St. Helena Island.
' The New South" Office,
Sept. 18, 18U3. ;
Sir Will you be kind enough to give me your
opinion of St. Helena Island, as to its heallbfulness.
I have always advocated the location of our
"New City of the South" at land's end on that
island, but have heard that you, who were in charge
of the hospitals there, thought it an unhealthy
place and on that account the sick were all removed.
Firmly believing that a large city is to spring
into existence somewhere on the shores ot this
noble harbor?the best on the coast between
Hampton Roads and the Gulf, it seems to me a
matter of great importance to procure and record
all matter relating thereto.
Very Respectfully,
Jos. H. Sears.
Major S. F. Elliot,
Surgeon U. S. A., Port Royal.
Port Royal, S. C., Sept. 18, 1863.
Dear Sir:?Your note to-day, asking my opin
ion ot trie heal Wiiumess 01 at. neieua isiana, is
received.
1 have been twice stationed on that part of St.
Helena known as Lands-End ; once as chief Surgeon
of (Jen. Strong's Brigade, and once in charge
of a General Hospital located there, and I have no
hesitation in sa\ ing that while it is one of the
pleasuntest, it is, in my opinion, one of the most
uuhealtbful locations in this Department, during
the sickly season of this region of country.
This circumstance is no doubt due to the vegetable
poison (Malaria,) which emanates from the
swamps and low, fertile lands, so abundant on this
Island. All the various forms oi Ague and Remi
tent fever were of frequent occurrence. '1 here
occurred also some cases of Congestive Fever so
malignant as to prove fatal within twenty-four
hours.
The natives all agree in asserting that white toll
ibitants of St. Helena always left their plantations
during the sickly months.
Your Obdt. Servt.,
S. F. Elliot.
J. II. Sears, Esq.,
Frlifor "New* South."
'
Certificates of Disability.
Medical Director's Office, Dept. South,
H lion Head, 8. C., Sept. 12th, 1*63.
"When surgeons make out certificates of disability,
they must state after the description of dis- J
ease, whether in their opinion the soldier is fit
for ''Invalid Corps''or not. See Gen. Orders No.
173 "War Department.
II. R. Wirtz,
Surgeon U. S. A. & Med. Director, Dept. b'outh.
Office Med. Ex. Board,
Hilton Head, 8. C.,Sept. 4th, 1863.
I. All certificates of disability coming before
the Medical Examining Board must be in strict
conformity with the above Circular, in order to
insure the action of the Board or they will be re- j
turned for correction. , i
r <->#" i!?mmpntq will rail the ntten- i
ill OUIgfcuuo uve.??u..
tionof company commanders particularly "Note
One" on back of certificates of disability so that
they may comply with it in all cases, or the certificates
will be returned by the Medical Examining
Board for correction.
A. P. DALRYMPLE,
Surgeon U. S. V., Pres. Med. Ex. Board.
To the Officers of the Department.
The following order has been received by the
Postmaster of this place, and is very important
to officers who arc in correspondence with any of
the Executive Departments of our government:
Post Office Department,
August 27th, 18G3. j
Sir:?You are hereby instructed that all mail j
matter posted at your office, and addressed to any J
Executive Department, or to any officer therein, I
on which the postage is unpaid and which is not
nrODerlv franked, must be forwarded, with each
weekly return of "Unmailable letters.'' to tlie
])ead Letter Office, in the mode prescribed on the
latter part of page 5 of instructions published with
act approved March 3, 1863.
Very respectfully,
A. N. Zevely,
3d Asst. Postmaster General.
It will thus be seen that great care must be taken
"to have all documents for the Departments properly
J~ranked or pre-paid.
--The Pichmond Government had made a pressing
appeal to the Spanish Government to obtain
recognition of the Confederate States, offering to
guarantee to Spain the possession of Cuba and
Porto Pico. The Spanish Government declined.
Later Northern News.
By the Bermuda, hist Thursday, we have papers
to the 12th inst.
Chattanooga is ours, East Tennessee is ffte, the
progress of our forces on the enemies' flank and
rear is going on well, the tail of the retreating
rebel army is being severely handled by Kosecrans.
t 1?r\4* Arhnnvifl ia in nni*
1.111UC Ivueilj IIIU kajJlMI vi i&muutixu ? ? ? ? VU
possession. i'rice had retreated forty miles Southwest,
to Washington. Gen. Blunt has also taken
Fort Smith and scattered the rebels in all directions.
