The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-18
{ Bltler's Bdgais,
SOn Transport steamer Constitution.
ON Ship island, Dec d a INbl.

I
tion {, YOU, on the eth ult., aud takins OF
hoard our new Commander, Brig ,dior. GencrA
j. W. Phelps, the Consii ution put 70 sea at
p. NJ, Of that d'y, AZ usual, uuior sealcl or
tors. Passed Cap5 liattotai at A. NJ. Of IN
.s N ult, since Whiyh time, and up to the pre-
sent, We have been particularly favorod viii
pleasant weather and a smooth SCI, under wh,cl
circumstances the vessel hu m,io amends fol
all the ills attributed 70 her upon tho start
From tho Chesapeake to Tortuga, va hAvo hus.
scd the coast. Florida has ali along bson kept ia
view.
few small craft wc-o diSccrnahlc in ,hs Flo.
rida Inlets, Tut did not dcign to notice Us. Ia,
dipping Of the Light House color,, IN, st,am
er promptly acknowledged.
The Florida. Keys revolving light W. rouu!e 4
on the lat inst, Nt +. NJ, ro'hing Of prrlicu-
lar interest trauSp.rci. Tho usual mon ,.orous
routine cf se,-liit--,atihg, smoking, card play
ing &C., interpreted with vocal aud instru.
mental music, AMI su,rI duty, occupied ,h, at.
tontion Of those on board. We have six ,iics on
board. the wives Of our Cols. aud Majors, who
have determined to follow their husbands
through the war. On the 81 inst, a, noon, We
came abreast of the Chandtlcur Islands aud at
7. NJ. was boarded by the oil .cr Of the Gov.
crnment steamer "Cuylcr, who guided us over
the shod water to the inner har'or Of Ship Is
Land, anchoring some halt mile distant.
The first appearance of the Island Is Tar from
looking habitablc-a low sand-bc,ch--not a tree
or shrub within four miles, the halauce--,x Of
its rcputcd lcngth-appcars to bc made up in
an apology for woods. From q poin, nearest
the main lani the Island spread, out, while its
greatest width does not exceed half milo.-
Upon this harbor point ia a Light House, the
keepers dwelling and rude alf-inishcd struc-
ture. all left Guttcd by the enemy.
1t is dubbed fort, and is now occupied by
100 troops. In tho har5or lies, in addition to the
Guy Ter, the Massachusetts, also Government
steamer, and two Mississippi double deck steam
ers, lately captured-the Lewis and Anna-one
having on board sugar and molasses the other
rice and sugar; also two fishing schoonors fully
laden. The first duty Of a soldier being to
r'r', We will not question the Importance OF our
being II cd and left upon this Col forsakcn
pot, Tut attend to tho duties assigned us, of
which the fs' will I've TO fJrtify strongly our
Iosition, which at the bcst will bo of littlo ac.
count in case of an attack by shell. Unless tho
enemy are kept a, hay 10y our beisg covered by
armed vessels, we would stand not tho ghost OF
a chance.
+jEhtt drai& SsssIaS aSra,,w ,w"sh,R 'leattr; wio
arc rank towards as has been fully proven.
Their gunboa,s arc the uncouth double-deckers
of the Mississippi, with which they daro not
venture on any open attack, but continually
mannuvre out Of reach Of our cannon. 1t is in
tended to uss the captured steamer Lewis
against them, and as some cannon are aholrdi
we expect to hear Of some fun, and, hope, a
few prizes. The "bloody Ninth, as We call
ourselves, hope TO have tani in the same, for
we have the lighting, as well as the w,Iking
material in our regiment.
The gunboat "Ncw London has just snchor-
ed here, and may be uJle to keep at more re-
spectacle distance the enemys steamers, which,
since our arrival, have increased in number and
begin to reconnoiier our position and move
ments.
The latest news We have Of home here, Is tho
10Th Of last month. Our cargo will probably all
be on shore today as II is rapidly being dis
embarked by the Lewis and Anna The
troops lett yesterday in good order, and have
most of their tents pitched. Sad work
will DO male at drill, as the sand is
ankle deep, the Island looking very much
as though covered with snowdrifts, as the sand
is perfectly white. We shall have plenty OF
work in trying to level our company ground,
and throwing up breastworks OF sand bags
The government steamer Montgomery came
in last night from one OF her accommodating OK
neditions. We have also had added toiay TO
our naval force gunboat schooner.
In disembarking today, we had the mi'ior-
tun. 20 lose overheard one Of our best guns (;
we have marked tho spot that We may recover 1t.
Tho capture of the two small steamers above
mentioned proves a very timely Circumstance,
both for us as also the Government, TO which
it save, some ~, 900 per day. We should have
made d, plorable work in dischargins upon this
bleak islard without them.
Bripadier General Phelps has been ashore,
personally experimenting the carry ing Of stores
tents g., from tho beach to the camps Of the
soldiers The General has strong abolition
p,ocliyilies as will be seen by his first procla-
nation, Of which herewith send you copy -
PRocI AVIATION OF BROADER GESERAL
PiIEIrs TO THE PEOPLE or THE SoUTH w ksr.
IIIead Quarters, MiddlessN Brigade,
Ship leland Mississippi,
DSc. 4th, 1861.
To he Loyal Cii,ens cfGte South West.
| NUi,Lout an,, desiTe oI nv ogn hut contrary Ia
nv private inclinations, ! again find myself
| among you as military officer OF the Govern
ment. A proper respect for my fellow country,
| men renders il OF out Of place that should
| make known to you the motives and principles
by which my command will be governed.
| We believe that every state that has been adj
mitted as a slave state into the Union, since th'
| adoption Of the constitution, has been so al
| mitted in direct violation of that constitution.
| We believe that the slave states which ex
isted as such at the adoption Of our constitution
are, by becoming parties TO that compact, undel
| the highest obligations Of honor and morality Il
abolish slavery.
l. is our conviction that monopoles are a
destructive, as competition Is conservative Q
the principles and realities Of republican gov
ernnent; that slave labor is a monopoly, whic
excludes free labor and competition; that slave
are kept in comparative idlenoss and ease In
| fertile half of our arabic natl NAL territory
while free white labOrers, constantly augment
| ing in numbers from Europe, are conined
the other half, and are often distressed by wan
| that the free labor of the North has more nee
of,xpansion into the southern states, from whiC
II is virtually excluded, than slavery had int
Tex.s m 1916; that free labor is essential to fr,
institutions; that these institutions are nat
rally better adapted and mere congenl
10 The Anglo-SaxOn race, than are the despoti
tendencies Of slavery, and finally that the don