The new South. (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, September 06, 1862, Image 3
*
in the centre, and Heintzelman on the right; both
corps co-operating in one movement.
Porter's advance was at once met and checked
by heavy masses of the enemy's infantry, and almost
at the same moment became exposed to an enfilading
tire of the enemy's artillery.
The troops endured this with heroic bravery
more than an hour. An officer who watched them
with a glass says that he could see the ground
strewed with dead and wounded. Finally they fell
back in disorder.
The reserves of both corps became disordered
by the stream of fugitives which poured back up_
a.\ mi_ _ . _ J 1 l a.a. l
on mem. 1 ne enemy aavaiiceu ms uaueries rapidly
and poured in a storm of shot and shell upon
these confused and flying masses. The right
wing was badly beaten and the battle became seriously
endangered.
McDowell fhen advanced in support and endeavored
to hold the centre, but his movements
were anticipated by the enemy, and both he and
Sigel were surrounded on the left and outnumbered
at all points. Then Sigel shone out, and his
qualities as a soldier became more than ever conspicuous.
Hiding everywhere over the field, he
brought up his brigades skillfully to their positions,
holding them to the front, while the tide of fugitives
poured by.
Large bodies of McDowell's division broke and
retreated in disorder, making pell-mell across Bull
Kun. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon the battle
was going heavily agaiust us. Gen. Pope had
ordered up and into the fight the last of his reserves,
and was still endeavoring to retrieve the
day ; but along the Centievihe road, artillery,
infantry, wagons and cavalry were mingled together
in confusion, and falling to the rear. Our light
remained comparatively lirm, and prevented the
enemy from following up his advantage. Indeed,
the laot of the crossing of Bull Run was in perfect
order, and by 8 o clock the stream was crossed,
and the enemy troubled us only by a few shells.
We were falling back to Centreville.
Franklin and his whole corps was between Stone
Bridge and Centreville, and pressing on. Sumner
and his corps were close behind, between Centreville
and Fairfax Court House, urging his troops
r 1 *1?
lurwuxu at nits greatest optcu.
Gen McClellan is universally and bitterly blamed
* for this reverse. He received tbe order t> advance
Gen. Franklin's corps from Alexandria to
.... - - Pope's support as early as Wednesday, but he
sent word that it was impossible to do so for lack
of transportation and supplies. Tbe order was
twice repeated, and Friday night Franklin 8 corps
was moved as far as Avondale, seven miles from
Alexandria, and within sound of the enemy's
guns. Here the troops were stopped by Gen.
Mcclellan s order, for the alleged reason that it
was unsafe to advance. Thus the march was delayed
for three days, during which Gen. Pope was
fighting against terrible odds.
Gen. Halleck and the President do not hesitate
to ascribe our reverse to the tardiness of Gen.
Magellan's movements; and a general order has
been issued relieving him of the command of the
army of the Potomac, except that portion in and
about Alexandria. There was no general engagement
ou Sunday up to three o'clock.
- A Step Ahead in the Navy.
A law passed at the recent session 01 uongress
affecting beneficially tbe men and officers #?f our
glorious Navy, went into effect on Monday, 1st ot
September?namely, the suppression of that part
of the Nary Ration which allowed spirits to be
issued twice a day to sailors. This must be something
novel with "Jack;" though for many years,
we understand, a large portion of the crews of our
vessels of war" have not drawn their "grog."?
Those men who do, will, we are suiy, cheerfully
acquiesce tn this change,?as the Army did twenty
years ago. We have as yet heard but one exception
in the-South Atlantic Blockading Squadron;
and, learning that Admiral DuPont hod
noticed it in an official communication, we have
a co dv to eratifv the earnest wishes of our
numerous Navy readers tosoetbc views of so distinguished
An officer as Admiral DuPflnt. "We
omit the name of the vessel and the Captain to
whom the Letter is ad^reSsed.
z 'Flaq Ship Wabash,
- Port Royal Harbor, S. C., Aug. 23d, '62.
? ' To Captain ,
Commanding U. S. Ship .
Si*:?A memorial from the petty officers and
crew of the has been forwarded to me by the j
senior officer of the division of this squadron otf
Charleston, on the subject of the withdrawal of the
spirit portion of the ration, by a recent act of Con- j
gres*. The memorial had not vour approval, as
m
%
& *c<\.
