New-York daily tribune., 1861-12-30

we taken, aground, and IA she could not be got oi
wan burned. On her return third WAS seized, an,
THE tine two men were found board, one Of then
Frencbman from Charleston, who declared binttl
glad 10 Eet once more into decent compsny nnt
| furnished some info nation of value. be fort o.
Edding's leland was visited and found deserted, like
the rest. Indeed, this reconnaissance ouy conirm'
the result of others, that the whole coas. has beeI
abandoned, sed that no effort will lie made "a
hold any point between Charleston and POr Roya
south Of James Island. Some Inlet whose enirubce
is on the south of that island, is the approach T.
Charleston, and all appearances indicate that there
desperate stand is to be made. Batteries are erected
along it's northern bank and the cbanrel is OBJ
structed by sunken We sells and siockades. The
position is undoubtedly al admirable ole for de-
/ ferse.
Additional 70 ce has been recently sent to Tybee,
on which it was aprrehended the Rebels intended to
make de,cent. After the island was occupied the,
bad the impudence TO como down aud desuoy the
| lighthouse. The place WIS then in Charge Of the
frigaie Savannah, Capt. Maroon, by whom guard
Of Marines had been stationed on shore, but waf
Withdrawn at night. The situation is a little Peen-
liar. We have control Of the channel, and fee: o.;
guDboats 10 stationed there; but Tainals steauen
being very light. are able to come down from Pua'-
Ii close in shore, where they cannot be reached and
take position in uinge of forces on land where
they cannot be seen by fleet. Although no attack
has yet been uade tie place is just now more inter
esting than any in the immediate vicinity.
The Spanish ferry-toat bss been searched second
time by The Provost Marshal, Major Beard. larye
number of letters Were discovered in the ceiling OF
tie cabin, against which trunks and table had been
piled. Additional evidence implcaling tie Spanish
Consul al Charleston found, an no doubt can
exist Of lis completely with The rebels. Indeed TIE
feeling among tic Spanish residents oil Cuba feem'
TO he unusually strong in their iayer' lie Captain
Of the De Soto recently arrived from Havana, tays
that The SouiLeIueTt are every where received'wl t.
attention in society and with official respect; sEd
that al Nassau national vessels were rtiused per-
mi.sion by tie authorities to supply hentelyes with
coal from American schooners lying in the ha'bor,
While tie rebels were allowed to obtain what they
wanted from private yards.
Many letters were found OF the s?tnilrd Of
considerable importance. Correspondence between
Charleston and N,w.York seems 10 have been con-
venicnty carried on by way Of Havana-a hct to
which tie PostOlice Department ns shi perhaps give
some attention. Most Of TIE letters seihed were
zen, 10 Washington. One has been handed 10 me
for publication. DO not suppoe that its eccten't
do than strengthen tie ,us ciOD long since
existing, Of the 6delity Of tie person TO whom wac
written. IL handed to be by sn officer OF the
regular army, with the remark th be thouebta all pos
sible evidence ought be furnished Of the character
and opinions Of an individual who 10 still largely
uatronized by the public. The writer is hotel
keeper in Chsrietton S. C. Tie letter inelosed
in an envelope addressed to Hiram Cranston, New.
Yo,k Hotel. New-York, NJ. The envelope has
been lost. The original letter u cent herewith, and
the following is a copy;
"FRxyD CRaSs1oS; thk hsye o. port riiy .epd
few line, by ~sy Of Hsvsn. Your pslers are q, eoar't
loud about nd ioitI So .-ry =
uor iipd l. Mt over L. wounded shout 20 They y
any Of th. ct., bu' Lssy sAd whenever tsy do lsrd
steamer srri'cd in Savannah yesterday from Europe
with ooOe ,'tnd o. .iH' and mn nrion now tie Con
srrscy Is o. ri.ht a. to SIn, eve. gee stare 81 eI
c.rucu Oh lhe in. Of tie hoobaIdn'ni at Itn Head
rs,t Royal, &c. Thies' Is m@eqae, now
must AiIce ~ eniil insurance Ia The
v Mntua Life lrs1f,nce Company J, comes d. oh and
II Dec. sin n.mt. Of nc frs DeIsrnen' which "a
emit, from dcsng military daty, am not
under s,H., Ac My us are all wei oot them 40 10
Coiubs wb.s tie ,ismp,de Srd .hs ssvs item there
for n- b''ine's b-g nns 20 IN prove a. ss p"sre'
E.eryth.nI very hh Our Iness tT- the same i'
o o tlLes elfs
Csrsson and Jour son also 10 - sno bis iAni y Ns
ell we'll spd hope to see 700 'g.ls one h''e ea>~
49," an ,oun.'troly. 7. 5. klCKERsoN."
The commencement! Of The school for the contra
bands has been unavodahly delayed. An order for
tie black boards Beaufort war given by tie CHEF
Qnarerna.ier, and Mr. Lee went op 10 get them.
Gen. Stevens promised ttey should he sent down. but
they have not come, and without them IL is not easy
to make beginning II is intended TO 80 on ss soon
Nc they are received if the weather is not too severe
TIE school must be held for the present in the even
ing, ms most Of the scboars are at work during the
day. The only scbooroom 10 the open air, and as
that is sometimes extremely cold, ahd often TOO teen
for such wors there be no regular sesions until
a 70 m IL furnished. Quarters for the con,ra6ands
are just commenced. Hitherto they have slept IN
few poor tents Oh the bluff near the fort an exposed
situation, witb little protection from the thin canvas
of which the tents are made Eonr buildings, each
80 feet long by 30 feet WIDE will be finished in two
or three weeks and Tat OF one, PERHAPS ~ 'se' oy
80 Will be reserved az a scboolroom. Before that Is
ready some arrangement viii lave been mace ior
tie permanent establishment Of the school,
and at eatt ore teacler il expected from the North
who will give bis whole time TO instrotiion. Before
my u. Ut letter il sent hope to lie able 10 wrie that
the school has at least been opened. The contra
bands Lave heard that they 10 be taught to read
and are eager to begin No eompulson or persuasion
will be necessary; not even the mild plan OF the
Rev. William T. Potter, clergy man ownirg large
plapialion on the mainland and charged with the
religious welfare OF sixty spiritual neophytes, forty
prime hand and twenty half baDd' as they were
classified by one Of the forty who told the story Mr
Potter preached every Sunday Oh his own plantation,