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THE NEW SOUTH, j J. H. SEARS, Editor and Proprietor. POET ROYAL. SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1864. 1 _ _ Our Agents. |j J. C. Alexandxb, P. M., - - Beaufort- . J. W. ALUs. P. M., - - St. AugustineW. & Mouill, P. XL. - - Femaudina. 1 J. D. Kayanauh, Sutler, - - Morris Island. 1 j as. Carboll, .... Fort Pulaski. Wm. Mason, 5Id Pa. Vols.. - - Morris Island. J. H. Mcnson, Pawnee Landing. Folly Island C. K. Osgood, ... Jacksonville, Fla. W. H. Gayit, Mail Agent, - . - Morris Island. ', TO OUR READERS. Our readers will perceive that we issue the present number of Ton Xrw Sotth in a new and enlarged form. We bare been compelled . to divide eecb page into four instead of three ">!??" Hv ?o doine we cam space, which is an important dicideratnm. For the want of space we hare heretofore been obliged to omit valuable matter aant to as by different correspondents, which difficulty will be remedied in a measure by the change. We cannot but be convinced the improvement will meet the approval of oar pat. rone, whom we trust will see in it another evi-' dance on our part to make Thx Xxw South in i every respect deserving of their support: Ws i are thankful for the encouragement already received, and beg a continuance of the same. ; ^ THE FLORIDA' DISTRICT. ! A Rebel Raid at Magnolia?Several Build'ngs Burnt?A Flag of Truce from the Enemy?Cap- (1 tura of Twe Union Scouts. Jacksonville, March 22,1864. J' On Thursday night last the enamy'a cavalry t made a aid at Magnolia, a watering place on the < St. John's river, distant from Jacksonville about thirty miles, and fired all the buildings in the i plaoe. Among thp buildings wera three large hotels, two of which were capable of accommodating two hundred guests each. In quiet ' times Magnolia was a popular resort for the elite of Florida, many of whom repaired thither for the benefit of their healths. Shortly after Oen. j Seymour occupied Jacksonville, a small force of i men was sent to Magnolia on the steamers Xrtly ' Baker and Cosmopolitan. They made a landing without opposition, inspected the buildings, took ' i from ono of them a quantity of sugar and turpentine, and then returned to Jacksonville. Med- j leal Director Swift has for some time contemplat- j ed establishing a general hospital at Magnolia. , It offered numerous advantages for the sick and , wounded, one of which was a magnificent sul- j pher spring which was carefully encircled with , a wall of stone. The buildings were large, airy, , and In good condition, and in every respect suit- I, ed for the reception of patients. The rebels , doubtless had (yen made aware of Dr. Swift's j, intention and destroyed the place accordingly. t Last week the rebels sent a flag of truce to ouri tinea at Jacksonville. The object was to gain permission for two citizens who had been living at Lake Citj to enter Jacksonville where they i formerly resided. The request was granted. Sergeant Finney cf Co. B, and Private Pattereon of Co. A, both of the Independent kfassa- j chuaetts Cavalry Battalion, were captured by the i enemy while making a reconnoiskbce within his lines. The same parties had twice before been on a scout and after having passed through and around the rebel camp, succeeded In coming away safely, bringing with them much valuable information. rmney ua ranenou an shrewd, capable men and their capture was an unfortunate circumstance. The rebel officer 1 who came with the flag of truce, remarked that J they were the greatest know-nething* he had i titr met with. He could not get a word of in- ' formation from either, and one of them invar is- i bly iimited hie answere to a short "yes" or-no." < Dr. Grose, Poet Medical Director, haa thor- 1 onghly eyetematiaed his Department and keeps 1 everything in the best order. He ie ably assist- i ed by Dr. Win. A. Smith of the 17th New York t Regiment and Dr. Tremaine, the latter acting in [ ] the capacity of executive officer. Dr. Smith re- i eently want to Hilton Head to remain a few daye I tor the benefit of his health. Troni the day the < Expedition first Arrived he has ever been con- t ipicuous in fulfilling the dp ties of his profession a with a zeal and constancy that has secured him J many encomiums. . ] We are favored to no small extent in having for our Postmaster Sir. Day, of the Sanitary Com- 1 mission. He attends to postal matters in a man-: * ner that would lead us to believe he was an old hand at the business. The office is rapidly approaching one of considerable importance, inasmuch as the great number of troops