University of South Carolina Libraries
J THE IEF SOUTH. JOS. H. SEARS, Editor and Proprietor. * PORT ROYAL, SATURDAY, DEC. 5, 1SG3. Tiie New* South can be obtained of the following persons: J. C. Alexander, P. M., Beaufort J. W. Allen, P. M., St Augustine, Fla. W. C. Morrill, P. M. L. It Brooks, 39th 111. Vols. E. D. Doolittle, Vol. Engineers. Wai. Mason, 52d Ta. Vols. Sergt C. S. Gat, Co. M. 1st Mass. Cavalry. Regiments will please send in their orders the early part of the week. Siege Operations Before Charleston. The people at the North possess a sanguine temperament, and indulge in hopes relative to the suppression of this Rebellion that are very creditable to their natures if not to their military judgment. They have always anticipated too much ; always looked for success too early, and always demanded more than is reasonable from the commanders of our different military departments. Every body, (Mrs. Grundy included) expected a very pleasant campaign when McClel lax started for the peninsula ; everybody, (John Smith besides) counted each new commander of the Army of the Potomac as " the coming man and all the world, (including the Tongo islands) believed that Vicksbnrg would fall as soon as Graxt began his first parallel. In brief our military operations were to be of "the high-pressure order "?we had only to map out campaigns? start formidable expeditions?make a few tactical manoeuvres and the Rebs would skedaddle?th? Rebellion " riclt Into thin air. And like the baseless fabric of a vision Leave not a rack behind." We know at this late day exactly* how tho Peninsula campaign terminated ; we know how mul titudinous?stretching out almost " to the crack of doom "?have been the commanders of that gallant but ill-fated Army of the Potomac ; we know also how long a period it required to cap? ture tha Confederate stronghold in the South West And our friends in the North have yet to learn that all military operations require Adequate time for their accomplishment. The plans of Gen\ Gtt.t.more are now patent to every intelligent military observer. It was first to effect a lodgement on the South East side of Morris Islahd, where the enemy was already pos - * * ? * j -l-./ Lie. : n .1 ted and wmcn ne was strongly luruiyiug. oecuuu, 1 to besiege and rednce Fort Wagner, by which all the works on Cnmmings Point would necessarily and inevitably falL Third, to reduce Fort Sum-" ter, (from the positions gained,) so that the ironclad fleet could remove the obstructions in the channel, then go up the harbor and capture or destroy rebellious Charleston. This was the plan of attack?Mis was what Gex. Gillmoee promised ?this was all that the Government asked or ex pected from our small but heroic besieging army. Have not the objects of Gen. Gillmoke been successfully and fully accomplished ? Has not our gallant army?a mere subsidiary force?done I its woffc and (lone it well? \ \ We do not profess to'be military writers ' or military critics ; we do not "speak by authority " on this matter; nor do we intend to review the brilliant operations on Morris Island ; the glori-! ons victory of Jnly 10th, when we obtained a foot- j hold on the extremity of that desolate drift of the i ooean ; of the day-dawn attack of the 11 th, (to ! carry Wagner,) lead by tiie lamented and chival- ' reus Gex. Strong : nor of the terrible and sail guiaary storming assault of the 18th, in which j we were repulsed with severe loss, but which added new fame and imperishable glory to our arms. Then followed the siege of Wagner : the laborious ! work in trench and parallel; the masterly engi ueeriug art; the fifty odd days of bombarding the ! enemy's works, and his tinal expulsion on the Oth of September : followed up by three months' continuous pounding of Sumter, with rifled P;irrotts and sea-coast mortars, and ending in the demo- i lition of that famous citadel of Rebellion. 1 When the iron-coated fleet of Admiral Datil- ; grex?in which are the proudest and noblest j hearts in the American navy?d<?es a duty now incumbent upon it, and which the people of the ; North have a right to expect and which the Gov- j ernmont ought to demand, then will be ample time to criticise the merits or demerits of the besieging !??<! nfivnl forces "before Charleston." The obstructions in the channel are now understood, and no matter how real or imaginary they may be. it certainly is no duty of the army to remove J them?the army has already done Us duty ; Gen. i Gillmoee has accomplished all that he promised, j and when the history of this besieging army is j written, the world will be astonished at tho Her-' culeaa labor performed by our troops, as well as ; the masterly genius that surmounted all obstacles and achieved success when ordinary abilities ! would have met with inevitable failure. All itioht.?Our excellent Provost Marshal j General, Lieut.-Col. IIall, has the art of haul-ing j every good thing into his possession; even from tho sea, the air, and the earth, and may be from the bowels of the great globe itself. Consequently he has recently detailed Lieut. Alexander F. Newman, of the Engineer Corps, as Assistant' Provost Marshal, and a more judicious appointment has never been made in this Department. Lieut. Newman is aji accomplished gentleman and an efficient officer; in brief, "a proper man as one shall see in a summer's day." Headquarters on Folly Island, is now "all right" Bmo.