Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-11-20
The NAVAL PXPEDITInN.

The great Naval Expedition which sail
ed from Annapolis, Maryland a FORT
night ago, is made up as follows
The land forces are under the CON-
mand Of acting Major Gen. Thomas W.
Sherman, the second in command is Brig
adler Gen. Isaac !. Stevens,
The Artillery consists of Battery of six
piece. of rified cannon under the com,
mand of Capt Hamilton. The only
Pennsylvania Regiments accompanying
the expedition are the Fiftieth under
command of COL 3. G. Christ and the
Round Head" regiment in command of
Col Dasure.
The Naval section is under the full
command of Com. Samuel F. Dupont and
consists Of 7G vessels and transports
This is exclusive of the Sabine, ,Sasque.
hannah, Vandaha, and other vessels of the
bloekading squadron, which we're to have
joined the expedition as it passed the
points off which they were stationed.
The entire military arm Of the expedi-
tion may safely be estimated, however, at
Gel tsirly not less than 10000 men for
the most part picked troops detailed from
/ General McClollans command for this
particular service.
! The Expedition landed at the mouth
of Port Royal River on the coast of South
Carolina, and after capturing several
small forts also captured ths Town OF
Beaufort the description of which place
we find in the WorH as follows:
Beaufort, which has the deepest and Ii.
nest harbor on the Southern coast, is
nj ltt1a yillora Of ohA,,F n ,l,,,-a,.l
inhabitants, situal ed sixteen miles inland,
and distant fifty miles from Charleston,
and thir.y-fye from Savannah. The land.
ing of large force in its vicinity is a
menace to both these cities, which Will
compel the rebels to keep largo station.
airy force for the defence OF each, besides
confronting us with another at Beaufort
They cannot send detachmentl from the
latter TO either of these important cities
SO quickly as we can despatch large
force from Beaufort by sea nor can the
troops at one of them be sent to the de-
fence Of the other, without leaving it ex-
posed to attack by new armament which
may pounce Oh it from Fortress Monroe.
The rebel troops at Charleston and Sa.
yannah must be sufficient, ,at each fthese
cities, to defend it from our whole South
ern force, which can be welded against
either at will, and which will require the
rebels to stand ready with three times as
many mep to meet nm attack as would be
necessary if the point Of landing had
been less skillrully selected.
The country around Beaufort, for a
great distance back, is as level as any oil
our Western prairies, which will prevent
the rebels, in the battles likely TO occur,
from fighting with the advantages Of
ground which have been of much service
to them in Virginia. They can make no
cunning retreats, drawing us on until a
strong position makes it safe to hazard q
battle. On those extensive fats every
butalion ofour men be at least an even
match for every battalion OF theirs and
| the Union army may count upon IAN
open field and fair fight" in which hith.
erlo, they have always been victorious.
/ The important relations of this War TO
the negro question and the cotton sap
ply conifibute also to make Beaufort the
most eligible position in all the Soush for
n base Of operations. We strike into the
heart of the region that produces the
most valuable OF all the varieties Of the
staple, known IN the market as the Sea
/ Island cotton. The district or county of
Beaufort alone produced III 1850, 1862
bales, besides more rice tnan any other
county in the Southern States The ado
joining district of Coleton, on the north
east, 1000 bales and the other adjacent
district Of Barnwell, ,on the northwest, TO-
l3S bales. This is one OF the most opu-
lent regions in the whole South, the plan.
ta,ions being extensive and the slaves uu-
merous in proportion to the white popu,
lation. In Beaufort district there werei-
1860, 5,047 white Inhabitants and 32,29T
slaves in Coletion, 7.4OS whites and 81.
III slaves :; a disproportion SO great as TO
touch South ern apprehensions in their
tenderest point, and to bring the inhabi
tants, at once, face to face with the terri
bic consequences involved in prompt
final choice between return to loyalty
nd persistence in rebellion.