The free South. [volume], April 25, 1863, Image 2

About The free South. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864

Image provided by: University of South Carolina; Columbia, SC

                
I
THE FREE S0UTH?
BEAUFOklT, S. C., APRIL 25, ISG3.
Ageutw for the Free South. gl
Tatlor & Co. Hilton Head, and St. Helena Island. ,
. V. C. Lkigu, No. 1 yercer street. New York.
^ ^\OW\ The Progress of the Draft. ai
The doubts that may have existed in tl
' the minds of some, as to the wisdom and n
justice of Order No. 17, must ere this have tl
been dissipated by its practical workings. f<
We have never been of the number who o
deemed it wise to treat the emancipated
blacks as children who were to be brought e
to the level of white men by coaxing, pet- o
ting, and humoring. The plan (Ion t worn
well with children, and will work still ii
more disastrously with negroes. We have n
always held the opinion tliat these negroes ji
in many respects were as shrewd as the g
shrewdest Yankee, and that their appar- f
ent stupidity often was a cloak which con- r
ut'airu a nu* uwiuk> ^atloxi of the t
claims of number one. As long as the i
negro was assured of his freedom, with 1
what forco could you urge him to fight t
for it? What pecuniary inducement t
.could you offer him, when he and his I
family were rationed by the government, e
lived on a plantation rent free, with as j t
much land as ho chose to cultivate, and s
good wages assured for other labor? The I
working population of the northern cities
without nearly so many advantages will r
not enlist, and these negroes are swayed 1
by precisely the same motives. o
Such being the case the draft was neces- ?
sary and just, and we are glad to see by I
recent dates from the North, that the gov- s
eminent has waked up to the fact. The t:
Tribune of the 14th says that Adjutant 1
General Thomas has been sent to the v
West with full authority to arm and or- t
ganize the negroes for service against the a
rebels? They are to be employed to pro- a
tect the navigation of the Mississippi and k
other rivers against guerrillas, and as gar- r
risons at fortified posts, and are evidently
destined for all varieties of military duty, g
Seven thousand soldiers who listened to &
this announcement at Fort Curtis received h
it with satisfaction and applause. Gen. o
Thomas, heretofore known as opposed to $
this and all similar measures, urged in his ?
address that the blacks should be treated e
with kindness, declared his belief in their g
capacity, and informed the officers of the ?
army that no one would be permitted to c
oppose or in any way interfere 4*ilfrrEHis a
policy of the government"
We learn alsq^fejffTfeneral Foster is en- v
_ _ gaged in completing a census of the ne- C
- $toe* in his Apartment, wifck a -riew to h
draft them into the service of the United ,e
States. d
In this department about six hundred a
have been darfted into the Second regi- r
ment, and a Third is being started. Al- v
though in most instances the negroes at- f<
tempt to avoid it, they acquiesce cheer- tl
fully when it is found inevitable, and the a
very men who were the most cunning and 31
indefatigable in their efforts to be ex- I
empted, when once caught, become ac- fi
tive, energetic soldiers, anxious to execute d
the draft upon all other recusants. In s]
hardly a single instance has a sulky dispo- ta
sition been manifested. V
The moral effect upon them fully realLzes
the expectations expressed by Gener- 0:
al Hunter in Order No. 17. The servile, a]
cringing, slavish-manner soon gives place B
to the erect, port and manly bearing of A]
the soldier. New ideas of their position d<
animate them, and a higher intelligence ei
? - - ^ i 1 _
lights up tne countenance iuug ucn um^u w
by slavery. A consciousness of their own ci
increased importance, a sense of responsi- 0i
bility, of duty?all new, and all delightful a
to the freedman, give a charm to his new b
existence. In short he feels himself a tl
man. We are anxious to see every negro ai
in the department capable of bearing arms
sharing the same advantages. In a for- ^
mer number we suggested the propriety p:
of drafting all the negroes without except- fa
ing those employed by quartermasters or 0'
as officers servants. The only objection 0]
to this at the time was the increased ex- j(
pense to the government if quartermas- Sl
ters' work was done by detailed soldiers; T
4^ that objection is now removed. Let com- ' e]
panies from the different regiments be I tl
detailed for fatigue duty once a month, !
