The free South. (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864, May 21, 1864, Image 3
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* VOL. H.
. UNION STATE CONVENTION.
Pursuant to the following call, a mass
meeting convened at the Saxton Souse
Hall, in Beaufort, S. C., May 17,1864, at
10 A. M., and was called to order by H.
-G. Judd, Esq., who stated1 its object and
read from The. "Free South" the caD,
* it ^ -* f1' >
as follows :
- ? _ ?m m WT ? A
J| tiBll IVI a VIUVU omtb VVH>V<I>mwa>?
A MASS STATE CONVENTION is
hereby called to assemble in the town of
Beaufort, S. C., at 10 o'clock, A. M., on
Tuesday, May 17,1864, for the purpose of
selecting delegates to represent the Union
people of South Carolina in the National
Convention which meets at Baltimore, on
Tuesday, June 7th, 1864.
The people of this State, without distinction
of party or color, " who desire
; the Unconditional maintenance of the '
UNION, the Supremacy of the CONSTI- I
TUTION, and the complete suppression
.of the existing REBELLION, and the
i CAUSE thereof, by vigorous War, and by I
i .-all apt and efficient means," are invited
to assemble in person or by represents- ;
J lives, and participate in the choice of
Sixteen suitable persons as delegates to
represent the State of South Carolina in
the Baltimore National Union Convention,
-which meets on the 7th of June next, to I
nominate candidates for President and j
Vice-President of the United States.
Every male inhabitant, twenty-one
* years of age, who has resided in the state
jix months, with the intention of making it
f kixhon is, is invited to participate in'the I
proceedings, and is eligible to the offioe
MANY C1TIZEN&
After which he nominated the Hon. A.
D. Smith as Chairman, which was unanimously
carried, and Messrs. Sonle and
Bennett were called upon to conduct the
Chairman to the chair. Messrs. J. P.
Wilkes and S. W. Ely were nominated
and elected as Secretaries. After which
I prayer was offered by Rev. S. L. Harris.
The following gentlemen we& then
nominated and elected Vice Presidents of
the Convention :?Dr. Knox, R, Soule,
Jr., S. W. Bennett, J. 0. Alexander, G.
M. Wells, Col P. Dunbar, H. G. Judd,
* ^and Francis Low. ^ .
The Convention then resolved that a
committee of five be appointed to draft
.and report resolutions expressive of the
( 1 sense of the meeting, when the following
gentlemen were appointed by the Chairman
Messrs. E. '-G. Dudley, H. G.
" ? t> m 1:?? T> Tr. a /I T
IXJCICI, XV. luiuuuauU)Xt. uviuc) ??. ? u v.
R. Dennett.
The committee retired, when ad lresses
were liiadfc by-fte President, ' EtefetA. ?D.
Smith, Major ?. J. Porter and Mr. Knox,
when the Convention took a recess until
two o'clock P. M., to await the report of
the committee on resolutions. ^ . a * t.
The Convention reassembled at two
P. M? and was called to orderbjr the
President. The Committee on Resolutions
not being ready to report, the Convention
listened to remarks by Col. Ashbnrn,
of Georgia, at the conclusion of
which the report of the Committee on
Resolutions was receiyed and read by
their Chairman, E. G. Dudley, Esq.,
when the Convention resolved that the
-report be accepted, and the resolutions
acted upon separately. The following
resolutions were adopted r '
Whereat, The National Union Committee have issued
a cull for a National Union Convention to asserable
in Baltimore on the 7th day of June next, for the
purpose of nominating suitable men to be elected to
the high Offices of President and Vice President of the
Unite.d States; and Wherea*, there never before in the
hiftory of oar country have been interests at stake of
sach momentous importance as are involved in the
? afcnes of.the next four years. And W her ecu, it ia emir
S aently fitting that South Carolina, from whose traitorf
etis counsels and evil example so many of the woes
' " *>*w?finntniF shonld.
f 91 AC &IDICI CUC I2?UUJ1 OA ^ ivaavr ?T M WMM,V wr.
sow that a portion of the revolted State is inhabited by !
