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BY N. S. MORSE & CO.
~y
Cjmmicle # Sentinel,
TERMS.
1 Ilia WftBRLY CJUUMIICLK A SKNTLVEL
ia nrßLinra* svep.t Wednesday
AT TOLU IKILLAAn t Oil MX MONTH*
ALWAYS JN ADVANCE.
VYELKLY AUVEETUIMI HATEH.
OatMHAat AiirwuiiMJt.'u* puUlahed In Itc Weekly will
b* twenty live cenu a. imeeacL inaertiun.
Svscul Nuticjs will bv charged tlrlrty t enla a line for each
inter Hen.
XlanaiAose, Daexiu and Fcxeeil Noticks one dollar each,
Onnuear Kcticjw forty cents per line for one Insertion la
tint! irallyor Weekly. Where Obituary Notice >me tubllsb
eo In botli Daily und.Weekiy-slaty cents per line.
i it k I‘iiehk.n r Point op im hiikst.
The eyes or Uie Confederacy are now turned
towards Kant Tennessee and North West Geor
gia wltti an interest quite us intense os that
with which they have ever watched the excit
ing campaigns in. Virginia or in Mississippi.—
Great results, it must he admitted, are staked
ou the issue of this conflict, if our armies suf
fer serious defeat, the Northern portion of our
Ktate—with its overflowing granaries of wheat
nnd corn- becomes a prey to the spoliations of
the invader. Our forces will lie drawn hack,
with all the demoralization Incident to defeat,
upon the centre of the State—powerless to dis
lodge a foe who niroly gives hack what comes
within his stern grip. If on the other band
the combined forces of Uoseciansaml liuinside
should he overthrown with such a slaughter as
may he expected from the precariousness of
their position, Gen. Gragg will not only relievo
those portions of our own Stale which are now
threatened, but he will recover Kant Tennessee,
will drive the enemy to his works at Nashville,
and by ft flank movement into Kentucky may
e impel the total evacuation ol' Tennessee.
Such ar i the results which either parly may
premise itself from victory. Thu Commanding
General has imposed so much reticence both
upon the telegraph and upon the correspon
dents cf the press, that the public kno w but
little which is definite and satisfsoloiy respect
ing th‘* movements on either side. Wo con
versed lately with an intelligent and well in
formed i'riind directly from the front of our
lines, and bavo been assured by him that in no
previous period of its history Ims the army of
the West been in better health and in more
confident temper than at the present time. Thu
discipline is still marked by that precision for
which the forces of Gen. Bragg are distinguish
ed ; and (with a few exceptions wnich came
under the node# of our lriend) have the utmost
confidence in (heir General. Our informant has
nowhere seen a fairer promise of victory than
that which is now enjoyed by our troops in the
battle which Is apparently at band. Wesiw
c~ ju e <v i.st/.r nf our omc.ers (just
received) in which he is expressing bis appre
hension that Iloseerauz may retire without a
light. This would be a grievous disappointment
to our men. This officer says that the Yankees
are undoubtedly in heavy forceat various points
on the river, but they will not venture to come
over.
Burnside is confronted by Buckner at a ferry
between Chattanooga and Loudon. Tho form
er expected to isolate tho latter from General
Bragg, but as he was about to cross the ti vet
tor that purpose, he received a sudden pause
on learning that Buckner wits in force on the
other side, lie has not yet sufficiently recover
ed from his panic to advance. Rosecranz Is in
strong force opposite Chattanooga. He has
also Bent a large body of troops to make, it
possible, a flank movement on tho South. In
tills position the enemy are held at bay. If
they come over, we think that our generals are
prepared to give them a condign reception. If
they remain where they are they will soon find
their circumstances, (if wo are correctly ad
vised) very uncomfortable. The enemy are
now more than one hundred and fifty miles
from their base of supplies. The wily and here
tofore cautious' commander has certainly ex
hibited no ordinary degree of daring in his
present advance. We look with great confi
dence for a signal victory on our part, should
un engagement occur. The Yankoe Secretary
of War declared that lie would consider him
self wholly unfit for his office, if tlen. Lee were
permitted to get out of Pennsylvania and Mary
land with a single organized regiment. AVe
shall not call on our generals to resign (they
would not obey us if we did) if they permit
Rosecranz to come to Georgia and retire with
impunity. Bit we shall be exceedingly disap
pointed if the enemy is not now taught a lesson
on the perils of invasion which will exert a
alutary influence upon him, at least, for the
remainder of tho war.
I act) able Patriotism.— Mr. C. B. Kouss adver
tises In the Richmond papers that ho has made
arrangements to supply the families of soldiers
and the poor with domestics at seventy-five
cents per yard. This is the same gentleman
who supplied families with salt at a very redu
ced price some time since, when the monopolist s
and extortionists were holding the article at the
highest figures. These acts of Mr. Roussare
liberal ; they are patriotic in every sense
of the word. It gives us pleasure to record
such unsclft-h deeds in times like these. Would
that there were more gentlemen in every com
munity blessed with c-aritable dispositions like
the one mentioned above. Mueh suffering eve
rywhere would be alleviated.