for ten days at a time. Twenty days [ g
would thus be left for drill and camp i ^
duty. We liave the testimony of the | w
Quartermaster at this post to the superior w
efficiency of the negro soldiers as workers; | Q
the break in the monotony of camp life j ^
makes the work pleasing ratlier than irk- j g
some, and the facility with which Large or ^
small numbers could be used, as occasion ! ^
demanded, would be found of value. As to i a
officers' servants, they could be obtained i ^
from those exempted by age or physical ^
disability. ^
Witu fr?nr vporiments of blacks under his
, u
command, General Saxton could cany the n
war into Africa indeed. The high hopes j ^
inspired by the Jacksonville expedition i ^
could be more than realized, and we could ! ^
before November take Charleston without 1
an iron-clad.
______________________ h
fi^We learn that Brigadier General j ?'
" Seymour has been relieved as chief of . tl
General Hunter's staff and ordered to take ' 1
command of the troops on Folley Island. A
General Vodges, now in command at that ?'
point, will report to Major General Hun- *
ter for orders C
iinday-School Meeting in Beaufort.
Perhaps?nay, undoubtedly?one of the
lost interesting, instructive, hopeful, and
ispiring exhibitions that has been vouchifed
to the enthusiast, came off last Sabatli
at the Baptist church in this town,
he programme so quietly, so summarily
(Tanged, the execution so exliilirating,
re denouement so replete with the delonstrative
bases on which have rested
iie theories and the hopes of the toiling
jw and the suffering million, seemed to
pen up a vista to that promised land,
ith its social organisms, which our fathrs
so clearly foresaw, but which had been
v .1 1.(n/Mnam/nr r\f fVioir onn<J
DSClireu U V tuc ucgcucmvj W
One short year ago there were crouchng
around this quaint old town a large
umber of ragged, half naked, half starved
nvenile bipeds, skulking from the direct
;aze of civilization, shrinking from profered
kindness, watched by older and
natemal children, who knew nothing, and
fere glad they did not; having some
ague sense of escape from a horror of
rhich they knew, to a terror of which
hey knew nothing. Tliis and these were
he direct results of military conquest,
'reedom achieved, but disarranged; librty
a fact, but a wild one; chaos without
he whip, God without Providence. This
tate of affairs must be of short duration,
t was.
A year has passed. The world would
oil on. So would spirit. Port Royal
larbor had some twenty feet of water
ver the bar. The sea islands produced
ino cotton. It should go to market. To
England. England likes the long staple?
laves raise it; why should she not? She
ried to pity the former slave?she bewailed
he lost cotton most sincerely. But there
rere a few noble men and women, forgeting
self, braving danger, defying ridicule
nd sarcasm, to whom was vouchsafed an
ppreciation of the moral and social desoition
laid bare by our arms, and who
nshed to the rescue at whatever cost.
Well, let us end a prosy proem. Last
iabbath was a day. The sun shone. The
ky was cloudless. The birds icould sing
a Beaufort. They did?but not the birds
nly. Joy is free?freedom is joy. God
o wills it. He has broken the fetters and
he captive, having overleaped his barrirs,
put his foot upon the solid, open
round of manhood, rejoices in his novel
laius and swears allegiance to his Divine
ommission "a little loweb than the
.ngel8."
Last Sunday, upon very brief notice,
rere gathered together in the ^ Baptist
Church in this town, some three or four
nmdre^ culuxtJ cSxttttrenTTruin TtretnETfernt
schools. 1' One year ago," said a high
lilitary officer to the writer, " they were
11 in rags, that is to say those that had
ags." Now they were all neatly dressed,
ralked in regular procession, sat with per3ct
decorum. The seats on both sides of
lie aisle were crowded full. The side
isles, and slips were filled by standing
ridiers of the colored. South Carolina
tegiments. The galleries were jambed
ill Gen. Hunter, Gen. Saxton and lay
with members of his staff occupied the
pace in front of the pulpit. Every nook
ad corner of the Bpacious edifice was full,
fliite officers and soldiers crowded gentr
to such places as afforded them a chance
f observation. Father French! he was
1 over?at least his spirit was over all.
ut what was all this? Why came here
[ajor General Hunter, commanding the
epartment of the south? Brigadier Genral
Saxton, military governor? Others,
hose heads were gray, if not weary with
irrent and concurrent thoughts; sent
at, yearning, years ago, and years ago?
