Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-11-16
INCIDENTS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA
INVASION

He says:
1.-The reconnaissance had demonstrated-to
none more clearly than TO General Sherman
that the military portion Of the expedit ion,
with the means at its command, was utterly
Poweriess to effect landing in the face Of such
preparations as the enemy had exhibited We
had found two heavy batteriss-not mere in
treschments, but permanent works, indicating
, considerable engineering skill-planted upon
the very points at which alone it was practi-
cable to disembsrk. Adding to our discom-
6ture was the fact of the disintsgration of the
heet by the storm, and the non-appearance of
several vessels, upon the safety Of which in
great measure seemed to depend the success Of
the expedition. Among these were the steamer
Ericsson, having Hamilton's light battery on
BOARD; and the bark Ocean Express, contain
ing all the ordnance, without which no position
ashore would be tenable. That the ordnance
should have been all shipped by one vessel
was piece of short-sightedness on the part of
Capt. McNutt, U. s A chief of the ordnance
corps, who has since been relieved from duty.
"Ourferry boats, without which the means Of
speedily disembsrking the troops were mad
equate, and the Belvidere, osceols and Union
transports, with commissary stores and deck
loads of beeves and horses were also missing
and anxiety respecting the fate of these ves-
sells was not diminished by the full knowledge
OF the loss OF the Governor and Peerless. Here,
too, was frittering away Of the finest weather
for landing which ever could be hoped for and
there we're the rebels in full sight improving
our delay by Strengthening their means Of de-
fence. All the military peoPle were despond-
ing, and after a consultation Of the Generals
on board the Wabash, it was determined to
gracefully yield the guidance of affairs to the
navy. Gen. Sherman told Commodore Du-
pont-and Gems. Wright, Stevens and Viele
ooneurred In the statement-that the soldiers
could not land unless the sailors first sileneed
the rebel batteries. Blue-jackets have q rep
utatiOn for being equal to emergencies and in
this instance there was no shrinking from the
responsibility
THE LANDING.
The same writer says Of the landing:
The limited means for landing made the on
Grafton one Of the slowest and most tedious I
have ever witnessed. The surf and hat-bos
first went alongTide the steamers containing
Nrights brigade, and one regiment was put
was made. I must be permitted to remark,
without intending to be offensive, that soldiers
on shipboard are awkward enough but pack
them closely in q small boat, and they seem to
lose all control over their limbs, so that nothing
whatever can be done with them. This char.
acteristic intrsctability was not lacking on this
occasion, and it seemed that each particular
man took ten minutes to get himself on board
after the order to enter the boat was given.
Adding to the delay was the fact that the
beach shelved 50 gradually that none of the
loaded boats could approach il within fifty
yards or more; and the soldiers, therefore had
20 diyest themselves Of shses and stockings and
FOUNDER through water up to their kneee
Leaving these unfortunate creatures with my
mind filed with misgiyings as to the oonse-
quences should the rebels rally to attack them
in their unprepared condition, ssuntsred into
the fort and examined IL.
Meanwhile, as the troops landed, they seat
tered themselves about the encampment, ap-
parently under no control Of their officers but
with the one idea Of plandering the property
on aft
utterly inexcusable, as the victory had been
won without their slightest aid but, for a
while, nothing but pillaging went on. The
soldiers were eclipsed, however, in their dis
graceful deeds by the crews and some of the
officers Of the transports.
THE coNrRABANDs.
The correspondent Of the New York Post
says: The negroes ran to greet our boats as we
landed to take possession of the Fort and
among those found on the shore by our ma
rines, were several belonging to Gen. Qrayton,
commander Of the post, whose plantation on
Hilton Head Island was well stocked with fell
lows Of the genuine ebony cast Two of them
were taken on board the Wabash, and gave
much interesting and reliable Information in
regard to the situation Of the affairs on the
Island.
One of them asserted that his M aster had that
morning assured him that be might fall into
other hands before night, and be seemed to
have been sufficiently pleased with the pros
pect OF change Of masters TO get his bundle
ready TO be taken Off
As our troops were at first too busy making
geod their position to attend to anything else,
and the quartermasters had already more up.
on their hands than they could we'll attend TO-
the negroes who appeared were not encouraged
to remain. but were at once sent back, and on
one pretenss and another to take care of them
selves. But by the morning of the second day
ffty were already gathered at headquarters
and signs Of much greater influx were abun'
dant.
Those who remained were put under charge
Of Capt; Goodrich, the qusrtsrmaster Of Gen
Wright's brigade, who saw that their wants
we're well attended 70, giving up an old build
ing 70 their accommodation.
Our troops were accompanied in their frst
reconnoissance into the island by DIR. ]. j
Craven. the Efficient surgeon Of the third bri
tions further inland as almost wild with de-
light at the advent Of our troops and the hastJ
fight Of their masters, which they described
with the utmost gusfo.
The poor, trusting creatures never seemed
to question that war which they had heard
was all about them must mean their deliver
ance from o bondage with which they do mo-
seem to have been sufficiently In lsve to follow
the fortunes Of their fleeing masters.
There seems 10 be abundant work for them
TO do in picking cotton on Hilton Head Island
which our troops have occupied, and it 10 TO bs
hoped that their services will be In some wsJ
turusd TO account for this purpose.
A,res.of it, already white for the harvest
were found within less than q mile Of For
Walker, and viii be lost unless speedily at
tended 20.
ssvera: buildings filed with unginned cot
ton were also found further back toward Skull
Creek, and on the islands seysnd that stream
similar deposits could he seen. A heavy smok,
which vas seen at q distance the negroes re
ported TO come from lot Of cotton which had
h. eha hal
For some reason the negroes appeared q
frst inclined 10 wait until they were called fo
before making their appearance, but the few
who we're dismissed on the first day spread tn,
report that the Yankees we're indeed at hand
and the next morning number came IN from
the main land, where their masters had re
treated, making their escape at night in
eanoe. TIE reports must have spread up a
far as Beaufort 10 an astonishingly short space
Of time, for when our boats went mp Their