Fkdebal Outrage.* in East Tennessee.—
We get the usual accounts of the enemy's lay
ing waste the country through which he has
passed, and the same catalogue of outrage- and
atrutiries as have been committed eve,ywhere
by the untrt-diej license of tae hirelt hordes.
Our people hare come to know too well the
Inhuman and barbarous system upon which the
' ankees carry on this war to need any fresh
recital of their atrocities. Retribution will yet
overtake them.
Poppt Plant. —The cultivation of the poppy
plant being one of great impor tanee. we remind
our readers that the time for sowing the seed is
now at hand ; and those persons intending to
cultivate should get the seed into the ground as
•arly as possible. The seed sown in September
will yield treble the amount of opium to that
■own in March. One acre properly cultivated
Will yield fifty pounds of opium.
AUGUSTA,’GA., MORNING, SEPTEMBER 16, 1863,
LINCOLN'S LXSTLETIKB.
A great Abolition mass meeting was held at
Hpringlield, ill., a short time since. Lincoln
wrote a letter which was read oir the occasion.
In it he gives a full exposition of his views on
the prospect and conditions of peace. He also
gives a sci tof a general review of the negro
question. Here is the letter :
KxixinVß Mansion', I
WAsniN'oruN August, 2(1. j
I Ton. Jen lies E. ConUiny :
My dear Sir —Your letter inviting me to at
. tend a mass meeting of unconditional Union
map, to be held at the Capitol of Illinois on the
3d day ol September, lias been received. It
would he very agreeable to me to thus meet
liiv old friends at my own home, but l cannot
just now be absent from this city so long as a
visit there would require.
The meeting is to be of all those who main
tain unconditional devotion to the Union, and
1 am sure my old political friends will thank
me for tendering, as I do, the nation’s gratitude
to those other noble men whom no partisan
malice or partisan hrqic can make false to the
nation’s life. There are those who are dissatis
fied with me. To such 1 would say ; you de
sire peace and you blame me that we do not
have it. But bow can we obtain it? There
are but three conceivable ways. First, to sup
press the rebellion by force of arms. This lam
trying to do. Ale you for it? If you are, so
far we are agreed. If you are not for it, we are
not agreed.
A second way is to give up the Union. lam
against this, if you are, you should say so
plainly. If you are not for force, nor yet for
dissolution, there only remains some imagi
nary compromises I do not believe that any
compromise embracing the maintenance
of the Union is now possible. All that 1 lentil
leads’to directly thexipposito belief. The strength
of the rebellion is its military—its army. That
army dominates all the country and ull the peo
ple within its range. Any otter of terms made
by any man 01 men within that range, in op
position to that army is simply nothing, for
the present, because such man or men have no
power whatever to enforce their side of the
compromise, if one were made with them.
To illustrate : Suppose a refugee from the
South and the peace men of the North get to
gether and frame and proclaim a compromise
embracing the restoration of the Union ; in
what way can that compromise be used to keep
Gen. Lee’s army out of Pennsylvania ? Gon.
Meade's army can keep Lee’s army out of Penn
sylvania, and I think can ultimately drive it
out of but no paper compromise, to
which the u*mtrollers of General Lee’s army
are not agreed, can at all affect that army, in
an effort at such compromise we would waste
time, which the enemy would improve to our
disadvantage, and that would be all.
A compromise to be effective, must be made
either with those who control the army, or
with the people first liberated from the domina
tion of that army, by the success of our army.
Now, allow me to assure you that no word or
intimation from che rebel army or from any of
the men controlling it, in relation to any peace
compromise, has ever come to Diy knowledgo
or belief. All charges or intimations to the
contrary are deceptive and groundless, and I
promise you that if any such proposition shall
hereafter come, it shall not be rejected and
kept secret from you.
1 freely acknowledge myself to be the ser
vant of the people according to the bond of
service—the United States Constitution —and
to be plain, you are dissatisfied with ice about
the negro. Quite likely there is a difference
of opinion between you and myself upon that
subject. I certainly w.sh that all men could
be free, while you, I suppose, do not. Tot, 1
have neither adopted nor propose any mea
sure which is not consistent with even your
views, provided you are for the Union. 1 sug
gested compensated emancipation, to which
you replied that you wished not to lie taxed to
buy negroes. But 1 had not asked you to be
taxed to buy negroes, except in such a way as
to save you from greater taxation, to save the
Union exclusively by other means. You dis
like the emancipation proclamation, and, per
haps, you want to have it retracted. You say
it is unconstitutional. I think differently, i
think that the Constitution invests its Oom
luauder-in-Chief with the law of war in time
of war. The most that can be said —if so
much—is that slaves are property. Is there,
has there ever been any question that by the
law of war the property both of enemies anil
friends may be taken when needed'! And is
it not needed whenever taken it helps us or
suits the enemy? Armies, the world over, de
stroy the enemy's property when they ucannot
use it. and even destroy their own to keep it
from the enemy. Civilized belligerents do all
in their power to help themselves or hurt the
enemy, except a few things recorded as bar
barous or cruel. Among the exceptions are
the massacre of vanquished foes and non-com
batants, male and female.
