The palmetto herald. (Port Royal, S.C.) 1864-1864, March 24, 1864, Image 2
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BT S. W. MASON* AND CO.
PORT ROYAL. THURSDAY. MARCH 24. 1SC4.
GEN. GILLHORE AND THE CAPTURK
OP FORT PULASKI.
The New York World'of a recent issue
has a column or so of mis-statements
concerning Gen. Gillmore, in which, apparently
to render the falsifications more
plausible, Gen. Hunter is indirectly given
much credit. We judge that cither Gen.
Gillmore or Gen. Hunter would prefer
censure to praise in the New York
Work!; and most of the statements are
too apparently false, and too easily disproved
to really deserve any response
from anybody. We propose, however,
to notice one or two, that are palpably
the reverse of true.
Commencing with a review of the
Tybee operations, tbe Worid says, after
making the blonder of calling Gen. Gillmore
General Hunter's Chief Engineer,
which he never was, that 10-inch columbiads
and 13-inch mortars, placed behind
natural ramparts, extending but half way
down Tybee Island, "formed the sole
means ot attack on that Sort, for which
the engineering foresight of Capt Gillmore
made any provision?the nearest
gun, according to his design, being at a
distance Of some what over 3,500 yards
from the nearest angle of the fort." In
Gen. Gillinore's first report to Gen. Sherman,
of his military reconnoissance of
Tybee Island, be says: " I deem the reduction
of Fort Pulaski practicable by
batteries of mcutars and rifled guns, established
oa Tybee Island. I think it prov
liable that a nearer position,' on firme*
ground (although very shallow, and therelore
ill adapfex^o mortars and sunken batj
teries) can be round on the isbfitnl west of
Tybee." LiMer date or uec. om, ne recommended,
as a part of the armament,
" eight heavy rifled guns of the best kind,
to be used, some against the barbette
guns of the fort, and some against the
walls." It was mi Gen. Gillmore's recommendation
that Tybee Island was first
occupied; he had the location of all the
batteries, and the selection of their armaments
; and in no case were changes
made in his plans. He at first contemplated
placing batteries of light rifled
guns mi McQueen's Island at a nearer
point than Tybee afforded, but after investigation
the project was given up as
impracticable, owing to the narrowness
of the shell beach at the only point where
they could be located.
? ? - - ? i j? -e us
.Persisting in we Dimmer ui caiwig
(Jen. GUlmore Gen. Hunter's Chief of
Engineers, the World says that Gen.
Hunter gare the entire credit of the siege
to Qilhnore, expecting that he, in his report,
would give due credit to his subordinate
officers; and declares that he did
nothing of the kind, complaining with
especial bitterness of the ill usage of
. Lieutenant Horace Porter, whose contributions
to General Gillmore's published
report, it says, were "incorporated
into it without even the credit of a
quotation mark, the only reference to the
true author being in a meager foot-note."
Lieut Porter's report was published in
full over his own name In the appendix
to Gen. Gillmore's work, with the fire
tables winch he prepared, placed exactly
trKom *hov hplnnc**!. and as he submit
ted them, at the end of the report. There
is no foot-note in connection with Lieut
Porter or his report. In paragraphs 09,
101 and 103. Gen. Gillmore, in his report,
makes acknowledgments and pays handsome
compliments to Lieut. Porter. Lieut.
Wilson and Capt. Pelouze, the "three
. w
young officers" whom he is ace wed (
particularly of neglecting.
The World's article closes with a gen-,
eral denunciation of Gen. Gillmore's operations
at Morris Island, which it backs
up with the statement that he has only
succeeded in making Fort Sumter infi- |
nately stronger than it was before! And
this last is a fair specimen of the atatemcuts
on which it bases its criticisms.
BURMKG OF A HOSPITAL AT
BEAUFORT.
On Tuesday evening, between 7 and 8
o'clock, the large house at the corner of
Dtli and F streets, fronting the Common,
Beaufort, occupied in part as the hospital
of the .">Gth New York Regiment, Col.