?? '1.-nV nn( tn nlamio flio inYPn'n"
uuc urkaj 1iuv iv jjiwgttv vmv amtvmat
perhaps to depress him? Wherefore
lis congregation? so dissimilar? so defiit
of rank? so ignorant of positiou
Why, my good friends, it was almost an
nwitting testimonial to the truth, to the
ractical exemplification of the wonderful
tct, which mortal endowment cannot
rerreach or submerge in the mysticisms
I sophistry, the simple truth spoken by
esus: "Out of the mouth of babes and
lcklings thou hast perfected praise."
hat was the fact?a Jittle one, but big
nougli for the congregated wisdom of
lat day.
There are in this Department of the
outh fifty females, (all highly cultivated
dies at home, where people can read and
Tite, but females here,) and fifteen males,
ho have devoted themselves to the work
f teaching the colored children, of various
rowth, numbering about two thousand
ve hundred. On ^jro or three days' noce,
some three hundred or more scholars
om the different schools gathered together
3 before mentioned, last Sunday, in the
iaptist church, under the immediate guiance
of their respective teachers. I have
?en many Sunday school exhibitions at
le North, always with a full heart, but
ever did witness a more perfect order, a
etter display of acquisition, a more strict
iscipline, than was demonstrated by the
uskv juveniles there congregated.
The order of exercises opened with the
ymn, ' 'All hail the power of Jesus' name,"
ang by the whole congregation, led by
tie choir of colored singers in the gallery,
'hen came a praper hy a eolored man.
Jid such a prayer! such faith, such hope,
uch grateful outgushings of the soul,
uch earnest appeals to the great and good
lod for tbe deliverance of those jq\ in
bondage ! wlint unction ! Tlien came, [
"There is a happy land," sung by all the
children in perfect time and tune, followed
by exercises in the "shorter catechism,"
the children all answering together. The
answers were almost uniformly correct.
Then came the song, "The Sunday School
Army," three hundred little voices, quiv
ering, steadying, rising, swelling, pouring
forth volumes of sweet, rich melody, making
the heart, if not the church roof,
quake.
By this time, it may well be imagined
that the heart that can feel and the soul
that can sympathize had about as much
as was prudent to administer through the
necessary encasing dignity. But so did
not think Father French. After two ex'
eellent addresses by members of the South
Carolina regiments, (colored,) came that
most touching song, which no one but an
English cotton worshiper or the owner of
twenty slaves could withstand:
j "I have a father in the slavery hind,
My father calls, and I must go
To bring him from the slavery land.
I'll away, I'll away
To the slavery land;
My lather calls, and I must go
To bring him from the slavery land."
"I have a mother," &c., &c.
% It would be almost profanity to attempt
a description of the effect of this song;
humanity has its sanctum sanctorum. Oh
God! thou must have tuned those young
j throats to warble that holy recognition of
j thy first law. Thou unsealedst the founi
tains of the human soul when, as those
! young voices rolled their plaintive melody
upon the free air, and their sad looks
! seemed for the moment to invoke the forj
bearance of the bright sunshine, its beams
were diverted or lost in the sheen of the
1 tears which the brave, the wise, the old,
i the young, could no longer repress! Little
j ones! your father, your mother, your sister
; will be brought from the "slavery land."
God has willed it. Wait and work. Wo
| will work with you.
Then, there was the "Song of Freel
" v?v Mrs "Rosa Kerw. leading. She
uuu*i ?v . ? has
suffered terribly from slavery, and
what makes it worse, (if hell can be outdone,
if the quintescence of damnation
can be made more damnable) all, as the
slave of her own father. (Does he ever
suffer with lumbago?) "We must fight
for our liberty." "We're not afraid to
die." The whole congregation nolens
volens joined in the clioru9, and were
roused to the highest pitch of enthusiasm.
