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T HE "TWTO'UT H. Jos. H. Sears, Editor and Proprietor. PORT ROYAL, SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1863. Their Last Legs. At a time like this, when there is a temporary lull in the storm of actual war, when both sides are nerving themselves for a struggle more arduous thaa any preceding one, it may be well to glance for a moment at the position of the iasurgents, and the chances of success which the present aspect of affairs suggests. The rebels, having abandoned all hope of carrying out the magnilicent programme with which -* *- ^~ ^wKlaK a a \f e Wallrar IUCV IUV Wfmiy w UIVU luvtuuvw^ * -** fV mavi their Secretary of War, stated, the capture of Washington, the liberation of the border States and a wiuter of revelry in the cities of the North, with the material gains to bo derived from the nack of Philad .'Iphia and the loot of Wall Street, have at last been driven from line to line, successively taken and lost, on the coast and in the Middle States, and have rallied for a final struggle at a few decisive points. The remnant of their ragged cohorts now stand on the defensive merely at Port Hudson, Vicksbnrg, Chattanooga, Frederictiburg and Charleston. The scattered detachments in other quarters are not specially worth considering, 'lhese points are their last hope. They must all be held or their cause is lost. If Hooker defeats their army on the Rappahannock, no carthlv Dower can stav the flood of rout and 0 ? - - - ^ _ _ ruin that will sweep irresistibly down over Virginia * and &ortn Carolina. lfPorf Hudson falls, Tlckabuig must fall at once, and if Vicksborg surrender, the loss of Port Hudson most inevitably follow. The loss of the Mississippi will finish the rebellion in the West. For besides the vast moral effect of , an advantage so immense, this will at once relieve , two armies for further service. Any weakening of their force in Tennessee would leave them at the , mercy of Rosecrans, who has proved himself , equal to every emergency in which he has been ? placed. They are compelled to act on the defensive, for the loss of any one of these points would be fall of ft succession of disasters. All aggressive 1 efforts which they have lately made, have been miserable failures. Yan Dorn recently attacked ' Kosecrans right wing at Franklin under General ' Granger, and was whipped back In six hours with bloody slaughter. Their necessities hamper all 1 their operations to the narrowest limits. Meanwhile, the odds are growing fearfally against them. Time, which in the beginning was their ' frirnd and ally has turned and become their deadliest enemy. They must fight and finish the war or __ they are mined. They cannot abandon their defensive attitude and initiate an aggressive move nAixr a?ithAnt aTT\Au*n.*v thama*lraa in olniAcf :uvin UV f? y n 1VUVUV VAj'VO IllVUIJVn ?0 kV M1UIVCD certain destruction.. And they cannot much longer 1 remain as they are, without incurring the slower but equally sure and more dreadful fate of starva- : tion and exhaustion. Their currency has become nearly worthless. The Charleston Courier of the 9th instant speaks with impotent rage of the con. duct of a clothing merchaut of that city who pays i in his trade a premium of 700 per cent for gold, , and strives to array the passions of the mob against < the irresistible facts of finance. 1 1 1 heir armies have reached their limit. Their , merciless conscription has forced into the ranks every man capable of bearing arms and no reserve is left throughout their territory. The blockade becoming every day more efficient, is closing with J its iron fingers every avenue of resource from , Europe, and every ounce of ammunition they fire < away will soon be worth its weight in rebel script. We have our own choice now, when we shall move. There is no opportunity for any aggressive movement on their part. If we were to rest on our arms their rebellion would die in time, like a scorpion ringed with fire. The edifice built in treason, and cemented with fraud and theft and murder, is beginning to crumble by the very vices of its composition. If we let it alone, it would fall amid the scorn of the world. But we snail not let 11 aiont. ai me proper time and in the proper way, our armies and navies wi J move, and by crushing the rebellion, liberate the South, and utilte the severed members of our cherished Union. Of course, their boastings and vaporings are as loud and incessant as ever. But their swaggerings are as harmless ai jthose of the savage, who struts as proudly as it his ragged and lousy blanket were the imperial purple, and whose var-whoop is fraught only with the agony of hunger and despair. , . - Oca Admiral ajid his Captaixs.?It would be amusing, if it werenot most pitiable, to see the attempt made in certain quarters to censure Admiral Dn Pont and his gallant officers for not having converted into a final attack their recent reconnoissance of Charleston Harbor, its forts, batteries and obstructions. The miserable scamps who indulge this style of critfotam, whether in the press or from the barrel-head,, ?ou Id not to-day be hired individ p?ny ror ?ue ice-sirapie ch ? * principality per man" to take part with the heroes they would slander in the operations Du Pont is blamed for not having pushed to a premature issue. ? But let tbingswork,*' as General Halleck says. " Time straigtena out aH such men and matters;" and when our Great Admiral next wins the applause of a grateful country by a victory as far surpassing that ofport Royal, as Port Royal in its day surpassed all previous achievements of the war,?no tongyeg will be more loudly blatant in his praise than those now blistered thick with the infamies of attempted detraction. Judged by h s peus,?men skilled in their