New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-17

s,p were discharged ON Sunday, the whole WORK
Gpsbed aud tie brigade established AID supplied ioI
,,,o months 10 come. Gen. Stevens expressed j 3
orsst satisfaction with the manner in Which the .
work had been done.
Very mach of the cotton at Port Royal Island has
been destroyed, and all Of it would have been If Tie
occupaiicA had been two or three days longer de-
layed. The rebels commenced burning near Beau
fort Ind continued their work back toward the ferry
even after the landing Of our troops. On "wednesday
last il the repotsare 10 be credited xix cotton houses
and four gauares were burnt, and not night has
passed without fires being visible in some direction
There are boats enough in which snail parties mag
cross at any point and with their knowledge OF Ibe
country, they able to penetrate some distance in-
land without being discovered. No considerable
force has been on the leland since Saturday. lufIr-
NATION concerning these parties and the destruction
Of the cotton was mostly brought in BY tie contra
bands, and reports were aerward cent ty the pick
cts from various points A force, stated at 90 cav
airy, crossed Saturday By the ferry, came sew
oral miles up the she'll road tanned of TO the right,
and went back 10y windi 6 road TO The ferry, burn
ing overy cotton house as tLey proceeded. Ii news
of Their performances had been received few hours
earlier, the Iarty might have been intercepted aud
captured. They threatened 10 return next day, but
the occupation of the ferry Of course intefered with
their benevolent purpose.
The town las not much changed in appearance
since week before last wheD visiiCd IT, nor was its
condition then materially different from what WAS
observed when the first ganboat went W. Originally
deserted with the intention Of being destroyed to
prevent It's falling inio hands, it Las since been
in POSSESSION of the negroes whose sole dominion hhs
BEEN however, oon,il uay interrupted by TIE nightly
and almost daily return of tie re- els 10 carry on
ororerty aud CAPTURE hoot the negroes themseves
srd hy tie frequent wits Of gunboGls and small par
lies from the feet. Probably il would have been
burnt the very night He took possession, ali tie &C
counts If the negroes agreeing IN tbs. The wanion
destruction Of property las been very great, End
much If IL no doubt was tie ork OF the negr0ee;
much also. equally wantor aud less excusabie, WAS
tie woik Of struggling parties of our own forces.
Nevertheless, il is ain that great d,al Of movable
property bas been carried away by its owncIs, and
Great deal more still remaining nigh. have been if
tbey had chosen The splendor of houses aud tufni-
ture, and tie Uesu,y of Tie place. bgye been largely
exaggerated. There are many large and few rattle
CT ne houscs generally furuis0ed in some attempt
Il display, rot always successful. The STANDARDS 81
comfort and luxury tire, owcyer, 20 very different,
North aud South, that this Was deemed in rIiiua
the choicest home Of boh, aud it is true tha ,s OF
sQualid care essuess, neglect and half conoeed pow
erty .vtUc here than is .aid to te common IN mcs
Soutiein towns and IN the plantation Iesidences .!
Iich sLyeLolders. The housc OF Col Nfanf, one %
the original Seces-iorists aud farHory Governor Of
South Carolina, would be- called handsome in any
town Of moderate size in the North. DR.. johns Jn's
near by faced with light free sandstone not uu-
like tue Malone, has the best outside Of all, but WAS
unfinished communicative cOnuahsnd told me-
the Doctor had expected TO eat bis Christmas doner
in Lis new mansion; bat fear lie must either 20
dinneress that day, he content 10 eat II els. where
The Hon Robert 3. BmnWell occupied q large house
rejoicing ia the msgniceuce OF trout doors, and
surrounded by rather larger grounds than his neigh
bors could boast Much Of tie furniture ard library,
which latter Wa the largest IN town except the pub
lie library, had been removed. As in every other
house l visited, floors ere litter with books and
papers, only here in greater proiuson and confession
tban elsewhere. / picked up a printed circular ON
coast defense, containing some seutbG fu- se-ions
for The security Of tie concerned soil against the
appr ach of invading forces lot without value per.
haze 10 us The extracts / INTENDED 10 make must
be deferred as lent the paper 10 an officer and have
10 copy. A leiler from Gen. Ripley, found in the
sane place is of interest enough 10 1yc in full, aud
is as follows:
"HfADQrA"rrns Pror,sloyAL FoEcGs DIT 2, s. CD
" Hon. r. y. BARNwELL, Bcagfojt, y. C.--DEAR
SIN. lave rtc.ved your letter rTre with 'u lie
H. ' "a a ya o Ss 81 S 2 le ss 1
w0s to"td 10 Jass away vi hot ade4n1 lephiato sh
to eccomPish NV ,tn' woid nay he rev Io,P' im-
perfect na'ca int rperereed ofcers &c do net 'onduee
Iots men ia the viridy of T. s5oo give Col
Hayward ii mons OF transport aud 10 allow hm to re-
Mean%iiir' DO - 90 g-ntlenen IN your neehboood
conn-e their assistance in labor T. the 81 moment There
10 doa6t @ The enemy ia hts o-ti only with We had
LIS mrchaIiesi resource.
you be visiting Chae'ton, ,hA be most happy
a. an very respectfully your ohediett tervent
n. 5. RILEY, BHgacie!-GcneIhI Commanding"
certain dependency its tone, the confession OF
want of preparation and Of their officers inexreri-
ence thus shown TO lie weakness not peculiar to us,
and the Departing sense of our superiority in me-
chanioal resources are its most significant points.
Gen. Ripley, who speaks If the Union forces as
the enemy" is Northern man--from Connecticut
or New-York-married to a Charleston wife. MIR.
Barnwell is one Of the leading menbers perhaps the
most prominent, of the weknown End widely
spread family Vi tlht nduc. lib BdiucHo "e''
blooming with tube and essamires, ond filed
with orange trees laden with fruit, fair lock at
but litter 10 taste The Sammer uxurance through
out the town, the perfume, in some places aluost
offensive you pass them in the evening when the
dew diffuses their fragrance, tie delicious soft esq
and warmth of the air in The daytime, make it diff
cult to realize that this is almost the middle of De
cember, and that you may DO at this moment shrink
ing from east winds aud snow in New-York and fur
cher north Another gale like that Of last week will