Gen. Burnside announces the unconditional surrender
of Cumberland Gap to his forces. After
clearing East Tennessee of the rebels, he (Gen.
Burnside) has sent in his resignation to the War
Department?so it is reported.
The Charleston Mercury has a savage article on
Jeff. Davis. It says that lie has lost the confidence
of both the army and the people.
It is reported that the t rench Cabinet have had
under debate the expediency of recognizing the
South, but that no decision had been arrived at.
Senator Sumner delivered a long and very interesting
speech at Cooper Institute last week,
liis exposure aud denunciations of the hypocritical
pleadings and false pretences of the British I
Government, in justification of'its sneaking and
perfidious neutrality in this war are well administered.
The steam sloops of war Hartford,, Richmond,
and Brooklyn, now lying at the Brooklyn .Navyyard
are to be put iu order as soon as possible,
aud as the N.agara, at Boston, is to be ready
about the same time, it is tc be surmised that these
four noble ships are destined for some special service
not yet made public. Rumor says that they
will go across the Atlantic to operate as a special
squadron on the coast of England and France.
It is understood that Gen. Rufus Ingalls, so
?i.A ()tiartprniasft?r of tlia AniiV
1UI1^ lUC ^lllVlVUV VMIVI ? ? y
ol the Potomac, is to succeed to the Quartermaster-Generalship
made vacant by the removal of
General Meigs.
Under the new dealing with officers, justly or
unjustly obnoxious, Colonel Bowman, Military Superintendent
of West l'oir.t, has been relieved,
and Brig.-Gen. H. G. Wright put in his place.
Uen. Wright was iu the original expedition which
took this place.
The Louisville Journal tells a good story at the
expense of a colonel who was dismissed from the
service on charges of dislovalty. The colonel appealed
to President Lincoln, and after a long talk
the latter, apparently convinced of his loyalty, proposed
to give him the command of a negro brigade.
The brave colonel "didn't see it."
McOi.ellan's Reports.?The Herald says:
"Well iutormed parties allege that General M'Clcllau's
report was only received at the AdjutantGeneral's
Department three weeks ago, and that it
will take one man many months to read it and its
accompany ing documents with the attention it deserves.
It will occupy when printed three large
quarto volumes, with charts, diagrams, etc. For
its publication a large Congressional appropriation
will be requisite. The Secretary of War has not
yet had time to read it, but is about instituting a
committee of officers, to be presided over by Major-General
David Hunter, who will be charged
with the dutv of reading it, and reporting as to
whether or not it shall be published as an~ official
document."
General Halleck last week secured the appointment
of twenty-four young soldiers, from our armies
now in the field, to cadetshqis at West PointThe
cadetships due to the Virginia Congressional
districts are given to young lads who have
distinguished themselves, and are otherwise qualified,
in the Army of the Potomac. The cadetships
due to Western Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi,
are to be conferred on General Grant's recommendation.
So in the other departments.
And General Ilalleck further takes-the ground that
next year all appointments to West Point shall be
made from young soldiers in the field, or the sons
of officers who have rendered important services
in this war; not that the appointments are to be
taken from the various Congressmen in the Northern
and other States, but that the Congressmen in
their recommendations are to be restricted to
! V?/.on /tl.icooa r\ r?nmin/*Afl_
tugov viuoocu v? mv???mvwv. .
The following navy orders have been issued:
Commodore Thomas F. Craven ordered to command
the Niagara.
Commander John Guest ordered to duty at
Navy-yard, Washington.
Commander James P. Sanford ordered to command
the Sassacus.
Commander E. T. Nichols ordered to command
I the Mcndota.
Lieutenant-Commander Francis M. Roe detach- j
ed from ordnance duty at New York, and ordered
to command the steamer Neptune.
Lieutenant-Commander Watson Smith ordered
to command the Paul Jones.
Lieutenant-Commander John S. Barnes detached
from the command ofthc Paul Jones, and ordered
to the Niagara.