But the proclamation as a law is valid or is
not valid. If it is not valid it needs no re
traction. If it is valid it cannot be retracted
any more than the dead can he brought to life.
Some of you profess to think that its retrac
tion would operate favorably lor the Union.
Why betteV after the retraction than before the
issue ‘ There was move than a year and a half
for trial to suppress the rebellion before the
proclamation was issued, the last one hundred
davs of which passed under explicit notice it
was coming, unless averted by those in revolt
returning to their allegiance.
The war has certainly progressed as favorably
for us since the issue of the proclamation as
before. I know, as fully as ono can know the
opinions of others, that some of the command
ers of our armies in the field who have given
us our most important -victories, believe that
the emancipation policy and the aid of the
colored troops constitutes the heaviest blows
yet itcalt t<> the rebellion ; and that, at least
one of those important successes could not
have lieen achieved when it was but for the
a'.d of the black soldiers.
Among the commanders holding these views
are some who have never bad any affinity with
what is called Abolitioni-in, or with Republi
can party polities, but who hold them purely
as military opinions. 1 submit their opinions
as being entitled to some weight against tlie
objections often urged that emancipation, and
the arming of the blacks are unwise as milita
ry measures, and were not adopted as such in
good faith.
You say that you will not fight to free ne
groes. Some of them seem to be willing to
fight for you ; but no matter, fight you. then,
exclusively to save the Union. I issued the
proclamation on purpose to aid you in saving
the Union. Whenever yon shall have conquer
ed all resistance to the Union, if I shall urge
you to continue lighting, it will be an apt time
then for you to declare that you will not fight
to free negroes.
I thought that in your struggle for the
Union, to whatever extent the negro should
cease helping the enemy, to that extent it weak
ens the enemy in his resistance to you. Do
you think differently ? 1 thought that what
ever negroes can be got to do as soldiers,
leaves just so much less for white soldiers to do
in saving the Union.
Does it appear otherwise to you ? But ne
groes, like other people, act upon motives.
Why should they do anything for us if we will
do nothing for them ? It" they stake then
lives for ns they must be prompted by the
strongest motive, even the promise of free
dom : and the promise being made must be
kept.
The signs look better. The Father of Wa
ters again goes unvexed to the sea ; thanks to
the great Northwest for it ; nor yet whollv to
them. T.iree hundred miles up they met New
England, the Empire, Keystone and New Jer
sey hewing their way right and left. The sun
ny South, too, in more colors than one, also
lent a hand oirche spot. Their part of history
was jotted down in black and white. The goal
was a great National one, and let none be ban
ned who bore an honest part in it; while those
who hava cleared the great river may well be
proud.
Even that is not all. It is hard to say that
any thing has been more bravely and better
done than at Antietain, Murfreesboro’, Gettys
burg, and on many fields of less note.
Nor must Uncle Sam's noble fleet be forgot
ten. At ail the water’s margins they have
been present. Not only on the deep sea, the
broad bay, the rapid river, but also up the nar
row, muddy bayou, and wherever the ground
was a little damp, they havo been and made
their tracks.
Thanks to all, for the Great Republic, for
the principles by which it lives and keeps alive
for man's vast future! Thanks to all! Peace
does not appear so distant as it did. 1- hope it
will como soon, come to stay, and come to be
worth keeping in all future time. It will then
' have been proved that among freemen there
can lie no successful appeal from the ballot to
the bullet, and that they who take such an
appeal are suro to lose the case, and pay the
co-t, and then there will he some black men
who can remember that, with silent tongues,
and clinched teeth, and steady eye, and well
polished bayonets, they have bellied mankind
on in this great consummation, while I fear
that there will bo some white men unable to
forget that, with malignant heart and deceit
fuls speech, they have striven to hinder it.
Still, let us not lx* over sanguineof a speedy
and final triumph. Let us be quite sober, let us
diligently apply the means, never doubting
that a just God, it His own good time, will
give us the rightful result.
Yours, very truly,
A. Lincoln.
A Stirring Atfbal from Gen. llaudbk.
Lieut. Gen. Hardee has just issued from his
headquarters at Enterprise, Miss., the annexed
stirring appeal to those who have lately been
placed under his command :
By direction of the President of the Confede
rate States, I assume command of the paroled
prisoners of Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri,
Texas, and Louisiana, recently forming a part
of the garrisons of Vicksburg and Port Hudson.
I could desire no greater honor than the com
mand of troops whose sufferings and achieve
ments have added to the renown of their coun
try, and compelled the admiration even of their
enemies.
The place of rendezvous for all paroled pris
oners from the above named States is changed
from Demopolis, Alabama, to Enterprise, Mis
sissippi.
In anticeipatlon of an early exehaugo, the
work of reorganization will proceed with en
ergy. The troops must be oiganizcd and pre
pared to take the field when the exchange is
effected. All the officers and men must be at
their posts. They should be there now. To
those present at the roll calls no word is need
ed. Their daily answers are uttered in the
manly tones of duty and honor. Many are
absent. They must repair at once to the post
of duty. The appeals that meet us on every
side are the strongest that in any age have
stirred up the human heart.
