The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-06-28


He is closely watched lest he iguobly desert the
city and the cause. Handbilis are nosted "a
\ which he is ridiculed, and the dead wallis are
eloquent with denunciation. The oft.repe.ted
statement that some North Carolina regiments
had been fred upon by other regiments Is .r,;n
revived, and is vouched for by good authority
Ine Massacre OF Negroes In South Caro-.
| lima.
Inc following islthe text of the dispatch con.
| cefning the recent massacre of negroes on
Hutchinson Island BY the Rebels:
U. 5. SHIP DATE, 81. HELENA SoUypJ
South Carolina, June Is, 1862
| Or: This morning at 4 o'clock it was report.
60 10 me that there was a large fire on Hutciip-
| son Island. Shortly after preconce.ted signal
1nas the enemy we're in the vicinity had been
lnaoe from the house Of our pilot, Immediately
ssa,teo IN the gig, accompanied by the tender
W., Mnu ya', boatswam Downs, Senr. Acting Mid
nuptnan lerl5; hrst cutter. Acting Master Bill
Anss' seconG cutter, Acting Master Hawkins,
and cutter, Coxswan Shatluff nm Horn or Rio
kiver Creek, in the direction of the FIRE
| Soon after leaving the ship a canoe co,.,;n;,,
| three negroes was met, who stated that the Rs'
oeis. Soo strong, were at Mrs. Msrdis's plsnta.
tion, killing all the negroes As We advanced
up the creek we were constantly met by canoes
| with two or three negroes in them, panic str;cL.
en- and making their way to the ship, while uh;,s
flags were to be seen flying from every inbxb;,.J
point, around which were clustered yronns oe
frightened fugitives. -
When about two and half miles from N,a
Mardiss, was obliged to anchor the Wild Cat
from the want Of sufficient water in toe channel
with orders to cover our retrea: if necessary
On arriving at Mrs MardIs's, the scene was most
painful. Her dwelling and chapel in ruins, and
the air heavy with smoke, while at the landing
were assembled 100 souls. mostly women and
children, in the utmost distress
Throwing out picket guard, and taking eve.
|ry proper measure against surprise, I satisfied
myself that the enemy were not in our imme-
date Eeighborhood, the negroes assuring me that
they had left the Island, and returned to Fort
Chapman. | then gathered the following mar
ticulars: The Rebels, during the night. landed
on the Island from Fort Chapman, with force
OF unknown Plumbers, and guided by negro.
who for long time had been on the Island in
the employ OF the army, surrounded the house
and chapel in which large proportion of the
negroes were housed, posting a strong guard TO
oppose our landing.
At early dawn they fred volley through the
house, and as the alarmed people sprang nearly
naked from their beds and rushed forth frantic
with fear, they were shot, arrested, or knocked
down. The first inquiry of the Rebels was for
the ID Yankees, and at what time they we're in
the habit Of visiting the islands, mingled with
from the ship will be up," Lets burn tue
houses" "Not yet, they will see the fire from
the ship, and come up"
Having collected mos. of the chickens and
despoiled many of the poor people of their very
wretched clothing, and told them that as they
belonged to the State, or others nearly adioin.
ing, they would not modest them, they fred the
building and fed.
As the people were clamorocs to be removed.
/ filled the boats with them and pulled down to
the tender, on board of which they we're placed.
On our return for the remainder they were
observed, as we approached the landing, to be
in the utmost confusion, dashing wildly into the
marshes, and screaming "The Secesh are coming
back" On investigation, however, it proved
that the enemy in full sight, about two miles of.
crossing an open space of ground, were in hssty
retreat instead of advancing. On our first visit
they must have been concealed in patch of
woods not more than half mile from our piok-
cts
Having succeeded in removing or in providing
with boats all who wish to remain to COLLEGE
their little property, returned to the shin,
bringing with me about seventy, among them one
man literally ridd|ed with balls and buckshos
(since dead); another shot through the lungs,
aud struck over the forehead with a clubbed
musket, which laid the bone perfectly bare: one
woman shot in the leg, shoulder, and thigh: one
tar gone in pregnancy, suffering from disloca.
ton of the hipjoint and injury to the womb.
caused by leaping from a second-story window:
and another suffering from the displacement of
the cap OF the knee and injury of the leg from
the same cause
1t appears that the negro who had guided the
party had returned to them after the evacuation
Of the place, told them all the troops had been
Withdrawn, and that the islands were entirely
except by the ship. am therefore
It loss to account for their extreme barb,ritv
to negroes, most of whom were living on the
plantation where they had been born, peacefully
filing the ground for their support which their
masters by deserving, had denied them, and who
we're not even remotely connected With the hated
Government army
trust you will approve my sending the con.
rsbands to Hilton Head. Had not been uu.
lble to provide for such large number, and 90
much embarrassed by the frequent demands
made upon me for provisions by new arrivals, I
'hould have waited for your advice in the mat
er.
Last Tuesday We had an arrival of 80 from
he main land, and scarcely day passed without
me or more OF them, always in a half starved
whose appeals for food have not yet
'een able to resist, though they trespass rather
argely on the ships stores
All those newly arrived give the same account
If the want and scarcity Of provisions among the
white population, and their own dangers and
offerings. in effectipg their escape. Though OK.
'reising no control over the negroes on the
leighboring islands, have, ever since the with
J; ava! OF the troops, urged them to remove to
idisto or St. Helena, and warned them that
ome night they would be visited by the Rebels
But majority insisted on remaining because
here was their home, while all seemed to have
most perfect faith in the protection of the ship,
hough, perhaps, as was the case last night, ten
n twelve miles distant from her. s-
Very respectfully, your obd't servant,
w. 7. TRUYroE, Lieut.. Com.
lag Officer s. F. Dupont, Commanding South.
ern Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Port Roy.
al, s. G.
CAUsE or Conan Attn ArroN-The Damocra.