here and in i the vicinity is the source of much letter-writing. Mr. Day also has charge of the Florida branch of the Sanitary Commission, and we can imagine he doea not enjoy much leisure. There is nothing of moment to report from Pilatka. The troops under CoL Barton, have built extensive earthworks in front of the town ' and do not apprehend any demonstration by the enemy. The communication between here and there is frequent, and the men are well supplied with ali they need in the way of subsistence. Pilatka is a line, healthy locality and we are pleased that so many of the boys havs been so fortu j Date as to be sent there on duty. We hope they may be able to drive in some of the beef which is abont them. ! Since communication by flag signal has been open to the month of the St John's, the 8ignal Corps is in full operation. Capt G. 8. Dana, the Chief of the Corps here, is considered in every respect the man for the place. The Lieutenants serving with him are well posted in their dutiesand we doubt not they will sustain the reputation for xeal and efficiency which has been so long accorded to them. The necessity for a hue to the mouth of the St John's has been felt for some time and we are glad to sec it has been established. I As s general thing the weather for the past { week has been delightful. A little rain, how- i i ever, would be welcome, for the dust and sand 3 ire getting to be anything but pleasant Ws 1 bare long sine* come to the conclusion that ' t Jacksonville is a much superior place to Hilton 1 Head. Sand abounds in both places but bera we ; f have houses to shelter and trees to shads us. f Citizens are beginning to appear in a large uuin- i ber. Meat of them are engaged in trade, and ^ two or three have exhibited their enterpriss in j opening hotels. A good commodious hotel, t well kept, would be a paying institution at Jack- a bonvillr. At present we have two or three dwell- 1 i*g houses m>-ad as hotels, and although their i proprietors do all in their power to accommodate t the guests, they cannot possibly keep up with ( the demand. Officers and others coming here ( find it difficult to obtain accommodations, and i j we would repeat the suggestion that tome good, t active, enterprising man should apply for per- t mission to erect a building of sufficient inagni- . ( tude to accommodate three or feur hundred , guests. j ( The demand for tlie Xxw Soith is constantly i increasing and its presence among us is looked :' Thu larvr has become 1 I in invulnerable institution and without it the j * irniy would be deprived of oue of its chief de- ? pendencies I learn that two days ago one regi- * uient made arrangements for receiving five hun- > * Ired copies each week. Its popularity is un- j1 jueationed, and I have heard several officers re-,c nark that as a medium for dispersing the news * >f the week it could not be equalled. 8 t The number of patients now remaining in ! (he Jacksonville hospitals does not exceed two- J1 lundred. About three weeks ago one or two 1 ' ases of the small pox appeared, but we are hap-1 ' jj to ytate the dtaeaar has been confined to three 1 * four cases. A pest-house has been erected on : ^ he opposite side of the river, whither the padents have been taken. j1 It is thought by many that several parties ; living on the opposite side of the river, and who ! ire in the habit of crossing every day or two, ihould be looked after by the Provost Marshal, u indications give weight to the suspicion that. j, they convey dangerous information to the enemy. c rhey come over to Jacksonville, take note of all; ? that i? going on, then re-cross the rivor, and at ] light, it is alleged, they repair to a point a few 1 j miles up, meet the enemy's scout, and in that g my keep the rebels well informed as to our f movements. Ws have bad sufficient experience E to know that all the Floridians who claim to be t] oyal to the Union are not in every instance what i hoy represent themselves to bo. Itwonld be idvisable at anyrate to keep a strict watch over hem, and make an example of the first case of I perfidy. The colored people, aa a general thing, t its to be depended upon, and through one of 1 hem we devine more valuable information in c mo roiuiit* than we e?n get from a dox?n of i> hese Floridiaus on the other e>ide of the river in k week's time. There are ene or two women in facksonville, one of whom formerly lived in Baldwin, and who is now keeping a boardinglouse, that is rather outspoken in her secssh lentimants, and we would recommend that un- j ess she keeps a civil tongue within her head, he Provost