Soldiers! look at your country—the earth
ravaged- property carried away, or disappear
ing in the flame and ashes— the people murder
ed —the negroes arrayed in arms against the
whites—cruel indignities inflicted upon women
‘“1 lieu Inoli’o Vs" ' to’lfiT'cbfi
quereil.” 110 who falters in this hour of his
country’s peril, is a w retch who would com
pound .or the mere boon of life, robbed of all
that makes life tolerable.
Fellow soldiers! There Is but one path to
follow. It leads to the camp. Come to your
colors and stand beside your comrades, who,
with heroic constancy, are confronting the ene
my. Choose, now, between the glory of suc
cessfully defending all that entitles you to the
name of men, and the infamy of creeping ab
jectly to the feet of a foe', who will spurn your
submission and despise your cowardice.
Gen. Hardee is a truo and tried soldier of
acknowledged ability and skill. We trust that
bis earnest and eloquent address will have a
good effect upon the soldiers of the army of
the West.
Battlb of White Sui. circa Springs, Va.—
A spirited and hard-fought battle lately took
place at White Sulphur Springs, Va. The re
sult was given by telegraph. The full particu
lars hive just come to band. The Lynchburg
Republican gives them as follows :
The enemy, about 3,000 strong, commanded
by Gen., Averili, started f.om Moorefield, in
Hardy county, came through Pendleton, High
land, and Pocahontas comities, in which latter
county, they met and drove back beyond tlie
Warm Springs, in Bath county, Col. Wm. L.
Jackson, who had but a small force. From the
Warm Springs they came directly to the White
Sulphur Springs, in this county, at which
point they were met by our troops. Col. Pat
tun. of the twenty-second Virginia, command
ed the brigade, in tlie absence of Gen. Echols,
and the whole commanded by Maj. lieu. Jones.
There were five regiments of the enemy, all
mounted, anu a battery of six pieces. Tho
forces were nearly equal, possibly the enemy
were 300 or 400 the stronger.
The opposing forces met at tbe point where
the Anthony's Creek road eaters the AVhite
Sulphur or Kanawha Turnpike, near two mill's
east of the Springs. Tho fight commenced at
nine o’clock AVednesday morning, Aug. 20.
The Yankees, if anything, hail the advantage
of position. The combat continued until dark
without a charge of position, and was renewed
early Thursday, when the enemy, making a
fruitless change, retreated Our
loss in killed aud wounded 100, the enemy’s
some 400, including prisoners. The enemy
charged oar men several times on Wednesday,
J>ut were repulsed. The ground of the fight
involved a small settlement, whose inhabitants
lied, losing by the destruction of their pro
perty enough to subject them to Buffeting.
Tlie enemy treated our citizens in the neigh
borhood of the battle field in the most wanton
and devilish manner. They (lestroye 1 utterly
every article of household furniture —in a word,
not an article of any description was left. The
milch cows were shot, and all the corn, wheat,
hay, oats, &c., were taken.
1 hey retreated towards Beverly, and are a
part of Gen. Kelley's forces. Gen. Jones fol
lowed them some twenty or twenty-five miles,
but they made good their escape.
itOUTHKK* NEWS.
A fellow named Webster has been arrested
in New \ oik for selling sac similes of U. S.
Treasury Notes, which he declared so well exe
cuted that they would pass for originals ; but
claims that he cannot be convicted, because
they were sold as sac similes.
The editor of the Bahama Herald says, the
lankees can os easily bottle the Mississippi
liver as navigate it in its present condition. —
That 8 so.
Desertions by substitutes are so prevalent in
i leade g army that he has determined to award
the extreme .penally of the law to all that are
recaptured—shootioof all that are taken.
the Exchange Hotel, at Danville, Va., has
been solo, with one hundred and twenty-seven
acres ot land near there, for $38,000.
A Yankee telegram, dated St. Louis, 2d inst.,
stages on the authority of deserters from Bur
bridge s command, that General Price's forces
acroßs the Arkansas river on the
_9th that the rebels were in full retreat, and
that Gens, bteeie and Davidson were in hot
pursuit. Marmaduke’s command was com
pletely routed aud scattered,",
Position of tu M/mieSas atqb from Alabama.
—Hon. Robert Jwiison, the new elected Con
federate Senator lrom Alabama, was the Presi
dent of the Senate jof that State. In his fare
well address to that body, he took occasion to
give his views upon the all-absorbing question
of the day—the war. He occupies the right
position, llis speech breaches the true spirit,
and will find a responsive sentiment in the
breast of every patriot who Is resolved to cany
on to a successful issue the great struggle in
which is involved ujl that we hold dear. Mr.
Jemison said :
Elected to fill the vacancy occasioned by the
death of the lamented Yancey, whose eloquence
and perseverance in the cause of Southern
rights, contributed more largely than the
efforts of any other man to bring about our
separation from tie old Federal Union, and .to
whom, up to the period of secession, ns well as
upon the question of secession itself, it is well
known that I was opposed in my political
views, it may not be deemed inappropriate to
briefly state my views os to what course the
Government and the people of the Confederacy
in the present trying emergency of the country
should pursue.