profession and willing to hasard their limbs and lives wherever and whenever ordered,?the Admiral's conduct in the late affair only elevates to an equal standard with his high courage that admirable judgment which dictated his immediate withdrawal the moment the object of his initial movement bad been success. fully Accomplished. ?Brig. Gen. Truman Seymour goea North to-day on a leave of absence granted, we regret to say, on account of ill health. Hia constitution being too mnch impaired to stand exposure to this climate during the heat of summer, he will report to the General-in-Chief for orders on the expiration of hia leave. In Gen. Seymour, the Department! loses the services of an active and valuable officer. RESiGMATiox*:~The resignations of the following officera^iave been accepted during the past week: 2d Lieutenant H. F. Hopkins, 8d New Hampshire Vola.; Chaplain J. P. Caldwell, 85tb Pennsylvania Yob.; 1st Lieutenant H. L. Wood, Regimental Quartermaster, 67th Ohio Vols.; 2d Lieutenant LeviC. Gilbert, 6th Connecticut Vols.; Lieutenant-Colonel J. F. Twitchell, 8th Maine Vols.; Surgeon J. D. Mitchell, 8th Maine Vols.; burgeon W. S. Woods, 52d Pennsylvania Vols.; 1st Lieutenant Dcziel Gleason, 3d Rhode Island Vols.; Promotions?Commissary Sergeant H. 0. Beach 3th Maine Vols., to be 2d Lieutenant 1st S. C. Vols.; Quartermaster Sergeant E. W. Robbina, 18th New York Vols., to be 2d Lieutenant 1st S. 3. Vols.; Quartern aster Sergeant W. B. Dickey, 3th Maine Vein.. In he 9 I T l?nf?n?n? w c r? ! Vols.; Sergt. Michael Sullivan, 47th New York Vols., to be 2dLieut. 47thNew York Vols. ?Col. James L. Frazer, of the 47th New York Vols., has beet honorably discharged the service )y the Secretary of War on account of disability, ind Col. Henry Moore, who resigned the same portion some tiiae ago, has been reappointed Col. >f that Regiinmt. 1 ?r A Camp Stort.?Camp gossips are apt to be very zealous disciples of St. Munchausen, and the Barons narratives furnish models for numerous camp yarns, which gain currency as veritable facta among those whose experience has not taught them better. In the camp Munchausenisms rosy doubtless very properly be classed the following startling revelation, which the original relator* will swear to the truthfulness of. The story is that loss than a year since a recruit of rather delicate appearance, but much enthusiasm, vivacily and a very fine address, was received into one of the New England regiments, and has since performed his doty most creditably, until just before the late expedition sailed lor Charleston, when he was taken suddenly ill and removed to the hospital. On the day after the sailing of the expedition a promising daughter, weighing just seven pounds sad a half, according to one ; eight pounds and three-quarters according to another, and so on, up to fifteen pounds and a fraction, each statement of weight having a host of eye witnessing vouchers, was born unto him. Investigation showed that the mother had been, since she joined tb* . regiment, occupying the same tent with her husband, whom she had followed to the wars. The story which robs the transaction of all sinfulness, reducing the offence to a alight social irregularity, ia well given, and the origiuator ought to be employed by Bonner, to write exclusively for the Ledger, the limited apace of the New South being inadequate for a proper exercise of his talent. Axothkr.?Two officers in a regiment not far away, who had been indulging in rather too many innocent imbibitions, fell into a dispute about the beauty and many accomplishments of a litstv vith irKftm ika* antru Wk annalit. ? tt *?m nuvtM ?hvj n VIV wvu v^U(UUIVU| 111.' bg North. Words succeeded words, and as they were not sufficiently convincing, blows naturally ensued, the rapidity of which would do credit to any magnate of the ring. Pistols were finally called for as a dernier retort. The weapons were handed to the seconds to be loaded, and instead of ? powder a little sand was used; the places chosen, distance paced off, when the fun was suddenly interrupted by some officers. The ardent admirers of the fair one were taken from the ground to their quarters to ruminate over their foolishness. Capture or a V aluable Prize.?On Monday last the gunboat Stettin arrived at this port, hav ing in tow the prize steamer St. Johiu, captured by her the previous day, while tryiug to run into Hull's Bay. She was discovered early in the morning, and was taken with little trouble. She was formerly on the line between Savannah ami the St. John's river, connecting with her sister ship the St. Marya, now lying sunken iu that river. When the war broke out sh? was taken off the line, and was jnst from Nassau when captured. Her engineers and some of her other offi cers and crew are New Yorkers, and it is reported that her proprietors are also residents of that loyal city. All the officers and crew were taken on hniirH tk* If, A/??A ?r?t tho nri.a <?"o? nwiV - . ?..T ?. MVHWV, VMM ?MV |^?MV AlVi Mly yiUM4 ably to New York. The steamer has one mast now, which has been added to make her a more effective blockade runner. She is about the size and something the shape of the Canonicuand is about 400 to 500 tons. ? We have received the first number of a new Union paper named The Penintula, published at Fernandina, Fla., by James 34. Latta, Esq. It is a spicy little sheet, rather larger than our own and chiefly devoted to the local interests of Florida. As it will, no doubt have the advertisement of Tax Sales of the Commissioners at a good round price, we have no doubt of its pecuniary success. Long may il wave. Sword Presentation.?Capt. Scollay D. Baker, Co. I, 9th Maine Vols., was presented, on tbe 14th inst., by tho non-commissioned offioers and privates of his Company, with a handsome sword, sash and belt.