolin & Cos., Liverpool; Bake,
.V iam A Cos., purchasers, and dispatciiers of the
steamer; und Isaac Campbell & Cos., army oulfit
ars, G •rtnyu street, I. mdon. The business is
dent in shares, and isj so profitable that if two
,hips an- talu-ii the Bermuda's profit will cover
the I of the others! Capt. Bird will go in com
mand ; liortop as mate; Hughes as supercargo;
bales and cases marked W. 1). 11. in a triangle be-
II y our gunboats gel this information on the
arrival of the mail, they cm —in case sho escapes
the James Adger eaich her at Nassau. There
r.licy will, no doubt, discharge into schooners, not
wishing so many eggs in one basket.' She will
bo twenty days in getting out—ample time to
ca'cli her.
I learn that the Secessionist* are negotiating
for tho Punjaub and Assays, 1800 tons each,
■ !, : power, three deckers ; steam eleven to
HI ti n uots ; w< uld cost to build $1,4. 0
and .. r, iJSOjOOO. They are East India
in. n if war, and Government asks bonds for
4.31 o.i"mi that they shall not go to America. What
dot i. li'H mean ? Government has also lately
void, i>> t u'ored to sell, nine condemned sloops-of
ich ,ii to. Carysfort, to a party wno is
•mid t - have sold them to the Southern Navy De
partment.
i’he Cotton famine has saved the manufacturers
from ruin and put the burden upon the masses.—
The world’s marts were stocked with Manchester
-cods, and another year of plenty of Cotton would
have ruined halt Lancashire. High prices of Cot
ton in hand clears iff nearly all their renewed
bills. _
Tim Case of this Tress. A gentleman well
known to the 1 legal profession in the West, sends
us the following points in relation to the case of
the Tt-i nt. Inasatuch a* they are the result of
much Hieufht, guided bv copious 1. arning, they
are vvorlhv of attention." He says :
By the law cf nations tho deck of the Trent was
Tile Trent had v iol-ateii no blookado ; had not
sailed from-any rebel port, and could not, there
fore, bo liable to capture. Site was a public
mail packet, running from one British port to an-
Huniau beings are not “contraband.”
Mason and islidtll were either escaped ribels,
und, there ore, nothing more or less than politi
cal refugees, or they were accredited envoys to
the British Government.
It political refugees and on hoard British terri
tory, had wo any t ight to violate that territory
and arrest them?
If accredited envoys, b.i Iwe any uch right *
Would any nation having an ounce of self-re
spect, i-vor sum r a political refugee, oi an
envoy accredited to its own Government ?
if no nation would surrender in e thercase, how
mue'h less would a violation of territory and
lot .-.ble abduction be submitted to ?
T;.i* ‘ seem to be grave queries ; aud whilst 1
hope and trust that our Washington casuists mav
prove wo arc in the right, l shall wait their pro
nouncing with some anxiety.
The t)at eu’s proclamation gives us no rights,
you know, it is a private affair between her aud
her subjects.
The Eng •cikmi.s r at r*NBAOQLA—A Northern
Account.— The Philadelphia Eaquirer has the
.oil.-wing letter from its coriespoudent:
Foarur.ss Moneoe, N >v. £7.—i'assengers, by t;
!la * ot truce troua Norfolk this morning, furnish
>c,iii ■ lurtuer particulars in regard io the fight at
Fort Pickens.
G eat excitement w. pn v aleU throughout the
. respecting tin battle, but it. was thought
it at Bragg would bo able to force Col. Brown to
I > nrrender. A ir.vsseii:: r urrived Iroin Pensacola
oa Sunday last, with a peremptory order for rc-
I luforccmeuts.
i General Bragg was, at that time, hopeful of
fortress with great eil'.ct. His regular salvos .ire
disetibed a* li. mg really unable. The General
was perfectly cool and confident. No breach has
vet been made, hut on Monday one would be
manifest, when Bragg expected reinforcements,
and would storm with troops and ordnance.
I CoL Brown h..d concent:ate.! a perfect storm j
I of hot shot end shell upon ti e Navy Yard, and it
Pad been burned down, together with all of the
i out -buildings mi l a considerable amount ol army
and ©rdaa-.ee stores. Pensacola had been evac
j uated by order of G x. Bragg.
! the natter.es. The steam frigate Niagara was al
i most riddled with bullets, and the Colorado was
I thoroughly disabled.
Gen. Bragg has declared to his troops that he
j would never surrender alive, and the greatest en
| thusi 'sm prevailed among the men. On Tues
! day, Gen. Bragg would engage CoL Brown in
j front, and land a force on tue i-land so tts to take
I him in the rear.
It is generally believed at Fortress Monroe
! that an action has taken place at Pensacola be
! tween our war vessels and the rebels, and that
i Bragg has been whipped, Pensacola burned, and
| probably Bragg’s^wbofofmxe^cepUirqd.j
Messrs. Mason and Flidell. — \1 e learn from a
r. -.itletnun who recently came to .ms city in a flag
of truce steamer, and who white North, visited
Messrs. Mason and Slidell, that these gentlemen,
in the course ol conversation, exptessed their
convictions that England would not, on auy ac
count, allow tksir arrests to pass without notice,
but that on the contrary, she would dernauu the
amplest reparation for the insult offered her flag.
Our informant also learned from the same source,
that the statement which we made some weeks
since with regard to the safety of the papers ct
Messrs. Mason and Slidell, was correct. These
gentlemen state that all the papers ;u their pos
session were preserved from the enemy, and that
they safely reached thetr destination.
What Gen. Cass Sats. —A dispatch from De
troit to the Louisville Journal, dated the -7tb ult.,
states that a communication in the Detroit Free
Tress of that date, understood to be from Gen.
Cass, not only justified the arrest of Messrs. Ma
son and Slidell, but proceeds te show that it was
in accordance with the doctrine of the Federal
Government maintained in the controversy on
the subject of the right of search with Great 'Bri
j tain in ISSS,
AUGUSTA, GA., TUESDAY .MORNING. DECEMBER ID. 1861.
EXECUTIVE DEI’ART.MENT, i
Milledgkvillb, Ga., Dec. sth, 1861. )
To the General Asumbly :
The correspondence between the Secretary of
War and mTself, which has been iaid before you,
: shows that 1 did all ia my power to induce the
| Government cf the Confederate States to increase
the force upon our coast, aud to make the necea-
I sarv preparation for our defence, prior to the or-
I gan zation by me of the military forces r.ow in the
service of the State. In making this statement, I
! do not wish to be understood that I reflect upon
i the Government for a willful neglect of duty. I
I believe it is the wish and intention of those in au
thority to use the forces and means at their com
mand in such manner and at such places as will
best promote the genera, good. But viewing tho
field irom the stand point which they occupy-,
they have been of opinion, as their action has
shown, that there was greater necessity for the
troops, and the resources at their command, at
other points. Ilence they failed to make the ne
cessary appropriation for our defence.