The question of secession is of the things that
are past. It has become a part of the country’s
history. Future historians, other men ami
other times will pass a more impartial verdict
as to its wisdom and its policy, than the pre
sent generation. But it is for the present gen
eration to decide its own political status. It
matters not whether our separation was right
or wrong, wise or unwise. The alternative
now presented to us is to press forward, arms
in hand, until we shall have achieved an hon
orable and glorious independence, or to tamely
and basely submit to the lowest political and
social degradation.
However ardently peace may be desired,
there is not, I trust, amongst us, or In the
Confederacy, one who would accept peace on
any other than honorable terms. Who would,
for the sake of peace, bo willing to see the
Southern people consigned to political degrada
tion and doomed to a sooi.d equality with our
slaves? We are told by our oppressors that no
terms of peace will be accepted but upon the
unconditional and immediate abolition of sla
very and confiscation of rebel proporty. If
there is any man in the land who would accept
peace on these terms, ho deserves a traitor's
doom.
Though a more able and eloquent advocate
of Southern independence, my predecessor, if
living, would not give to the cause of our bleed
ing country a more zealous and unwavering
support than myself.
Words or Wisdom. —ln a sermon of the cele
brated Scottish divine, Dr. Blair, delivered in
Edinburgh on a national fast day in 1793, op"
curs the following paragraph, which is as true
now as it was then, and which is well worthy
the consideration of Southern men at this
time :
“ But while we duly value this high advant
age of the liberty of the press, and the freedom
of political discussion, and when we behold 5
perpetually acting as a censorial check on al
who are in power, let u» beware lest abusing
our liberty we suffer it to degenerate into
Ueeatiousness. The multitude, we well know,
are always prone to find fault with ihoss who
are set over them, and to arraign their con
public dangers outfit to silence the volet
discontent, and to unite every heart and hand
in the common cause. Tho management of a
great empire, especially in difficult times, Is the
conduct ot au unwieldy and intricate machine
in direction, the movements of which where is
the hand so steady as never to err ? Instead
oi the violent censures which the giddy and
presumptuous are so ready to pour forth, mo
deration in discussing matters of which they
are very incompetent judges, would bo much
more wise and becoming. The art of govern
ment and legislation is undoubtedly the most
wise and difficult ot all the arts in which the
human mind can be engaged ; and where the
greatest preparation of knowledge, experience,
and ability are absolutely requisite to qualify
men for the task.
An Order Kei-atinq to Stragglers and De
serters.- -Adjutant General Cooper has issued
the annexed order relating to deserters and
stragglers. Those for whom it is intended
should,at once take warning and return to their
duties. The order is dated Richmond, August
31st :
’ or otlier officers commanding de
partments, armies in the field, posts or garri
sous, will cause ill deserters, stragglers or
other absentees lrom duty, and all persons
liable to military service found within then
lines and not belonging to their command,’ to
be forthwith arretted and turned over to the
nearest enrolling sfficer, whose duty it shall bo
to forward such absentees to their proper com
mand ; or, in case of conscripts, to assign them
to service in the army nearest to his post ac
cording to liis discretion.
Under instructions from the Bureau of Con
scription, an enrolling officer will be attached
to each Military Fepartment, to carry out the
purposes indicatec in the previous paragraph.
Overseers, entitfed to exemption, will be ex
empted from military service for ono year, when
the ownei of the daves of whom tho overseer
has had charge, ihall present to the enrolling
officer the receipt of a quartermaster, for the
amount of the tax imposed in such cases by
the act of Congre*, approvod May Ist, 1863.
Officers of tho Qiartermaster Department are
directed to receive and receipt for money thus
paid.
Gen. Kirby Smith’s Address to the Peo
ple of Arkansas. —Gen. Kirby Smith has is
sued from bis head quarters at Little Rock the
subjoined patriotic address to the citzens of
Arkansas :
I have come among you to do all in my pow
er for the defente of your State. I expect soon
ty return and b> with'you e.gain. Success de
pends upon your aid aud hearty co-operation.
The time has come for every man In his place,
aud, as best he may, to do h;s whole duty.
The inconvonietcee of war are as nothing com
pared with the jeeupation of this country by
our enemies, ani -the ruin and degradation of
Federal rule aid oppression. Every motive
that can addresi itself to a free people, appeals
to you to rally o the common defence. Every
able bodied mat Is exhoited to join the armv
without delay or excuse. All soldiers west of
the Mississippi toll remain on this side of the
river You will fight for your homes and all
that vou hold dear. Those incapable of ser
v ce in the field aro exhorted to make them
selves useful iq every other possible way, and
laying aside all private differences, and even
thought of lurJ or gain to devote their whole
minds and energies to the cause of our ccun-
women of this country are reminded
that much depends upon them to aid the cause,
and inspire oil men with courage and devo-
not ente-tain the idea that this State is to
be given up to the enemy. It will not. Mis
sourians and Tsxans will come to your aid. If
the people art true to themselves, with the
blessing of Got upon our exertions, Arkansas
can and will b> successfully defended.
