The new South. (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, January 02, 1864, Image 2
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
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[ 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
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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.
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