But I have spun out this matter too
long; and yet have not half done it justice.
plrtfto j\oyl\ ? J-)4After
the exercises were throngh, General
Saxtos (God bless him!) made a few very
practical remarks, and the large assembly
dissolved and retired in as perfect order
as General Hujtteb could disembark a
crack regiment on Folley Island. One
thing I forgot to mention; on the way
home, not one of the large audience was
heard to say, " What will you do with the
niggers?"?No not one.
"Did you Eveb?"
J?- For the last ten days, the St. Helena
Islanders liavo been on the look-out for
old John Pope, one of the largest of the
secesh proprietors on that island. He is
reported to have been seen on the island
by some of the negroes, and the captain
of one of the gunboats sent word to the
village that there was reason to believe he
rm flm islaml. or had been
VtilO tALXIWi VM V?V ~ ,
there within the week.
It is also reported that tliree rebels came
to the house of a negro on the upper end
of this island, and ordered a dinner to be
prepared for them. They said they had
lost the way, and after making many inquiries
about the troops, fortifications,
etc., departed. A boat w? soon after
observed making directly across Broad
river, containing three men ; doubtless
the same party.
There are at this post quite a number
of refugees from Florida and Georgia,
who have been allowed the utmost liberty
of locomotion. From the conversation of
some of them, we judge their loyalty to
be none of the strongest. They are subsisting
upon our government without rendering
any service, and we suggest the
propriety of sending them across the lines
to their friends and relatives. Some limit
ought at least to be put to their privileges
of obtaining or imparting information.
Speculators and superintendents
will do well to read and carefully digest
J the contents of General Orders, No. 21.
Several circumstances have transpired in
connection with the drafting of negroes
on St. Helena, which make it evident that
j the order referred to has not been fully
! understood. It may be found that the
prospective profits on cotton will not pay
the pains and penalties of discouraging
enlistments and counseling resistance to
the draft.
Ha^S. P. Hubbard, Co. "C" Fourth
New Hampshire Vols., has been appointed
a lieutenant in the Second South Carolina
Vols. This is one of the best appointments
Gen. Saxtou has made. Mr.
Hubbard's heart is in the cause, and he is
no new convert to rnti-slavcry doctrines.
The Second South Carolina regiment has
so far a superior set of officers.
Economy.?How to make pantaloons
last; make the coat and yest first,
The
Newt. i
Our extracts from Southern papers arc very 1
interesting. The most important item is the full j
confirmation of our success over General Van j f
Dorn at Franklin, Tenn. The rclicls admit j a
that their loss was heavy, and that they had to ! t
retreat after six hour*' hard fighting. y
Onv relations with Great Britain, says a I <
; Washington dispatch, are considered by those | i
who are conversant with them extfremelv delicate. I i
! The correspondence between Earl Uussel and !
j Minister Adams with relation to the fitiing out 1 i
and sailing of the pirate Alabama, contained in t
i the English Blue Book, bnt not yet published iu !
thii country, and the correspondence still going j (
: on touching the construction nud equipment in J
British waters of other piratical craft, liavc been ' ;
conducted on the part of John Bull in a tone (
; which is nnfricndlv if not menacing and provo- ' ,
cative of war. Uussell ]>lants himself ou the | |
strict letter of the statute applicable to the case, ,
refers our Government to that statute, and in ,
effect refuses to take steps to remedy the grievance
complained of. The matter has recently
been seriously discussed in the Cabiuet.
I The case of the anglo-rebel steamer Peterhoff !
continues to engage attention in administration
as well as diplomatic circles in Washington. It
is understood that Lord Lyons has requested that
the British mail found on board lie returned to
him uuopencd, and that the state department is
ready to accede to his wishes, holding with him
that the mail should enjoy the same immunity
that it would have if found njxm a regular mail
jsicket.
j The navy department, on the other hand, inclines
to the opinion that by the correct principle*
of international law, the mail in question
should be disused of in the same way as other
papers found on board, especially as it is presumable
that it contains proofs sufficient to condemn
the PeterholV and her cargo, and that it was put J
on board of the blockade runner in a manner to
stamp the whole transaction as one of bad faith.