- v?
m
the commander of the , which I am pleased
to notice.
I am always ready to forward any appeals, from
either officers or men under my command, whether
to the Navy Department or to the Congress of
the United States, but these must be coached in
proper terms, go through the proper .channels,
and be iu conformity with Naval usage and military
propriety.
The memorial in question, which I return, is
dehcient iu all these respects. The memorialists
among other points, hav& overlooked the terms of
their obligations, and enlistments. The SHIPPING
ARTICLES, whicn they have all signed,
state in their second clause, " we do also oblige
" and subject ourselves to serve during the ^erm
" aforesaid; and we do severally oblige ourselves
" during such service to comply witlpgri be ,sub"
ject to, such laws, regulations and dicipHrerof the
" Navy as are, or that hat be established by the
" Congress of the United States, or other com"petent
authority."
Congress has always regulated the Navy Ration,
and it has recently passed a law, approved
by the PrRident?who is moreover our Cornmander
in Chief "?changing that portion of the ration
which allowed spirits, and substituting a liberal
compensation in money.
I regret to see in this petition thaiifaHed States
seamen belonging to the South Atlantic Blocka-ding
Squadron should loofc up$n any. act of their.
Government, in reference to them, asitn act or
"tyranny"?for ? .
No nation or Government in the world pays its
seamen as the United States do:
No Government issues such a ration to them,
whether in quantity, quality, or variety:
No Government supplies such clothing at cost:
No Government cares, to the same extent, for
the health of its sailors:
No Government allows such comforts in their
declining years: and
No Government provides so liberally for those
who come altei them.
I feel mortitied to think that even a ftto of the
men under my command should, instead of appreciating
such blessings, evince a querulous spirit
with the exercise of lawful authority beneficially
directed. *
If your crew desire to petition for the restitu
tion of the spirit ration, and do it respectiuiiy, it
Is my duty to forward tho same; and 1 will do so
without fail.
Ml Please have this communication read to them on
the first Sunday muster after its deception.
Respectiuiiy, your obedient servant,
S. F. DU PONT, Rear Admiral,
Commanding South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
Statistics of Negro Labor.
' Hbidquartkrs, Beaufort, S. C., Sept. 4, '62.
To the Editor of the New South:
The following statistics may interest some of
your readers. The population of this Division,
(including Port Royal, St. Helena and Ladies
Islands, w ith the smaller ones thereto adjacent,
but excluding Hilton Head and its surroundings,)
is as follows:
Effective .3,817
Non-effective 3,110
Total t>,927
The number of acres under cultivation in the
same is
Corn: 6,444
Cotton 8,384
Potatoes 1,407
A little ^culation will show that the ness-oes
have thus nKsed enough corn aud potatoes to support
themselves, besides a crop of cotton, somewhat
smaller, it is true, than in fprmer years, but
still of very considerable value to the Government.
G. M.
-ilCAL NEW8, "
Burning or A Steamer in the SavAini^pfeiva*.?At
daylight on the morning of SuLday, Aug.
31, the pickets on the southeastern shore of Cockspijr
Island, discovered and reported a steamer,
under rebel colors, apparently ashore oft* Cunningham's
Point, the south-western end of Jones' Is
land. The night had been oarK ami sioriny, who
a thick fog, which account^for the fact tiwt the
vessel was not seen before. it observed,
two boats, filled with men, had tlM^e&wer and j
were thready a mile hp the river on tire way to Savannah,
?ud a third soon followed. As it was very
evident thav (he steamer was hard and fast aground
her copper sho? ing plainly, the fire of the fort was
not directed at her, but upon the retreating boats; 1
which being at extreme range of the guns, suffered 1
no damage. The armed tug Starlight was at once
started in pursuit of the fug&i^es, but unfortunately
blew out tlid packing of her valv<^, which materially
lessened her speed. Had it nor tyeen for this <
Ml
untoward accident, there is no doubt that the boats
would have been captured. As soon- as the third
boat had left the steamer she was discovered to be
on fire, and the flames soon enveloping her, she
burnt to the water's edge. Boats from the fort
immediately went to the wrcek and found that she
was the steamer Emma, with a full cargo of cotton
?a vessel much prised by the rebelB on account of
her beautiful model, high speed and light draft.?
