The palmetto herald. (Port Royal, S.C.) 1864-1864, April 21, 1864, Image 2
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BT 8. VT. MASOX AND CO. | '
PORT ROYAL, THURSDAY. APRIL 21, lsW.
1
LATEST FROM FLORIDA. ?
i
]
A Soldier of the Third Jew Hampshire ,
Caught la the Act ef Deserting |
to the Enemy.
Bis Vrial by a Brum Bead Court 1
Bffartial and Speedy
Execution.
l
! i
Further Partlrulars of the Destruc* I (
tion of the Transport
Hunter, j !
9 &c.y &c., &c. j1
1
Jacksonville, April 17, 18C4. i
execution ok a deserter. <
Private Henry Miller, Company F,
Third Hew Hampshire Mounted Infan- *
try, was caught in the act or deserting to 1
the enemy day before yesterday after- 1
noon. A drum-head court martial was
immediately ordered in his case, and at 1
2 f. x. yesterday he had been tried, con- *
victedj sentenced, and shot. s
It is about two week9 since the Third 8
New Hampshire came here. It was at- *
tached to the Light Brigade, under CoL "
Henry., Being a mounted regiment, it 1
was at once placed on outpost duty, but *
has given during its brief stay a great
deal of trouble to the command. The ^
veterans are at home oa furlough, and 8
those remaining on duty are for the most I
part substitutes and conscripts. Many
of them have been in the lebel service; T
have been captured, and paroled; have '1
been allowed to take the oath of allegi- j *
ance, and to enter the ranks of our army. |
As a consequence, when they found
themselves in front of the enemy they
began to desert. The first night they
were on duty one or two ran off. The
next night another squad got away. Ten
or twelve of the regiment had thus succeeded
in reaching the rebel lines, taking
away not only themselves, but their
homes, equipments, and, it is presumed,
information of great value to the Confederates.
At last, so glaring was the disposition
of these roughs to desert, that a plot was
laid to circumvent them in their diabolical
plans. Killer and a party of other
substitutes, who were suspected of foul
^ intentions, were placed on ontpost picket
duty, and notified by the Sergeant that
the regiment was to be relieved and or- !
dered north on the following day. In i
the meantime an outer line of pickets
was secretly posted three hundred yards |
in advance of the vidette station. There
concealed,* they awaited the arrival of de- i
serting substitutes. Miller, with five :
others, was caught in the trap; but for !
lack of the necesaiy evidence, as I understand,
his companions will not be
likely to suffer the extreme penalty.
"*"* m- 1- - * ,1 1 .
-Miller was a uur sampie 01 me cru\> u ?
of ruff-sen tfs who were invoiced to the !,
regiment last fall as substitutes. lie had : i
been with the regiment about four months. 1 (
When caught, he had in his haversack (
and feed bag all his personal effects, and s
w as going over, with his horse and equip- , (
menu, as many had gone before him. <
He was shot at two o'clock vesterdav, s
1 |
by a firing party of twelve men selected : 1
from his own regiment. Eight bullets hit j s
him, three of them taking effect in the > 1
Immediate vicinity of the heart. To the ! 1
Inst lie seemed indifferent to his fate, and
iiied. as lie had lived, a hardened sinner.
There are others like him in the regiment
at' whom the old members would gladly
lie rid.
TI1E I.U>> l>r lilt. UULIIAL 111 A1C.U.
I am enabled to send you a few additional
particulars with regard to the loss
of the steamer General Hunter on the
morning of Saturday last. She was following
in the wake of the gunboat Norwich
and the hospital transport Cosmopolitan,
which were both within hailing
distance when the explosion occurred.
Both of these vessels sent their boats to
the rescue of the Hunter's crew. It is
supposed by some on board that the torpedo
that sunk her was attached to an
apparatus by which operators on shore
could raise or lower it at will, and that
the Norwich was allowed Jto pass unharmed
because she was in such close prox
imity to the hospital steamer.
The Hunter went down in twenty-six
ieet of water, within pistol shot of the
wreck of the Maple Leaf. Her saloon ;
leek is now about two feet under the
surface. Much of her side was blown !
iway, and it is said she was completely ]
jroken in two. Of course she is a total!
oss.
Quartermaster Harry Benson, who was
n his room at the time, has not since !
>een seen. It is supposed that he was!
(tunned by the concussion, and when the
(teamer sank was drowned. Ellis Norris,
he steward, had his leg broken, and
rhoiras Conlin, a greaser in the engine
oom, was thrown into the water, but
vas afterward picked up by the boats.
Captain Crowell, commander of the
;Iunter, saved his nautical implements
ind both his boats.. Beyond the# the
>ersonal effects of all were lost.