Secretary Welles is also of the opinion that
whatever the abstract rights and wrongs of the
question may be, the district court which has the
case before it for adjudication can alone decide,
the statute being peremptory that all papers and
writings found on hoard a captured vessel shall
be transmitted unoj>eued to the court before
which such vessel is proceeded against.
Judge Betts last week invited Mr. Archibald,
the British consul, to be present while the mail
j was being opened, but he did not appear. The
judge would then have proceeded to oj>en the
mail, as we are informed, but for the reception
: of telegrams from Washington.
j We have dates from Livcrj>ool to April 1, and
j Queeustown to April 2. Lord Pa Inters ton was
installed as rector of the Glasgow University on
March 30, and made on the occasion two i>olitical
addresses, in both of which he referred to
the American war, justifying the condnct of the
English government. The organs of the English
goveranment and aristocracy pr jfessed to be still
-iniligim?nt lln mm'tmit**?-1>. > i.iL.i fl' - ?
Admiral Wilkes. A highly important debate
took place in the lionse of commons, on
March 27, on the fitting out of a rebel Hcot in
England. Mr. Forster showed conclusively that
England had not acted toward the United States
as the latter had a right to expect her to act, and
as they had acted in similar cases. The solicitor
general and Lord Palmerston defended the conduct
of the British government. Mr. Bright, on
March 2G, made another stirring speech in London
on American aft'airs. Although no aew
riots of the starving operatives had occurred,
matters still looked very threatening. Two more
captnres of Araarican vessels by the Alabama 1
are reported. Several successes arc again claimed
for the Polish insurgents, but the latest reports
say that the insurgent leaders arc dislutnding their
forces and giving up the contest. Russia has
once more declared her willingness to grant extensive
reforms. England, France, a ad Austria
have agreed upon an identical note to be addressed
to Russia in behalf of Poland. The
Archbishop of Warsaw, in a letter to the Russian 1
emperor, advocates the union of nil the RussoPolish
provinces into a Polish kingdom. The
National Assembly of Greerc has elected Prince !
William of Denmark, son of Prince Christinn, ,
aud brother of the Princess Alexandria, King of
Greece. New outbreaks are apprehended iu
Turkev against the Christians.
it . '
The arrest of a number of traifors at Reading, (
? . n.n
Pa., known as Knights 01 tncuoiucu v^ircn;, u?o j
created much excitement there and elsewhere,
and threat! of a rescue were mode, but not cxe'
f
cutcd. The parties arrested were Philip Hubcr,
Augustus F. Illjg, Gabriel Filbert, and Harrison
Oxcneider. There parties were examined by the ?
United States Commissioner at Philadelphia the
other day, on a charge of conspiracy. The evi- ?
dence on the examination l)efore the commissioner
shows the facts that the secret society of traitors,
under the name of Knights of the Golden ,
Circle, are very axteasive throughout the North ^
and in the armr?that thev arc bound to each
a
other by oaths, and that among the objects to be v
effected by Knights are the abduction of the
President of the United States, resisting of the ^
draft by force, and the establishment of the ,j
Northwestern Confederacy. t
The steamers Crescent and Columbia brought [
us bad news from -New Orleans lajt week. The
! inoit important item in the intelligence is the ! s
j capture of the United States steamer Diana by j r
?i.x ;,i ,}1A Atrhnfnhiva river, near Patter- I j
IHV; 1 V IA. I ill Kiv -
7 . | sonvillc,
on the 28th ultimo. Her commander, (
Acting Master Peterson was shot dead, and six
of the crew were killed. Sonic twenty-fire ?ol- ^
diers of the Twelfth Conneeticnt and One Hund- ?
red and Sixtieth New York were also killed and t
wounded in the action. The remainder of those ;
on board, numbering one hnudred and seventy,
were taken prisoners by the enemy.
Iu our New Orleans news is a story that Ad- s
mind Farragut is in the lied River, between the
' two batteries, out ot the range of both, but un- i
able to pass cither of theiu. It is further stated *
that the Admiral had sent a messenger to inform v
General Banks of his position, bnt'thc m?sscn- n
ger was captured and held a prisoner in the s
hands of the rebels. The story is decidedly improbable.
