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THE NEW SOUTH.
Jos. H. Sears, Editor and Proprietor.
PORT ROYAL, SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 1863.
THE DRAFT OF CAMP-FOLLOWERS.
We learn that Lieut.-Col. J.'F. Hall, Provost
Marshal General, is actively pushing the preparation
of the necessary lists for the enforcement of
the Diaft of able-bodied camp-followers, provided
lor in General Orders, No. 41, current series, of
this Department. In addition to those who have
sent in their names as ordered,? black lists " are
being prepared of those who hope to evade the
draft by keeping out of the way for a few days;
and for these, no excuse whatever will be consid*
5 iphan 4lioir luavf
emi. iurj Will VCSCMCii n uvu hk.j .V?u, v.fvV.,
and will Snd themselves suddenly elevated, against
their wills, to the dignity of " armed soldiers of
the Republic." Gen. Hooker has recently issued
a somewhat similar order iu regard to the camp^
followers of the army of the Potomac, and it has
been received with approval and a ludicrous sense
of extreme delight by all classes of the country,
v ^ We learn that from Col. Hall's decisious there will
be no appeal, as it is the determination of Gen.
Hunter to enforce to the letter the provisions of
this salutary crdei; and he fails to see in the class
??f unauthorized traders, hucksters, land speculators,
bill-discounters and gamblers who infest the
various posts of this Department,any just grot uds
of public or private merit upon which they shonld
ihj exempieu iiom me uurueus vi mo x^rui i mjyvoed
by recent legislation upon all citisens remaining
rin the N orthern states. As the men to be drafted
under General Orders, No 41, will not be fit for
regular military duty for some time, are learn tl at
it is the intention of Col. Hall to organize them at
once into laboring-squads and send them up to
work on the advanced trenches on the northern
end of Folly Island, immediately in presence of
the enemy from whom they will be divided only
by a narrow creek, a few yards in widtu and easily
fordable at low water. As the ground up there is
very swampy and miasmatic, tiled with fieas,
jiggers, sand flies and musquitoes, and producing
nbout six bushels of fidlers to the square yard,?
this detail for fatigue purposes will be a great re
lief to the gallant ruen of the 6th Connecticut and
4th New Hampshire regiments, at present on
duty there. ./i
m m.
Arrival or Dislot*lists from St. AuoberuK.
?The steamer Boston, ( apt. N orris, arrived* few
days since with a number of inhabitants of St.
Augustine^ male and female, who are to be sent
across thtJines, to their friends and relatives on
the rebel side. They are charged with being active
sympathisers of those in arms against us and
with giving information to them. The day of their
departure to rebeldom has net been fixed upon as
yet, though the matter is under advisement.?
Meanwhile thev will remain in comfortable quar
ters, famished them by Captj Greealeaf, at Beaufort,
and subsisted at Government expense.
Buaxixo or theT. F. Sscor.? Ihe U. S. Steam
Transport, T. F. Secor, was entirely burned, last
Saturday night, while lying at Seabrook landing.
'j he dames were first discovered in the Engineer's
store-room at about 11 o'clock. The alarm was
instantly given, and efforts made to extinguish
thefire, but in rain. The conflagration spread with
great rapidity, and soon enveloped the entire vessel.
Finding it impossible to subdue the fire, the
captain, officers and crew took to the boats and
eseeped to the shore. The vessel proved, a total
loss.
\ N?
Tub Bluffton ExpecmoN.?Col. Barton, with
G companies of the 48;h New York; 2 couipauies
7th Conn., 2 companies 6th Conn., Major Kodmau,
and detachments from 3d K. I. Vols., and Vol.
Engineers, started on Thursday, to reconnoitre
the enemy s position ot Biufflou. They went up
? -
in the Couack, MayjUnocr and I*laud City, convoyed
by the gunboat JnnMcDonougti. Little or
no opppositbn was ottered, and the village of
Bluffton was taken, alter the woods about had
been vigorously shelled*, to drive out any rebela
who might be in ambush, waiting our arrival. The
iebel pickets fled ou our approach, and were not
again seen, until our troops evacuated the place,
when they came iown strongly reinforced by cavalry
and made a feeble show to drive us oil'. A
few shells dispersed and scattered them. Blutfton
was burned to the ground, only one building being
left standing?that a church. The Signal Corps
was represented by Lieut, iiailicid .in charge,
Lieuts. llamner, Weber and cans, ihey did
their duty well. No one was hurt oil either side,
and the expedition returned.
The Expedition up the Coiiambke. - Ou Monday
evening last, five Companies oi the ?d S. C., Vols.,
and a Section of Battery 0, 3d K. 1. Artillery,
(Japt. Braytou, under the command ol Col. Mout
?n on uvmuliriiki uii it'll tlMll for itS
gUUI^l J )OWU IVU vu nu VA|/vx.??iVU ??
main object the recruiting oi soldiers for the 2d
S. C. Regiment. The troops were put aboard the
transports John Adams, the Sentinel, and Harriet
A. Weedy and the expedition gof away from Beaufort
at about 9 o'clock, and without accident or
detention, proceeded as far as St. Helena Sound,
when the Sentinel got last aground, and some time
was consumed in transferring them from her to the
Adams and Weed. At half past two o'clock the
force arrived at the mouth of tue Cobambee river,
and pushed rapidly but silently up that stream
without being discovered by the enemy. A portion
of the force was landed it Field's Point, a
place about 20 miles up the river, where was posted
a rebel picket, which incontinently fled, leaving
their blankets wapn to our forceg. Capt. Thompson's
Company was here posted in deserted breast*
? mw - .1 it .
