The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-11-20

CANT resid Of cultivated people, there some
thing inexpressbly melancholy about the village On
every hand signs Of the hasty fight Of the in
labitants, and much plain the indications Of
the wanton destruction and ruthless punderng houses
by the slaves. 1t too evident that their barbarous
instincts had, for the time being full sway. The village
had felt their savage hands close at it's very throat
With to hinder stop them, they held perfect
saturnaa for day, and made the quiet streets of the
village ring with their savage cries and wild orgies The
two remaining whites, trembling for their lives. kept
close within their houses and escaped being victims OF
the negro's revenge. Five six negroes had
been shot by the whites because they refused
to seek tho woods with them This maddened and infu
rated the negroes to pitch of frenzy that made them
greedy for any act Of etaaton and murder would have
been committed by them had the whites kept out OF
the way. Captain Bankhcad, of tho Pembna, and tho
commander Of the Unadilla checked in measure their
excuses But the work had been nearly completed be-
fore their arrival.
While we passed through the streets groups of
slaves-men women and chldren-some from distance,
who had been engaged in plunder, many of them had
the plunder with them They ordered to dsgorge,
and obliged to place it where they stole it from.
One thing struck walked through the dosolate
streets, and that the apparent lack Of business
travel them. The principal streets nearly
grown over with grass and two lines of sand through
them marked the line OF travel There could have been
but little travel upon any of these streets, grass grows
more rapidly under wheels than in any other spot
that have yet witnessed The negroes informed
us that General Drayton, who commands this military
depart men had been in the habit Of visiting the village
at night since the bombarGment leaving 1t before
The enemy, however. had made attempts TO
dslodge the gunboas probably fearing the effect Of their
guns upon the vilage which s in pistol shot Of their
anchorage We spent several hours wandering about tho
village and then returned to the Seneca which got under
way whom the launches had been made fast On passing
the Unadilla and Pembina, the Commodore sauted
by cheer after cheer, the manning the rigging
The crew Of the seneca returned them with will.
AT the Commodore request the Seneca stopped OPP
pose the ruins OF the old fort at the lower end Of Port
Royal Island The launches of and sent ashore,
when the howtzers mounted their land carriage,
put ashore and placed in position TO resist attack in
short time TO draw the attention Of the Flag officer
and all. 1t was but the work Of moment, and per-
formed without confusion nose The Commodore and
party then landed. Our boat brought alongside the
walls the water front OF this ancient work 1t Is of an
irregular form with bastions but with no traces OF
ditch The walls which three feet high, and
about four feet thick appear be solid and perfect
the land side when constructed but the water front
the tidal abrasion is very apparent The water has worn
through the walls at places leaving IN the form OF huge
bolders Of concrete. Yet the decay is very
slow. The water front may be traced century hence
unless it undergoes an unexpected chemical decom
position, which Is not likely. The walls are made OF
concrete Of lime and oyster shells which Is as hard and
durable as granite itself 1t must have involved great la
Dor and deal of time to build it, and for the period in
which it was built was doubtless deemed iHpregnable
work. The exact year Of It's commencement or compile
ton is not precisely knows, but it is supposed
have been built about 17oo or perhaps earlier Jean
Rebaudicre French engineer, designed and built 1t,
and he certainly evincod skill in the selection Of
the site and the plans or its construction For the pur-
pose designed II admirable Passing through these
Old walls, we turned to the left, and entered the
grounds surrounding John Joiner Smiths mansion II
was deserted and desoate Behind IL tho negro
quarers-smal whtewashed cabins, well stocked with
slaves Of all shades and sizes OF both sexes. An nte
gent old Sambo volunteered to cceoue for the oc