Marshal to pay her a visit We have ; n our midst some Floridians who are true and kithful to our cause, and they should in every way receive our encouragement and support , Captvxe, Escapx asd Rx-caftcbk o? Thbkx Pbisobebs.?A few days since. Privates Gustavo Soofan, Co. B, Henry Stark, Co. E, and Henry Shumacher, Co. C, all of the Gth Conn. Regt., at-; tempted to desert in a boat which they took from j he Ordnance yard, and rowed down the coaat to Ossibaw sound. There they ware discovered oy one of our gunboats doing duty off that point, picked up and sent back to Hilton Head. They ' ircre placed in the guard-house by Provost-Marthall Peek, and each one was treated to the ben-! rfit of a heavy ball and chain. On the night of :he 17th, however, they succeeded in making heir escape under the following circumstances: Previous to the time mentioned one of tho party f procured by some means a file, with which he ormed the back of a common case-knife into a isw. On the night of their escape the prisoners [ severed their chains, and having been thus re- | eased of the iron weights which fettered them, j irer* free to accomphsh their design. With a I imall gimlet they perforated a sufficient space of he floor of their cell to enable them, when the xurd was taken up, to pass through. In remov- . ng the floor they also brought into requisition he knife-saw. All this work was done in the light, and when the prisoners had left their cell > hey crept along to the barracks, aud when the juard had reached a remote portion of his beat, nanaged to get, unperceived, into the Eng.neer's rard, where they secured a boat, which they annched and rowed off. The sentinels heard be filing in the night, bat sppposed the sound i ru occasioned by rats gnawing, and gave no i urther attention to It. At an early hour on the ollowing morning, Provost-Mrashal Peck was nformsd that the three prisoners were missing, (-hereupon he instantly despatched telegraph is uessages to diflsrent points in the district: also 0 several of the gunboats lying in the creeks rnrt rivers. He had ascertained that a boat had >een taken from the Engineer depot by unauthor- . ted persons, and this led bim to suspec^ that he prisoners had taken it as the means of escape. >n the afternoon of the 18th Capt. Peck received 1 telegram from Braddock's Point, informing lim that three men in a boat had been hailed by : he pickets and forced to land. On landing the nen immediately ran into the wooda. By order ! >f Capt Peck a patrol of men were mounted, rith instructions to search the woods and to en- j piirt of the contrabands whom they might meet f they had furnished food or water to white [ wldiers. By this means ths prisoners were j peedily tracked to their hiding place, captured nd brought into camp. They are now in the ;uard-houae once more, with a good heavy ball nd chain attached to their feet, and under the urveillance of sentinels appointed, expressly to j catch their movement*. The indications in the ase form the impression that the deserters were ^tempting to go over to the enemy. They arc ' uhstitutes for drafted men, and have been in he Department but a comparatively short time. ; rhe circumstances attending their desertion will i ? thoroughly investigated, and they will doubtess be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. 1 ?bese renegades, and other soldiere bke them rho attempt to follow in their footsteps will be nade to comprehend the wise saying that the i ray of the transgressor is hard." Th* Modkl of Foht Waoske.?The model!: f Fort Wagner, designed and executed by ofh- ' ers of the Engineer department, was aent North >y the Arago on her last trip. It will be on ex-1' libition at the Sanitary Fair in New York for a 1 ertain lencth of time, and then forwarded t<> it* dtimate point of destination ? West Point. 1' feasrs. Hut and Peale, the popular artists at | lilton Bead, have taken some excellent photo-11 raphic views of the model which will be exposed' or sale in a few days. This enterprising firm are i tow prepared to fill orders for the series of views. Deluding the engineering operations ou Morris 1 aland. CaSRlKRED.?3d Lieut. Frank Reynolds, 1st \ 8. Artillery, has been tried by a Court Mar- ; Lai on the charge of " Drunkenness on Duty." { lie Court found the accused "Guilty " of the hargee and specifications, and was sentenced j i 3 be cashiered. . % A* 1&ayk Sricunvron.?Not mar.y weeks ago a certain individual?a citizen, made his appearance in this Department, having como from ttaa north on the steamer Atlantic with the declared purpose of attending