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r " y????? . THE NEW SOUTH] J. H. SEARS, Editor and Proprietor. PORT ROYAL, SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 1864. The New Mouth can be had of the following Agents : j. C. Alexajtdeb, P. M., Beaufort J. W. ALLEJf, P. M., . St Augustine. W. S. Mobxxll, P. M., - - Fernandina. J. D. Kayaxagh, Sutler, - . Morris Island. J as. Carholl, .... Fort Pulaski. Wx. Masoh, 53d Pa. Vols., - - Morris Island. C. K. Osgood, ... Jacksonville, Fla. W. H. Gavit, Hall Agent - - Morris Island. AFFAIRS IN FLORIDA. Lw of Another Steamer bj Torpedoes ?Evaroatioa of PQatka?Beeoaaoixanee by Oor far U TV. " In... ..Ill l_ A.. Froat?Jatksoarllle to ke HeM, etc. Correspondence of The New Socth : Jacksonville, Florida. ) April 20th, 1864. J The misfortunes of the Federal transports have culminated in the loss of the fine steamer General llunter, which was blown up by a rebel torpedo on the night of the 15th. The Hunier was loaded with Commissary and Quartermaster's stores, and was going up the St. John's from Jacksonville to Piccoleti, some thirty-five miles above here, where we had a brigade of contraband troops. It is somewhat singular that the General Hunier was blown up in the same locality where the Maple Leaf was destroyed. three weeks since. The wrecks o# both steamer* are nearly abreast of each other, and they will answer for the beginning of a grave yard for Federal steamers on the St John's. The Hunter was so well known in this Department that a description of her is almost superperfluous. She was constructed expressly for Major-General Hunter, was of elegant proportions, very fast, and was of four hundred tons burthen. She was owned by the Government and was valued at about $60,000. There is little prooaouity 01 eitner the Hunter or the Maple Leaf ever being nosed. There would be no difficulty in getting them up, but there being no dry. dock to repair them, in this Department, they will be left, very probably, as monuments to the diabolical instincts of the Rebellion. The loss of life on the Hunter was small, only one person being lost Both these transports were exceedingly valuable in this District, and will be greatly missed on the St John's. Our out-post at Pilatka was abandoned last week. This was rendered absolutely necessary on account of the transfer of troops elsewhere. Tie evacuation was very creditably performed ; all the guns in the redoubts were brought off; the abtatis thoroughly destroyed,the fcok-out pulled down, and everything of military value secured and transferred to this post The policy or wisdom of temporarily occupying small out-posts like Pilatka, is questionable. It was of no military importance, and its occupation held out hopes to the citizens there, and its vicinity," which will be destroyed by the withdrawal of our forces. On the day that Barton's troops left Pilatka, a reconnoisance was made by Major Stephens First Massachusetts i ? * v ? J Battalion, accompanied by a portion ol j the Third New Hampshire Mounted In; fantry, and a Battery. This command went as far as "Eight Mile Hummock;" discovered a camp of Bebel cavalry which they shelled, also drove in his vedette, and then retired to Pilatka, without the loss of a uian. No Confederate Infantry were discovered in this reconnoisance ; and it is questionable if any Rebel force, other than cavalry, have been near Pilatka since its occupation by Federal troops. In our front, here, the Confederate army continues in force, and is probably not far from fifteen thousand men. The main body still remains at Baldwin, with Cavalry camps at McGirt's Creek, ancfat Camp Finnegan. Itjwas rumored, a fort night since, that a portion of the Rebs had been withdrawn and sent back to Savannah and Charleston. Information from confidential sources, however, do not confirm that report, but tend to strengthen the belief that Anderson u in our front with his entire army. a ?i iv.i t i :n. ! numors are anoi t uiut ouuisouvuie will be abandoned before long. Stick is not the intention of the Commander of the District of Florida, nor of the military head of this Department. We have expended much in fortifying the town, in improving its appearance, and also its sanitary condition ; and I see no reason to abandon a*place so easily held, of so healthy a locality, aild one which we are bound in all honor to maintain and defend. Wo have occupied and abandon ed the town ticice previously, and to per petrate so grave an error, a third time, would condemn the Federal Government, and moke its promises of protection a by-word and a mockery. Not that th& ?"?-ji ? .? unuvo jc luuuiBijp <uc ou but a faithful promise from the Government, through its military commander, should be inviolate and sacred, and nothing short of military necessity should destroy it Tubal-Caly. Post Qcabtkbmasteb.? Lt Coltok, bas been relieved from duty as Post Quartermaster and returned to his regi| ment He has discharged the duties ol j his office to the satisfaction of all?and | regret that the Post should lose so clli-! | cient au officer. We wish him success | wherever his duties may call him. * 9 * A Fbsak of Peisoxebs.?One night | last week, thirteen prisoners confined in ; the Provost Guard House, took the op; portunity during the change of Provost ' Marshals, to vacate their cells and promi enade about the Head. In about twenty i four hours time the entire party excepting one, reported at the guard -house The reason they gave for slipping the guard was that they wnuted to see what i was going on, but they had no intention 1 of deserting. I Lt.-CoL. Halpine, Assistant Adjutant General to Major Gen. Hunteb has resigned on account of ill health. * At the Sanitary Fair now being held in New York, a one dollar Treasury Note was purchased for one thousand dollars. The bill was was found in the pocket ol a Union soldier who was shot It was pierced with rebel bullets. The bill came into the possession of the mother, and by her donated to the Fair as her contribution. A EXECUTION OF TWO DESERTERS, j A Solemn Spectacle. FULL PARTICULARS' OF THE RAD SCENE. On Sunday the 17th inst., at 3 P. M., Henry Shumacher of Co. C, and Henry Cfa^ir nf f!.