-Gen. T. W. Sheeman.?'The first commander of the "Department of the South," is at ' his home in Newport, It. I. His leg has so far healed that he will soon be able to wear the artificial one now being made for him in New York. He was at the Metropolitan Hotel when the Arago left, and our Mr. S. prevailed on him to set to Brady for his Photograph?the first one he has had taken for many years. We hope to have copi-s of it for sale by the next steamer. We are making4an effort to get some pictures of every G neral who lias ever been connected with the Department. The Steamer Boston belonging to this department^ on the dry dock at Jersey City undergoing quite extensive repairs. Several of her plank near the keel were completely honey-combed by worms, and it is a wonder "She ever lived to get North. Jler timber, however, arc perfectly sound. She has a frame stronger than many of tho ocean steamers. It will take a ruon'h to complete rc? pairs on her. "Wo have in our office a piece taken from her : keel, showing the havoc made by those rascally ! little timber eaters. ?Our press gave out Monday, and we were fearful we should be compelled to suspend the publication for a week or so. Mr. McGregor Chief of the machinery department: and an artist in mechanical matters, came to our aid promptly, and put it in order, much to our gratification, for which he has our cordial thanks. "Peculiar" by Epos Sargent?Broken Columns, The Rejected Wife have been received and for sale at our store. Anthony & Co., of New York, are printing for U3 photographs of Du Pont, Sherman, Seymour. Tep.sy, Ha lpinf, and other notables. % Transportation to and rr.oM the Department of the South.?We have been permitted by Major S. Van Vliet, Chief Quartermaster, X. Y., to copy for publication the following note : Washington, D. C., ) October 2(itli, 1803. ) Major S? Vita VUct, CUUf Quartermaster, JY?r Yuri: I told you (see my telegram r. few days since in answer to an inquiry from you,) that Gen. Gillmure Lad the same authority to grant passes to persons to come into the Department of the South, that Gen. Saxton had. No passes however, covering transportation are valid without the special approval in each case of the Secretary of War. The rule of the Department is, not to t msich r applications for passes to go to the Department of the South or North Carolina, on the government transports, unless previously approved l>y the depot commanders. Exceptions must be in extreme cases and very rare. Jas. A. Hardie, Ass't Adj't. Gen. The Quartermaster also informed us that all persons in government employ, other than soldiers returning to the Department of the South, Iaai'a oK_or?oo tivmlrl Ian o rrr/>rl CsOfl fill (liivi 1UU)V vx uv/ovuci) fivuiu vv v-v^vu for transportation. All citizens going on government transports would be charged the same amount unless otherwise stated on their pass from the Secretary of War. S. The following circumstances occurred in this neighborhood sometime ago, and there are probably many hero who recollect it, although the principal has since retired to the shades of private life. At a certain post in this department, garrisoned at the time by a regiment from the Empire State, who have since made themsclvs famous by gallant deeds, a soldier was taken ill, and unfortunately died; the commanding officer anxious to impress . on his companions in arms the exemplary charac- * # ? * .1 ?? ler OI lilL'ir UUUlitlUU, iwucu au uuiu^isuv.' uiuv*i| which was read before the regiment at their evening parade. After recounting his varioas merits, it closed with the'following sentence, " The God of Battles trill give him a soldier's rest," " By order of Lt. Col. N. Y. Y.. Commanding Post." It is to be hoped that the order was obeyed and, aW. the deceased soldier secured the desired rest. [FOR THE XT.W SOUTH.] FORT PULASKI. Al! quiet, safe and right. Hope stands cheerfully seeking to see the right wing of the Department " go in" to Charleston, which will be done in diue time. Meanwhile the chivalry are having a sweat. Query ? I3 not the Confederacy in llio condition of old Prometheus,?fast bound by tho Fates while the vulture of slavery is eating out its vitals ? On the evening of the first instant our sentinclj discovered about ten o'clock, a number of strange lights on the islands of the north bank of the river. Snrvn iVir rnnboat Man Flciccr fwe surmosel sent N,ww? "?" O %J ? > X h. / up a rocket from her beat in Skull Creek. Ai once our boys had orders and opened our columbiads in the north water battery. Having flew the compliments over the river and pronounced their challenge in emphatic terms to the night-walking or night skulking traitors, now quickly such - - ' ?? * - -1 il - fTL. ti. !__?? "taps exungmsneu tne ugms: me -reus choose darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. "Whether any 4 4 contraband" keel 44 leaped at stars and fastened In the mud," as yet ? deponent saith not Let the chivalry send down their cotton. *ju. xu x. xx. xmxi.i.f.r.i* Dec. 2, 1863. ^ O ? ?"W'e are under many obligations to Purser McManus of the Fullon, for full files of late New York papers.