works Dy (joi. Montgomery, anuxue uaiance 01 iuj
lorce proceeded up the river in the two transports,
10 Tar Bluff, two miles above, where some desert,
ed rifle pits were found, and Capt. Carver's com.
pany left to occupy them. The two stea ..ers
agaiu moved up the river to Nichol's plantation,
a mile or two above, where (he Weed was left ip
charge of Major Corwin, and tl^e John Adams rap.
idly steamed up to Cohambee ftrry, across which
was a fine pontooiu bridge. This was taken up,
but not before a rebel cavalry oompauy had pasai
ed over while the guns of the jRlams threw shells
** -?
ai mem. I/DSIXUCUUUS ItCrUBB UlC ri?w yrcicmcu
the Adams from ascending still higher, and after
the pontoon bridge was burnsd, she turned and
passed slowly down the rivef again. While the
pontoon bridge was being destuqyqd, Capt. Hoyt's
company was sent up the right bank cf the river,
to capture and destroy, and also to collect negroes.
Capt. Bray ton with his section^ Battery, started
up the left bank. Capt. Hoyt pushed on his little
force, with skirmishers ahead, to Green Pond,
where Col. Heyward; resided, in magnificent
style, in a mansion that equalled any on the
main. Col. Heyward managed to escape, but car?
wUk TJao KAWOOD mono AOnfnva/)
riCU liUiUlU^ W1U1 11IU1* XIlO uviovo nvt? vayvmv/Uj
his sabre taken?as he did not seem to have time
enough to carry it with hin^and a quaatity of
other movables borne away. Large aud extensive
rice mills and store houses, aad^otton ware-houses,
were completely destroyed, and finally the mansion
itself was burned. The quantity of rice and
cotton burned was immense. ^JFhile returning, a
small body of rebel cavalry*and sharp-shooters
followed our forces at a respectful distance for a
while, and then pressing CaptpHoyt rather sharply,
he drew up across the road, and made a stand.
Quite * skirmish ensued, the enemy pressing Jorward
with spirit and determination. The negroes
maintained their ground stoutly, keeping up a sharp
In 7v
effective fire, for half an hour, \\ lien the Jon"
Adams threw in some shell, and quickly dispersed
the rebels. Ihe rebel's fire killed ouc of tu-i best
horses captured from Col. Hey ward's, but did uot
injure our men. Capt. Hoy t broughthis company
in, and got it aboard the John Adams safely. I apt.
Brayton proceeded some distance up the left bank,
capturing many horses, mules and cattle, and destroying
rice mills, store-houses containing cotton
and rice, and briLging oft' all the negroes within
hailing distance, a he rebel pickets, instead of
falling back ou a large rebel force on the Ashapoo
river, had confined themselves to task of notifying
the planters and negro drivers of the approach
of the negro troops, and it required only a display
of flavs, and an uninterrupted piye of the steam
whistle to inaugurate a general stampe te ou the
part of the slaves, to our boats and lorces. They
the came to the river banks in droves, in spite of
efforts ol the drivers to the coutrarv. w ho pistols in
hand, decreed death to the first one who disobeyed
their orders to follow them, and take to the woods.
There were men, women and children, eager for
liberty ; and all found refuge under the -'stars
and stripes "
Capt. Carver's company at Tar Bluff was attacked
by the rebels during the absence of the main
body under Col. Montgomery, but he succeeded
in holding them at bay until the Adam's came,
when a few well-directed shells drove them back
and totally dispersed them. Capt. 'jhomx sou's
company was compelled to undergo a sharp contest,
in which their ammunition was nearly exhausted,
against a force of cavalry and one piece of
artillery. The Adams shelled^liem off. No one
naa nun.
After gathering all tho troops, and taking ou
board 727 negroes, men, women and children, and
a few fine horses, the expedition returned to Beaufort.
where a tremendous reception awaited thcui.
All the darkies in town were in the streets, gazing
with unaffected surprise and admiration at the
strange spectacle of severai hundred genuine con
trabands, in their field suits of dirty gray, but
with evopy lineamfnt beanyog with that inteili- ?
gence, which is inseparable with plantation negroes
enjoying their freedom.
The contrabands were placed in one of the
Beaufort Churches, temporarily, but will be dis
tributed, on general principles, in a lew aayg.
All the ab'e-bodied negroes rescued from Rlavery,
are to be placed in the 2d S. C. Vols. ..They will
be strong enough in numbers to form two companies.
Tci.egki.ph to Fobt Polaski.?The cable across
Callibogue sound and Tybee Roads, was successfully
laid on Tuesday last, from the Dirigo, under
the immediate supervision of Mr. F. II. Lamb, chief
operator, and Captain J. C. Hardy, Pilot, in one
Vmr and fifty-three minutes. The short cable ,
across Lazaretto creek was then sa ely put down,
and the land wires connected with the cables, and
communication established between Fort Pulaski
and Hilton Head. The line now extends from
Port Royal Ferry and Beaufort to Headquarters,
and thence to Fort Ihilaski and is in splendid
working order. We understand that Mr. L. F.
Shelffon, the Superintendent, will now proceed by
the first steamer to North Carolina, to establish
lines in Gen. Fosters Department# ? Mr. T. K. Gilmore
will accompany him as chief operator in that
Department.
TIIE STARVING rOOR OF 1KELX1* DUriDg me
past week about $230 have been raised upon the
Gunboat tYissahickon, the gift of the officers aud
men, for the relief of the suffering poor in Ireland.
This sum has been Expressed to Boston, from
whence it will be sent to the "Green Isle," and
will materially swell the donations already sent
forward from this country for this charitable object.
Master's Mate O'Connor, of the Witiahicko* set
on foot this subscription, and it was through his
efforts that th3 sum assumed so liberal proportions.
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