The weekly sun. (New York [N.Y.]) 1851-1869, 1862-01-04


lluTuN ilr,p, $. C.,
Tac'iU, Dec. 9th, 1864.
Suc. No.. Last, Of tie 2O,h inst, theIc has but
little tiauspiroi hero Of special intcro,'. We
havo row almost q, ily communication with
Beaufort, and reports ha,h u Of sN rebel pris.
uncIs taken by our plclhN tncrc. Applrortly
robd valor i, takingtcnn and they arc eau.
,iou.ll creeping b,ck 10 10 lfcal locality, and
preparing 10 mako somo SLOW # a stand on th
mainland. The village OF Bluh't, 3, reported Ia
hc occupied by our troops.
On tho 18th inst, thc steamer May, -nr,
Capt. Phillips, ascending Beaufort river an or.
to rcoonnotic around the island ami ascertain
the depth Of water IA th' riNur, di-'iyrrcl q
ifS inGGGi nPShi it6J AeahSr RHUtahuY of -
Tho ny flower returned brisk lire with a
small FOUNDER with which -ho IL armed, while
a adotal Of 80 of the sth Michigan regiment kept
upa hot fire ui muikouy, the oamOr at the same
time retiring ~ fact as possible from suyh
Clu4r quarters. Bat u Iuw ahu,B wore rNchmg-
cd, aud the Mlyllosor ul,cr grounding on,,,
managed to beat retreat, receiving On1 shot
through hor bow which aid no serious damage.
No one wa injured On our .iiu whether tho
rebels suffered 90, AL ia uuSnoSn, but whilo tho
'iogr rctIcl'rd iu our direction they rc ro1t-
."I ! III. 900 Tho battery w,l5 ma X 4 and
mounted tu,y. siN pound Eun' aud tho May
flower running near the shore was upon 10 ba-
tore being aware Of Il, existence. The object
of the rec IunUlAsHugc WIS accomplished, aud
Capt. Phillips reports onl, nine ioot OF water
N high tide in SOME parts ul the riNOr; al'p
that the rebels were ul,truc'ins the river with
scow, loaded with stones and lvy" oak log5.
ON tina lG.h inst, tho ganhOa'5 PLwnco
Pcmhiua and Vixen, left nero to rogonnoitro
North Endisto and Stone river, and returned TO
Port Royal on the 22d inst. They assembled the
ST me river TO wi i,hin eleven miles OF Chlrles-
ton. Thoy met with no resistance, tho rebels
dying on all sides AZ their approach, desorting
their homes and leaving everything. Tho Oh
ioCt ui the movement was fully accomplished.
Tho health Of tho troops here Is improving.
The weather IL becoming little cooler, and
tho air more bracing dispclling teNors and Cpl
denies.
Winter is gently giving us a few hints Of
his claims to the month Of December not with
the rude and boi-icrods blasts with which oar
northern winter horalds his approach, bat with
pleasant cool autumn days lao reminds one tha.
thicker clothes and an oyercoa' would bc com
Portable.
The new dock il hoin, constructed here a.
Iapidly as possible undor tho supervision of Col.
S,rrn, OF the Engineers. In the meantime
ihc large fleet OF transports discharge their
CaIgocs very slowly 10y means Oi lighters. Many
Of them have been for long time, and still
~, lying idle, Awaiting moan OF landing their
crgOes aul tho erection Of sheCs To store thou
tine which two hundred mech Inio and libprers
are erecting ~ rapidly a. possible. why the
Government should send such lcgt Of vessels,
Nith CargOcs that are OF no immediate use and
cannot bc landed merely 10 pay an oNtriva-
can't storage upon the goods, in vessels costing
n 600 some OF them ~, 900 por day to charter,
Isu question involving too much speculation
for your correspondent to enter upon.
Ia ln kat at Ia "a iNT N
ferry were fired uIon by the rebels, but no one
was injured. With this exception everything
has been quiet about Hilton Head.
II Is becoming serious question what Is TO
Le done with the negroes hero thoy show no
desire TO go TO work, nor has Gen. Shoiman any
| authority to make them work, unless they yO-
UNFAIRLY offer their services. They have Ger.
tAinly been very busy in digging the po'atoss
and gathering all kinds Of food, hiding It for
their own support, and az long as this lasts thoy
will not work. but soon IA II Is consumed
they will come trOOpng into our lines, an army
tl men, women and children, whom Govern
mert will have TO feed, clotho and shelter, and
| lust at time, too, no doubt, when their soT-
! ices are not wanted. There is no doubt but
that this Legro labor would prove by far tho
| most expensive in tho end Out Of 325 me-
groes coming into our lines, only 90 were able.
| bodied laboring mon tho rest were women and
| chldren The sOutherneTs, OF course, can make
thls lhDOr more pfOuthDle lnhn We as shey
make both the women and children Labor
in the field like the men but for US tc
obtain the services of 80 negroes, equal
70 the services perhaps of half tho number Of
whites 2GO women and children must bo sup
| ported. Ii is perhaps but a charitable c0nglu
| sion that these negroes have become SO unset led
IN their minds by the wondrous and almost in
credible change in their live, that has come
| upon them suddenly from AFFECT, bondage and
harsh masters, to apparently perfect freedom anC
| their own masters that it ia no wonder, perhaps
that they cam OF realize their position and setl'
themselves to work. Besides this, verify be
| leye that many of these imprudent neIroe
have no other idea Of freedom than lizness, no
viii they work until hunger compels them, no
| do they seem to have any idea Of our ever beinl
| compelled TO leave them, and heir own Teturi
Ia tho whip Of the master They seem to lool
upon the Yankees with feeling Of reverence a
thsir dsliverers and suPeriors Of their masters
tAey hare ysrI g0Od IDEA VI the pleasure