Lieutenant-Commander Bancroft Gherardi ordered
to command the Chocura.
Lieutenant-Commander Daniel L. Braine detached
from ordnance duty at New York, and
ordered to command the steamer Vicksburg.
Lieutenant-Commander William F. Truxton detached
from the command of the Chocura, and
waiting orders.
Lieutenant-Commander J. C. P. De Kraft detached
from the Navy Yard at Washington, and
waiting orders.
Lieutenant-Commander L. A. Bcardslee ordered
to special duty at New York.
Lieutenant-Commander S. L. Brcese del allied
from the lioanoke, preparatory orders to command
the Sagamore.
Commander Thatcher has been ordered to the
West Gulf Blockading Squadron to command the
steam frigate Colorado.
Commander Bowers has been detached from the
r aval rendezvous at Portsmouth, N. II., and ordered
to command the receiving ship Yandalia.
Commander Leroy has been ordered to command
the sloop-of-war Oneida.
Lieutenant-uommanaer n. r. ? imams lias oeen
detached from the Powhatan and ordered to commaud
the Huron.
Lieutenant-Commander Charles E. Fleming has
received preparatoiy orders to command the
Sagamore.
Lieutenant-Commander Robert B<iyd has been
detached fiom the receiving ship at Boston and
ordered to the Powhatan.
Lieutenant-Commander F. lv. Lewis has been
detached from the command of the itaska, and ordered
to Baltimore on special duty.
Lieutenant-Commander George Drown has been
ordered to the command of the Iiaska.
Lieutenant Wni. B. Cushing has been detached
from the command of the Shockokon, and ordered
to the command of the Mcnticello.
Prenticeana.?General Bragg has had a soldier
shot for killing a cow. We hope Bragg will
get the hide, lie deserves it.
For many years Charleston, has held its head as
high as a cobra-de-capello. We guess that the
vain city will soon find Hi level
The Southern lands are said Dot to be well
adapted to rye. But there are very good gro'uuds
there for wry faces.
The Southern people should take every state
meut of their newspapers " with a grain of salt" ;
but unfortunately they haven't a grain of salt to
take it with.
The notorious guerilla, Dick McCann, now in
prison at Nashville, says that he feels he is " on
the right side," When he gets tired he will probably
turn over on his left.
The rents in the walls of Fort Sumter are said
to be neaily as wide as barn-doors. But those aro
a sort of rents that don't bring the rebels a very
valuable income.
The Charleston papers swear that their people
will fight front " street to street." Let theui fight
Gilhnore's bombshells and hot shot" from street
to street" if they arc so very juignucious. We
guess, that, in all their fighting " from street to
street," their weapons will be fire eDgiues, hose,
and water buckets.
Gen- Grant smoked a cigar while he was going
Ant frnm Viia ivork? to #wwit t.lie snrrHnib?r of'
Yicksburg. Gen. Gillmore, not being addicted t??
" small vices," seems disposed, in his little affair
with Charleston, to let her do the smoking.
A woman in Columbus. Ga., proclaims herself
ready to command a regiment of women in de- #
fence of the Confederacy. We wonder if they *
will fight in crinolines. Our Lravc boys, we have
no doubt, can stand cold steel, whether in the lorm
of bayonets or hoopskirts.
When Sumter fell before the rebel bombardment
this gleeful couplet was sent North :
With mortar, Paixhan, am? petard,
W? tender you our Beauregard.
The Union troops can now send to Pierre Toutant
de Peauregard something like this:
We hope our tender is no bore
When %ve to you send our Gillmore,
Though sure no bores were ever seen
To equal those of our Dah'.gren.
???????? II ! I II? eswiA-III *
Notice.
ROBBINS, No. 14, in the Row. has just received from the
North a fresh and complete stock of Goods of every
description, consisting in part of DRVT GOODS, both very
tine, fair and common.
GROCERIES, comprising everything desirable and necessary
in this Depn-tment, selected with great eare ami
judgment by Mr. E. Fuller.
StfOLS?Tlxe besVassortnient? try every other place tir-t
and then come here and be fitted. t'HIK TS?see thu price
elsewhere?then coine here and bny them lower?and so
on down through the catalogue.
sept. 12- r.oinuxs.