The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-12-12

1t il three weeks to-day since Com
modors Dupont won his brilliant victo-
nv. and re-annexed South Carolina to
the United States. The first question
/ asked on arriving yesterday was
What has been done since? Recon
noissances of all the islands this side
of Port Royal Harbor and Of the main
land from Savannah River up to Beau
fort, have been carefully made. The
damages to the captured forts have
been repaired, and both put in perfect
condition for defense against any pos
sible attack. Hilton Head Island,
about twelve miles by seven, is wholly
IN military occupation, strong pickets
occupying all important points, and
Bradduck's Point at its extreme end,
whore guns were pointed to prevent
the landing of our force, not compile
ted, but already extensive. Immense
quantities of stores of every descrip-
ton have been landed from the trans.
ports, in the most difficult oircumstan
ces, with inadequate means and only
by incredible labor. Not less than l,
500 soldiers have been working day
and night, much of the time in water,
and without any but the simplest help
for lifting and transporting heavy
weights. Everything has been brought
on shore by small boats, the bench
shelving gradually, and, until the whar
IL finished, no launches or lighters be-
ing able to approach within consid-
cradle distance. The wharf is well ad-
vanced in construction, built Of huge
pine logs, cut three or four miles
away, partly dragged and partly fioated
down to the beach. A great quantity
of lumber for other purposes has been
got in the same way. That of which
the storehouses were built was brought
in the transports. Of the stofehouses
two are 125 feet by the same width.
The stable is 600 feet long and % feet
wide, and about as much more is to be
added. The heavy labor imposed upon
the soldiers by the refusal of the War
Department to furnish laborers, and
the large force required for the pickets
has interfered to some extent with drill
and the regular routine of camp life,
yet a great deal has been done to i'm
prove the soldierly condition of the d.
vision. Five to eight hours day l
am assured have been regularly devot-
ed to drill, battalion and brigade move
ment, and other instruction for the ex.
igencies of special service. The pick.
ct duty may be divided into two class.
es--the inlying, that which is immedi.
atsly about the brigades; and the out
lying, much heavier and harder, all
over the island, holding roads and fer
ries, and other important points. And
to this summary the expeditions in all
dHections, naval and military, the oc.
Gupation of Tybee Island at Savannah
and the possession of st. Helena Sound
to the north, twenty-five miles nearer
Charleston than this harbor, both hav-
ing Notifications which have been
abandoned by the rebels, and believe
some general notion may be formed of
the work acc omplished up to the pres
ent date. l shall write more particu-
larly on almost every subject referred
to my immediate object having been,
at the risk of tedious enumeration, to
state results, or draw outlines.
THE CoNTRABANDs.
The contraband question is not less
Interesting in its relation to the Expedi.
ton and the whole war. Facts are SO
numerous that the difficulty is, to select
from the mass of materials those which
are most important. can only repeat,
to-day, few of the statements, which
come to me from the best authority
observing in the first place, that there
are probably not more than three hun
dred in camp at present. MIR. B. K
Lee, jr., who came out as Supercargo
of the Ocean Queen, has charge, as
Superintendent, of about one hundred
and twenty. About one hundred are
At Bay Point, where the 10th New
York is stationed, and the rest are in
the employ OF officers, or cannot be
definitely accounted for. Those who
come inside the lines are not allowed
leave, for any purpose, without a pass
and there is watchful jealousy toward
them, the ground of which it is difficult
to understand. Their feeling of hostil
ity to their late masters and gratitude
to us is unmistakable and universal
and their readiness to work is shown
in every way. The policy of Geneaal
Sherman, or whoever is responsible for
his remarkable proclamation, 1 cannot
pretend to fathom, not to relieve the over
worked soldiers from some of the heav
lest tasks imposed upon them.
There is no wish on the part of the ne
groes to go North. They dread the
cold, dislike to leave their homes-the
attachment, as have already explained
being local, not personal-and look In
telligently forward to emancipation on
the soil. A large number of them,
who gathered about one of the officers,
was much frightened on being asked, ii
they did not wish to be sent North,
and an old man answered, ssNo Massa,
no; we don't want to 60 North. You
make this free State, and pay as fos
our soork, and let as all stan here"
An answer which may help to dispe
the dismal anticipation really enter
tanned by some persons not otherwise
unintelligent, that the North is to bt
overrun by liberated slaves. They
have and can have neither the wish mol
the means to forsake the soil on which