Appreciating the difficulties with which the
Confederate Government had to contend, and
hoping that they might make the necessary pre
parations for the defence of the State, I delayed
action on State uccount as long as I could pos
sibly do so consistently with the public safety.
Almost every newspaper received from the North
in the months of August and September contain
ed .statements of the fleet which was being fitted
out by the enemy, and of the intention to send it
with an invading force against our coast ns soon
as the season would permit.
In the formation oi the Constitution of the Con
federate States each State reserved to itself the
sovereign light to engage in war when “actually
| invaded, or in such imminent danger us will not
j admit of delay.” The statute of oni own State
1 authorized me to accept the services of ten thou
! sand volunteers, of different arms, in such propor-
I lions as ths exigencies of the service might re-
I quire. The people of the coast continually called
cn me for protection. The general voice of the
people of the State was, that they were entitled
to it, and that the safety of the whole State de
pended in a great degree upon the successful de
fence of the coast. Toe Constitution gave me the
right, and the statute made it my duty to act. I
did so ; butyiot until the latest day," when 1 could
have time to organize and prepare the troops for
service before the invasion.
The organization has been conducted in strict
conformity to tho requirements of the statute,
und the Generals have been appointed to com
mand the troops, by and with advice and consent
of the Senate now in session. Suppose I had
made a calculation, and determined that it would
cost 100 much for the State to assist in her own
defence, and ba i refused to call out the troops,
aud had met the General Assembly, and informed
vou that I had made no preparation for the de
fence of the State, for the reason that it must cost
a large sum of money ; and that I had again and
again asked the Secretary of War to defend us,
and that 1 relied on three or four thousand Con
federate troops, then on our coast, to protect the
city of Savannah, ad the whole coast, against
ilic powerful force sent for our subjugation j what
would have been the verdict passed upon my con
duct by the General Assembly, and overy inteU
ligcnt patriot in Georgia? Would it not have
been one of universal and just condemnation ?
It-suits have shown that 1 was not mistaken
when I decided that the danger was imminent and
commenced active preparations to meet it.
The invader’s troops are on our soil, aud his
Beg now waves over our territory, and insults the
dignity and sovereignty of our State.
Thus menaced with subjugation and degrada
tion, it is impossible that we, as the representa
tives oi the people, und as co-ordinate branches
of the government, can spend our time in discus
sions about (he cost of our defence; or whether
the State or Confederate Governor shall, for the
present, assume the burden, uud make the ex
penditure; or that our action can be influenced
hr p:;ly consideration, or by personal hatred,
or personal favoritism; or that we can stop to
consider whether our action will tend to bus ain,
or to advance the political fortunes of one man,
or to injure those of another? Surely we have
'raver duties than these to perform,and mightier
responsibilities to meet.
We have now been over four weeks in session.
Our troops in the field have been iu need of sup
phes, uud we have made an appropriation of
only one hundred thousand dollars. This is not
more than half the necessary expense of our
military operations, since the commencement
of the session, and is but little over double the
sum necessary to pay the expense which the
General Assembly has cost the State for the same
length of time.
i mention these things in no spirit ot fault
finding, but in the hops that discussions and
jealousies, if they exist," may be banished from
our midst, and that we may unite as one man
ami promptly provide the necessary means to
defend the Slate, and drive the invader from her
soil
The organization of the State troops is becom
ing a very efficient one, which wili soon make
them terrible to the invader.
At this important period, in the face of the ene
my, when organization and harmony are of the
utmost importance, a proposition is made that
we pause and count the cost of our defence, and
that we transfer our army to the Contcderacy, by
regiments, battalions or companies, and if they
are rot received that we disband the troops and
thus get rid of the expense.
Let ui: examine this question of expense far a
moment. Suppose we dismiss from our breasts
every feeling of patriotism and every generous
impulse, with every desire for liberty or inde
pendence, and consider the question as one of
sordid gain—of mere dollars and cents. What
reasonable man, having an estate of seven hun
dred millious of dollars, and finding if in litiga
tion, and the title in a precarious condition, would
! hesitate to give able counsel five millions to de
fend and secure the title ? The property of the
I people of Georgia is worth seven hundred mil
| boas of dollars—the State is now invaded, and
every dollar ot it hangs upon the result. If we
are conquered ail is lost. Is it possible, in this
I state of the case, that we can refuse to give five
j millions for the support of our gallant troops who
are now in the field, ready to spill the last drop
| of their blood to defend and secure eur title?
ritro.ig as the case thus presented may be,- this is
a narrow contracted view of the subject. All the
property and all the money iu the State is as
! nothing compared with the principles involved
’ and the consequences to us and our posterity,
j But do we get rid of the expense by the pro
; posed transfer? 1 maintain that it does not, in
auv view f the question, save to the State one
i ilar. If the troops ere transferred, the Con
federacy will pay their expenses, and Ueorgia, as
a member of the' Confederacy, will have to meet
j her part of it. If she retains them, at tko end of
the war the Confederacy will assume the expense
of the Georgia trcops, as well as of the troops of
the other States, and Georgia will only have to
pay her part. If the Confederacy does not re
cet'va the troops, and they are disbanded, the city
of Savannah, *aud the whole seacoast, and the
southern part ot the State, must fall into the
hands of the enemy, and the destruction ot pro
; perty will cost us ten times as much as the high
est appropriation any one would ask to support
- e troops. There is* not, therefore, one dollar
>f economy or of saving to the State in the pro
. position.
Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Caroli
na, Louisiana, and probably other States are call
ing, amj have called into the field, large numbers
ot State troops, to repel the invasion and protect
heir property. At the end of the war, the ex
pense incurred by each ot the States will be as
-umed by the Confederacy, aud Georgia will have
to pay her part of it. If.’while they defend them
selv s, she permits her coast to fall into the hands
of the enemy, aud her citizens to be plundered,
rather than incur the expense necessary to the
protection of her people, the other States ot the
Confederacy may be saved their part of the ex
pense which was necessary to her defence. But
instead of saving expense, is she not the loser ?
f.nnessee expended five million dollars in less
... r.s months, and no complaint is heard from
h. i Legislators, or her people, that they cannot
at ri to incur the expense of self-defence.
Two other grave questions, in this connection,
demand our cateful consideration. Have we the
power to transfer the troops to the Confederacy,
without their consent? And has the President
the power to accept them, even with their
sent ? Neither is true.
