Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-03
LATE NEWS FROM SAVANNAH.

n Rebel Bdtferv-OUf UNn-bonfS Idf6 and
Destroy it-Offctal Reports Of Commodore
Dupont and Commander GfHts-Prort-
sioss Scarce and Dear at SGuannGh-Fort
Pulaski Entirely Invested and to be
.Shsllsd-dr Unconditional Surrsn2ey De-
nldnded
A letter written on board the U. 8. steamer
Seminole, Warsaw Sound, Georgia, March 9Th,
gives the following account Of the capture Of the
Skidaway Island batteries.
To-day at half. past twelve, NJ, signal was
made by the senior Captain (John P. ellis, Of
the seminole) for the squadron In Warsaw Inlet
proceeded In line-of-battle up Wilmington river
very slowly, until we arrived within a mile of the
battery, when the Norwich fred a rified shell In
among q party Of horsemen near It, The sound
seemed to stageer them, for the horsemen cur
vetted about In confusion and fed
Proceeding up a little further, the Norwich let
the r ebels have another shell In an encampment
near the battery, when the whole party fed
leaving the battery and the whole place deserted
Giving them several more doses rie hit I'm the
earthworks we cleared them out entirely and
then manned the boats, went on shore and took
formal possession, Capt. ellis planted the old
flag upon the highest rampant himself, and Act
ing Master Steel ran up with a picket guard of
eight or ten men, and planted the old Qridiron
the glorious Stars and Stripes on the Rebel head.
quarters amid the salvos OF musketry, at the same
time carrying away the miserable worn out Sc
cession dish-cloth that was flying there.
The Rebels left little behind them worth hav-
ing but their dinners, which were still cooking
over wood fire: Captain ellis then ordered
that the whole work should be DESTROYED az we
did not wish to hold 1t, having no soldiers with
us. The batteries were then fred In the interior,
and soon burst into fine blaze, carving every.
thing before it. Skidaway Fort is now among
the things that were. Tho Rebel houses and prl-
vate property were humanelv spared, but were
afterwards destroyed by the Rebel soldiery.
The works on Skidaway were very well built,
and had the enemy remained and fought, they
could have given us some trouble IL is evident
that the Port ROYAL fight 10 still ringing In their
ignominious flight every time they see a Federal
gunboat. The success Of the achievement h great
and Skidaway, as well as the channel OF the
Wilmington river, this side of Thunderbolt, Is
now in our hands. Our glorious cause il still
blessed, and our arms victorious.
After all the works were completely DESTROYED
the squadron steamed back to the anchorage In
Warsaw Sound
they are in a bad way at Savannah for food.
Gov. Brown has stopped the dstilling OF whis-
Ky, as they want the grain for bread, which will
be entirely out In July.
do 80 before long, al the batteries intended for its
bombardment are nearly completed.
Official dispatches from Com. Dupont dated
March 27th, and received yesterday at the NAVY
Department, say in reference to this affair:
"Tbe abandonment Of these batteries gives
US complete control Of Washaw and Ossebaw
Sounds, and the mouths Of Vernon and Will
mington rivers, which form important approaches
to that city (Savannah)."
Com. ellis in his report says:
81 learn that the Confederates' battery on Green
Island is abandoned. Several houses In sight are
prisoner who was taken In the marshes by the
Release. His statement accompanies this -"
From the statement Of the contraband, Loudon
Middleton, who was picked up by the steamer
Norwich, we gather the following particulars of
affairs In Dixie:
" His master was VIM. p. Fulton of Savannah.
He left that city on the 22d March, coming, by
way Of White BluRand Green Island, to Raccoon
KEYS.
All provisions are scarce at Savannah. and
very dear, particularly bacon, rum, Liquors and
"such like" Fresh beef is more plenty, but q
costs 25 to 30 cents for what used to sell at g. and
10 cents per pound. Eggs were at so cents per
dozen. Chickens 81 SO pair. Tea scarce Cots,e
was selling at 81 50aSl rs per pound They are
every bad OFF, for rum and liquors, and "alInost
have have to give them 1P.n and supply of these,
somewhere where the Federals now hold posses
sion. Folks are going and coming. Some who
had LEFT the city are returning, and they are
moving all the cash money to Macon. They
threaten to burn the city II they should be unable
to hold II, and are In daily expectation OF an
attach.
Savannah river by means Of "torpedoes, - because
one OF the principal men who was sinking them
got drowned while down In a diving bell
He knows of no raft near Fort Jackson, near
which Tatnall ia on board the Savannah date the
Everglade.) When he was last near Thunder.
bit, some time since, they had eight puns
mounted. There IL a battery (number of guns
unknown) at Costar's Bluff. They said that they
were mounting guns at the old fort above Fort
Jackson, below the gas house, and near the first
ferry wharf, but he knows little Of this part of
the river, having been fisherman around about
White Blslf and Green Island, but more re-
Gently employed in waiting on the soldiers
All the approaches to the city, not only the
main but also the by-roads, are being fortified,
and they told him that they had 100 600 men
Green and Skiddaway Islands are abandoned
except by few cavalry. The guns from Green
Island were taken to fortify Bewley, and those
from skiddaway to Montgomery, a part Of Bew-
ley: but about three quarters Of mile separate
Both were on the Wymingbing river, which runs
from Raccoon Keys up, making Green Island the
hrss land to the northeast going, and thence run
ming up to Bewley, Montgomery and White
Bluff. They expect Us to cross Skiddaway Island,
and have guns and pickets at the two bridges to
cut them aUav, and fg ht our troops on their arri-
val. The first bridge is reckoned to be five miles
across from the cupola house, (last night burned
by the RebelsD near the skidaway (abandoned)