Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-03
From South Carolina.


lima sea coast, we have SONS interesting psrti-
culsrs Of !an condition of aGlirs ia that local.
Is. K is needless to remark that, where reti:
c.uce is so obviously Of importance Us in this
case, it is proper for Us to withhold from publ
cation any details as to the strength and seve-
7.l positions Of our troops. 1t may DO vel
supposed, however, that under the able direc
:ion Of General Lee, nothing is being LET
uadone 70 provide for the security of Charles
ton and Savannah. Ia both cities the military
authorities have no apprehensions that the
enemy will ever succeed in accomplishing any
OF their measures beyond the occupation Oh
isolated points on the shore and in proximity
to the guns of their ships.
The command Of tho sea coast licences o.
South Carolina, Georgia and Eastern fiofioa
are vested i, Goueral Lee He IS assisted oy
Brisaaier Generals Ripley, LAYTON, Drayton
and TTapier Of The Confederate army G=as'
Csuers, Harrison and Walker, of Georgia;
Cans. Gonzales, Dssassu.e snd others Of South
Carolina. All men of military capacity, and
se7cra: particularly distinguished for excellence
rs engineers.
The nunSer If troops on the coast is now
fully adequate 70 cops with any force the enc
my can probably send against US there. They
~. Se able 20 repel invasioas into the interior.
I. is Nc, presumed that We cao prevent the
enemy under cover Of their powerful feet to
effect landings at numerous points Oh the
coast. the public must be prepared to hesr
of The success of the Fcdsrals in this respect.
Years OF preparation could hardly render Sc
cure our long line Of coast against a roe strong
BY sea; particularly, TOO, as this coast is cut
up By innumsrable islands, inletS and harbors.
Blu. should the enemy attempt to march De
yond the protection Of their ships, they will
inevitably bs cut to pieces. Had the Confedera.
cy a navy Of their own, perhaps the Iankee5
would not be permitted to ride the sea so at
rosaotiy but as We can fight then only on
land, there our victories will al be gained
Fresh regiments Of troops are constantly ar
ris:ng from the interior. Col Jas. l.. Oars
regimen. Of rifles, q splendid body Of men,
1900 strong. occupies one of the Islands
Cvlousl Thcmas L Clingnan's North Caro-.
lima regiment, 1900 strong, is near by
Besides the troops Charleston has con
,iouted to the twenty-five Confederate
regiments from South Carolina, nov in Viz
GINA and at other localities, the indom!table
city hss two regiments CT infantry, one reg.
inent OF rlasmeD, one regiment OF
artillery, and a battalion Of cavalry,
all bslsnsing TO the State militia, in active
service. Though this fierce is composed of mi
~li,i,nen, it has been constantly drilling since
,he fail Of Fort Sumter, and is now quite as e..
fsc:iro as any volunteer force in the Confed.
crate army. Tic regiments are nearly all off,
cercd by graduates Of West Point and the
Stats Military Academy. Besides these troops
Charleston has q regiment Of Reserves, and
several independent companies, composed
mainly Of exempts from military duty, for
home protection. The citizens, with scarcely
an exception, all belong to military organiza-
,ious. Business is nearly suspended, as SO
many of the male inhabitants are away in the
camps aud Oh the Island. At the race course,
in the city suburbs, is a camp of several thou.
sand men, drilling day and night, and made up
wholly Ct the citizens. The spirit Of the pee.
pie is thoroughly excited, and many ore the
prayers offered up dsily that an opportunity
NAV os afforded the South Carolina soldiers to
meet the hessians in q land Fight.
The ene:ny occupy the captured batteries at
Port Royal. They have rot vcn:ured out in
force. Occasionally q boat load Of their
plucsisst soldiers steals cautiously up Broad
river for the purpose of reconnaissance. A
party Of these Vandals landed at q plantation
called Buckingham, one day last week. At
the sigh. OF a company OF our Tiaemeu, they
aed 10 their boats and made their way down
tue liver with all possible speed. Toe &C.
counts in the Northern papers Of the capture
OF thousands Of bales Of cotton is all fudge
In every direction the patriotic planters have
fred their cotton aud buildings, and where
the cotton had not been gathered from the
plant, gangs Of negroes have been sent into
the tcld to trample it into the earth. Mr..
M,keii destroyed $40, 900 worth Of cotton in
chs night, and Hon. John Townsend burned 4
l,h, quantity. Every night since the battle
at Por: Royal the skies have been illuminated
By toe burning plantations, AID from the cat
terry in Charleston looking Southwark, vast vol
uuns crsnoke can DO seen rising By day.
The battle Of Port Royal was fought With
distinguished gallantry by our troops. The
two militia artillery companies in Fort Walker
we're composed exclusively of German citizens
Of Charleston, and were commanded By Col
John \. Wagner, Of the First Regiment Of
Artillery, S. G. A., himself a worthy German.
Though the enemy had four hundred guns, and
We scarcely forty-thorgh our force actively
engaged was rot over two hundred, while the
e%ne,ny's guns were worked By at least two
thousand ncn, our brave German fellow. citi-
zsns stood TO their posts for Ave hours, and
when they retrcated they went Oft in good Or
der, the report Of Dupont to the contrary not
withstaading. They did not leave until it was
discovered that the enemy wcro about to cut
Of their retreat altogether. The history Of the
battle and the struggle of Wagner snd his
Carolina Germsns against the hosts Of the in
rader are yet to be written.
There is no panic in Charleston, as has been
represented. Some timid people have gone
into the country, and some Of the e1tortione ere
and spectators, who had been swiudling tbs
people end soldiers, attempted to get away
when there was a prospect Of having military
duty to 90, bat ths Mayor has stopped this
~villsiay By ordering that hereafter no one shSl
leave the city without q passport signed b.