The free South. (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864, August 01, 1863, Image 2
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VOL. L
THE F R E 3 SOUTH, j
BEA1TOUT, S. C., AKJIST I, iSG3.
ITF* Agents wanted iu the different Regiments of this
Department, for the Fane Sot th.
{7 the President of the Cnited Mates?
A Proclamation
It has pleased Almighty Gcxl to hearken ]
to the supplications and prayers of an af- }
flicted people, and to vouchsafe to the
Army and the Navy of the United States, i
on the land and on the sea, victories so !
signal and so effective as to furnish reasonable
grounds for augmented confidence
that the union of these States, will be
maintained, their Constitution preserved
and their peace and prosperity permanently
preserved ; but these victories have
been accorded not without sacrifice of life, |
limb, health and liberty, incurred by
brave, patriotic and loyjil citizens.
Domestic affliction in every part of the
country follows in the brain of these fear- !
fill bereavements. It is meet ayd right
to r Agnize and confess the presence of
* * and the power of
vHis nond'eqafel^ in^fiese triumphs, and
these sorrows. 9
Now, therefore, be it known that I do
a|t apar^ Thursday, the sixth day of August
next, as a day for National thanksgiving,
praise, and prayer, and I invite the
people of the United States to assemble
on that occasion in their customary places
of worship, and, in the forms approved
by their own conscience, render the homage
due to the Divine Majesty for the
wonderful things He has done in the
nation's behalf, and invoke the influence
of His Holy Spirit to subdue the anger
which lias produced and so long sustained
a needless and cruel rebellion ; to change
the hearts of the insnj:?z4nta ; to guide the
counsels of the Government with wisdom
adequate to so great a national emergency,
and to visit with tender care t&d consolation,
throughout the length and breadth
of our land, all those who through the
? vicissitudes of march?!, voyages, battles
and sieges, have been brought to suffer in
mind? body or estate, and finally to lead
the whole nation through paths of repentance
and submission to the Divine "Wifl
back to the perfect enjq^ment of Union
and fraternal'peace.
4a wi tries? wbtcsof I have herennto pet my hand and
taped the peal of the United States to bo affixed.
JJjppg at the City of Washington this 15th day of July.
We year of oar Lord one thousand sight hundred
tad sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United
8tetes of America the eighty-eighth.
By the President _ ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
william m. sewarin ssecmmry oi ouaic.
0
The rebels in North Carolina seem to
be in sore distress. The reactionary
movement, as it may be called, *is passing
% beyond the control gj those who are charged
tith the management of the confederate
affairs. Governor Vance has called a
meeting, of the legislature to discuss some
local matters, but virtually with the idea
of reopening negotiations with a view of
returning North Carolina to the Union.
We shall gladly welcome the old North
State into the family of loyal States.
The London Times, wliich seems to
possess a degree of inspiration, and has
made a number of prophecies in this war,
has favored us with another. Writing in
the early part of July, it says, "We may
expect in a week or two to hear of President
Davis being in Washington." It is
only just to say that its last prophecy is
~ n 1^1 a no onr 4liof liovo
195 ICJiOl lk(l U1C WO ?*!? VUHV UM1V pVVVViVV
From Richmond papers received here
it appears that the brutal design of executing
two Union officers, chosen by lot
from among those in the Libby prison, in
retaliation for the rebel spies condemned
by court martial and hung at Cleveland,
will not now be carried out. The immense
excess of rebel prisoners in our
possession has doubtless induced this decision.
THE FHEE SOUTH, SATO
V I
Donation:* f.-om the Frecdmen to the
filospitals oc Braufort.
The interest which the freeimen of
Beaufort and of the plantation ? on the
adjacent islands have shown to the wounded
soldiers of the54thMass. Vols., (colored)
now in the hospitals here, has been
marked by all who have visited or been
officially connected with them. They
have brought them freely, fresh fruit,
chicken broth and other suitable delicacies
and volunteered to act as nurses, and
have done good service when accepted as
such. They may be seen carrying their
contributions, waiting upon them, fanning
them and otherwise promoting their
comfort. All this might have been expected.
It was natural to minister to
those of their own race and color. But
the freedmen have not confined their benefactions
to these. They have desired to
give donations from their own gardens to
the white soldiers who, as they understand
it, are fighting for them. Messrs. Gannett
and Wells brought a load of Melons
to Beaufort last week, which the colored
contributors desired to have distributed
among the wounded white or colored as
most needed. Mr. Fairfield brought from
St ^fc^fna another load of Melons last
Monday which the laborers oif ?he plantations
had donated, and which, on being
told that the hospitals of the white soldiers
Iteie probably less suplied, they desired
that the white soldiew should have
them. The recipients of Hospital Xo. 9,
smiled gratefully when told who were the
benefactors. When we consider how
small are the private stores of these people
owing to the lateness of their receiving
the boon of freedom, the delay in paying
them since, and other causes, and also the
high price of the Melons, which bring
fiity and seventy-five cents apiece, these
donations will appear to be not merely
expressions of a benevolent feeling, but
liberal contributions. This is but anothof
the 'thousand indications traMipiriug
daily which shpw that the emancipated
slaves are ready to aid as cordially and
effect^ely by arms, information, labor,
good will and otherwise whenever they
are treated generously and justly.