Van Wyck, caught fire and was completely
destroyed. The fire took in the
frr?m RTu\rks_ find although discov
[ ercd before it had obtained much headway,
a>uld not be extinguished, owing to
a scarcity of water. The Fire Dei*irtment
turned out promptly, but their only
supply for their engines was from wells
in the vicinity, the water, in which was
exhausted in a few moments. About a
dozen sick soldiers were in the building,
and they were removed to other quarters
in safety. Dr. Van Etten, the Surgeon
oT the regiment, is Post Surgeon, but was
present, ar^flfeperintended the removal
of the sicldQ|p. Hardenburgh, Assistant
Surgeon, who had charge of the hospital,
hail quarters in it, as did Chaplain Van
Wyck and other officers. ^Nearly all the
property was removed. This building
had been appraised to be sold, but was
still the property of the Government.
Mow: ilKBUL Ut5XKA IIU.\3 l-> nils
Vicixitt.?On Sunday morning last, just
before daylight, the rebels, in eight larger
boats, made an attack on our pickets at
several points in the vicinity of Jenkins
Islaild, but loursd them all on the aflfrt,
with no unguarded points, and were repulsed
before they had effected anything.
Our men fired several vollies into their
boats, and the gunboat Chippewa was
also encountered by them and gave them
a taste of her metal. The rebels were
severely handled, without being able to
effect any injury on us, and as they rowed
away with all possible speed, many groans
were heard issuing from their boats. Col.
Campbell, of the 76th Penn., commanding
the outposts, reports that on Monday
morning another unsuccessful movement
was made by two rebel boats against the
pickets commanded by Capt Knerr.
The attack was repulsed, and on a signal
rocket being sent up, the boats retreated
to the main. Col Howell, commanding
the District, has made such dispositions
as render the Island perfectly safe against
any attack, and his plans are fully understood
and excellently carried out by all
the subordinate officers, and the troops
guarding the outposts.
Free in thk Signal Bcilding.?On
Tuesday evening, about 8 o'clock, an
alarm of fire, the first for many months,
occurred at this Po6t. It was caused by
a fire in the Signal Building. Sofie
sparks fell through a hole in a defective
chimney, and set fire to the floor of an
upper room, over the custom-house.
Near by was fortunately a pile of thirty
rockets, including six two-feet ones, a&id |
before the flames had spread much, they
caught fire, causing a series of expiocirma
nrul <rir'in<T flip alarm? Ol.])prwtsr
e o > I
it is doubtful if the building could luive
been saved, as no one occupied the rcxyn.
The exploding rockets set tire to the contents
of the room, some of them shot
out of the windows, and considerable
excitement was caused. The three en1
g'nes were very promptly on hand, to
the ereilit of the firemen, but the fire
was extinguished with boefcets of water.
The damage to the building was small,
but a considerable quantity of clothing,
just drawn for the signal corps, and some
other articles, were destroyed.
Religious Services in C.vmi*.?Tliose
who do not regard the Sabbath as a day I
of devotion, can exhibit their good taste
by at least observing it as one of rest, I
and abstinence, so far as practicable,
from ordinary secular pursuits and amusements,
in accordance with long established
custom in Christian countries. In I
the camp, where the week-day routine is
necessarily kept up to a considerable extent
on Sunday, religious exercises come
as a pleasing and satisfactoiy relief to
those M ho have been educated at their
homes to respect the institutions of relig- j
ion. In some of the regimental camps
services are held every Sabbath, when
practicable, with pleasure to most, and
injury to none. At Ihfc Third New
Hampshire Camp, last SlAJay afternoon,
the regiment was assembled on the
parade at four o'clock, apd appropriate
and impressive exerciser*ere conducted
by the Chaplain, Rev. HMry Hill, assisted
by Dr. Swain, of the ^{christian Commission.
A pleasing feMure of the services
M as some excellent singing by a
quartette, consisting of M^jor J. I. Plimpton,
commanding the nMment, Surgeon
R?zzi?11. Assistant-Sunre? Burnham and
Acting Adjutant Part*. While the
men were assembled, tba Chaplain read
the Articles of War, in accordance with
a recent order.
To Sigiit-Si:ers Conira South Without
Passes.?Two men and three boys
smuggled themselves aboard the Arago,
recently, in New York, without passes,
and came down here to,see the sights.
They assigned THuabef dtttse fbr visiting
us in this illegitimate manner, but it is
strongly suspected that they came down
to avoid the draft. Capt. Peck, the Provost
Marshal at this Post, provided them
with excellent quarters at liis hotel, and
has given them good employment m me
Government service. Having an agricultural
turn, tlicy are at present engaged
in shoveling and wheeling dirt. When it
is judged that their curiosity has been
sufficiently satisfied, they will be sent to
their homes. Capt. Peck is very kind to
people who come here, without passes, to
sec the sights.
