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THE NEW 8 0 UT11. JOS. H. SEARS, Editor and Proprietor. POUT ROYAL, SATURDAY, JAN. 2. 1861. The New South can be obtained of the follow ing persons: J. C. Alexander, P. M., Beaufort. J. W. Allen, P. M., St. Augustine, Fla. W. C. Morrill, P. ML. It. Brooks, 89th 111. Vols. E. D. Poo little, Vol. Engineers. "NVm. Mason, 52d Pa. Vols. n c n.-. \x i\fo ee Porol tn* I u^ri^u v/. viai) vv. aov vumuxj* j Regiments will please send in their orders the early part of the week. . 4k our morrisTsland letter. Correspondence of Ths X*w South. Morris Islaxp, S. C., Pec. 31st, 1SC3. Your issue this week will l>e in the midst of the Holidays; and I presume everybody within the pale of civilization will want to know how those , convivial days were passed, here, and on Folly Island. Christmas was celebrated with due honors, and made memorable by our batteries reODeninc on Charleston, soon after midnight on the 24th, (Christmas Eve.,) and setting that cradle of Rebellion in flames. Between two and three ; o'clock, a. m., vast volumes of smoke and flames burst forth in the south port of the city ; reddening the sky already lighted up by a full moon, and the continuous bursting of percussion-shells. That the conflagration was extensive and destructive, may l>e imagined from the fact that it continued for ciyht hours; burning from about two, until ten o'clock, in the forenoon. How the denizens of that partially deserted city enjoyed the bon-fire I cannot say. Possibly their gobbling turkies .and suckling pigs got roasted in advance of the feast. Alas! the uncertainty of keeping the Holidays in a beseiged town. History says that Sennacherib lost in a single night 185,000 men by the destroying angel; but miserable, misanthropic Beauregard lost pigs and geese, xvine and whiskey, sea-trout and sardines, all at "one fell swoop."?Poor Charleston?miserable BeAURH?AED. The most brilliant victory achieved either by iron-cjpds or gunboats, since the blockade of Charleston, was won on Christmas day, on the Stono river, by the gun-boat Ifarblehead, Lieut. Commander, uichakd u. .jieade, jr.; wno oy n:s i great skill and gallantry on that occasion, won imperishable distinction, and reflected fame on the roiuals of our bcseigiug squadron. An hour before sun-rise, on the 25th, as the JlarUehead was anchored in the river, below Legate ville, three Rebel batteries opened upon her, at shoit range, from John's Island. As soon as the; enemy's position was discovered, (it was scarcely light) Commander Meade returned the compii- ( wents of Christinas to the Eeb's nearest battery in the woods?not a thousand yards distant. . This battery was completely masked in a thick , #n?Aaf on.l of ht'."* fiiulif.inph gnus. The Jfarblehczd Mazed away with her broad- i ide guns ; then slipping her cable 44 wore round" i and poured a port broadside on the enemy with her pivot-gnus. The Confederate gray backs were ! expert shots, and their projectiles cut up 44 poor J Jack," considerably : but the heroic conduct of : the 3IdrbUkca<rs officers and crew began to tell, and Rebel courage finally 4 joozed out" The con-1 test Lasted nearly an hour, and the gun-boat received no less than twenty-seven shot?the maj oritf through her hull, while others cut away I t' * her standing ^ifd running rigging, and she also lost her mojjtaiast ; but the proud penant that long^tnraved " The battle and the breeze," *tis not struck, but lloated victoriously and triumphantly at the close of the actio?). The loss on the HarUeliead was inconsiderable, considering that the enemy fired over three hundred shots. The following are the names of the brave dead snd?wounded, viz I Killed?Robert Brown, Captain of the forecastle ; Lorenzo S. Snow, seaman ; Joseph Phillips, seaman. "Wounded?John Hackett, coalheaver, seriously: Charles Moore, landsman, seriously; Alexander Henderson, landsman; Charles Semrucs, landsman ; John Macavoy, seaman, slightly. It is really wonderful that the casualties were so limited ; miraculous also that the Marblthead survived so unequal and terrible a_contest Great credit is due to gallant Dick Meade and his extraordinarily brave associates?officers and crew. The gun-boat Paicnee, iu Stono Inlet got into the fight near its close ; also, the mortar-sloop Williams, tossed numerous shells at the rear-guard of the retreating rebels. The accomplished Brigadier-General Gordon, commanding our Island out-posts, also hastened to the scene of strife, with a regiment of infantry; as did Colonel Gurxey of the 7!th Pennsylvania regiment On entering the woods where the rebel batteries were posted, two guns were captured, both iron pieces. But one dead rebel was found, the enemy taking off all others of his dead or wounded. The Confederate loss must have been very considerable. Dead artillery horses, broken gun-carriages, cais cnno o?i) nnmornne rOVior rolica nf n covered the ground. The forest covering the enemy's lunetted works, was smashed into kind ling wood extensively ; and our shells cut off ! trees more handsomely than could all the contraband choppers and loggers in 'Dixie." Should we gt,t up another fight this year, (seven hours and twenty minutes left,) I jvill endeavor to record it in your next paper. To-morrow being " New Year's, " your correspondent extends his compliments to our heroic soldiers in camp, and our brave sailors on the sea. Ere another twelve-month passes around, he hopes Peace, " That rain-bow to tho storms of life, The evening beam that smiles the clouds away And tints to-morrow with prophetic ray," will return, and smile on opr "Native