The Emma was scarcely a year old and . Tatnall
usod her as the flag-ship of his "mosquito fleet." a
She had several times run the blockade to Nassau, *
and about a month since was driven back by the
guns of the fort in the night, since which time she
has been watching an opportunity to get out. Col.
Barton commanding at Fort Pulaski, some weeks
since called the attention of Gen. Huntejr to the
factthatvessels of light draft could go to sea by the
passage which the Emma attempted to take, without ^
encountering any obstacles, as the channel is nearly
three miles from the fort] but at t|tat time Geo.
Hunter had no means at his disposal to render the
blockade at that point effectual. The Boilers and
engines of the Emma can be saved, and probably
a quantity of cotton from the lower hold.
Reconnoissanck beyond Bluffton.?On Saturday
last Col. of the New York 48th Regiment,
with thirmran, went up Bhiffton River,
on the armed tug^^jjgA/, to a point a short die
tance beyond the vifmgc, driving in the pickets as
he advanced. When opposite Bluffton Heights,
a large rebel camp was discovered, which was
thoroughly shelled out, and doubtless much damage
inflicted. It was also ascertained that the
rebels had extensive saltworks in the vicinity of
Blulfton, and that the salt was selling at $20 a
peck. The force was too small to make a landing
advisable.
Death of a Clergyman.?The Rev. Mr. Miller,
of Baltimore, Md., a minister of the Episcopal
Church, died on Saturday last, on board the steamer
Delaware, at St. Helena Sound, of pulmonary
consumption, and was buried at Otter Island. He
had been spending some time' at St. Augustine,
accompanied by his family, for the benefit of bis
health, and was on his way home, via this port,
when his complaint suddenly assumed a fatal phase.
_ Another Steamer in Distress.?The steamer
Saxon (of Boston,) Capt. Clapp, arrived at tills
port on Sunday last, from Nevv York, bound to
New Orleans, with an assorted cargo. She
stopped here to have her engine repaired,?it having
been disabled by the breaking of the " rock
shaft." Through the kindness of the military authorities
our machinists have taken hold of the
work, and in a few days the vessel wil resume her
voyage. , ^ f .
DEATHS.
John T. Bysbee, Private, Co. D, 7th Conn Vol.,
Sept. 1st, dbris congestion.
Wm. Kiley, Private, Co. C, 47th N. Y., Sept.
3d, chronic diarrhoea.
Andrews. Cobb, Private, 15th Mass., Sept. 3d,
fibris typhodus.
John Gnre, Private, Co. G, 60th Penn., Sept.
4th. cordiac disease.
Joseph Spitz, Private, Co. D, 76th Perm., Sept.
3d, camp dysentery.
Almanac, Port 8. C., August 30, '62
SDK RISES 5 38 I MOON SETS 3 50
8UN SETS .6 19 I HIGH WATER 5 41
MAEDre HEWS.
ARRIVED.
Aug. 31?Steamer Saxon, in distress, bound to
New Orleans, Clapp, New York; Sept. 1?S. Ship
Star of the South, Woodhull, Fortress Monroe ;
2d?S. Ship McClellan, Gray, Alexandria; Steam*
er Neptune, Lynch, New York; U. S. Frigate
Powhatan, , Philadelphia; 3d?Schr. Julia
A. Halleck, Sinclair, New York; Schr. Abby Z,
Kelly, Providence; Bark Alamo, Godfrey, New
York; 4th?Schr. C hrysolite, Smith, Philadelphia;
U. S. Steamer Rhode Island, ,New Orleans;
U. S. Gunboat Norwich, , New York ;
U. S. Steamer Massachusetts, , New York;
Bark Parker Cook, Fulton, Boston.
CLEARED.
'Aug. 29?Schr. John B. Meyers, Cobb, New
York; Sept 1st?Bark Houston, Share, New
York; Schr. Alice, Thompson, Philadelphia;
2d?S. Ship Star of the South, Woodhull, New
York; 3d?Schrs. Friends, Henderson, Nassau, N.
P ; Langdon Gilmore, Chase, New York; 3d?
Brig Ellen Bernard, Collins, Baltimore; 5th?-Brig
Matron, Taylor, New York; S. Ship Mc Clellan,
Gray, New York.
WANTED.?.TWO SADDLE HORSES,
about 15 hands high, good stylex &c. Adiress
<:Ofpcer," Beaufort Post Office.
w*- ? ?