A New Orleans letterfrys that troops r
arc being got ready ou the west of tho Mis- *
\
i
1 v'l -"> *
** e* v -siJjLir^
*. * * .J ' -v"*-~ ^
*?- * ? %.
%""4
issippi for the purpose of making n sweep of the
Vtclmfalaru river region.
The latest news concerning the state of aft'airs l"
irouiul Suffolk. Ya., is to the Itjth instant. The o
ittempts of the rebel General Longstreet to cros? ! p
he' Nanscmond rircr with the aid of pontoons j ii
vcre defeated hy the tire of our artilerv. < )ne j fc
>f our gunboats, the Mount Washington, was ! ,v
ircd into and disabled br the rebel batteries , *
- - *. . ..., . . v
vhile coming down tlic river, 011 ine i-tm nisi,
die was, however, taken in tow and brought j
lafelv through the heavy tire of the enemy. The
town is invested bv P.O.000 rebels.
_ *. I t
A Cairo dispatch of the 12th inst. says: "The j
(lispntch l?oat New National has arrived from t ^
Vicksburg. which place she left Wednesday.
She brings the news that the iron-clads Louis- ^
ville, Mound City, Carondelei, Benton. Layfay- r
ette, and two others, are prepared to run the j
blockade. They expected to execute the move- |
inent on Friday or Saturday night. It was also (
said, that transports had been prepared with log 1 1
and cotton bulkheads to run the batteries. The (
reported arrival of Gen. Osterhaus at Carthage. f
ten miles l>elr>w Warrenton, on the Louisiana <
side, with a heavy force is continued. 1
News from Young's l'oint, near Vicksburg, is
to the P.d. On that day several transports laden ]
with troops, Ellett's Marine Brigade, and one ]
guuboat went up the river, destination unknown, 1
probably for another trial at the Yazoo. f?o far |
as visible to outsiders, there was little prospect j
of an immediate movement near Vicksburg. A
new canal is being cut three miles above Young's j
l'oint to reach the river IkjIow Warrenton; the
African brigade are at it day and night. Admiral 1
Farragut still rules the river between Vicksburg
and Port Hudson. The dispatch states that ;
Porter and Grant are rcconnoitcring up the Ya- j
zoo with a considerable force. Our troops near
Clarksville, Ter 1., have been punishing the
rebels pretty sh' .ply of late. From Cairo the
latest news is t at General SteePs Union division
has landed at rreenville, Miss., doubtless so as
to co-opcrat" in nn attack upon Fort Pcmberton.
Greenville is 145. miles above Vicksburg.
A general order, No. 69 of the War Department,
provides that at every United States General
Hospital the feeble and wounded men unfit ;
fer field duty, but not entirely disabled, instead
of beiug discharged, will he organized and mustered
ia detachments under the charge of the
officers acting as military commanders, who will
assign men to them from time to time on the i ;
rejiorts of the surgeons in charge of hospitals.
From these invalid detachments the military
commanders will make details for provost, hospi- 1
tal and other necessary guards 5 for clerks, hos- 1
pital attendants, nurses, cooks, and other "extra { 1
duty men." Shonld any of the men become j.
fit for duty with their regiments, they will be ! ,
immediately seut to join them. ^ j
The guerrillas are again at work on the Cum- ;
berland river, below Nashville, Tcnn. A dis- (
patch from Clarksville states that 1,200 of them, . (
under Woodward, with two nieces of artillery 1
captured and burned the steatiiers Saxomu ami 1
Lovcll on Wednesday, killing the captain of the 1
latter, and shootiug oft' the arm of the former. ,
The passengers and crews had arrived in Clarksville.
From Murfreesboro wc learn that an ex- .
