, 1861-01-21


We yesterday eaw u friend who had just
como up from Charleston, and whose report Of
the condition Of things there differs widely
from tbs versions most popular In the Repub-
ltcan press. He eaya that food Ia thus far both
cheap and plentiful in Charleston, for those
who have money to buy it; but tha. industry
his been Utmost abandoned, aud that every
second or thirt store is closed, with notice
on the shutters that the proprietor Ia gone to
Europe OF to the North.
He states further, that the Germans, Irish,
aud Northern men In the Charleston militia,
the former exhibit bnt little enthusiasm in the
course they find themselves embarked on.
One duy, Whit three hundred Of these militia
men were on parade, the Colonel formed them
into sipg13 line, and asked those who wished
to volunteer icto the regal r army oi South
Carolina to step three paccs forward On this,
f1y-ight I,en ndyaueed, hftytwo Of these
being South Ca7ullnians, two 1rishmcn fand
four Germans. At seeing go poor 4 result
where he had expected unanimous acceptance,
the Colonel became highly iuccnsed, riding
between the men who had stepped forward
and those who remained In their places
shaking Ills sword in tho faces Of the latter,
and threatening to have the N Ill drafted By
couscriptiou into the regular line before they
were four and twenty hours older" He also
threatened that when be lad them 60 drafted,
he would punish them for their rccusaacy on
tul8 OEE1S1UU-UlS G1Utl II OlQ6 pEiHts& 4 IL tItAi
you worse than the soldiers arc treated in the
army Of the United States"
Our informant also tells us that all the plan
ters within twenty-five or thirty miles OF the
city 2.c obliged to lend half their mails slaves
for PERIODS of six days 1t time, to work TN
the earth batteries now in process Of compile
tiuu ut Point Morris and other points alrug
the ship channel Ex-Governor Aiken, he
tells us. has been Obliged to send more than
two hundred and fifty black laborcrs, mud to
contribute largely to the support Of luis own
and other negroes on tho W0rks-thts being
the penalty e1actcd OF him for having opposed
secession In Its earlier stages He Is held as 4
man suspected OF not being sound on tbs
goose, one Of the most objectionable czimesin
the eyes Of the parties now IN power.
We f1rthe. learn that two OF the companies
stationed in Castle Pinckney-thc Mea.her
Guards and the Montgomery C:dc:>, both
mainly composed Of young 1rtshnlcn-com-
plain terribly Of the wTetched supplies scnt to
them By the Commissiarat Department, tseir
day aud tuo gi11s Ct whisky, II they wanted
meat, they were ordered TO buy it for them
eelv IS. but could not do SO ut 7uch distance
from the city. Once drafted into tie regular
army Of the Palmetto State, as these men have
been, they would become liable rs desertef3
should they now attempt to escape. Most Of
them felt no desire to volunteer, but were
persuaded to Go 60 by their employers, who
thrcateued to dismiss them II they refused.
Terrible stories were also in circulation at
Chat1cston, Of the distress, misery aod r;oting
ut the North, and especafl1y In the City Of
New fosk-the object doubtless being to de-
ter the Irish and German laborers from seek
Ing to get out Of the State.