the land sales at BeaufortHe was frcilitated in obtaining his transportation at New York, through the permission wbith he received from the Secretary of War to pnrchase the same. At the time he secured his ps?s he paid $20, and on bis way down paid $S ou board the boat for his meals. When he left Hilton Head to return north, he paid $27 to the Department and again $8 for hia meals on the steamer, making an aggregate expense of $63. Arriving at his home in Massachusetts, the patriotic passenger sits down and indites a letter to Gen. Gillmore, in which he bitterly complains that he has been made the victim of a grass fraud by some military officers in tiie Government service. He intimates that while he was obliged to pay for transportation passes, others who came to the Department about the earns time with himself, were exempted from that additional expense. He also speaks of failing to obtain an explanation on the subject at the Provost Marshal General's oflcsTiere, and threaten* to expose the whole affair to the public unless certain specified conditions are complied. Gen. Gillmore received the communication and ordered it to be forwarded toProvost Marshal General Hall, who placed the fallowing endorsement on its baek. ' The pass from the Secretary of War, given to Mr. , states that he should pay for his transportation, and. he wee required to do so in New York, and by order* from Department Headquarters, he was not exempted from paying here. I saw Mr. , twiee and pertmally gave him an explanation. His statement thst he sought an. explanation and nans could be given, is not true. If transportation should be furnished to all loyal citizens." and friends, and hearty supporters of the Government, who support it bystaying at home or ask to travel about the country at Government expense, we would soon be overrun with a species of hearty supporters" not strictly needed in this Department If the Quartermaster has i wen transportation passe* north at Beaufort, without their passing through f that office, he has violated orders. The loyal friend? at lir. , avm the* Department $27 each, which wmaey is needed by the Commanding General for the beat interests of the service. The tax is less than the price charged by the Adams' Express Co. when they were running steamers to this port." The above endorsement if anything, is not severe enough. It is high toon that parties whocome down here to speculate at Government expense. should be made to know that they are altogether out of place. Gen. OiSmore wants men to ftght, and has no need or re una for speculators. It would be weH for civilians at the North, no matter how high they rank in position or society, who eon template comiuglerc on business nob military to recollect they may posaibly return HuaLitfitd icith (heir pltanr* trip. A tamr Gale.?! severe northeast gale commenced blowing last Monday which did not wholly oease until Tuesday night. Tor three days we heard of only one arrival at this port 111 iVsa olAsiwase iKat urare tVtm * tTiU?. Head were taken into I Be stream-and anchored. The Boston dragged ber anchor and went agronnd I o'clock Mondhy night bat ws# got off again tho nest morning by the tag AchiUtr. The Boston was not injured. The aebooner Yamwxcth alsowent aground a short distance above the pier where she bow Kes high and dry at low tide, but in sound condition. She will probably be got off in a few days. Although the gale was the severest we bawe experienced for some months we have not hesrek of any serious marine- disaster, mi! trust thai noma have happened.. Ax Acaiuc or Fibe.?On Tbesday. wight an alarm of fire was gi^pn ih consequence of theignrtioa of a quantity of rochets in the upper story of the Custom House. The rockets were in charge oSths Signal Officers who havaa sta tion and room* in thv braiding. They took Are from a defective flue used by the Cut torn House oC^err,- tbe Are burning through tee partition ed'commtmieatibg with, toe reckelB. Tne alarm was immediately rssponde J to by the Fire Department and numerous affleerr and civilians. In a few minutes the flames were quenched. tbUfly by tbe efforts of parties with buckets of water. One of the-engibee was get to work snd. kept in operation for * short time. But little dantaga waa occasioned by the fire although not a Jew persons were horribly scared. xvw phnroesbtfmie Kst^lishwitt.?Messrs*. Bonbons k Hmktfnglmv oywij an establishment is themi U No. 23,. Stttlea'e Row, where Unj are prepared to take pictures and views eqnat to those of any* artist north. We advise anjr one in want of picturea to give them a. call.