The Camden confederate. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-21
Charleston Correspondence.
CHARLESTON, February l3, 1862.

Our peoplc-that is the people of this Con
federacy-have not, until very recently, rea-
llzed that the war, in its most frghtful aspects,
was at our doors. From the inception of this
great struggle for civil and religious liberty,
we have been building (chotcauen Espoguc)
"castlcs in the air." and trusting too much upon
probabilities. Instead Of octiny we have been
specu(oting, and our bloody foe has taken coun-
Gil of our folly, and proitcd by our dillatori-
ness. The unparalleled magnanimitv and chiy-
airy evinccd plior to and at the fall of Sum;cy
has crippled us not a little and to the exercise
of this spirit, VIC owe it that we arc without a
navy. and therefore powerlcss on the scacoast.
The many steamers flying to and from this
port and Northern cities, those at Savannah
and elsewhere, could have been detained, pos
scssed and converted into formidable war vcs-
scls. Chivary and magnanimity gave them
to the encmy-Southcrn Stockholders were
told to whistle for their Shares, and these very
steamers have been blockading our ports and
shcling our towns. While the enemy worked
day and night to add strength to his navy, we
slumbcred. The moral Of the foolish and
wise Virgins comes in very well here. We
could have procured oil for cur lamps; we
could have built many war vessels in the time
allotted but we were spcculatinr upon the in
tenho" of the foe, and looking hopefully to
European Nations for rccogntion Blind !:
blind have we been; and even now, when every
breeze whispers fresh disasters, and dcsolation
marks our borders, our people arc not tully
aroused.
am no General and am very modest in nv
pretentions to military knowledge, but | have
MY opinions, and these | hold dear. 1t is Il
sweet privilege that we may Minh without mo-
lcstation; and give awav our thoughts for what
ever value the receiver may feel disposed to
accord them-much, little, or naucht. have
eagerly watched the progress fthc contcndinc
hosts, have trcmhcd with anxiety when our
army advanced, and exalted over every victory
obtained. | have grcvcd over our inactivity.
and want of discernmcnt i'm certain localities.
and shed tears over defeats consequent thereon.
III uliS progressive dSc, Wilen every man Is
striving to outdo his ncighbor in inventions OF
death dealing engines and misciles, four or
eight walls form but little else than man traps.
he they composed of granite, brick or earth.
Ilattcras, Port Royal, and Tennessee have Spo-
ken plainly on this point. We have built bat
tcrics, with the cc,tointy that we would be
shcllcd out of them; and we have sacrificed hun
drc'ls Of lives, when wisdom dictated that no
such sacrifice was necessary. If bomb proof
forts could not be constructed, why have cx-
pended money, labor, and sacrifice of life, to
make tcnable untenab.c works The Stevens
Battery placed 1900 yards from the terrible
fire of Fort Sumter, resisted its heaviest shot.
1t was tested, and proved to be tie thing.
Have any like batteries been erected elsewhere?
The Floating Battery was a success Would
not three or four such in the Tennessee River,
in addition to Forts Henry and Donclson, have
sent the enemy off with flea in his ear.
Would not twelve of them at Port Royal, have
been Of ctfectual service? Would the price have
been too great? The planters left cotton and
other property to the Yankees enough to build
25 or 80 of them.
These are my reflections. l am no dictatori-
al scribblcr, and do not wish to be enrolled
among those fault finding Editors and CORES
pondcnts who are recommended to the posi-