The Yankee vandals in Louisiana have made
a rule to bum ill houses and plantations near
the places where tbs rebel guerrillas fire on
boats navigating the Mississippi river. Above
Baton Rouge this work of destruction has been
extensive, where the boats have been molested
from the shore.
VOiaLXXVIi—NEW SERIES YOL. XXVU. NO. 37.
UtOM CHARLESTON.
.The Mercury, of Sept. 3, says :
Ou Friday morning the enemy opened apou
Fort Wagner just before * o’clock, with their-
Parrott glims, firing first upon the flank curtain,
aud gradually edging towards tbe centre. At
a quarter past five, the Ironsides drew up with
in 1500 yards, and comnueueed to shell with
great rapidity. It was not until a quarter to
eight that she retired, Laving kept up a contin
uous fire for mfife than two lionu and a half.
The loss sustained at. Waguer by this fire fell
principally upon the 2otb. S. C. Y.
During this day, the enemy advanced there
parallels only a very short distance from their
main approach.
At three o’clock''on Saturday the enamy
again o cned upon Wagner from all their land
batteries, assisted by the Ironsides, several
gunboats, and an occasional shot from the
Monitors. This bombardment —beyoud all
doubt the most fierce and loug continued which
has taken place against Wagner since tbe be
ginning of the -siege—lasted throughout Satur
day and Saturday night, and did not abate un
til Sunday meaning at eight o'clock. Nor Was
tho abatement of much duration. The lire was
soon renewed, and was continued witli little
lesi vigor all Sunday, (he ironsides—which
maintained a position between Gregg and Wag
ner, and kept shelling Wagner and the beach—
being especially activo.
It was on Saturday night, however, and on
Sunday morning uji to. eight a. in , that the
bombardnii lit raged with its greatest fury. The
shots —many of them coining together, as from
the broadside of a ship—were often more than
sixty to the minute.
Our batteries on James Island of caursc join-.
ed in the melee, and.did their utmost to annoy
the enemy’s land batteries.
But tho bombardment of Wagner was not
the only event of Saturday night. . About ten
o'clock tho enemy displayed from the deck of a
monitor oft' Mortis Island an immense calcium
light, and several monitors soon after moved
up and opened on Battery Gregg, Moultrie
and Gregg replied with spirit. At a quarter
to two a racket was thrown up, and ere n any
minutes elapsed the enemy were descried ap
proaching Mori is Island ala point between
Gregg aud Wagner. They had come do vn in
barges through the creek west of Morris Island,
obviously with the design of assaulting Gregg
in the rear. Advancing in line of battle they
were permitted to come very near, when a nine
inch Dahlgreu opened upon them at short
range, with double canister.
Our howitzers then commenced a tiro of
shrapnel and canister, while our infantry, ad
mirably posted, poured into them a ire of
m' isketry. Moultrie, Battery Bee, and Battery
Mitchcl also opened upon them a rapid anil
most demoralizing lire. This they could not
withstand, and though for a short while they
maintained a fire of musketry and grapo shot
Iron their barges, they were soon forced to
withdraw, seemingly much surprised and con
fused by their reception and our admirablo dis
position. It is said that a few gained the shore
but these soon scampered to their boats, so that
no prisoners weie taken. The loss inflicted
upon the enemy in this baffled attempt at an
assault was probably not inconsiderable, but
all wlio wore struck fell in the boats, tho ex
tent of that loss is of course unknown. Some
1?odios were found which floated ashore.
The loss at Wagner during this awful bom
bardment was considerable. Up to eight
o’clock on Sunday, it amounted to cue hundred
and fifty in killed and wounded. Probably
many mote were added to these casualties iu
the course of the day.
barges. Among them was a Captain of the
27th Georgia Volunteers.
Undercover of their ceaseless fire, the Yan
kees had approached on Suuday within forty
yards of Wagner.
During the bombardment of Friday last the
brat e and zealous -Major Vv arley was wounded
at Wagner by tbe fragment of a shell. Ho was
struck on tlio aukle, aud the wound is said not
to be severe. About nine o’clock, p. m., of that
day he was put into a barge—the Lso, belong
ing to Gen. Ripley—to bo brought to tho city.
Os this baige, with its gallant freghl, aud of its
crew, which was nude up of white men, noth
ing has been heard up to the present, moment.
The inference is that it was captured, with all
on l oard, by a rcoonu< Bering party oi ike ene
my, whose small boats nighty patrol tin wa
ters between Morris Island and Fort Johnson.
Col. lUiett’s boat, returning from Morris Island
to Charleston Saturday night with Lieut. Jones,
passed between several of these prowlers, and
was n#t fired on, probably on account of Ihe
contemplated attack on G: cgg.
EVACUATION OF MOIIIUM ISLAND.
To sum up tlie event ri through which ws
have just passed, Battery Wagner has been sub
jected" during the last thre e a tys and nights to
the most terrific fire that any earthwork has
undergone iu all the annals of warfare. Tho
immense descending force of tho enormous
Parrott and mortar shells of the ouemy had
nearly laid the wood work of the bombproof's
entirely bare, and had displaced the sand to so
great a degree that the sally-port* are almost
entirely blocked up. The parallels of the ene
my yesterday afternoon had been pushed up to
the very mouth of Battery Wagner, and it was
no longer possible to distinguish our fire from
that of the enemy. Durr g tho outiro afternoon
Ure enemy shelled the sand hills in the rear of
Battery Wagner ( where our wouuded lay) very
vigorously.