: hose ivho have never swerred from -their devotion to 1
the true principles of liberty, and to the flag which is/
their recognized symbol, take part in the endeavor to
place at the head of the Government those men whose
sagacity and patriotic effort shall best and soonest end
the unnatural straggle and establish the reign of justice
and right throughout an undivided ana restored
country, therefore,
1st. Aessiwvf, That we, the free, loyal citizens of
South Carolina, in Convention assembled without distmstion
of race, party or color, plant ourselves upon
the broad principles of the Constitution of the United
States in its origlial purity, taking for our platform the
Declaration of Independence.
2d. Rttolvtd, That we here and now constitute our-selses
one cotjs of the great army of occupation to '
podsess the land which our brave trbops have conquered
from the enemy, and consecrate the same now 1
and forever to freedom. And here let the world take
note that slaves cannot breathe in the free lands of
Bjrt Royal. "They touch our shores and their
shackles tall."
3d, ilrsolved, That this jiret free State Convention In South
Carolina, assembled at Beaufort, on this 17th
iaj. of May, ISO4, will elect the full number of dele4
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n , ,u?l ut . ? ' > *'/. "
1 .4 01
\
THE FREE SOUT??BEi
pates to which we are entitled, sixteen citizens. good
men and true, to represent the State of Sooth CafWjM
in the Convention at Baltimore.
4th. Renoired. That these delegates from the people
be Instructed to Teptesent that portion of the State
which has been restored, and which pars fealtv and allegiance
to the Federal Government; broad deep and j
permanent iounaauons are now Demi; iaia on wmcn
cirU> and religions liberty may stauif for the coming
ages.
5th. Resolved, That in the "irrepressible conflict"
now going on in this country the wicked days of concession
to slavery andof complicity with that "Sum of
all villianies" are past, never to return.
Cth. Resolved, That we view F'ith intense satisfaction
the action or the Government in arming and sending
to the field thousands of colored troops, and that we
rejoice that by act of Congress and the decision of Attorney
GetwrnHlates tWJr win at last have justice done
tbein in the matter of their pay.
7tb. Revolted, That Port Royal, which includes the
town of Beaufort, Is, by the proclamation of President
Lincoln, a free port, open to the world, and conse.
qnently should be Subject to no restrictions whatever
upon its trade and commerce any more than are laid on
Boston, New York or any other free port in the United
States, and that we will use our lasst endeavors to have
ail such restrictions removed.
Sth. Resolved, That it should be the policy of the
Government to encourage and help on the emigration
of the citLzeafltf the North to a 1.1 portions of the conquered
termor Of the South, so that the lands won by
our troops shall l>e forthwith taken possession of by
the loyal people of the South in conjunction with those
of the*North, reserving, however, lands for the soldiers
of the Union Army, and also taking special care to consider
the solemn fact that the people freed bv the incidents
of this war are turned homeless and landless .upon
the world; and that it is the duty of the Government to
pfovide them adequate homesteads at the minimum
Government price to enable them to become, as they
are anxious and competent to become, not only selfsustaining
and self-governing, but tax paying citizens.
Wh. JJeeolred, That we have the highest confidence
in the ability, integrity and patriotism of onr Chief
Magistrate, General Rufus Saxton; that he has
especially devoted himself to the help and snccor of the
poor and oppressed race in the Land, and that the least
of those ready to perish have never appealed to him in
vain. That since the assumption of his functions as
Military Governor he has brdrebt order oat of chaos,
encouraged and_protected legitimate commerce, administered
equal and exact jastice. and so far as his
powers have extended has labored with good success in
preparing the way for the speedy establishment of civil
government.
