Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-06-27

himself he proud of old names and he felt Plea
country bis plantations held by old charters or had
been the hands of his fathers for several generations
and he delighted to remember that when the Suarts were
banshed their throne and their country te burpesses
oSouh Carolina had soemny elected the wandering Chas
hng; OF their State and had offered him asylum and
ngenuy in ecturng what would have been result
the fugitive had carried his fortunes to Charleston
South Carolina contains 1000 square miles, and popu-
ation of 720 600 Inhabitants of whom 2S5 900 are black
slaves In the old rebellion distracted between revo-
utlonary principles and the loyast predictions
least half of the planters faithful George ILL.,
nor did they yield until Washington army support
their antagonists and drove them from the colony.
In my next letter shall give brief of visit to
some Of the planters far be made consistent
with The obligations which the rites and rights of hospita
ty Impose upon the guest well upon host These
gentlemen are well bred, courteous aud hospitable A
apply themselves to politics and the guidance of public
affairs They travel and read, love field sports racing
shots. But after ALL their State is modern Sparts3an
arsocracy resting heotay, and with nothing to
sincerely to hold opinions in opposition to the opening of
the slave t trade it is nevertheless G true that the
which prohibited the importation of negroes, was
especially and energecay resisted by them, because
itself evil and wrong. Their whole system rests on
slavery and such they defend it. They entertain very
community, although may do full justice military
spirit Out of their whole population they cannot reckon
nearly 1000 plantations which be, according
law, superin nded by white considerable number of
the field The planters boast that they raise their
crops without any inconvenience by the labor of their
groes and they seem confident that the negroes will work
without superintendence. But the experiment is rather
dangerous, and it will only be tried in the last extremity
znoshet Letter MIR. Russell.
SAVANNAH MAY l, 1861.
1t s said that fools build houses for wise men to live
in" BE that not it is certain that Uncle Sam
has built strong places for his enemy to occupy To-day
visited Fort Puask which defends the mouth of the sayan
take Of ITSELF and the Georgans quietly stepped into
it, and have busted in completing its defences that is
now capable OF stopping fleet very efecuay. Pulaski
Pole who fell in the defence of Savannah against the
British, and whose memory perpeuaed in the of
the fort which now under the flag and garr
soned By bitter foes of the United StaesAmong par
ty Commodore Tatnail, whose will be familiar
to ears IN connection with the attack on the Peiho
forts where the gallant Americans showed the world that
I" blood thicker than water Brigader General Law
on in command OF the forces of Georgia. and number of
0ava and military officers of whom many had belonged to
the United states regular services 1t strange to look
at such man as the Commodore, who for forynne long
years had served under the Stars and Stripes quietly pre-
barring meet his old comrades and friends if needs
the battle iedhis allegiance to the country and to the flag
renounced his long service flung away his old ties and
nectons severed and all this defence the sacred right
of )eon the part of his State He not nOw
has he been for years, save-owner; all his family and
familiar associations connect him with the north. There
naval stations the Southern except Pen
aacoa and he know almost in the South. He has
urune whaever bis feet consists of small river
coasng steamers without guns and he said talking
the of the south "My will be bleach
ed many long before the Confederate States hope
to have a navy State rghts To the question is
simply inexpcabe absurd And yet thousands of Amer
leans sacrifice all tor it. The river at Savannah broad
Thames Gravesend resembles that stream very
much the coors of It's and the level of
shores Rice fields bound it on either side, far down
the ruepce of the fresh water extends and the eve wan
ders fat eXpanse of mud and water and green Osers
and usbe till its search arrested the horizon by the
unfain line of forests Ia the fields here and there are the
whewashd quare wooden huts in which the slaves dwell
locking like tie beginning Of the camp the Crmea
At one point small fort covering creek by which gun
boats could get up behind Savannah displayed its ga
son the walls and lowered its flag to salute the small
blue ensign at the fore which proclaimed the presence of
|
steamer. III guns The paTapet most field pieces
mounted on fameworks of wood Instead regular carriages
few minutes walk led to the fort which is irregu
lar pentagon with the base line curtain face nands and
the other faces and bearing on the approaches
The curtain which is sim y creme Hated is covered by
Redan, surrounded by deep ditch inside the parape of
which granite platforms ready for the reception Of
The parapet thick and the scrap and
faced with solid masonry draw bridge affords
to the interior the Redan whence the gate the fort
approached across deep and broad moa which crossed
by another draw L.idge
entered Bedan the guns of the fort
broke out into long salute and the bans at the gate struck
almost noisy welcome Inside the parade presented
of life and animation very unlike the silence of the
rolling away and casks of ammunition and provis-
IONS others at work at the gin and shears others
hongh expecting an immediate attack. Many officers
rong under the shade of the open gallery the side of
bombproof casemaes Some of them had service in
Mexican border warfare had travelled Ita
ian and Crmean battle e ds others West Point grad
of the regular Army others young planters clerks
civilians who mad rushed with ador into the First Georgian
The garrison of the fort is hundred and fifty men, and
fully that number in and about the work, their tents
being pitched inside the Redan the terepen of the
rparapets. The walls exceedly solid and well built OF
hard grey brick strong ron upwards feet thick
ness the casemaes and bombproots being lofty airy and
capacous as have seenphough there not quite
depth enough between the walls at the salient and the
carriages The work intended for hundred and TWEEN
ty-eght guns of which about fourth mounted
the classmates They are long thirtytwos, with few for
tyWos and columbads The armaments will be exceednly
heavy when all the guns mounted they get
ting the ten-inch coQmblads into position en- 6dr6ee
Everth which could be required, except mortars
in abundance the platforms and carriages solid
we'll made, the embrasures of the admirably
constructed and the ventilation of the bomb proof carefully
provided for There three furnaces for heating
shot. Nor is discipline neglected. and the officers will
whom went round the works sharp in tone ant
to their volunteers we'll could be- though th
often enlisted only for three by the State
Georgia.
An excellent lunch spread in the casemated bomb
prco which served the Coonels quarters, and before
the party steamng towards Savannah through
a tdeway full of eaping sturgeon and porposes leaving
the garrison intent the approach of large ship, whic
had her sails aback off the bar and hosted the Stars
Stripes but which turned out to be nothing formida
BILE than Liverpool cotton ship.
The HOURS OF DoUGLAs.-The Chicago Journa