Land," now drunk and coreed with fraternal blood. Tubal-Caix. V? have few ladies in this Department, but we have lots of men, and not a few brutes. It happens, unfortunately, that all of the latter are not quadrupedal To liken a human being to a horse, or a dog, is not usually regarded as complimentary, but in many cases in which the comparison is applied, it is the quadruped, not the biped animal, that is insulted: Is it not so? Let us consider this question a little. There are, in this community, a large number of excellent horses, of which it may be exclaimed, as -Hamlet says of man, "in fonn and mowing how express and admirable!" and they not only look as well us the most of their riders, but behave as civilly, and in all respects as unobjectionably as the majority of us. To compare them to some foulmouthed revilers of the laws and regulations of this Department, and abuses of men in authority, would be rank injustice to dumb annimals. The horse is not only noble in his movements, and his capacity for usefulness, but docile and amiable : usually performs all that is required of /.ni?a nVinorfiillir (ind wittiArif. ftviv Ill ill IjlUlW VUVVilU*.^, ?^?v? www?j or hard swearing : his driver's example seldom affecting him in that respect. The instances in which he needs a Rarcy, not being, in any perceptible degree, bo frequent as those in which a judicious, resolute Ireuker would be useful to bipeds, we put it to our readers to decide whether or not he is morally inferior to some men. The "short" of this, is, that there are gome 0 - - 1 1 ?? [ persons in this community, whose habit9 and : manners, if lie had fhem, would shame a horse. | Indeed, they would disgrace the more huml lo animal commonly know as an ass. Fortunately for the quadrupeds, subject to man's despotic rule, j a kind God has established a system of eompen? ai-- i?J I sanon, 10 equalize iue uurucus m iui mo ; tures ; consequently the very lack of the power j of speech is a blessing to a portion of them ; for otherwise, such is the power of bad example, (as j is notably illustrated in this region quite as much ; as anywhere else,) the very worst of these fourj legged denizens might, peradventure, fall entirely | from grace, and learn to talk as obscenely and i profanely as some dirty-mouthed men do. i ? Luxuries tor the Coxnictictt Bots.?The Arago, on her last trip brought down seven hundred barrels in bulk of apples, onions, potatoes, turnips, pickles, butter, cheese, fruits, condensed milk, native wines, &e., &c., contributions from the Soldiers Aid Society of Bridgeport, Connecticut, for the Connecticut Soldiers in our department, vr? ti v fnrmwlr Onnrtt-rmasfpr of th<\ Jll. XI* Alt lA.lAfc.1, ^*?n**v*.. *v. W. w 17th Conn. Vols., and Mb. L. II. Norton, came with them to see to their proper delivery. Major Van Vltet, Chief Quartermaster in New York, and Col. Elwell, our Chief Quartermaster, rendered every assistance to promptly and safely forward the goods in season for the holidays. These contributions are mostly from ladies in Fairfield and Litchfield Counties. The Society has also sent an equal amount to Portsmouth, Yin, for the Conn, soldiers there. It has also on hand over two-thousand dollars yet unexpended. Verily this is a model society, and every soldiers heart will beat with gratitude towards those who have so kindly and thoughtfully remembered them when far away. The timely reception of these luxuries put the boys in good spirits, and tho Inline docsrvo fViA fVianlrcnf *>nr?Vi lti/liTidiTnl cr?lilipr * _ * New Yeab's Festivities at the 47th N. Y. Camp.?The officers and soldiers of this regiment gave a dinner in honor of the 48th New York New Years' Day. The camp was gaily decorated with evergreen and palmetto in honor of the occasion. At the entrance of each company street, a large tastefully constructed arch was erected, formed of boughs, ornamented with various complimentary devices to their guests. Miniature flags floated from the pinnacle of every arch, while from the 1 - * At t V 1 * curves were suspended vreaics anu emoiems 01 welcome. Each company had a table spread for a company of the invited regiment; presided over by an officer. At four P. M., the officers of both regiments sat down to a bountifully spread table; speeches were made, toasts were drank, and an elegant repast disposed of in a handsome manner, much to the gratification of the donors, and pleasure of the recipients. The tastefully ornamented pastry for the occasion were executed by Sergeant Stzvexs and assistants of th? Post Bakery. A Bankrupt Law.?We notice that a resolution 1 -1 TT T> A Has piiSSit'U IUU nuuao ui acprctuuinutca, at Washington, appointing a committee onaNational Bankrupt Law. The attempt to this end, at the last session of Congress, amounted to but little ; notwithstanding much valuable time was spent, and a large (outside) sum of money was raised to engineer a bill through. Foreign books even were imported, that the Committeo on the bill, might consult them before preparing the same, Ac. That a Bankrupt Law of some kind is wanted, cannot be questioned ; and we hope the Federal Congress, now in session, will pass a judicious an/} liberal bill. There are thousands of able and experienced business men in the country, burthened with mountains of debt?many of them under loads of " obligations" piled on by the knavish and rebellious rascals of the South. If these pecuniary loads are lifted from the backs of honest and loyal bankrupts, the country can well forgive ' the dishonest; and the multitudinous wheels of i national industry will then move with accelerated J rapiditv. I