New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-19
Or Dion. Two hunlredi1 ID.


There ere several other islands thus protected
without limitations az Oter, Prtclagd, Fnfp,
Huuiiug, a. q Piiih.s Lemon aud Daw have not
been explored by tie agents engaged III collecting
cotton.
TIE porulous i.lanl Of North Edisto lying in the
direc1 Of ChsilC-' 7 and giving tie name 10 The
fines cotton, i s.i i'ed BY he Ie'e's. 4 Tor.
near Botany Bay ll-ni is Comusi. y tie guns
Of one II Onr WI vessels IA der v colony OF
one thous nd negroes sDug1, protection wfeie 'iey
have been ten Orariiv snhssted from ls sj'tes.
The humber has within "A few GAYS BEEN stated 20
have Increased 10 2,3JJ. Among these gteat oesi-
tuition Is ID 10 prevail. Even TO ltis nnn.cr &c
the re1r0es acquire conf erce ~ Ne large additions
Rre lkei, every week ID lie made. The whole Island
tie safely iarueG as coon as troops can be ela:ed
fr The pun Of Occnl alton. But not CoaEuLg Tie
plantations II Ibis islard the nunbe on iort Ro>al
l.auies S.. Helena Hilton Head, aud tie sm.il-r
i.lanis, may he estima,ede e. 20G llaAtations
In wishing the plantations ciGe@yoIcd 20 asccI-
tain with subr3ut al accuracy the mum er Of Iers0
upon them, without, lOvC7er, eXuectng 20 de-
t.rnine tie pfetisc number. On that OF Thomas
As Coffin, AT Coffin Point, st. Helena there were
20, the largcst found or any one visited. There
were i30 OIL that OF DIR. j. w jenkins, 100 on that
Of re Els IL estate, aud the others range from 8
to 81, making au average Of 81 10 a pisutAion
These however may be ranked among the bes
peOpled plantations, and forty 10 Zach II be coz
sidered a 1aiI average. From these estimates
population Of 500 lie ,roes on the ISLANDS, nov
OF tue 600 at the camp at Hilton Head, about one
halt should he counted with the Aforesaid laDtct0H
whence they have come. or the 6OO at Beaufort
one-ihird should also be reckoned with the plalta
lions. The o her fraction in each should b.
added 10 the 5000 in computing the population nov
thrown OIL our protection.
The negroes on Ladies and 81. Helena Island
have quite generally remained on their respective
plausatons, or if absent but temporarily, vlsitinl
wives or relatives. The dispersion on Port Roya
sho Hilton Head Islands has been far greater, tb'
people ot the former going TO Beaufort In consider
able numbers and on the latter to the camp at Hi
ton Head.
Counting the negroes who have gone TO Hilton
Head and Beaufort from places now protected by
our forces as still attached TO the plantations, and t.
that exteIt not swelling the 5000 on plantations
put adding thereto the usual negro population Of
Beaufort as also TIE negroes who have fie0 TO both
Beaufort ana Hilton Head from places DOT yet Occu
led by our forces aud adding also the colony ct
North Fdisto, and we must now have thrown upon
our hands, for whose present aud future nnst
provide, from 10000 10 coo persoDs-probably
nearer the latter than the former number Tbis
number is rapidly Increasing. This week forty eight
escaped frou single plantation near Grahanvie,
on the main land beld by the Rebels, led by the
driver, and after four days Of trsl end peril hidden
by day aud threading the waters with their boats
night, evadug lie Rebel pickcts, joyfuily entered
our camp AT Hilton Head The accessioDs at Edisto
arc IL larger number and according to the most rea-
s0natle estimates 1t would only require small ad-
vance, by our troops, not involving a general en-
gagement or even loss Of life, 70 double the humber
which would he brought within our lines
A fact derived from the Census Of 1860 may serve
TO illustrate tie responsibility Gevolving on the
Government. Tois County Of Beaufort bad a popu-
tion Of slaves III proportion Of 81 8l0of the whole
proportion only exceeded by seven other counties
In the Unied States, viz: one in South Carolina,
shat Of Georgetown; three in Mississippi, those of
Bolivar, Washington and IssequeDa and three in
I.ouisiana those of Madison, Toesar, and Concordia
An impression prevails that the negroes here have
been lees cared for tran is most other Rebel districts
II this be 10, aud benefcent reform ihall be
achieved here. the experiment may anywhere else
be hopefully attempted.
The former white population, 80 far rs can be as
certain d, Rebel, with ono or two exceptions
In JAM, 1861 q meeting Of the planters on St
Helena Island was held, Of winch Thomas Astor
Cofnn Was chairman. A vote was parsed, stating
.ts exposed Condition. aud Offering their slaves 10 tn
Governor OF South Carolina aid in building esrtl
mouhas, ana calling On him for guns 70 place upoi
them. a copy o. the vote, probably In his owl
bsndwrl'lng aud sigued by Mr. Coffin, was found il
his house.
III Is worthy OF note that the negroes now within
our lines are there by the invitation of no one. bn
they Were on the coil when our army began ii,
occupation, and could not have teen excluded. ex
celt by violent transportation. stnall uronoy,io,
have come on from tie main land evadipg The p;cl,
cts OF the enemy and own sopetting .r.;j,
done III an extensive country, With whoa. wood,
and tracks they familiar.
The 0uly exporablc crop OF this region ia the lon
staple Sea-Island cotton, raised with more difficult,
than the coarser kind, and bringing higher priee.
The agents of the Treasury Department expect /
gather some 2,oOO,OOO pounds Of Ginned cotton tn