First, as to our power to transfer them ; the
troops in response to the call of the Executive of
the State, have volunteered to serve the State as
State troops ; and have been mustered inte the
service of the iState, and not into the service of
foe Confederacy. It was no part of the contract
between the troops and the State that they should
l>? transferred to the service of the Confederacy ;
and the State has ho right to make the transfer
without their consent, ' l hey are not cattle, to be
bought and sold in the market. They are brave,
generous, high-toned freemen, who have left
their homes at the call of their Slate, and are cow
undergoing all the fatigues and hardships of camp
life lor her defence. While they are brave
enough to defeud their rights, they are intelligent
enough to understand them ; and we are greatly
mistaken if we suppose they will submit to a
: change of their present organization, or to an act
i of injustice to those who have their confidence,
and who have been legally appointed to command
them. They are, as our statute which was passed
to meet this very emergency, required, organized
into companies, battalions, regiments, brigades,
and a division. If we disband the division and
turn over the brigades, we are, in my opinion,
-miltv of gross injustice to the gallant aud chival
fous'son of Georgia, whom we have just called
from an honorable command in Virginia, where
he has rendered distinguished service, and have
invited to the command of the troops es his native
State. In response to the call made upon him by
t e Govern r. with the advice and consent of the
Satiate, he has resigned his command in the Con
federate service, and is on his way to Georgia ;
| and it is now proposed, whsn he reaches tee
State, to inform him that he has oeen deceived —
that we have changed cur policy, and that his
services are not needed.'
| Hwe disband the Brigades, we do injustice to
the Brigadier Generals, who have been called
from important pursuits and invited by the high
! est appointing power in the State to" the com
i mands which they now bold. Among ihjs num
ber is the gallant Waiker, whose glorious deeds
have shed lustre upon the character of the State,
! w hile his biood has stained almost every battle
field where his country’s rights have been viuai-
I ca ed for the last quarter of a ceDtury.
i If we disband the regiments, we do injustice to
I the Colonels, who had been legally elected to
command them , and if we disband the battalions
and tender the troops by companies, we do like
injustice to the Lieutenant Colonels and Majors.
In any or either of these cases, wc must expect
that the gallant men under their command, will
make the cause of their officers common cause,
and refuse to submit to such injustice. We have
not, therefore, the power to transfer the troops
without their consent; aud I feel quite sure they
will never give their consent unless the whole or
ganization is transferred in its totality, retaining
every officer from the Major down to the lowest
grade in his position, with his rauk and command.
Second, as to the power of the Bresident to
accept the troops—the law passed by Congress
authorizes the President to accept them bv com
panies, battalions or regiments, but gives him no
authority to accept a brigade or division. The
law also defines the number of which a company
shall consist, and gives him no power to accept
a company with less than sSfcty-four nor more
than one hundred privates. It will be borne in
mind that the statute uses the word privates.
Add to these the four commissioned and eight
noncommissioned officers, and musicians, aud the
minimum number of the company which the law
authorizes the President to accept is seventy-eight,
while the maximum number is "one hundred and
fourteen. The President has no more right
under the statute to accept a company with less
than sixty-four privates, aud a proper number of
officers, than he has to accept a or divi
siou. If the one is illegal the other is equally so.
The statute of our own State declares that a
company of infantry shall consist of not less thau
fifty nor more than’ eighty rank and file. This
term includes non-commissioned officers and
musicians as well as privates. Add the four com
missioned officers, and our minimum number is
fifty-four, and the maximum number eighty four.
A company must, therefere, approximate very
near our largest number before it reaches the
smallest number with which it can be received
into the Confederate service. If I bad had plen
ty of arms with which to arm tho State troops, I
might have refused to accept companies with less
than the smallest Confederate or State number.
But I was compelled to appeal to the companies
to bring good country arms with them, and as the
number of these arms which could be made effi
cient within the reach of a company was general
ly limited, I was frequently obliged to accept
companies with little more than the smallest num
ber allowed by the statute, or to reject them and
permit them to disband. YY’hile therefore, each
and every company is organized in conformity to
our own statute, and has a legal number, proba
bly each one of two-thirds of the companies has
less than the smallest number authorized by the
Confederate States, and could not be accepted by
the President or mustered into the service of the
Confederacy.
If we couid he supposed to be capable of the
injustice to the Generals, Colonels, Lieutenant
Colonels and Majors which would result from a
disbanding of the State organization, and should
tender the troops by companies, it is very clear
that over two-thirds of them could not be accept
ed, and must therefore be disbanded and sent
home. No one who carefully investigates this
qn stion can fail to see that an appropriation of
money for the support of the troops, which has a
condition annexed to it, making the appropria
tion dependent upon the tender of the troops to,
and their acceptance by tho Confederacy, is
equivalent to a refusal to vote supplies for their
support, and an order to disband them in the
face of tho enemy. But it may be said that Con
gress could pass a law authorizing the President,
in this particular case, to receive the companies
with their present organization consisting of less
than sixty-four privates. This is trite, and it is
equally true that Congress could puss a law au
thorizing the President to accept thenras organ
ized by divisions anil brigades.
The troops might consent to the transfer on the
latter supposition, as this would do justice to
their officers and maintain their organization as it
was formed hy tho State ; and it is very certain,
in my opinion, that they would not consent to
the transfer upon any other terms. If we dis
band these troops breause we fail to stand by our
State organization, and protect their rights, or
beea ise we refuse to make the necessary appro
priation to maintain them in the field, we disband
an organization of as noble Georgians as ever as
sembled, with their hands, ready aud willing, if
they can do so with honor, to defend their State,
and, if need be, to sacrifice their lives a willing
offering upon her altar. Do this, and what or,-
couragcmeut do we offer to others to step for
ward and take their places ?
I denv that such uction would be just to our
brave Generals on the one hand, or to the compa
nies in the condition above described on the
other ; or, indeed, to any company which, at the
call of the State, has organized in conformity to
her laws, ur.d been accepted into her service" for
her defenco.
I deny that it is just to the city of Savannah
or the seacoast, by this extraordinary legi: lalion,
to drive from the field nearly ten thousand of
Georgia’s most gallant sons, and leave these ex
posed points at the mercy of the enemy. And I
deny that such legislation would reflect the will
of the noble constituency who sent usjhere, and
committed to our keeping their honor and then
safety. They wiil never consent to see Georgia’s
proud escutcheon tarnished, or her flag trailing
in the dust before her enemies, because it must
cost her a few dollars to maintain her noble sons
in the field for her defence. The adoption of any
policy looking to a transfer of the State troops,
which may result in a disorganization at a time
when their services as so much needed by the
State, would be, in my opinion, not only unwise
but suicidal, aud must result in the most disas
trous consequences to the State,
gif this fatal policy should be determined upon
by the General Assembly, I will be responsible
for none of the consequences growing out of it;
and, in the name of the people of Georgia, I now ,
in advance, enter my solemn protest against it.
If the State troops are disbanded, or the appro
priations to maintain them are made upon the
condition that they he transferred or disbanded,
which is equivalent to an order to disband them,
it will become my duty, as the Executive of the
State, to proclaim to her people, that, while the
enemy is thundering at her gateß, her represen
tatives have left me powerless for her defence, by
withholding the necessary means, and even tak
ing from me those already at my command.
If I have used strong language, I mean no dis
respect. When all that is dear to a people is at
stake, the occasion requires the utmost franknesß
aud candor. Joseph E. Bbowx.
Just as we Suupossd—The Troops true to
thbir State. —An intelligent lieutenant in the
State tooops, who Tisited the city yesterday, was
interrogated as to the dipositiou of the troops
with regard to their transfer to the Confederate
service! His reply was that all the excitement
on the subject was confined to the officers—that
the men were wholly indifferent on the subject—
they came hereto'fight the enemy, and were
ready to go uuder anybody who would supply
them with provisions and lead them into battle.