The armed transport Harriet A. "Weed
veni up 10 lilt' wret'K ^t'sicruay tiuu iyiy.'u i
hrec cases of,goods. Another boat will j
ie sent up to-day.
The Hunter is the third steamer lost in
he present Florida campaign. The tirst
vas the General Burnside, wrecked on
>t. John's bar in the keavv Febrnarv;
4/ * I
i^iles; and the second was the Maple !
Leaf, destroyed by a torpedo similar to i
hat which blew up the General Hunter
>n Saturday last.
PERSONAL.
Captain Dana of the Signal Corps has
>een relieved from duty here, and has
aken with him Lieuts. Bruyn. Roberts
ind Weihle. He is succeeded in cfiarge of
he Signal party in the District of Florida
jy Lieut. T. C. Vidal who will he assitcd
>y Lieut s. Hatfield and Weber. ?
Col. Brown, ot the 157th New York
Volunteers, is Post Commander at Jacklonvillc,
and Col. Noble, of the 17th Con-;
lecticut, goes to St. Augustine.
Mr. A. B. Day, who has gratuitously !
md yet thoroughly and satisfactorily per- j
ormed the duties of the Postmaster here |
;ince our occupation, has been relieved
Mr ?nn nf thft former t:i\ mm
nissioner, who has received the appointnent
from the President.
SOLDIER SHOT AT BEAUFORT.
Wc understand that one of the privates
>f the 5Gth X. Y. Vols., by the name of
lohn Graves belonging to Co. II, was I
mortally shot last night at Beaufort, by
Captain Metcalf 33d U. S. Troops, officer
>f the guard. Graves was intoxicated and
?t tempted to wrest a gun from iho liands
)f a colored seutrv, and failing in this,
itruck the sentry repeatedly. lie was
several times warned to desist, and inormed
that he would be shot if he persisted
in his notions course. lie became
nore turbulent and frenzied, and as the
ast re&rt, Capt. Met calf shot him down.
Graves died from his wounds a short time
! thereafter.
ICAVAIi MATTERS.
The Ericsson monitor Catskill, Commander
X. B. Harrison, arrived at this
nort from the Charleston blockade a
- ^ ^
I few days since for repairs. She is now
at the Navv Yard at Station Creek, in
! the hands of the workmen. The following
is a correct list of her officers:?
Commander, X. B. Harrison: Lieut, and
Ex. Officer. II. L. Harrison: Lieut. W. j
Abbott: Acting Master A. Tellinghnst:
Acting Ensign, Clawson : Assistant
Surgeon Chalmers, Acting Assistant PavPaymaster,
George Barker. Second Assistant
Engineer. George Emmons, in
charge ; dov Pero: Third do., Plunkett:
T TV.. _ * -.! !
i^viu, uum ?i. ia'uuni; -ailing;
Master's Mate. Treseott.
The gunboat Ellen reached here for re- \
pairs, on Saturday last, from Light House
Inlet, where she has l>een stationed tor
nearly a year past. She actively part icipat-1
ed in the operations before Charleston, toul '
made for herself an enviable reputation, of'
which her officers may well l>e proud. 1
She will remain in port for some time.
Detached.?Acting Master E. M.
Baldwin, from the South Carolina, and
awaiting orders: Acting Master G. W.
Ewer, from the Catskill.
Appointed.?James Plunkett. Acting
Assistant Engineer, and ordered to the
Catskill; Acting Ensign Henry C. AVhit- |
more, of the Pantucket.
Confirmed.?Acting Ensign Cecil C. j
Xeil, and ordered to duty on the Sonoma.
Resigned.?Acting Ensign Thomas i
II. Daggett, of the Wabash; Acting
Master's Mate Charles E. Culver, of the
Seneca: Acting Master's Mate Edward ,
E. Fiskc, of the Seneca.
Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Welch,
late commanding the gunboat Potomska,
has been ordered to the command of the
i_ A T . .1 -1. - i.! 1 D 1 .
gunnoai l-auoua. now stationed ?u onpcio |
Sound. Georgia, with the barks Fernan- i
dena and Brazilian*.
Changes is Officers at this Post.? !
Several important changes have been re- j
centlv made in officers at this Post.
Capt. Charles B. Fessenden. Jr.. 9th 1
U. S. C. T., lias been appointed Post j
Commissary, succeeding Capt. Dandy, of1
the 100th N. Y. #
1st Lieut. H. B. Beebe, Quartennaster :
of the 9th U. S. C. T.. succeeds Lieut, i
Colton, of the Gth Conn., as Post Quar-,
tennaster.