The Recapture ok the Provost
?
.Fkisoxers.?"i'M names 01 iuu iuic?
men who escaped from the Prorost
Guard-House on the night of the 16th,
and who were recaptured on the 18th,
are Henry Stark, of Co. E,* John Shumaker,
of Co. C, and James Hoffman, of
Co. B, 6th Conu. Vols. They deserted
from their regiment some time since, escaping
in an ordnance boat, and were
picked up near Ossabaw by, a navy l>oat.
They said they were on the way to Nassau.
They were placed in the Provost
Guard-House to await trial. On the
night of their escape nom mere uiej
succeeded in detaching the balls with
which the were fettered, by severing the
chains with a file procured of another
prisoner. They then sawed a hole
through the floor of the middle building,
where they were confined, with a saw
improvised on the back of a knife. Thev
crawled from tlje bottom of this building
to another one, and from there, when the
sentiy was at a distant part of liis beat,
to the barracks, from under which they
succeeded in escaping to the outside of
the prison fence. They stole a boat from
the Engineers, and made off, before their
escape was discovered. They were first
heard oi' in the vicinity of ilraddock^KjJ^^S
Point. Capt. Peek at once sent inofntw "
j ed patrols out to scour the country, and \
particularly to ascertain if suspicious
strangers had been inquiring for food.
As was suspected, their hunger finally
betrayed them, and they were arrested
by the pickets. Capt. Peck now has
them secured in a manner which will
hardly admit of any more trouble from
their attempts to escapfc, and they will
be tried for desertion,. the penalty of
which is death. C
Sentences of Soldiers fob uoilbkrv.
A General Court Martial, recently convened
at Hilton Head, of which Major
Daniel Klien, Gth Conn. Vols., was
President, convicted Private James
Brown, of Co. A, f?th Conn., of assisting
in knocking down and robbing John
T omrnf 5i??47 and two watches; Joseph
Nelson of $280; and E. Gay of $1(5, all
enlisted soldiery on the 22d day of last
October, on the passage from New
Haven to lliikcr's Island, on the steamer
Charles Osgood, lie was also found
guilty of cheering for Jeff Davis- He
was sentenced to be confined at hard
lalwr for the remainder of his term of
enlistment, at such place as the Commanding
General may direct; that lor
the first year of his confinement he forfeit
all pay, and the first week in each
month wear a 24-pound ball attached to
his right leg, by a chain six feet long ;
.that the second week of each month,
during the first year of liis confinement, .
he be kept in solitary confinement on
ureau auu waiui tmit . nun iUu ovw?..
year of liis confinement he forfeit to the
U. S. Treasurer ten dollars per month of v
his monthly pay; that the third year of
his confinement he forfeit to the U. S.
Treasurer eight dollars a month of his
monthly pay, and at the expiration of
-Lip 'he he discharge I with
ignominy.
Private Michael Farrell, of Co. F, same
regiment, lor " doing violence " to Lang,
above mentioned, was sentenced to l>e
confined at hard labor for six months,
and to lose ten dollars per month of his
pay, during his confinement.
Private Itobert Phillips, of Co. I, same
regiment, was found guilty of complicity
in the above robberies, and was sentenced
to labor for three years, with a fiO-pound
ball attached to one of his legs, by a
chain six feet long, during the first fourteen
days of each month of his confine
ment, and to forfeit all ins moniniy jwy
to the U. S. Treasurer during the term of
his confinement.
These sentences have been approved,
and Gen. Gillmorc lias designated Fort
Clinch as the place lor them to be carried
into effect.
Missionary Arrested for Seli.ino
JLiquou.?We are informed that Mr.
AlcCrea, of Beaufort, who for a time was
connected with the business of collecting
and ginning cotton there, and who
has at various times pursued the avocation
of a missionary and preacher, particularly
among the colored people, was
arrested on Monday, at his plantation on
Port ltoyal Island, ou a charge of selling
whiskey to soldiers, lie was at one
time Superintendent of the distribution
of clothing to the poor of Beaufort.
Icu.?Mr. .Charles A. Van Zandt has
made arrangements to supply this Department
with ice, during the Summer, by
special permission. He proposes to have
suitable ice-houses at every j>oint, and to
keep a constant supply. To those who
sweltered, ice-less, at Morris Island, last
Summer, this news will be particularly
gratifying. We believe Mr. Van Zandt