We have no doubt his statement is entirely cor
rect. The idea that Georgians, upon a mere punc
tilio, should break up their camps and go home,
leaving the S’ate to the mercy ot the enemy, is
an insult to their braverv and magnanimity.—
They will do no such thing, even though forty re
creant Governors should counsel them to desert
their State and Sag.— Sav. Up.
A New Wat to Cube Chills. —lt is stated that
a soldier of a Mississippi regiment, at Pensacola,
went to his tent and blankets the other day to
fight through an ague. A bottle of hot water to
put to his teet not befog convenient, some of bis
comrades went out and picked up cue of the nu
merous shells Col. Brown sent over during the
bombardment, heated it at the fire and put it to
bed with the sick man’s feet. Unhappily, the
shell had lost its cap, but had not exploded.’ Th 9
heat of the camp tire accomplished what Lincoln
pyrotechny had failed in—to wit: an explosion.
The tent was blown to pieces and gome of the
men a little hurt and greatly astonished. We are
happy to learn that no one was killed by the
mishap.
Romantic Stoet Explodbd.— The New Orleans
Delta explodes the bit of literature which appear
ed recently in the Brooklyn (N. Y.) Times pur
porting to be founded on a love and matrimonial
affair in which Hon. John Slidell and Capt. Wilkes
figure as rivals lor the same fair hand. The Del
ta says : “ Mr. Slidell came to Louisiana in 1-<24
or '25, and Capt. Wilkes went into the naval ser
vice from North Carolina perhaps about the same
period. Mr. Slidell married his wife about 1540.
She is a Creole lady, and Capt. Wilkes was as
far removed from her knowledge and her thought*
at the time of her marriage aa Louisiana orange
blossoms and female beauty are removed from
Connecticut snows and pumpkin piety.”
Seizure or Salt is Albant. —We learn that SO
sacks of salt was shipped a few days since, by
Messrs. Fears A Swanson, of Macon, to the house
of T. J. Boynton, of this city, with instructions
that the same be sold so as to to nett them ten
dollars per sack, the price at which it was selling
for in Macon. The Governor hearing of the ship
ment, gave instructions to the Superintendent of
S. W. Railroad, to retain the salt for public use at
five dollars per sack. The salt remains at the
Depot in thi* city.— Albany Ihtriot.
Front Pensacola.
Pbesacola, Dec. s. —My communication with
the Advertiser and Register has been lntcirupted
by a slight indisposition for a “few days’’—how
; ever, you have probably lost but little. To be
“under the weather,” such weather as thi-q is in
tolerable.'
i About two o’clock this morning the city’s quiet
was disturbed by the thunder voice of an eight
inch Dalhgren from one of the batteries E Tow.
False alarm—“nobody hurt.”
In tho late bombardment no mention has been
made of tbe number of guns employed on onr
side; it would have been against genera! orders,
old ns the war itself. The same restrictions do
not apply to the enemy—of them and their guns,
wo caii speak ad libitum. I will, therefore, give
your readers some information of Fort Pickens
and the sand batteries in its vicinity, with tbe
assurance that it comes from a source as reliable
as if from Col. Brown’s Inspector-General or
Chiefs of Artillery or Ordnance. Here it is :
FORT PICKENS.
i 10-inch Columbiads in bastion—pivot car
riage.
1 42-pounder, rifled, in barbette.
442 “ “ “ casemate curtain to
wards light house.
4 8-inch Columbiad3 in casement curtain of
sally port.
2 10-pound field, rifled.
Besides a number of small pieces, and oqe sec
tion of light artillery.
ON GLACIS.
1 10-inch Columbiad, pivot carriage.
Battery Bcctt— on point opposite Fort Mcßae.
2 10-inch seacoast mortars.
2 8-inch Columbiads—pivot guns.
1 10-inch do do do.
1 42-pound rifled—(a rascally gun, it is, too.)
This battery is manned by one campauy of ar
tillery; its fire was directed principally "on Mc-
Rae.
battery lixcoln — First cast of Pickens.
2 10-inch Columbiads, pivot carriages—and
manned hy one company of artillery.
battery cambiion— second east of Pickens. ■
2 10-inch seacoast mortars.
8 S-inch do howitzers.
1 42-pouuder, rifled.
1 82-pounder, rifled—siege carriage.
This battery is in charge of one company' of
artillery.
BATTERY NEAR COMMISSARY’* STORE.
2 13-inch sea coast mortars.
3 13 inch do do ou counterscarp of
Fort.
One company of artillery at this battery.
Wilson’s battery.
210 inch sea coast mortars. This battery is in
charge of the “ Billies,” who fired, it is said, all
day at the steamer Time, without doing her the
slightest injury.
This estimate does not include, of course, the
numerous smaller guns on either Pickens or the
Island.
For the above information I am indebted to one
of the most accomglished soldiers in the service ;
and one whose name will yet. he written iu this
war’s history.
“General Orders No. 134” shelled ontthedrink
ing saloons yesterday ; to-day their walls are
hung in black, aud their late habitues wear the
longest and most solemn of faces. On regular
drinkers it’s a right “tite paper”—still it has its
advocates as well as opponents. Whether any
good will result from this order of Gen. Bragg
remains to be seen. Here it is—let it tel! its own
tale :
“The evil resulting from the sale of intoxica
ting liquors tn Pensacola have become intolera
ble. More than half the labors ot Court Martial
result from it—demoralization, disease,and death
often prove it. Our only military executions
have been caused by it. We have lost more val
uable lives at. the hands of tho whisky sellers than
by the balls of our enemies. The Commanding
General has promised himself to return the men
of this army to the mothers, wives, and sisters
who have oheerldlly sent them forth to repel the
invader, in as good a moral condition as he re
ceived them : to do this, he must dry up the foun
tain which supplies this stream of pollution, that
all his efforts have failed to control.
The domestic enemies, who have done us more
harm by this traffic, than the foreign invader,
shall no longer fill their pockets hy dealing oat
poison to the gallant men keeping watch in front,
whilst they sleey quietly in their bed.
The sale or introduction of any kind of intoxi
cating liquor within fire miles of the lines of this
Army is prohibited, unless under special sanction
of the Commanding General tor medical purposes
No news in camp to-day. Only one or two war
vessels in thejfleet.— Cor. Mobile tieg-uter <St Ad
vertiser.
ri»o Vmilße* at fort Hojal—lnterest
ing Northern Accounts.
From tii e New Y ork Tribune’s I’ort Royal cor
respondence, we make some extracts, which will
be read with interest:
Camp of Roundhead Reg’t , 2»Brig. E. C. [
Uiltom Head, Nov. 26, 1861. )
Another expedition is fitting out, or perhaps
it is merely anew movement that is part of our
own. At all events, troops are to be brought
from New Y'ork to this or some other point on
this coast, and General Vielo’s Brigade, now
on Hilton Head, are said to be under marching
orders.
