Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-12-20

nkANrHNILLE, =. C., 81 J
miles from Charleston. Dec Y
The hre commenced last night at IL o'clock in Rus
sell Co.'S sash factory, az the foot Of Hazel street and
communicated 20 the opposite side Of Hazel street to
Cameron & Co.'s machine shop. Under the impulse
thus given and stiff breeze, with a small SUNNY
Of water, the conhagraron assumed formidable
character nearly equalhng the most extensive confagra
ton ever on the Ameucan continent The theatre.
tloyds coach factory lopposite the express oice) the
Queen street are burned The whole OF side Of
Broad street destroyed from Col Gadsdeas residence
10 Meeting Street. considerable portion Of the city
from Ashley % King Street is destroyed. Among the
prominent buildings burned the Institute and st
Andre VS. Hail. the Theatre aud the Catholic Church
Alast accounts from Charleston up TO FIVE O'Clock this
morning the fire had crossed Broad street and was
sweeping furiously on. The fire companies being COM
posed Of men who engaged 10 military duy the fire
engines we're worked by negroes who broke and rendered
useless the two best ones The office Of the Courier and
Mercury are said 10 be destroyed
BAIrMons Dec IA
The Old Point boat brings a report Of the discovery
aud prompt suppression by the military authorities Of
negro nsurreotinn at Charleston. The account states
that the plot discovered By the body servant Of
military othcer who said the negroes Of the CRY were to
be Joined by large bands ot negroes from the country
WIN were TO come iu armed At night lie said thai the
sash factory had been fired bY free negro, whom he
designated aud who ha. been arrested A small quaint
~ Of arms had been found under the floor Of negro
cabin. They were all new and in good order In an
other negro cabin knives and hatchets found
ed The greatest CONSERVATION prevailed. Families
we're closing and barring their wind VS..
Another account states that negro instructions had
broken out in the interior Of South Carolina two days
before the fire and still raging unsubdued but this
last report is not well authenticated.
BALriNoRE, Dec 10
We learn from the cantan of the Norfolk boat that
he was informed by the Captain % the steamer Illinois
which had arrived az Old Point from Port Royal that he
passed within xix miles of Charleston Hatbor az ten o.
clock on lhursday night and that conhagraton was
evidently at its heghth in that city. The reflection on
the clouds exceeds anything he aud the whole
bay with the dark outlines OF Fort Sumter brightly
illuminated II did not appear like reflection from
smoudering ruins but from raging, uncomfortable
faeaton This is later than the Norfolk Day Book dis
patch.
From this last report, it seems that the fire
had been raging for twenty-four hours when
the Illinois passed Charleston harbor, and was
to all appearances at its highth. We can ex-
pect therefore to hear nothing less than the
almost total destruction of the city. Surely,
these happy and contented O negroes are
very ungrateful to their loving masters. But
If Charleston, the hut-bed Of treason, and
the origin and fomenter of the reasonable
war on the Union, has been burned by enc
mics in her own midst, we can do no better
than receive it as the just vengeance Of God
on the "Sodom" Of this country.