)>edition of National troops, under Colonel *
Wilder has been Terr successful. He captured i
twentv-nine rebels, destroyed f?,000 bushels of 1
* * . ' 1
wheat and much com and bacon, and brought in
I5G0 negroes. It is understood to l>e the boast of ; (
.Johnston and Bragg that they will possess Ken- j
tnekv before harvest time. <
Official returns of the election in St. Louis 1
give Chauncey J. Filler (Radical candidate for j
Mayor) 2, G47 majority over Joseph O'Neil (Cop- j
perhead.) The combined Radical and Conser- j
vative Emancipation vote give a majority of 1
,">,1/)G votes over the Copperhead cr Democratic <
vote. The entire Radical ticket received abcut j
the same majority as Filley. *
The Navy Department has received informa- j
tion of the capture of five more blockade run- ]
ners?the British steamer Surprise, by the Hunts- <
ville, from St. Marks, Fin., bound to Havana; 1
' 1 Pi Ui-otViciM nml tli*? Knalish ^
LUC ICIIUI IH.HUUUCI 4 i?V A/iv??v.^ ? ...v 0
schooner John Williams, by the Octororn, and
[he English schooners Florence Nightingale and j
Brothers, by the Tioga. j
The War Department has decided that the f
late of muster-out of the two years troops muit
>e two years from the date of the muster into ^
he service of the United States. This decision 1
ms been transmitted to the Colonel Phels, comnauding
the first brigade, first division, first ^
irmy corps.
A small mutiny broke out in the Second Mas- *
achusetts Cavalry at Boston or the Oth, the men ^
uidcavoring to resist the arrest of one of their 1
lumber. Colonel Lowell warned them of the f
ousequence of their act. and promptly shot the t
ingleader, which quelled the disturbance. I
?Tl>? I'teomrhi)) Minion, fiuni?If'J it TUTK IV)I
s'ew Orleans, was totally lost on Double-HeadJhot
Keys 011 the 2nd inst., at 4 p. m. She had T
1 valuable cargo and forty jwissengers, all of v
vliom liave arrived at Cardenas and Havana. E
Our Government lias information that five i
mwerful steam rams arc now being built on the t
rhaines and the Mersey. It is to be hoped that j
hese characteristics British works of mercy will j
ie looked after by our cruisers.
Bv the arrival of the British Queen from Nas*
u
au, N. 1'., we learn that fourteen vessels from ,
.-.-I C t<I?k ..f
CIXM ]>ons IUIU uitiycu uuui int ium v> |
ifarch to the 10th of this month, all bringing
argoes of cotton. (
The battle of Somerset put a ?piietus on the e
;raud invasion of Kentucky, so long talked of,
ind there are liclieved to be no rebels in Ken- v
ucky except near Cumberland Gap, Humphrey ^
Marshall's scattered ford?s in Carter county, and j.
i few prowling thieves.
At a special election the voters of Massaclm- j i
etts, by. a considerable majority, repealed the 1
/wo Years Naturalization Amendment Law.
? All the contracts for iron-clads (twelve in i
ill) have been awarded. The prices for these j j
vill range from $380,000 to $400,000. They j f
ire to be finished and added to the navy in about il
ix mouths. * ; ?
Goveruor Curtain of Pennsylvania declines a j
enomiuation. it is said that he has accepted a '
iigl\ official position at n foreign court, 11
Army of the Potoiqac.
From the armf of the Poto p#e-b*ve
/ 1 c ' .
umors of a movement, the precise object
f which is concealed. Rebel papers re>ort
the occupation of Gordonsville, but
t is Jellied bv later dates. A private let
or, of April 12, to the editor of the Free 1
ioulh, from <111 officer on the Potomac, con- 1
uins the following : kl
'' We have just orders to be ready at 4
Laylight for a movement. The whole cav,lrv
forcS is gohi&, about 17,000 men;
lou't know, where, but expect-towards
lames l^iver. Perhaps this trip is the beginning
of the entire army's advance. No
me knows but Hooker. There is nothing
o prevent oni' going to Richmond, I think.
Che army is in splendid condition, and I
lope and believe Hook ei is able to conluct
the campaign. We take twelve days'
ntions oh pack mules. I have no bag"
;?.ge but a pair of drawers, socks, and a
jhirt, except what I have on. If the army
the Potomac had always moved so, it
would have done more effective service.
President Lincoln reviewed the whole army
last week and returned to Washington,
highly pleased with the appearance and
tone of the army."
Tlie w'ar in North Carolina.
The most important news brought by
the Arago, is the reported safety of Gen.
Foster and his troops at Washington, N.