* * *
Our troops are not idle here. The old fort,
which bore the brunt of our assault, is being ren
dered much stronger than when Lee thought
neither heaven nor hell could lake it. In addi
tion, a line earthwork is being mado about a mile
back from the beach, and not. far behind our en
campment. Y’ou may be sure Uncle Sam intends
to hold this spot, aud by the help of God will do
so ; and Northern enterprise and patriotism will
develop the fine maritime advantages of these j
shores. This harbor is said to be one of the Lest
on the Atlantic coast, North or South. I counted
on the 22d, between fifty and sixty vessels lying !
in it. They seemed to foretoken what it may
he hereafter in times of peace, and in other hands
than heretofore. The universal Yankee will settle
here, the far-seeing New Yorker and enterprising
PunnsylvaniaD, and they will probably give the
South a Southern trade of which she has talked so
much and done so little, and which never will be
done till it is done for her.
It is refreshing now to see the stir of busy life
ou the beach—piers built or being built, ou winch,
or on the beach, in launches or surf-boats, the
coatents of the ships are being unloaded ; long
warehouses put up or in process of erection *by
Messrs. Wilson A Wm. McClellan, of New York ;
goods being stored away in them, hauled in heavy
government wagons, or carried, or rolled, boxes
and barrels; long detachments of sold ers detailed
for this business in motioD, under command of
their officers ; the porch of general headquarters
presenting groups of officers, that go anil come,
with aids in full canter ; these things I presume
would startle the former rebel owners and inha
bitants of these once quiet shores, could they see
them. That, however, judging by their hasty
flight and persistent absence, they do not want to
do. Indeed, the panic, we learn, is fearful. The
negroes told us that they thought our cannon car
ried sixteen miles. It seems as if the whites
thought so too, judging by the distance at which
they Keep. At Beaufort, visited by two of our
gunboats two days after the battle, only one white
man was found.' Bluffton was deserted by all the
whites days ago. So the negroes tell us, and a
few of the foragers of our army who have been
there. Two negroes came in from Charleston
last uight, and reported that all the people from
the surrounding country were flocking into that
city. We also received the report yesterday that
the day previous some of our fleet threw some
sheels’into Fort Pulaski, and found it deserted.
It would seem, so far as we can glean, that foe
splendid bombardment ol this place on the
seventh by our vessels-of-war has impress,.a the
enemy that every place accesstole to this fleet i
absolutely untenable.
TUB TV BEE ISLAND REOONNOISSA'-CL.
On the dav before the McClellan saileo : :
veyed Gen. Sherman and staff to Tybui Is'and, |
which is situated sixtxn miles from Iliitun Lea l,
just south of the entrance to the Savannah river,
and within easy range of Fort Pulaski, which
guards the entrance to the river, and is, there
fore, the key to Savannah. The object of the re
conDoissance was to fix upon a plan of fortifying
the island, so as to make it a base of operations
against Fort Pulaski aud Savannah. It is under
stood to be the intention of our forces to erect
mortar batteries at a very early day, with a view
to the reduction of Pulaski. The project is thought
to be entirely feasible.
In the course of the reconnoissance, the party,
consisting of Gen. Sherman, his staft, Capt. Gray,
and a guard of about twenty marines was fired on
by Fort Pulaski. Four shells were discharged.
The first fell short about fifty yards, but was an
excellent line shot. The next one exploded in
the air. Had it fallen before exploding, it is be
lieved that a considerable loss of life would have
ensued. The flight of the Ehell was noticed, and
the order given to ue upon the ground. Geu.
Sherman aftewards stated that it would uudoubt
lv have fallen in the midst of his party. The
third fell short, and the fourth exploded on the
beach, too far to do any damage.
An abandoned entrenebmeut, which had mount
ed a battery, was found at the south end of ly—
bee island. The cannon.had, moreover, been re
moved.
i WLen Gen. Sherman and party returned, the
§ unboat Florida, with Commodore Dupont on
card, was proceeding to Tybce island. This wa3
also for the purpose of reconnoitermg, with the
same general object as that ol the former one.—
Commodore Dupont returned the same evening.
tatnall’s attack.
The attack of Commodore Tatnall on the 2btb,
.which has been referred to, was not worthy of
the name ot a battle. Tatnall came with his three
or four vessels near enough to fire a few shots
which did no damage, and immediately retired.
Ty bee island is nut yet occupied by our troops;
but i;uft night a party is sent from our vessels to
light r tire. The national colors are flying from
the light house hear.
THE NEW EXPEDITION.
Preparations are going on at Port > Royal for
the expedition South ; but its destination is not
stated. Femandina, for several reasons, ia sup
posed to be the place .where the blow will fall. A
number of ships are preparing, and accommoda
tions for 5,000 troops have been paraded. The fol
lowing vessel , among others, will compose it :
Catawba, Daniel Webster, Oriental, Mataczas,
Belvidere, l’kiladeldbia (to carry horses), Empire
City, Roanoke and Star of the South.
Among the war vessels which were at Port
Royal aud which it was supposed would take part
in the expedition, are the following : Steam frig
ate Wabash, sloop ot war Dale, the Pawnee. Mohi
can. Seminole, Isaac P. Smith, Mercury, Pettit,
Pembina, Ottawa, Unadilia and Ellen.
The Vixen was assisting in surveying the’local
ities near Hilton Head, and was "laying down
bouys. She cau be used in case of necessity.
HILTON HEAD.
Contrary to the generally-received opinion, no
new fortifications have been made by our troops
in tbe vicinity of F*rt Walker or at Bay Point,
butlhe defences which were already built have
been strengthened. It is understood that on the
side of the island toward the mainland defences
are erecting.
The entire force of General Sherman’s expedi
tion, with the exception of less than 1,000 men, is
on Hilton Head, and is in good condition. The
large amount of provisions of various kinds found
there is not yet exhausted. Cattle, sheep, tur
keys, chickens are very plenty ; some of them
obtained by foraging parties which proceed to the
islandsTii the vicinity, and, in some cases, it is
said, to the mainland. There is, and will he, for
a long time, no scarcity of fresh meat from the
sources near the present encampment of our
troops.
BEAUFORT TO B3 OCCUPIED.
There is do longer auy constant guard of ves
sels at Beaufort, and it is left almost exclusively
in the possession of he negroes, of whom there
are many.. There is, however, one white man—
not the "original inefriated individual —a Seces
sionist, who remains in the town nights, and on
those days when the United States forces are not
seen, but ou the appearance of danger he instant
ly retires. lie is supposed to be a spy.
It was understood, when the McClellan sailed,
that Beaufort would be occupied, probably the
next day, by a force of about 5,000 men, which
could be. easily spared, even iu addition to the
5,000 which would accompany the expedition.—
The purpose of the occupancy was to prevent the
Secessionists from taking possession, and also to
retain the considerable amount of property which
yet remains there. The Secessionists have come
tin re in the night, in a few cases, and taken away
property; but it is understood that no large bo
dies of their troops are in the immediate vkmity.