Under tke3( circumstances, nnl in view of
the difficulties of communication with Gum
ming's Point, the impossibility of h uger hold
ing Morri Island became apparent, and it was
determined that strenuous efforts should bo
made at once to release the brave garrison of
the Island, who seemed to-be almost within the
enomy’s grasp. Tnis desirablo result was ac
complished with the most commendable
promptitude and success.
At six o’clock, yesterday afternoon, tho or
ders for evacnatio’j were delivered to Col. Kent,
commanding our iorecs on tho island. Lvery
thing was at once made ready for the abandon
ment of Batteries Waguor and Gregg. Iu«
dead wore buried, and at nightfall tbs won'ti
ed were carefully removed in barges to fort
Johnson. The guns, which for so many weeks
had field the foe at bay, were uou is shotted,
fired aud spiked ; the heavier pieces wore dis
mounted, and the carriages rendered worthless.
The preliminary preparations being thu3 com
pleted, the work of embarkation was noiseless
ly begun, and the brave men of the garrison,
in forty barges, were soon gliding lrom the
beach they had held so stoutly and so long.—
The evacuation was conducted by Col. Keilt,
During the evacuation the enemy was not
idle. A constaut tire of shell was kept up
against Wagner, aud his howitzer barges were
busily plying about tliis side of Morris Island,
to prevent the retreat of our men. But fortu
nately the night was mnrky, and all our bar
ges, with the exception of ono, containing
about twelve or fifteen men, passed in saiety.
A little before three o'eiock this morning the
following was received from Major Elliott,
commanding Fort Sumter :
Fort Sumter, Sept. G—2 :GO, a. m.
All the gar ison of Morris Island who came
here have been shipped. Lieutenant Haskell’
boat from the Ckieora was captured by a Yan
kee barge. Two of the crew came to Fort
Sumter, and report that all our troops had left
the Island. Stephen Kruorr,
Major Commanding.
Thus end3 the defence of Morris Island. The
issue has been foreseen since the enemy’s fust
success on the 10th of July. The defence of
the Island had been prolonged fai beyond what
was deemed possible at first, and the brave
garrisons who have held it deserve tae admira
tion of their countrymen. . ,
The aggregate of casualties in tbe strug 0
for the Eland have been, on our side^bout
700—killed, wounded and missing- Toe ene-
myte loss is estimated at about six thousand
ine successful evacuation, after the glorious
defence ot lorty-eigbt days, is, under all tht*
cireumatauciw, a most gratifying military
LiSTxft’ WOrNDfil) GEORGIANS. - -
Privates W-0. Heath; 28th Ga, co E, aim"
slight; AY Gumming Fort. -28th Ua, B, arm*
slight; sergt E Grover, co C, 2SthGaMJcg, do;
Inos howler, co 11, 2-tii Ga, arm torn off at
shoulder joint, mortal; AV C Lord, co E, 28th
Ga; G W Lord, co E. 28th Ga: seiret it Perkins,
co r, 28tli Ga. E Webster, co 15, 28th Ga; N It
MeKeimy, co E, 27th Ga; A Yarn, co C, 27th
Ga; Adam Hlgler. co A. 27 tb Ga; AV A Finley
co E, 28th Ga: R T Edwards, co E, '2Bth Ga; R,
S Cameron, co G . 27th Qa; C Robertson, co C,
27thGa; Vv A J Dawson, co E, 27th Ga; S TLaw
rence, co B, 28th Ga: John H Ma thews, co B,
28th Ga; All Motts, co !>, 32d Ga; Wm li
Conyers, co .V. 12th Git Artillery; AVin Milieu,
28th Ga; T McSwain, co A, 25tli Ga.
The Courier, of Sept SLh, says ;
Alter the evacuation the firing from tho
epemjr gradually slackened, and in a short
lime ceajjtkl altogether. One batteries Oil
James Island, however, kept up a steady fire,
the news of tho evacuation ol' Morris Island
on Monday morning in the city caused some
httio excitement, particularly among those
>v ho had not heard the report tlie previous eye
mng. The excitement soon wore oil, however
giving piaco so a feeling of confidence in tho
final result.
bhortl} after ten o’clock Mondav morning,
the following dispatch was received in she city;
Fort Sbmtbr, Sept. 7, 1863.
A flag of truce of Admiral Dahlgren, de
manding tho surrender of this fort, has been
received by Lieutenant Brown, of the Palmetto
State.
(Signed) Major Elliot.
To this the following reply was sent:
Headquarters, Sept. 7, 1863.
Inform Admiral Dahlgren that he may havo
Fort Sumter when he can take it and hold it—,
that such demands ai e peurile and unbecoming;
also that no further flags of truce will be re
ceived from him or General Gilmore, until they
extisfacterilv explain their firing on flags of
truce Iro in these headquarters ousederal recent
occasions.