Since writing the above, other donations
of a like character have been rej^rted to
us.
Through Rev. Mr. Phillips, ninety melons
were sent in on Tuesday by the freedratn
for the hospitals of both white and
black soldiers.
Through Mr. Folsom, they sent in Jor
the same purpose, twenty-eight melons,
4rwenty-twa chickens, and a large quantity
of eggs.
On Wednesday, through Mr. Ruggles,
they sent in fifty melons, two bushels of
sweet potatoes, two dozen ears of green
corn, a peck of tomatoes, a quantity of
figs, some ochre, twelve chickens, and five
-7 on pfftrs.
X4V"V" voo?
Through Mr. Allen, whose superintendence
is at St Helena village whe*e the
people are mainly the Edisto refugees
and have had less means of procuring subsistence,
they sent in twenty-five melons,
twenty-five dozen ears of green com, two
bushels of sweet potatoes, a bushel of tomatoes
and twelve chickens.
Other like gifts have been sent in by
the freedmen as their own free offerings.
JSrRev. Mr. Phillips of the St. Helena
Church, baptised, by immersion some 60
converts last Sunday. Among them were
some very old people. One old woman
was about 90 years, and belonged to the
Oaks plantation. She is well known by
visitors to the plantation, for lier quaint
! ness and originality of speech. She was
taken to the church in the carriage of the
Superintendent. Another old man on
the place, of seventy, was baptised. We
are informed that in 44 secesh times " on
many plantations the slaves were forbidden
to join the church, as it would involve
j the leaving of the plantation on Sundays.
Many believers have, in this way been
denied the customary rites of the christian
1 faith.
FRDAY, AUGUST 151863.
Trip of SJcnmcr CoMUinpoii?a? with
a via? of truce from Hilton Head to
Charlc^tom
We are indebted to Purser Fen wick, of
the Cosmop'jlifni, for the following:?
The steamer Cosmopolitan left Hilton
Head at 2 o'clock on the morning of the
24th, with 38 rebel wounded, and arrived
oil' Charleston Bar at 8 A. M., crossed
the Bar at 10 A. M. and met the blockade
runner Steamer Alice in charge of
Col. Anderson, of artillery, C. S. A., together
with Major Middleton, A. D. C.
^ "O on/1 Porvf Wonn^oi*
IU \_TtMl. ucauil'giuu, nuu
Bishop Lynch, of Charleston, was also on
board and some -40 civilians, who came
down to satisfy curiosity. The Cosmopolitan
took on board 105 wounded men, in:
eluding three commissioned officers, and
I have 140 more left at Charleston, too dan- I
i gerously wounded to be removed.
Col Shaw was killed on the ramparts
of Fort Wagner, and buried in a pit with
25 negroes.
The negro soldiers were receiving the '
same care as our wounded at Charleston,
and in same hospitals together.
1 One Of the* editors of the Charleston
I Courier was on board.
The Cosmopolitan took one dead body
from the Stammer Alice?a man who died 1
on the passage from Charleston on the :
Alice.
Everyboay seemed social and nothing
unpleasant occurred. The civilians told
some rather tough stories in regard to the
defences of Charleston, and deny that
there was any skedaddling there, 'and
that all is quiet, the citizens remaining
in their homes.
Inhumanity and Poltroonery of the '
Rebel Surgeons.?The infamy and cow|
ardiee of the rebel surgeons in deserting
' ' ' > .1^.1
tlie men 01 xneir army wuuuuv-u uk mc j
battle of Gettysburg is without parallel
in the war. In every battle in which for- j
j tune has been adverse to our arms, and
1 our wounded have been temporarily left
within the rebel lines, the brave and self
denying surgeons of the regiments have
either remained with the fallen, or have
immediately applied for passes within the j
rebel lines, that they might be cared for. ;
But the rebels left lying 011 the field many
thousands of their wounded?Dr. Vellum I
reports the number at ten thousand?and
left with them neither surgeons, stores
nor nurses, but literally abandoned them
to their fate. These men complained
bitterly of the cruelty of their Surgeons
in thus forsaking them, but bore up
patiently under their sufferings for many
days, until they could be attended to by
some of our own surgeons, most of whom
had at once to hasten forward with their
own regiments to other fields. ,We have
published, says the Tribune, a thrilling
letter from the battle-field, written six
days after the close of the contest, which
stated that there were hundreds of the
rebel wounded not then reached,?that
* * 11 n 1 r 1
hundreds 01 mem it uau ueeii iuuuu impossible
even to cover, and that they lay
in the woods with broken limbs and torn
bodies, drenched in the rain, some having
even been drowned in the floods which
rose around them. Of course everything
possible was being done for them, and
doctors, wound-dressers and nurses were
arriving. We were not prepared for, and
could not nave forseen, the flight of all
the rebel surgeons. It will long be remembered
to their disgrace, both by the
unfortunate rebels and by the whole
country.