-? E hnth of the Cth Conn. , tJiOlA V* W. regiment, were publicly shot for deser- i tion on grounds outside of the intrench" i ments at Hilton Head. The victims were substitutes, and join-! ed the regiment some months ago. When ; the regiment was on duty at Morris Is-: land, the two men, in company with a! comrade named Hoofan, deserted and attempted to reach the enemy's lines on i John's Island, but they were overtaken "and brought back to camp. Since the regiment has been at Hilton Head, the same parties escaped from the guardhouse at the Provost Marshal's headquarters where they were confined, seized a boat at the Ordnance Yard, and by its means endeavored to reach the enemy's lines. But they were again foiled in their design. A gunboat on duty off Ossibaw Sound, hailed them in the boat and returned them to Hilton Head The I < men were again taken to the guard-house ! and had heavy balls and chains attach-; ed to their legs, but by some means they i became possessed of a file, with which j 1 they formed the back of a common case knife into a saw, and thus had on instrument which they put into service one < dark night, by severing the fetters. They i then with the same instrument sawed a < square hole in the floor of their cell, which enabled them to pass through and creep along under the buildings until they reached the beat ground of the sen- 1 Jxj. They then watched their opportu-( nity, and when the sentry had reached i a point of the beat the most remote from 4he place where they were concealed, they crept beyond the confines of the guard-house and made for the Engineer Depot, where they secured a boat and again endeavored to desert. Capt. Peck the Provost Marshal, upon being inform ed early tne next morning, 01 me escape of the prisoners, immediately telegraphed to all points in the Department for officers and others to be on the alert. The afternoon of that same day again saw the prisoners back to their old cell in the guard-honse. They were seen by the mounted pickets rowing toward the beach near Braddock's Point Having touch ed the shore they instantly sprang from i the boat and ran precipitately for the woods. They were pursued and captured, and, as before mentioned, returned for the third time to the guard-house, i Balls and chains were again attached to their legs, and instructions given to the I sentinels to be doubly vigilant in the performance of their duty. Strange to i relate, however, Stark and Shumacher, i with a colored prisoner for a guide, for the fourth time made their escape. On i this last trial they abandoned the boat and took for the country, hoping to reach the rebel lines in that way. Mounted patrols were sent cut to scour the country, and within twenty-four hour's time j all three of the prisoners were lodged i safe in the guard-house. Thus it will be i seen that Stark and Shumacher endeavored to desert to the enemy's lines on : four different occasions. Hoofan. for the : same reason refused to go with the oth- i ers. The written indictment embracing ' the orders for the execution included the i names of Stark, Shum icher and Hoofau, < . ! but the name of the last mentioned party was mis-spelled Hoofmnn, which simple mistake served to save him from sharing the fate of the others. m The ground selected for the exeeution TT onmo e% o o f tinAti Y% U? ULOJL1J vuv OUUiV UiUV Uj-'VA* nuivu Lunt was shot, some two years ago. It was at a short distance from outside the intrenchmenta, and a little to the left of the road leading to Seabrook. The ground is quite level and is bordered on the west and southwest by a deep marsh and a tangled thicket. At 2 P. AL, the solemn cortege emerged from the guard-house gate and proceeded slowly toward the place fixed for the execution. The procession was preceeded by three mounted guards with drawn sabres, whose special office was to see that no obstacles were in the line of march. At the head of the procession walked Capt Babcock, Provost Marshal, and Capt King, Assistant Provoet Marshal Thpv xcprc. foil owed bv a d?tA/>h. ment of the 6th Conn. regiment. Then came the prisoners, seated on their coffins in an army supply wagon drawn by four horses. On either side ot the wagon was a guard of four men. Next in order came an ambulance containing Father Hasson, the officiating Priest, Chaplain Woodruff of the 6th Conn., and one or two others. A detachment of troops fol. lowed and brought up the rear of the procession. A large number of soldiers and civilians, although not properly at tached to the procession, still followed it in the rear and on either flank. Immediately following the Provost Marshals was a drum corps. The prisoners were attired in black felt fiats, loose blouses and soldiers ordinary shirts and pants. In going to lief that they experienced any serious compunction for the crime committed. Stark especially appeared remarkably buoyant, and frequently remoTed his hat and swung it round his head as he recognized some of his acquaintances in the crowd. His face wore a faint smile,and every now and then he would reach over the side of the wagon and shake hands with a friend. Schumacher, not onite so forward in his movements, sat quietly for most of the time, although occasionally he would start up and join his comrade in giving or receiving salutations. The procession reached the ground at about 2.30 p. m. The troops already there had formed a large square so that ' when the others arrived they took their places in the line. On the side facing the prisoners was the 6th Conn.; on the right the 4th Mass. Cavalry, and on the left detachments of the 76th Pa.; the 85th Pa.; the 9th U. S. colored and other troops. The wagon containing the t?ris ? ! oners, and tlie ambulance and the detachment of the 6th Conn, who were to shoot the prisoners, also the drummers who played a dead march, filed round the troops on the inside of the square.' They then halted |at the place of execn- , tion; the coffins were deposited on the ground and the preparations immed' ately entered upon for the last act The \ soldiers withdrew a little to one side, the wagon was driven away and all retired from the spot save Father Has am who ^ remaiaoa to aaminister to the prisoners the last spiritual rite they were to re- j ceive on earth. On that barren, sandy soil, the venerable priest, the prisoners 1