... (Signed) Thomas Jordan,
Chief of Staff.
To Major Stephen Elliott, Major Commanding
Fort Sumter.
Tbe conclusion of the dispatch may be better
understood by giving the p irticulars. of the
lost gi oss violation of the usage of civilized
wai fare.
On Sunday, Commander A. F. Warley went
down in the Juno, under a flag of truce to car
ry certain dispatches, and also with the pur
pose ol diicovcriug tiie late of the missing offi
cer. He was fired on fourteen times, but cam»
to anchor under fire, and was met by Ensign
Porter. This officer replied io the Command
er's enqu ries ‘'that he had been away” ou
Friday night, and that though he had heard
that there had been it oapi ure, he was not
aware whether Major Wuriey was among the
prisoners or not. He added that he would in
quire, aud, if Major AVarley was a captive, he
would inform tho Commander when tlie dis
patches were answere ;. No reply has yet been
received.
The enemy advanced very •cautiously on tho
abandoned battei ies yesterday. A regimental
flag bearing the State emblem of Massachusetts
was raised over Bitterv Wagner, and is suppos
ed to be the flag of the 54th Massachusetts
(negro) regiment. The Yanke s were uuacaua
111 eonXiueramo nwffiCdrs walking on tho beach
at Cummings’ Point. Several who appeared to
lie clothed in officers’ uniform mounted Iho
parapet of Battery Gregg, when a well directed
shot from Captain Mitchel s battery dropped
In tho centre of ihe group, knockin ; one over
and causing tho others to make a rapid retreat,
under- cover.
They also succeeded in turning a ten inch
Coiumbiad iu Battery Gregg and commenced
firing at Fort Moultrie. A few shots appeared
to satisfy theta of its worthlessness, for they
soon after dismounted the gun, rolling it down
into the ditch.
All the \ ankee vessels inside the bar and in
Stoao, holly Inlet, aud the blockaders, bad
their flags flying in honor of the evacuation of
Morris Island by our forces.
About hall past live o’clock Monday after
noon five Monitors aud the lionsidcs moved up
into line ot battle and opyncd a furious fire on
Fort Moultrie aud Fort Sumter, but principally
upon Moultrie The latter, with Battery Bee
on fculiivan’s Island, and Battery Simkins on
Jaimes’island, replied and opened a vigorous
fire from their heaviest pieces upon the Iron
sides.
The cannonading was very severe, and lasted
about three hours, when it ceased.
One ol tlie Monitors, it is reported, got ashore.
AVo couid not learn what damage was done by
the bombardment. Tlie firing between the land
batteries was progressing slowly at t ie time ol
closing our report, one o'clock Tuesday morn
ing.
One Monitor is stili engaged firing upon
Sumter.
The Courier of September 9, says :
■ The fierce bombardment of Fort Moultvia
and the batterieson Sulli •. an’s Island, Tuesday,
led to the belief that this was tho next move
ment intended by tlie enemy in his efforts to
wards approaching the city. It is more than
probable, however, that tlie engagement wa#
brought about by the fire from Fort Moultrie
and our battarie3 on Sullivan’s Island upon
one of the Monitors which had got agiound oil
Cumming’s Point.
About nine o'clock Tuesday morning the
Ironsides and five Monit rs got under way from
their anchorage off Morris' Island and moved
up into position- between Forts Sumter and
Moultrie, at adislance of about twelve or iit
lecn hundred yards from tlie latter.
Fire was opened by the Ironsides upon fort
Monltrie, followed scon after by tlie Monitors.
Fort Moultrie and the batteries ou Sutlivau 3
Island opened a vigorous fire in return from
their heaviest enns, directing their attention in
the commencement ol tlieaction almost solely
to the Ironsides. Our guns were served with
admirable precision—six out of every seven
shots, on an average, striking tho ironsides
About one o'clock that vessel moved off, evi
dently, from her appearance and slew progress,
severely damaged.
The forts and batteries now turned their
whole attention to tlie monitors, and shot and
shells in rapid succession fell thick about them.
The decks and turrets were struck repeatedly,
and tho smoke stacks perfectly riddled. Tha
lookouts, supposed to lie officers, were observ
ed to tail, and were afterwards picked up by tha
crew.
The fire became too hot, and the Monitors
one by one commenced backing out from tha
fight. The first that followed the Ironsides
had her smoke stack pierced three times in suc
cession. „ , .
Another had her smoke stack nearly all shot
away, and the steam was escaping f f om
sides and stern. One man on this Mom r
seen sitting behind the turret! apparently ha I y
wounded. The officers and
around him, and it is thought that he was an
officer of high rank Monitor3 had moved
trie and the batteries peppering
off. lortMoultiic an of them moved
and eventually were oblig
ed to be taken in tow to their anchorage off
Battery Gregg, >be casualties on board tha
Ironsides and Monitors are believed to have been
considerable. . .
The loss on our side was nineteen killed and
fourteen wounded. These were caused mostly
by one shell from the Ironsides unfortunately
exploding in the midst oi a number of shells in
the rear of one of our batteries, igniting and
dealing sad havoc among the men.
The sufferers are mostly of the Ist bouwj