THE CONTRABANDS.
The “contrabands” occupy Beaufort, Hilton
Head Island, and the contiguous islands in con
siderable numbers. Those who have already se
parated from their masters, and are only under
their own control, are estimated at five hundred
to one thousand. These are within easy reach of
our forces. Those at and around Beaufort are
by some estimated at nearly the figures given. A
few of the latter are supposed to be looking
after the property of their masters. But of the
great majority, it is known that they would be
very glad to enter our lines for the purpose, gen
era ly, of obtaining employment. The men of tbe
steamer McClellan, when they were at Beaufort,
could have brought away a full loud of them, had
they been authorized to do so. The “contra
bands” crowded around them, begging to be al
lowed the privilege of getting on board. Quite a
number assisted in loading the lumber, for which
they asked, and received no pay, and worked,
the men say, “like good follows.” Thirteen of
them were finally taken to Hilton Head. '
The story which has been extensively publish
ed that the negroes refuse to work, is emphatical
ly contradicted. About two hundred and fifty
are on and around Hilton Head, and labor when
they have an opportunity. They even take boats,
going around to the shipping, carrying men, bags
and bundles—in fact, any freight which is given
(hem.
Tee negroes at liiuiuf'.rl and elsewhere gener
ally report to our tore.!* any movements of the
rebels which may come within their knowledge—
but of course they have iiiiie to communicate.—
The fact that secessionhAs have been near Beau
fort came from the negroes. There were some
mounted men (cavalry j among the number. A
few straggling parties hare been there in the
night, according to these statements.
ft is now well understood that the reported
wholesale destruction of property in BeatSfort, by
the negroes, has been greatly exaggerated. By
far tho most part of what they have taken away
was what couid be used in the preparation of
i cabins for themselves, or what was needed in the
| way off urniture or accommodations. Os course,
| they have transferred some articles which might
? .seem to be of doubtful utility i ; their huts. But.
i in this, and other modes of “ appi opriitren,” they
! have had the assistance oftvhito men whose right
! to the property was not established,
j Those of the men of the steamer McClellan,
{ who have been most on shore, assert that there
, is no question that if the negroes had been fur
| lislied with employment, or even their presence
i m our lines not discouraged, the .number within
I the reuch'of our force* would have been doubled
1 or trebled ; and that they, cn a general thing,
| exhibit no disposition either to destroy property
or to avoid any species of labor which may be re -
quired of them. The course of General Sherman,
iu regard to the negroc-s, instated to be tho sub-
I sect of much remark.
THE COTTON SCnOONER.
The schooner which has been reported loading
with cotton hud been in considerable part, filled,
aud was, when the McOiellau sailed, lying off
Hilton li ad. ft was not stated when she would
sail lor this city.
OTHER ITEMS.
The dock at Hilton Heal, which has recently
been in progress, was already extended about one
hundred and fifty feet from the beach, and would
be built four hundred feet further, when vessels
might be moored aud loaded alongside of it.
An excellent wagon road, well adapted for
army use, was in preparation from Fort Walker
across Hilton Head island to a point near the
mainland. Men were felting trees, clearing away
ihe brush and working Rio soil. The road will
soon be finished.
The British war steamer immmialite was lying
in Port Royal Harbor. •
The V.anderbiii was -to sail for New Y ork in a
Jay or two.
[From the Washington Republican, Dec. 2. |
OSN. Sherman’s official instructions—cotton,
CORN, AND RICE, TO HR SEIZED.
O.i Thursday, Adjutant General Thomas sent
out instructions to Genera! Sherman, in Beaufort,
to take possession of all the crops on the island
—cotton, corn, rice, Ac.—on military account,
and ship the cotton and such other crops as were
not wanted for the army, to New York, to bo sold
there for account of the ,'overnment;• also, to use
negro slaves to gather and secure the crops of
cotton and corn, and to erect his defences at Port
Royal and other places on the island,
The instructions, so fur as negroes are concern
ed, carry out the principles of the original in
structions under which Gen. Sherman started on
.the’expeditio.il.
Sherman too Slow. — It seems the Yankees
have g.u over their b anting of their Port Royal
exploit-, and t.r- ' ■ _uin.Uir' that Sherman
i seems content with ' mud ‘ort victory. A
i Washington corn . jioudcnt of I ••* JUrab' writes :
| “it cannot be di.-goi.- and that the cabinet is very
; sorely chagrined arid di.-a-poin'fd at. the inaction
l of GJo S' c?::ian. it was expec. and tin '.lie would
.it oner pus: tor the interior, occupying Beaufort,
i j-c'.r.e the i.'haiicston and. Savannah Kailroad,
| burn the bridges, end fortify him-ed bfture.rt the
t two livers before the enemy couid recover from
! their panic and concentrate, Instead ol tins he
has settled down apathetically at liilijn llead.
The regularity with which our generals topple
over as fast as government sets them up, is mel
ancholy to reflect upon.”
Compliment 10 the Augusta Ladies. —The fol
lowing deserved compliment to onr Augusta la
dies is extracted from a letter from Lieut. II A.
Grist, of the “Cherokee Field Guards,” belong
ing to the 23d Georgia. It is dated Richmond,
November 2xd :
On Thursday morning we arrived at Augusta,
at about 5% o’clock, A. M., attar a whole night’s
travel—having left Atlanta at 7:40 the evening
before; and, as you are aware, “the boys,” most
of whom were not accustomed to railroad travel,
kept in a state of excitement all the while; hence
they slept but little, and, worse than all, they did
not suffer their more quiet neighbors to do so. —
Consequently, when we arrived at Augusta we
we were all much fatigued. But to our surprise
and satisfaction, the good ladies of that oity (true,
noble, generous ami patriotic, as Georgia’s daugh
ters ever are—God bless every one of them) Inr
nishedthe entire detachment with quite a sump
tuous repas f —in the way of warm coffee, bread,
bash and other meats, prepared; and, above ali,
they honored us with their benign presence -
§iving us every assurance that wherever the sol
ier went, woman’s prayers to a Throne of Grace
would follow him. As soon as breakfast was
over, Private Simmons, in behalf of the boys, in
a brief speech, tendered to the ladies and citizens
of Augusta our heartfelt thanks for their kind
ness. Long will the 23d Regiment remember the
good people of their native State; and should
they be placed in position where they will be cail
; ed upon to meet the Hessians, face to face, I feel
i quite coßlideut that such auts of kindness will
not fail to embolden their heart* and strengthen
1 their arms for the conflict.
VOL. LXXV.—NEW SERIES VOL. XXV. NO. 50.
BY TELEGRAPH.
TERRIBLE FIRE IN CHARLESTON.—IM
MEXSE LOSS OF PROPERTY—DESTITUTION
OF FAMILIES.