1st Lieut. Washington A. Iluntley, 9th j
P. S. C. T., is the new Boarding Officer. (
1st Lieut. E. W. Morey, 9th I*. S. C. !
T., is Post Treasurer.
We last week inadvertently omitted to j
mention that Lieut. Ilaskcll M. Phelps, i
of the 9th I". S. C. T.. had been appointed !
Assistant Provost Marshal. Lieut. J. P. J
King's appointment was as an additional
Assistant Provost Marshal, having charge j
of the patrol and dock.
Pautv at Seauuook..?On the evening
rvf tlio tilth the officers ot the Tilth Penn
syhrania Regiment, at Seabrook. gave an
entertainment to tbe officers of the gunboat
Chippewa, Lieutenant-Commander
E. P. Stone. The Chippewa's officers
came ashore at Shout five o'clock, and
were received at the landing by Colonel
Campbell Capt. Knerr. and others of the
7Cth. They escorted them to their quarters,
where a splendid dinner was served, j
and a very agreeable evening passed.
Capt. J. J>a nab an, of the 3d. R. 1. Artil- j
lery: Mr. Gleason, of the Custom-house,
and some other invited guests were there,
and the presence of a number of ladies
added much pleasure to the party. The '
?
i officer* of the 7?)lh are noted for tlfeir
hospitality, and it was particularly exhibited
on this occasion.
ARRIVAL OK THE 1ft SSAfH [SETTS.
Important Northern Xcw??Fort Pillow
Captured by the Rebel* ?
Shockiug Barbarities?Boiler K\plotiou
on n GnnboHt.
We have Northern dates to the Kith
: inst. On the 12th the rebel General For|
est captured Fort Pillow on the Tennessee
I shore of the Mississippi, 7*> i\fes above
i Memphis, under the command of Major
liooth, of the 13th Tennessee heavy artillery.
Two flags of tnice, demanding sut render,
were sent in and refused. A successful
assault then occurred, in which
Major Booth was killed, and the relx-ls
swarmed in. A horrid butchery followed.
Wounded men were bayoneted, dead bodies
outraged, women and children slain,
and particular inhumanity showi^toward*
the black troops. < )nly 200 out of COO remained
alive.
The rebels are also reported to have
attacked Padncali.
The gunboat Chenango, while going
down New York Bay on the 15th, exploded
one of her lioilcrs, killing several
persons, and scalding about thirty.
HTERESTMG FROM THE STOW RIVER.
A Reconuoltisaiico nud a Skirmish
with thr Euouiy.
A correspondent at Cole's Island informs
us of a successful reconnoissnnce
on the 1.1th, by a detachment of the 127th
New York Regiment to Battery Island,
on Stono River, opposite Legareville, and
joined to James Island by a dyke. Tint
expedition consisted of Cos. E and II. and
detachments from Cos. A and I, under .
command of Capt Gurncy of Co. E. with
Lieuts. Haviland of Co. A and 8a mm is
of Co. I. It started at about half-past
one o'clock, P. M., crossed the bridge at
the left, and proceeded to skirmish up
the road toward the enemy's pickets.
The gunlioat Sonoma also went lip the
Stono River, and commenced to shell
the rebel picket line. The rocket batte
ry took a position opposite the reikis on
James Island, throwing rocket shell between
the gunboat and the battery. making
the rebs skip around pretty lively.
Tim expedition found after skirmishing
over the Island some 15 or 20 torpedoes
buried in the middle of the road, one of
which was exploded liv one of the pioneers
stepping on it, while going to fix
the bridge. The following were wounded :
Pioneer Ellias B. Miller. Co. B, in the
faee^. Pioneer Moignn,. Co. K, in the arm ;
Private Geo. Bloxomb, Co. E, in the thee.
They are getting on finely.
Death of a TVell-Kxoavx Officer.?
Capt. Lewis C. Allen, Jr., of Co. F, Gth
Regiment Conn. Vols., died in camp,
yesterday morning. Before the present
Avar (-apt. Allen was a member of the
Columbus Guards, Georgia, and aviis
present, Avith them, at the grand military
muster at ^RUedgeville, Avhen all the
troops of the State competed for a stand
of arms, which the Guards obtained.
His nnrents removed after that to Stmt
l - ?
ford, Conn., ami he went into business
in New Ilaven. Conn. He was for many
years a valuable memlter of the National
Blues, of that city, acting in connection
with Capt. Peck, as drill officer. At the
breaking out of the rebellion, be entered
the service ot the tinted Mate* as lsi
Lieut, of Co. C. &1 Conn. Regiment, under
Capt. Root, and was engaged in the
battle of Bull Run. When the call was
made for three years troops, he received
a commission as Captain, and recruited
and organized Co. F, of his Regiment.