Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-11-15
The Landing Place of the Elk
petition.

petition.
The following description Of Port Royal,
S. C., aud the island upon which Beaufort
is situated, is giycr by the Nee York
World:
The pert is fifteen miles northeast from
the mouth of the Savannah river, and is in
all respects the most eligible point along the
Southern coast Tor eir,cting hostile land
ing Tht-cntrancc to the harbor is one Of
the finest below Norfolk and the harbor it
self is large enough to admit of the anchor
age and movements OF the whole fleet. The
city Of Beaufort is situated on the east side
of the harbor, on Port Royal Island, with a
population Of about one thousand, The
harb5r runs into and commands Beaufort
county, which constitutes the southern cx-
trcmity Of South Carolina.
Port Royal communicates almost directly
by railroad with Charleston and Savannah,
\ force moving up the river from Beaufort
city would strike the Charleston and SavAn
nah railroad at a point about fifty miles
from Charleston on the one hand and fifty
miles from Savannah on the other. The ac-
QUESTION of that road will of course be one
Of the first movements Of the expcditionary
army.
The annual value Of the crops raised in
this district is So 600 900, very large pro-
portion of which must now hc accumulated
there. II the property owners should prove
persistent in their disloyal,y, the gains of
the government by confiseatlon must be CON
siderable.
The possession of this harb)r will enable
the North to open new cotton port, where
the experiment may lie tried as to how far
the cotton planters wonll avail themselves
of an opportunity of selling their crops.
The country around Beaufort for great
distance back, is as level as any Of our west
err prairics, which will prevent the rebels,
in battles likely to occur, from fighting with
the advantages Of ground which have been
of such service to them in Virginia. They
can make no retreats, drawing Us on unit.
strong position makes it sale 10 hazard a
battle. On those extensive flats every bat
tallion of our men will be at least an even
match for every battalion Of theirs, and the
Union army may coant upon IAN op n field
and fair fight, III which they have always
been victorious.
Tae important relations Of this war to
the negro question and the cotton supply
contribute also t. make Beaufort the most
eligible position in all tie South for base Of
operations. We strike into the heart Of the
gi2n that produces the most valuable Of all
the varieties Of the STAPLE, known in the
market as the Sea Island Cotton. The dis
trict Tor county, of Beaufort alone pr
ducci, in 1850, l2.672 bales, besides moro
rice than any other county in the southern
States the adjliains district of Co,leton,
On the northeast, Is ,005 bales and the 9th
er aijacent district of H4rnwell, on the
northwest. 10, lbs bales Til, is one of the
most opulent rcGi ms in the while South,
the plantations beng c2tcasiy and the slaves
numerous in proportion to the white F7pulA
ton. In Beaufort district there wzrt, in
lSj0, 5.9S4 white nhabit4nts, aud : , 30
slaves, in Colletoa, ,4o3 wh;s, aal 81
III slaves; dispr portion - great as t.
touch Southern apr tensions IN thzir ten
iercst point, and t. b-in. the Inhabitants i,
once, face to face with the terrible cpu>e-
quences involved in u promp; ft al choice
between a return to ll!alty and persistence
in rebellion.