Among the arrivals at Libby prison,
published in the Richmond Dispatch of
* '? * 11 -1 t
tlie lBtli inst., we nnu ine name 01 xj.
Thompson, First Lieutenant Second U.S.
Cavalry, brother of Mrs. Gen. Saxton.
?2MIYe are indebted to Thomas McManus,
Purser of the steamer Fulton,
for files of New York, Boston, and London
papers, for which lie lias our thanks.
Why is a drunkard hesitating to s\gn
the pledge, like a skeptical Hindoo ? Because
he is in doubt whether to giije up
the worship of J ug-or-uot,
NO. 30.
Tlie IS'civ York Itiot.
The Tribune of the 23d inst. says the
city lias at last resumed its good behavior,
and, except the presence of troops in
some of the public squares, shows little of
the stem aspect of war. Curious crowds
gather occasionally around the ruins of
buildings destroyed by the rioters, especially
at the place where the Colored Orphan
Asylum stood. Not much is said,
but the deep indignation of the people is
manifest in looks more eloquent than
words. The police are exploring suspect^
ed quarters, and dragging to light great
quantities of stolen property ; the colored
people move about unmolested, yet with
considerable apprehension ; those who had
been sent away from saloons an#other
1 places have, in most instances, returned,
I and employers mean to keep them in
1 spite of mobs. It is worthy of note that
the best patrons of such places not only
sustain this very proper restoration, but
insist upon its being made. Some impor- *
I taut arrests have been made, and the authorities
are on the track of the most no- ,,
torious of those suspected of leading the
rioters. * *
The Mayor lias offered a reward of five
hundred dollars for the apprehension and
conviction of any person who has committed
either murder or arson in the
[ course of the recent riots in that city.
The report that the government had ordered
the draft to be suspended is utterly
unfounded. As soon as a sufficient force
is massed in New York the draft will be
executed to the letter, and in the event of
a renewal of the disturbance the military
say that ball cartridges will be plentifully
used against the mob.
All of the New York troops which enlisted
for service in Pennsylvania have reiiivnnrl
liAmo A t iirpsMit, fjpn. Sandford's
I tUlliVU uviyvi
force numbers 8,300 men. That does not
include the regiments now on duty in the
three veai*s' service. Besides the militia,
ffiere are at various points within the city ?1
limits about 4,000 regulars, making a total
force of 12,000?cavalry, infantry and ar|
tillery. Regular troops are constantly arriving,
and by the time the draft is re|
commenced the military force of New
York city will be augmented to 16,000.
t&*Tke journals from the various districts
of New York state, from Pennsylvania,
from the eastern states, and
from all the places where the draft is being
enforced, come to us with full accounts
of the scenes and incidents, the
humors and accidents connected with the
i conscription. In Philadelphia, in Boston,
i in Pittsburgh, in the large cities in the
: western part of New York, it has producI
fid much animation, and there have been
many lively scenes, but no rioting. There
was a trifling row in Boston, in sympathy
with tl^e New "^orS riot, but it amounted
; to nothing. In Boston they make merry
I over the conscripts, rejoice in their fortunes
or commiserate their misfortunes*
i as the case may be ; while the conscripts
j bear their honors becomingly. It is the
| same in Philadelphia. In Elmira, N. Y.,
says the Times, the utmost good feeling
, prevailed during the drafting, and tho
' conscripts inarched around in costume and
with bands of music, cheering heroically
for the Constitution and the laws ; and
the same thing lias occurred in scores of
other places. Thousands of strange and
amusing ini ulents are recorded concerning
those who are drawn ; but even in
lmvd eases, nobody thinks of a general
slaughter and house-burning to enlighten
them.
The Philadelphia Press says that now,
if ever, is the golden hour of the Kepublic.
If we would reach peace, it must be
by a mighty, violent, and overwhelming
blow. * The rebellion is reeling. See the
I cries of despair, in another column, that
| comes from every southern journal Crush
| treason at home, unite the north in one
nfighty ariay, and*the\4 advance along the
lines. Victory is as sure as sunlight after
the dawn.