10th. Resolved, That while wc recognize the fact that
there are difference of opinion as to the man best fitted
to receive the nonftation of the Baltimore Convention
for the "Presidency, we are content to acqnlese in its
W tknt foil An u'hnm mav
tlth. Ruolctd, That in onr judgment the time has
now comfrfbr the dill status of South Carolina, or that
portion ofitlojal to the Union to be exactly defined,
and for its citizens to claim the attention of the Government
: that we arc much in need of courts of justice
and the civil officers pertaining thereto, and that we
especially need the appointment of a suitable person to
act as United States Judge for the District of South
Carolina.
Amending the 10th as follows, by adding
" that four delegates be elected at
large, and twelve representing the State.
Also an alternate to each."
A motion was then carried that the
delegates be openly nominated and
elected viva vooi, and the following were
chosen :
DELEGATES AT I.AKGZ. AI.*Ek2?ATES_
Brig. Gen. R. Saxton, Capt. J. E. Thorn dfke,
Hon. A. D. Smith. Capt. L. W. Mctcalf,
MaJ. Edmund J. Porter, Francis Low, '
E. O. Dudley. ' S. W. Mason,
ll nnxoATra. % at.tkrnato.
8. W. Bennett, K. Thomas
Robert Small, , Richard McCurvey,
James G. Thompton, E. K. Collins,
Henry G. Jadd. Joseph P. W likes,
Jno. C. Alexander, A. S. Hitchcock,
L. Rivers, Sergt. Williams,
S. W. Ely, Arthur Sumner,
S.C. Millett, t: ' T. C. Severance,
S. A. Cooley, G. B. Wrtlman,
Henry Haynes, Ed. Colvin.
Col. P. Dunbar, C. CLE' jbina, t
B. K. Lee, Jr? G. M.;Veils, ..
On motion, the Chairman was directed
to appoint a Committee tt> solicit subscriptions
to defray expense of the delegation,
and the following were named:?S/ C.
Millet, Henry Bran, W. Uv Tacjcaoerry,
S. W. Ely, H. G. Judd.
It was then resolvqj! that the delegation
elected act as an Executive State Comi
.' \ f : |
mittee for the ensuing year, and also resolved
that a vote of thanks be tendered ,
to the proprietors of the Saxton House
for the use of their haA' br the Convention.
The Convention then adjourned
sine die. . ,
A. D. SMITH, President of Convention.
3. W. (
Retobt Couiiteous.?A Western paper
vouches for the followingr?In of the
upper townships of this county reside two
farmers whose places are separated by a
small creek. They aro well-to-do people, f
bat diametrically opposed in politics, and
each noted for the zeal with which he tiefends
his sentiments, Mr. M being
a straight uncompromising Union man,
and Mr. S , a Copperhead. Meeting
a few days before the election, Mr. S
A/vnatorl his neighbor. saving:?
"How is it, friend M , I hear that
j there is a prevalent disease on your side
of the creek?"
I ' 'Ah!" said M ,' 'what is the disease?"
"Nigger on tho brain," replied Mr. S.
[ "Well," said M , "that is a mere
trifle, compared with the malady on the
other side."
"Indeed!" exclaimed S , "apd pray
what can that be?" i
"Traitor at the heart!" retorted M.
The hit was palpable, and the conversation
"took a turn."
Soft Soap is the material with which
we are^lathertd before we are shayed,
4
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UJFORT, S.'C., MAY 21, 1864.
FROM MORRIS ISLAND.
Mokbis Islaxd, May llr 1864.
Yesterday we bad on and around this
Island quite an expenditure of powder
andiron. At sundown the evening pre- ,
vious I- witnessed the filing of a volley
from Chatfield and Putnam into Sumter.
Putnam led the van, and her shell fell
? ' if
faitly into* the fort and exploded there
the others were only a few seconds behind,
and all burst at nearly the same
instant, some sixty feet in the air above
that rain. The shower of iron from above
and the explosion of those thirteen-inch
1 ponderous globes within must have af
forded a decidedly impressive sunset
salute.
