The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-03-17


to head the Mississippi. We left Mobile
Bay with fair wind and steerd, s. w. by
8. half S., and It was truly interesting to see
how eager the men crowded to the stern of
our ship, to catch the last glimse of our ma.
tive shore, and perhaps the last forever for
some of us: but under the care of kind
Providence, we hope to serve OUR country
faithfully and return In due season to our
friends.
On Tuesday night at IL o'clock we were
aroused from our births by the cry of fire.
All on deck rushed to where the smoke was
seen issuing from the side Of the galley.
The first impression was that the ship was
on fire between decks, which if it had been
the fact, would have been inevitable destruc-
ton; but it was soon discovered that the
side of the galley was on fire, caused by
the overheating of a temporary brick-stove,
which had been erected for the accommoda.
ton OF the volunteers. A few buckets of
water soon allayed our fears but, imagine
for moment YOURSELF three hundred miles
from land, circumscribed by the narrow linn
its Of vessel, and aroused from your bed
in the dead of night, by the cry Of fire; you
then can imagine what our feelings were.
The cry of fire on land carries terror with
the sound, but on sea beyond the reach of
hope, it is appalling. I have not the least
doubt that, that alarm was the salvation of
our ship; with the exception of severe
gale on last Tuesday, we had delightful
passage the balance of our trip.
Here we are once more upon Terra
Firma, the Island of Lobos, one of the love-
licst spots have ever seen. The Island
would be more properly called, Coral Island
as it's entire formation as far as we have
dug, is of Coral shell. 1t is covered by all
evergreen growth of Orange, Lemon, Fig,
Banyan, Fir, and it appears a hundred diffe-
rent kinds of vines hanging with fruit. In
clearing up our camp ground, my company
cut down a grove of the finest Lemon trees
l have ever seen; and on the same tree
Jou AL SSC liiC pAOSSOA1 SEOWlls anu
ripe Lemon. So we'll pleased are some of
my company with this lovely spot, that they
have determined to settle here after the war
is over, and all they want to make it per-
fact elysenm is Carolina wives; but we
have a duty before US of more importance,
to our country, than 10 think of Colonizing
SANTA ANNA's Islands. A treaty of peace
is to be conquered, sealed aoith our dlooz.
When we arrived here, we found one Bat
talon of the lst Pennsylvania Regiment,
six companies of the Louisiana Regiment,
and the first detachment of the South Caro-
lima volunteers under the command of Ma
jor GLADDEN.. Up to this time there has
arrived one battalion of the Mississippi Re-
giment, one of the I'd Pennsylvania Regi-
ment a portion of Gen. WORMS command
and above all the Sd detachment of the
South Carolina volunteers under the COM
mand of Col. BUTLER. Our Regiment is
the only complete Regiment on the Island,
and it makes our hearts: proud to see the
Banner of our beloved State proudly waving
over an enemy's soil, and we hope in short
time to see it famed by the lbreezes that
wait over the city of Vera Cruz. A force
of twelve thousand men is ordered to rem
devious here by the Goth, and in four weeks
you may expect to hear Of q hard fought
battle; in short, our Discrimination is Vera
Cruz; and.if we succeed in capturing that
city, Of which have not the least doubt un-
der such officers as Generals ScorT and
WoRTH. Our course is then for the " Halls
ofthe Mnntezmas." We have Just learn
ed that bearer Of dispatches and his
guard from Gen. Scorr to TAYLOR, infor-
ming him of his intended movement upon
the city of Vera Cruz, was cut off to man
by the Mexicans. The heart of the bearer
was cut out and hung upon a tree, and now
we have no doubt our. movements will be
anticipated by SANTA ANNA, with q large
force, to defeat our grand entry in the CITY