Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-11-28
THE WAR In THE SOUTH,
Brilliant Success of Negro Troops.
Rebel Salt Works DESTROYED.
Negroes Ready to fake the Ios,
OF q usI.Es down the Rebellion.
Testimony in their Behalf by
Captain Budd.
Correspondence OF the N. Y. Tribune.
On BoARD STEAMER FROM FT. MONROE !
10 RAIrIHInEE NV IL

On BoARD STEAMER FROM Fr. MONROE
/ TO BALTIMORE, Nov. IA. 7
! Events Of no ordinary character have
Just occurred in the Department of the
South. The negro troops have been
tested, and to their great joy, though
not contrary to their expectations, they
have trumphed, not only over enemies
armed with nuskets and swords, but
/ over what the black man breads most,
sharp and crue! prejudices.
General Saxton, on the 18th Of Octo-
ber, sent the captured steamer Darling
ton, Captain Crande!l, down the coast of
Georgia and to Fernandina, Florida, to
obtain recruits for the 1st Regiment
South Carolina Volunteers. Lieuten-
ant Colonel o. L. Beard of the 4Sth New
York Volunteers, was given the com
mand of the expedition. in addition to
obtaining recruits, the condition and
wants of the recent refugees fro N Slavery
along the coast, were to be looked into,
and, if occasion should offer, it was per-
mitted to ''feel the enemy" At St.
Simonds, Ga, Capt Trow bridge, with35
men Of the Hunter Regiment of lst
South Carolina Volunteers who had
been stationed there for three months,
together with twenty seven men, were
received on board With this company
of sixty-two men, the Darlington pro
ceeded to Fernandina.
On arriving, meeting CT die colored
men was called to obtain enlistments.
The large church was crowded. After
addresses had been made Dy the writer
and Colonel Beard, 100 men volunteered
at once, and the number soon reached
about 125 Such, however, we're the de-
mands of Fort Clinch and the Quar- ter
masters Department for laborers, that
Colonel Rich, commanding the port
consented to only 25 men leaving. This
was sad disappointment, and one which
some determined not to bear. The %
men were carefully selected from among
these not employed, either on the fort
or in the Quartermaster' Department,
and put on board Amid the farewells
aud benedictions of hundreds of their
! friends on shore they took their depar-
ture, to prove the truth or falsity of the
charge, The black man can neverfght.' y
On calling the roll, Il few miles froal
port, it was found our % men had in
creased to 81. Determined not to be
foiled in their purpose of being sol
! dier, it was found that so men had qui-
city found their way on board, just at
break cf day, and had concealed them
selves in the hold of the ship When
asked whyssthey did so, their reply was:
"Oh, we want to fight for our liberty
and for the liberty Of our wives and
children
"But would you dare to face your old
masters?"
ooh, yes, yes; why, We would fight &c
de death to get our families, was the
quick response. No one doubted theil
sincerity Musket5 were soon in theii
hands, and 10 time was lost IN drilling
them. Our steamer, Il very frai! one
had been barricaded around the bow aud
stern, and also provided with two II
FOUNDER Parrott guns. These guns had
to be worked by black men, under tho
direction of the Captain of the steamer
Our fighting men numbered only abou
10, and SO Of them we're raw recruits
The expedition was not very formldl
bic one, still all seemed to have an un
usual degree of confidence as to its sue
cess.
What had been done the day previous
and what was accomplished on the day
of sailing, is described as follows by
Lieut.. Col. Beard, in his report to Gen
SaXton:
"On Monday, Nov 3, with the steame
Darlington, having on board Capt. Trow
bridges company, colored troops (sixty
two proceeded up Bell river, Florida
drove in the rebel pickets below Cooper s
destroyed their place Of rendezvous
thence proceeded and destroyed the sal
works, and all the salt, corn and wagons
which We could not carry away, beside
killing the horses. Thence we proceeded
to jolly river and destroyed two sal
works, with large amount of salt AM
corn. Thence proceeded to St. Mary
and brought off two families of contra
bands after driving in the enemys pick
cts.
Son Tuesday, Nov. 4, proceeded t
Kings Bay, Georgia, destroyed larg
salt works in creek about mile fror
the landing, together with all the prop
erty on the place. Here we were at
tackled by about eighty of the enemy, o
whom we killed two"
This was the first place where tn
had all, about 30 in number, just go
into the small boats, when the enem
suddenly rushed out of the thick wo ID
and fired upon them. Their conditio
was perilous one, the enemy not bein
over ten rods distant, and the steame
still further off Nothing daunted, tn
men loaded and fired cooily and inces
sanity, till safe ON board. A warm Fir
was pened at once by the men from tn
steamer, and one of our PARROTS playe
we'll its part. 1t was marvellous that ur
der so heavy shower Of bullets not
man was wounded, though many bal
were lodged in the steamer and BARR
cades.
Nov. 6.-The first landing this da
: was on Buffers Island, from which tn
e troops brought off quite a quantity {
E rice. The next landing was at Darier
Ga, where two prisoners and some arm
were taken. The pickets fed at the az
S proach of our troops. Lieutenar
: Walker, of Captain Trowbridge's Con
a pany, who had been left in charge
o part of the company on ST. simond's |:
land, accompanied by 25 men, ha
crossed over in small boats few day
! before our arrival, and had captured,
: Darien, the Assistant Provost Marsha
: One of our new prisoners stoutly OK
6 jected to being marched to the sma