I think the rebs were a little mad, for
the next morning (the 10th) Moultrie and
battery Bee opened upon Chafcfleld with
considerable violence. Their firing was
rapid, but most of the shell fall short. 1
judge their best guns may have been re-!
moved, or that they never had any very
good ones on Sullivan's Island.
About ten o'clock the Seoeswonville
batteries commenced throwing shell into
the woods on Long Island- for what purpose
it would not be proper foe me to
state. But they imagine we have, or intend
to have, some batteries there, which >
some day may be found to be uncomfortably
near. I wish * all thesr fears had a
solid foundation. Battery Green, and
Purviance from near the mouth of Lighthouse
Inlet, opened uppn Secessionville,
and after some time the apparently fruitless
firing ceased. Gapt. Hoyt, Co. A*
34th U. S. C. X, commands Purviance,
and his colored artillerists I thought
made as good shots as-any others.
One of the deserters mentioned in.my
last was from the city, and had been servant
to a rebel captain for same months.
He is somewhat intelligent and very oandid
and truthful, at. least so far as- we have
the means of verifying his statempnts.
He confirms all other renorts in
regard to tlie rutncrtps eUtect ot our
upon the city. But a small part of the
place is inhabited. Three shells have
passed through the "fill's House." The
other eleven were from a plantation on
the Ashley river, some four miles above 1
the city. They represent the style of
living among the chivalry as being of the
highest order. ,
The arrival of another monitor here
[ and some other marementein the navy
' indicate that some land of change or 6t i
activity is near at har d. We may; within
a few days, see scenes, similar to those (we
witnessed last autumn.: >
Last night a little. after midnight the
rebels commenced eaiinonadingin furious
style Long Isknd again.
The wind continues high from day to
day, the sea is rough, we get no mails,
' *-_x?_ a?: .3
tue sana is constantly nywg m uuiuuu
storms, we get the blues,, and wish the
war was over. In short, we are on Morris
Island.
Eight deserters from Johnston eame in
last night They were artillerists, and |
the best ripearing lot of rebels I have
seen. Thwr report seven day's fighting in 1
Virginia, wffihT the advantage on Lee's
side, but nothing decided. Lee has!
300,000 men,, and is fighting the fight of
the rebellion. There is scarcely any
troops about Charleston.
Artemus Ward, in speaking of the newspaper
of hie village, says that the "advertisements
are well written, and the deaths
and marriages are <xmducted with signal
atfHity." '
A debating club lately discussed the important
question, '-whether a rooster's
knowledge of daybreak is the result of
observation or instinct."
A Dutchman's heart-rending soliloquy
is described thus: "She loves Shon Mickle
so petter as I, because he has got coopla
tollars more as I has."
A marriage notice in one of the New
York papers last week, had the addition:
" old style?cards and cakes."
Opportunities, like eggs, must be hatched
when they are fresh* , ?
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NO. 19.
Colonel Mesebjr Outwitted.
The following uomes to us from a relia- ble
source, and the truth of the facts related
mar be Tehed onr?
Colonel. Moseby, the guerrilla chief,
has become famous, and his dashing exploits
are often recorded to our disadvantage;
but even he meets with his match
occasionally. . ., <,
On Friday lost, March 25th, Captain E.
B. Gere, of the Griswold Light Cavalry,
was sent out with one hundred and twenty
five men to the neighborhoods of Ber- -
ryviiie ana Winchester en a scout, ana
encamped at Millwood, some six or eight
miles from the former place. \
After the men had got their fires built,
Sergeant Weatherbee, of Company B:~
Corporal Simpson, of Coptipanv H, and
a private, went some two mi les from camp
to get supper at a farm-hous e, and, while
waiting for the long-delaye tl tea, were
surprised to find several revol vers suddenly
advance into the room, t ?ehind each
pair of which was either Colon el Moseby,
a Rebel Captain, or a Lieu tenant, all
rather determined men, with "shoot in
their eves," who demanded the i in mediate
surrender of the aforesaid Yank* ?es. The
aim being wicked, the three 21; iters saw
they were "under a cloud," and *o quietly
gave up the contest.