C. We find the following dispatch in the
Times of the 17th :
Fost?.f*j ilusrot, Tliurifclaj*, Aprfl 16.
A dispatch from Gen. Palmer to Maj.Gon.
Dix, just received, states that Gen.
Foster has been relieved.
A river steamer, with a regiment and
supplies of provisions and ammunition,
succeeded in running the batteries on Tar
river, and reached the wharf at Washington
on the 14th. .... .,
LETTER FROM AS OFFICER.
A letter from an officer of the Fortyfoorth
Massachusetts regiment gives a
connected account of affairs at Washington,
North Carolina, up to the 10th inst.
The first intimation of an intended rebel
attack was received March 30th, when a
negro who had been into the interior reported
that he hnd seen seven thousand
rebels with forty pieces of artillery marching
upon the place, and that other forces
were coining by different routes.
Ileconnoisances were at once sent out,
and the rebels discovered at various points.
On the 31st, a company of loyal North
Carolinians holding an advanced position,
were attacked and driven in. A gunboat
which had dropped down the river was
also attacked, and several of her guns disabled.
The rebels used Whitworth guns,
furnished, of course, by "neutrals" over
the water. On the 3d it was ascertained
that the rebels had additional guns mounted.
Firing ^continued between the gun[irvif*
iill'l t'i? ajul r?ia r*t
the guns of the latter was seen to be dismounted.
On the night of the 3d, , the gunboat
Ceres ran the blockade, bringing ammunition
for the fort and gunboats. On. the
ith, a small battery in front of the fortopened
fire, and the fort replied, dismounting
one of their guns, when the
tiring ceased. On the 5th, provender for
the horses gave out, and the families of
the town were declared to be destitute.
On the 7th, the rebels opened qre on the
gunboats, and also fired fifty-C*yee discharges
at the town, but without doin^
my injury. Meanwhile, the intrenchments
of our forces were greatly strengthened,
the men, though reduced to threefourths
rations, working with unflagging
3pirit. On the 9fch, another vessel ran
the blockade with ammunition, and on
the 10th the rebels again opened fire upon
the fort, and kept it up for half an hour,
rwo shells struck inside the fort, two shot
[rent through the flag on the fort, quite a
lumber of shots struck the intrenchmenta
jut no one was injured on our side. A
lay or two subsequently the garrison was
relieved, and are now safe against any
force the enemy may bring against them.
A picket from the gunboat Kingisher,
Capt. Dutch, recently captured
liree men on Edisto, who gave their
lames a3 Seabrook, Michael, and Townsmil.
Thev were looking after their es
ates ou that island. Seabrook is a son of
iVilliam Seabrook, one of the wealthiest
jroprietors on the sea islands, and a forner
governor of South Carolina. A leter
was found on liis person from old John
.'ope who said he had just been visiting
lis farm and indulged the hope that, as
he Yankees were in the humor of evacuaing,
they would evacuate St. Helena and
et him have his estate again.
Services of Loyal Blacks.?While the J
tegroes iu the Department of the Southrest
are receiving the worst possible treataent
at the hands of the government and
ts agents, they do not permit their loyalty
o be shaken, but constantly render most
mportant services to our' commanders,
in instance of this is thus reported by a
orrespondent of a Boston paper, in an
ccount of the late operations in Berwick
>ay:
"The rebels liave placed all sorts of
obstructions in the bay and river, but our
mv>na Tvoro nr?f. awmv tlmt. tliev had resort
(1 to their old practice of placing torpe- I
Iocs in chains across the rivers, until they
cere fortuuatelv informed by two intelligent
negroes, who jumped from the cotton
ud swam ashore to warn our troops of
heir danger. The slaves pointed out the
xact location of these dangerous and inernal
machines, showing our otficers tho
ines attached to these torpedoes. Our
ifticers removed two of these destructives,
ud in one of them were five gallons of
>owder. The contrabands said the rebels
lave planted many more of larger size
urther up the river. One of the torpe[oes
discovered by our troops was enclosed
n a square wooden box> and marked
medical stores.'"
Many schoolmasters entertain no doubt
hat tho tree of knowledge is the birch. M
; J