, 1861-12-12

Hilton Head Correspondence H. 7. Tribune.]
The policy Of Gen. Sherman, or whoever Is
responsible for his remarkable proclamation,
cannot pretend to fatlom, nor am able to
sec why the services Of the blacks should not
relieve the ovcFworkcd soldiers from some Of
the heaviest tasks imposed npon them. The
coming Of "thc Yankees las been watched
for with anxious solicitudc at this Us at I'LL
other points, and the troops are hailed as de-
liycreIs wherever they 70. Few negroes arr
SO du1! IS to be imposed upon by the tictions
OF their masters that they are to be sold to CuE
ba, or would be worked day and night harder
than ever, OF other such Inventions. The in
stances In which any attachment to their mas
tiers is shown are extremely few.
: But the slayes come slowly into camp for
several reasons. The Invitation held out is Of
the coldest-thc accommodations, when in, are
Wretched1y insufhcient-they cannot bring
their families in any number-they cannot re-
turn to them if they are left bchind-thcir
condition OIL the deserted Plantations is one Of
case ana comfort, and every obstacle to ac-
cess to the camp is thrown in their way. That
they hive been shot in numbers BY overscers
and nlasters is beyond al question The fact
is attested bE every sort Of evidence. The hor-
rible fact stands out with appalling clearness
und certainty that the murder Of the slaves
who cannot be compelled to follow their mas-
tiers is deliberate policy and relentless pur-
pose. On the roads which lead to the islands,
1N4 LA4Ats ~ lily l4uCe Ill u1IENtlUuc,
are stationed to intercept the negroes and pre-
vent, their escape. II caught, they are sent in
land, and there fogged, tortured, and impris-
oncd in irons. f they cannot be caught. they
are shot without hesitation or mercy. At Beau-
fort regular watch is maintained. When the
gun-boats 20 up the river, as they do every two
Or three days, the whites keep out of the way
If the coast is clear they return in the day time
as we'll as night. The negroes remaining in
the place are captured, if possible, and taken
81 +Lo e.
they, like the others attempting to escape, arc
shot.
There is a more horrible story yet. A slave
| named Priscilla, formerly owned by Mr. Ora
ham Of Grahamy;1e, now & servant Of Capt.
Charles E. Fuller, one Of the Brigade Quarter
masters, relates that before she left the p1an-
| tation, the slaves were ordered into barn to
| shell com; that when Ill were in, the doors
| were locked, the barn was fired, and men,
| women and children were burned alive.
| no doubt Of tic fact. When, after such
| horror as that, add that two slaves captured
| ut Beaufort 4 few days ago arc known to have
been taken to the mainland and hanged,
sccR, to record only commonplace barbarity,
| the truth Of which needs no Affirmation It
| is not merely men who are Trying to escape
| that are murdered. The families Of those who
| 1aye escaped arc treated with the utmost cru
! city, and some of them have actually been
masEacrcd. The knowledge Of the fact has
created Eo much excitement among the nc
grocs in camp that it was found necessary to
| double the guards, to prevent their leaying,
in order to bring away or endcavor to hide
| their wives and children.
| One other fact Of 4 different nature, and
| turn frtm this frightful picture Of the ameni-
ties Of the social institution, whose rights and
ilnnlunitie5 are SO carefully acknowledged and
| protected. I am indebted for the account to
t Gen. Viele. There is slave girl in camp who
| left her master under the following circum-
stances: She had been compelled to share
her masters bed, and the tcarful reluctance
! With which the story was gradually drawn
from her showed how bitterly she felt the dis
grace to which she had been compelled to
submit Her masters wife discovered tho
fact, removed her from tie house, and infict-
! cd upon the innocent victim Of her husbands S
brutality the seycrest punishment repeated
Ioggings. She escaped at the first opportuni-
ty, and came to the camp. Is this tragedy
horrible enough? This girl was the personal
attendant Of ler masters daughter, Is years