Colonel Moseby was much elate d by bis
good fortune, and required his pi "isonera
to follow him supperless on his roi mds to
his headquarters at Paris; the p rivate,
however, while pretencEng to get his horse,
hid himself in the hay and escaped,. Moseby
not daring to wait and hunt him \ up.
On the way to Paris the Colonel am oised
himself by constancy taunting his p risoners
with questions:?"Were they with: ?,
Major Cole when he thrashed him at l'p? ~
perville?' "Were they with Major Smllivan,
of the 1st Veterans?. when his m ien
ran away and Bft him?" "How did they
fancy his grey nag??he took thatrfrora a
Yankee lieutenant" "Didn't the Yanks
dread him more than they did the regular
Rebel cavalry?" "How did they (the prisoners)
like his style of fighting?" and a
hundred such remarks, that indicated the
man as being more of a vain braggart
than a hero.
He was, in the meantime, engaged in
gathering his men with the avowed intention
of attacking Captain Gere's force at
daylight, and, ii possible, of cutting it to
pieces. His followers live in the farm
houses of London, Clarke, and Jefferson -,
counties, and are either Rebel soldiers or * *
Union citiaeng, as the case require.
He would ride up to a house, call Joe or '
Jake, and tell them that he wanted fchem^ .
at such an hour at the usual place; to go
and tell Jim or Moee. Almost every farm.
turned out somebody in answer to his
call, proving that these men, with the
certified oath of allegiance in their pockets,
and with passes allowing them tocome
in and go out of our lines at will,
are not only in sympathy with the enemy,
but Are themselves perjured Rebels.
When they arrived at Paris, Colonel
Mbseby dismounted and stepped into the
house where he had his headquarters,,1,
leaving nis pistols fit the holsters. The
lieutenant,'with drawn revolver, watched
the prisoners while the captain endeavored .
d?% A II a IM>111 4a ImLa
iaj uiiu on uiuciijr w uuir wic IIUIOCQ* ,
Corporal Simpson, who Had been Ynark-^,--* v'
ing the road for future use, and had . been >
long Woking for it, saw his chance antL. pretended
to tie his horse, bat really pat--*
ting his foot into the stirrup of Moseby's-f
saddle and laying hold ofcone of the overlooked
pistols. The Lieutenant detected^
the move and fired at him* when Simpsonv
shot him through the heart with tins
weapon he had secured. The cap tain .
turned round and fired, and Cotondl Most* .
by came to the door to see "what all thr .t
row was about," just in time to he ar
a bullet whiz unpleasantly dose to his
head, that he tired at him, '"just for Lik -k,"
as he and his comrade left, yelling 1 ,ack:
"Colonel Moseby, how do you lilar . onr
style of fighting? We belong to tie . 2ist
New York." And away they wens leaving
Colonel Moseby dismounted, m outwitted
of his best horse, saddle* istols,
overcoat, two Yankee prisoners, an^ at
least one vacancy among h?conu aissioned
officer* Corporal SimAn ro* je twelve
miles to the camp, closely follor ^ed by the
sergeant, and gave Captain G* re no
tice of the enemy's intention' ^ that they
thought best not to pitch u ] at the appointed
time.
The captured horse is a ' very fine one,
and with the arms, equip? iente, kc., are
still in the possession of Simpson. Wa
believe it is the intention of tha regiment
j to buy thorn from the ' Government and
I to present them to the ' 'Yankee Corporal
who beat Moseby out o f his pet nag."
Captain Gere return ed to camp at Halltown,
Saturday afte rnoon, having captured
Lieutenant \Vysong, of the 7 th.
Virginia, the succor *or of Captain Black- ford,
a noted guerrula, who was killed by
a sergeant of the 1st N, Y, not long sinoe^