[We are indebted to the courtesy of the tele
graphic opeiators in this city, for the following
particulars relative to tbe great fire in Charleston
last night:]
Buanchvills, S. C., Dec. 12.—About 9 o’clock
last night, the alarm of tire rang out, calling our
citizens out to arrest the conflagration, wliicb, iu
the subsequent exteut and rapidity of its ruinous
sweep, will compare only with the most terrible
conflagrations that have ever visited this conti
nent. Before 10 o’clock, the fire had commenced
raging at different points in the lower part of the
city.
As tenement after tenement was enveloped iu
the spreading flames, the panic became awtui,
and thousands of poor persons and bewildered
families were driven suddenly from their homes,
destitute even of their scanty effects. The build
ings in the neighborhood being mostly of wood,
old, closely built, aud surrounded by small wood
en outbuildings of an exceedingly inflammable
character, added fresh fuel to the flame and help
ed to swell its destructive volume.
Towards midnight the fire had assumed pro
portions of appaling magnitude. Tho regiment
from the race course came dowu at double quick
to the burning wards, and co operated most
earnestly in the labors of the firemen.
From the preciucts of Market, East Bay, aud
State streets, the conflagration had now reached
Meeting and Queen streets. The terror of fami
lies, in many cases without their protectors,
owing to the military exigencies of the times,
was contagious, and much farther up into the
city the work of packing up valuables, and get
ting reacly to desert their homesteads became
general.
To give anything like a full account of tbe re
sults, of what will hereafter be known as the great
fire of 1861, is utterly impossible.
At about 10 o’clock P. M., the fire began in
Kupel <fc Co’s. Sash and Blind Factory, at the foot
of Hazel street, and there is a report, though
somewhat vague, that it appeared in three places
at the same time. Crossing over to the other
side of Hazle street, it has burned Cameron A
Co’s, immense machine shops.
Under the impulse acquired at that point, and
the stiff' breeze from tbe north-east, without a
sufficient supply of water for it, it has become un
mauageble, and rages without the hope of being
able to arrest it, except at certain points.
Ten O’clock.—The outbuildings in tbe rear of
Institute Hall, have been set on fire by the sparks.
Tho attention of the firemen is directed thither,
and they are straining every nerve to save Meet
ing street. Tho frame buildings on Queen street
are smoking and will presently blaze forth.
Twelve O’clock—Meeting street from Queen
to Market street, is one mass ol flames. Tbe Cir
cular Church, Institute Hall, are burning. The
Mills House ia thought to be in imminent danger,
while the lire seems stretching around the Char
leston Hotel. There has been a desertion ot both
hotels by the guests, under the impression that
they cannot be saved.
1 o’clock.—The track of the conflagration be
gins to he clearly defined—leaping Church street,
on which no block, excepting that next to Mar
ket street, has been burned. The tire is steadily
pursuing its southwardly course towards the cor
ner of Archdale and Queen streets.
About a half hour ago, a drizzling rain began
fulling, which may, perhaps, aid in keeping damp
the tops of the wooden houses exposed to danger
from the sparks. The people now understand
that the tire has stretched its sway, and furniture
is being removed as far up as Mazyk street.
Two O’clock.—At this hour, the lire is still
raging with violence— aud scarcely abated. A
splendid effort was made by the fire companies to
save the house of L. W. Spratt, Esq., on East Bay
Street, which was successful, and with it was
saved the fine line of buildings on Hazell Street,
the fate of which depended upon that result.
l’assing to the southwestward, the fire has
swept the ontire tract to the rear of the Charles
ton Hotel, and to the end of the Hayne street
ranges. There are no buildings north of Market
street, east of the Hayne street stores, still stand
ing, except, perhaps, those of Henry Gerdes and
the Messrs. Pinckney.
Crossing Market street, the fire has reached
Cumberland street, and thence across to the
Mill’s House, tatting, in its way, the Circular
Church, Instituto Hall, the Charleston Theatre,
all the buildings upon King street, from Clifford
street, up to within a few doors of Broad street.
Crossing King street, the flames are approaching
the Catholic Cathedral, and the Unitarian and the
English Lutheran Churches.
Whether it will cross to the area covered by
these churches, or pass the Mills House down
Meeting street, is still uncertain. The tire de
partment. is making incredible exertions. The
men are in the last stages of exhaustion, spring
ingto each occasion with renewed vigor, and
such exhibitions of courage and endurance have
been rarely witnessed.
Three O’clock.— The steeple of the Circular
Church has just toppled, and fallen with a heavy
crash. Gen. Ripley is moving to and fro, super
intending the movements of the troops with char
acteristic energy. He gave orders several hours
ago to blow up certain buildings in the track of
the flames. The execution of this order, delayed
at first, has at length been accomplished. Ever
and anon during the pa3t hour the explosions
have rent the air in the lower part of the city.
The fire has done its work in thorough style.
Its path is now burned out, and nothing now re
mains to mark out where it has passed, save
smouldering piles of cinders and gaunt and
smoking walls and chimneys. The Charleston
Hotel is safe, and Hayne street too. The wind
has swept the danger off further to the South. —
Although the fire rages on three sides of the
Mills House, that fine structure has not caught
F et - !*-
The Theatre, Lloyd’s Coach Factory, opposite
the old Express office,,the old Executive buildings
and all the houses between that point and Queen
street have been burned. The fire seems to be
making but slight progress towards the Jail. —
Companies of the Reserves have been ordered
out to repress any possible disturbance among
the prisoners confined in that building. The
wind has abated somewhat.
4 o'clock. —A change in the wind has sent the
course of the fire towards Broad street. The
Lutheran and Unitarian Churches are now con
sidered safe. The Cathedral now seems to be in
exceeding danger. The buildings on the west
side of Friend street, near the corner of Queen
street, are burning fiercely. St. Andrew’s Hall is
on fire, and the noble spire of St. Finbar’s (the
Catholic) glitters with a splendor of portentous
import. The occupants of houseson Broad street,
beyond King street, are moving their effects.
Jss % o’clock. —As the clock of St. Michael’s tells
the quarter, the Cathedral steeple has fallen with
a tremendous crash.
The Cathedral is burning furiously ; likewise
St. Andrew’s Hall. The whole of Broad street is
on fire from Mr. Gladden’s to Mazvck street.
s yi O’clock. —The residences of Messrs. Geo.
M. Coffin, Jas. L. Pettigrew and others near by,
are consumed. The flames have now crossed
Broad Street, and as the wind has not lulled, it is
impossible to say where they will stop short of
the river.
There does not appear to be any imminent dan
ger of the fire again making headway either to
the right or to the left of the furrow which it has
cloven through the city from East Bay to Kmg
street, but the head of the conflagration is still
I f ear fu’l to look upon, and is pushing forward with
| great strides now.
Great indeed, has been the calamity which has
I fallen upon our noble old city, hut let us, with
I Hmiling hope and courage bestir ourselves at once
to amend tho tosses we have sustained, aud re
lieve, each one according to Ids mea ns, the great
suiTeriugs which the fire must entail upon its
poor victims.^
The above is copied from the Charleston Mei
cury, of this morning, which was trrougty to
Brauchviile by passengers on the cars.
