New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-10

drawn from this fortress they went 10 Columbia.
and there staid for about four weeks. The
life there was one of comparative license for the
men, and pleasantly inexpensive for The State,
the system on which South Carolina supported
this branch of her standing army was simple
she allowed each man to " find" himself. This
each man did By quartering himself in the house
OF any private citizen whom he could induce to
take him In. The force was nominally assembled
every morning for purposes of drill, but the ex.
ercse at that hour was mainly limited to the
taking Of drinks. Then toe men separated, and
spent the day wherever they liked, aud as the
most of them preferred to lounge in the tayerns.
or near liqnor wherever liquor was to be found,
they congregated in cheerful numbers about these
popular resorts. AZ consequence, they became
regularly drunk, and therefore as brutal as their
bad natures compelled them to be. Being drunk.
they must have some recreation, and their IA
yorite pastime was to bait an Abolltionist-that
is, any Northern man.
One or two illustrations OF tho sportye natures
of these high-spirited soldiers: One man, for
some tine a resident OF Providence, in Rhode
Island. but who had been engaged for year or
two in the furniture business at Columbia, was
drawn into SOME verbal quarrel in the bar-room
of the hotel with an officer OF volunteers, which
had its origin as follows: The officer asked him
to drink; be declined; the officer then insulted
him with gross language, calling him Yankees
to this the man replied that he was Yankee,
and he wished he was once more among Yam
KEGS ThereupOn the officer drew his hnlie and
inflicted on him severe wound, at the same
time knocking him down. At once the crowd
called out that the id Northerner should
be killed. and they directly rushed upon him and
began kicking him in the face amid great glee;
the man soon became senseless be was then
carried to some hole, where ia short time he
died. while the mob returned to their driUk IL
must be borne in mind that this rabble was COM
posed in part Of the soldiers of the army Of
South Carolina. Another instance was similar.
except that the victim there wss merely hogged.
shayen. az to half his head, tarred and feathered
and sent adrift on the river in boat, without
oars or rudder. Some of these same noble sol
dicrs, one day desiring sport, seized small
Italian boy VIII, sold oranges, threw his fruit
into the streets, then beat him numerically aud
vent laughing 20 their grog. Suca were some
Of tie play ful freaks of the gallant defenders Of
Southern rights!
These volunteers, and they are fair example
Of the majority in the State, are chiefly over
seers out Of work, and loaiers who never had
any work, and who would not do it if ttey were
asked All they desire is food, drink aud cloth
ing, aud these necessaries no trader or prsats
citizen dare refuse The problem of life at tue
South with these fellows ia charmiOgly simple.
| They have only to ask, and they are sure to re-
ceiye. The idea Of locking for any discipline
among them is of course absurd. The officer
| who gives an order is quite as likely to receive
| n polite request to 90 where good intentions 20
! as to be obeyed Surly or riOtous independence.
! q chronic disposition to anticipate iusUlLs, fiery
/ jealousy, and determination ~ live by the labor
! of Others mark the Southern soldier While
liquor is freely running aud no work lies before
him he will be loyal and brave. When the ter
rbe reality Of war comes, with its loug stretches
of duh priyation and its only occasional bite of
exciting action, his selfish re6ellOus, lazy nature
win make trouble than many thousand hos
tile bayonets, than parks of heavy artillery.
Spasmodic bravery the South has, undoubtedly.
Bat il will need something more Honor is not
a bad quality in soldier. Let the South learn
the meaning Of that word, if possible. They viii
not find the knowledge superfuous.
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