To the accommodating and courteous tele -
graphic operators at Branchville ami iu this city
we aud our readers are indebted for this full aud
interesting report.
TUE CHARLESTON FIRE—LATEST
„ DISPATCH.
Charleston, Dec. 12.—7 O’Clock P. M.—The
fire commenoed in Russell’s factory at the foot of
Hazell street, and raged through the city in a
Southwesterly direction to the Ashley river East
Bay street to Market street, on the East side,
have all suffered from the lire. There ia but one
building on the YY T est side of Market street, in
eluding the house belouglug to the Misses Pink
ney. On Cumberland street, on both sides to
Kind street every building is destroyed, except
McLeash’s shop. Ou King street, from Cum
berland, ou both sides, from Market to Queeu
street; on Broad street, on both sides, from King
street to tho river, except Belais, Smith & Gads
den aud one other building; on Xew street, both
sides are burnt; Logan street is burnt up to
Church street; ou Friend street, on both sides, to
Tradd; Savage street is now burning. Among
the public buildings barnt arc the following : The
Cumberland Methodist Church, the Circular
Church, the Catbolia Cathedral, Institute Hall,
St. Andrew’s Hall, tho Theatre, Savings Institute
and the Express Office.
[SECOND DIBPATCH.J
Charleston, Dec. 12.—10 O’clock P. M.—The
fire is still burning, but its fury is very much
abated.
LATE NEWS FROM LINCOLNDOM.
Nashville, Dec. 13.—The latest dispatches
from Secretary Seward to Minister Adams, dated
Nov. 11th, contain the following extract, which
shows the diplomatic relations existing betweon
England and the United States at that time:
“The case in regard to the pirates engaged by
the insurgents of this country practically stani
thus: Every naval power, every commercial
power, except one, have practically excluded
them from their ports, except when distressed,
and they have prohibited any visit cf any kind
from the pirates, longer than twenty-four bouts
for coals, except it be to obtain enough for 24
hours’ consumption. Great Britain, as we are
given to understand by the answer of Earl Rus
sell, allows these pirates to visit the ports of tha
of that?fcountry and stay there own pleasure, re
ceiving supplies without restriction. We Dud it
difficult to believe that tbe Government of Great
Britain constitutes this exception. After full de
liberation, I intimuted, in the preceding dispatch,
the Lope that the subject might be reconsidered
before it becomes necessary for the United States
to consider what remedies to adopt to protect on
commerce, and prevent the evils which must re
sult to it by the policy thus indicated by Great
Britain. We have consulted with Lord Lyons,
tho British Minister, ou the subject; he will
perhaps, communicate with his Government
thereupon. In the meantime, lam directed by
the President to instruct you to recall the atten
tion of Her Majesty’s Government to the question,
under the influence of the spirit of peace and
friendship, aud with a desire to preserve what
remains of that commerce which is mutually im
portant to both countries.
A sharp correspondence has takon place be
tween Minister Pike, at the government of the
Hague, touching tbe reception of the privateer
Sumter at Curacoa, which has resulted in an
order forbidiug either the Confederate or Federal
vessels to stay more than twenty-four hours in
the Dutch ports. To this the Federal Govern
ment have expressed its qualified gratification, as
being the best arrangement practicable. At oue
point of the discussion, and before the Dutch
Government had arrived at this coticlusiou, Se
ward, wrote to Minister Pike, that unless the con
duct of the Governor General of Curacoa was
placed in a better light, it would become neces
sary to decide by what means the Federal Gov
ernment should take to protect its natural rights
in the ports of the Netherlands, which cannot be
surrendered or compromised.
Com. Poor, of tbe Federal steamer Brooklyn
who was tried by court martial for allowing the
privateer Sumter to escape from Now Orleans,
has been acquitted, and the finding of tbe Court
has been approved.
Gen. Patterson has made un official application
for a Court of Enquiry into that jiortion of the
spring campaign with which he was connected.
A caucus of the Black Republican members of
Congress will be held to-morrow evening, for the
purpose of agreeing upon the line of policy to be
adopted with reference to tbe slavery question.
Cincinnati, Dec. sth.—The expulsion of Mr.
Breckinridge, “the traitor,” from Congress, gives
great satisfaction. Many persons aspire to suc
ceed him in that office; among whom are names
Guthrie, Joshua F. Bell, Geo. Robinson, Nathan
iel Wolfe, Garrett Davis, and Dr. Breckinridge,
are mentioned.
LATER FROM EUROPE.
ARRIVAL OF THE STEAMER
NORTH AMERICAN.
Richmond, Dec. 11.—The Norfolk (Va.) Day
Book of Monday last, failed to come until to night.
It publishes extracts from the New York Herald,
of Dec. 7th, which also contains the following
foreign news :
Portland Maine, Dec. flth.—The steamship
North American, has arrived with Liverpool dates
to the 22d of November.
Liverpool Cotton Market.— The Broker’s cir
cular reports the sales of cotton for the week at
44,000 bales, including 20,000 bales to speculators
and exporters. The market was dull, and prices
had declined for the lower and Middling
grades. The sales of Friday were 0,000 bales, the
market closing quiet but steady at the following
quotations:
Fair Orleans 12%d. I Mid’g Orleans . .ll%d.
“ Mobiles 12>£d. “ Mobiles . ll^d.
“ Uplands 12#d. | “ Uplands,. ll%d.
GENERAL NEWS.
The burning of the Yankee ship Harvey Burch,
by the Confederate steamer Nashville attracts
great attention in England.
It is reported that the Galway steamer Adri -
atic had been sold, and was apparently fitting out
for the West ludies, but a strong impression pre
vailed that she is destined for the Confederate
States.
CONFEDERATE CONGRESS.
Richmond, Dec. 11.—The act referred to in the
Richmond Examiner of this morning, granting a
bounty of £SO to soldiers, was approved by the
President to-day. It also includes musicians and
all troops who have volunteered or enlisted for
twelve months or more, in the service, from any
State, who may hereafttr volurnteer in the ser
vice of the Confederate States.
ROW NEAR SUFFOLK.
Richmond, Dec. 11.—The correspondent of the
Petersburg (Va) Express, dated at Suffolk, Va.,
Dec. 10th, says it is understood that a row occur
red last night in the Polish regiment from Louisi •
ana, camped between Suffolk and Portsmouth and
that three Lieutenants were killed in the affray.
SUCCESSFUL SKIRMISH IN VIRGINIA.
Richmond, Dec. 10.— Passengers who arrived
here to day, report that a skirmish took place on
Sunday last, between Col. Ashby’s command and
a party of Federalists. Eighty of the latter were
captured, and fifteen killed; the Confederates
also captured twenty wagons. The report is given
as received.
Strawberries in December.— Just to arouse
the envy of his readers, the Editor of the Mobile
Rtgl Uv of December loth, announces that be has
been “presented with a small basket of beautiful
Strawberries, large, plump and doliclouses those
of April”— of the Wilson’s Albany variety.
