Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-17
Of the State Journal

JTee1HIeTt
CORRESPONDENCE Of the State journal
BEAUFORT, S. c., Nov. q, 1863
Together with many other servants of ouI
honored Uncle, I am for the present safely
located at the place of the above date. Per
haps few paragraphs from here concerning
things visible and audible, during short So
Journ thus far in the Department of the
South, may be of interest to you.
Off Charleston Bar on our way down, mails
were delivered to two Of the blockading feet
Everybody on board, of course, improved the
opportunity to see all of Charleston that was
to be seen, not excepting even those misera-
BILE people whom the sea had made sick. On
approaching the channel, the first thing that
could be distinctly made out, among the trees
that fringed the horizon, was the square form
of Fort Sumter, its outlines, greatly to the
wonder Of those innocent enough to place
implicit confidence in the veracity of army
correspondents for New York papers, appear
ing to the naked eye entire and unbroken-
Through glass, however, the parapets we're
seen to be ragged and notched, but it re-
quired glass to detect that appearance at a
distance of only two or three miles Beyond
that battered structure, as we approached
nearer, the spires and trce-tOps Of Charleston
itself were distinctly visible. 1t was one of
those fine days of u Southern autumn which
recall the marvellous tales of the old French
and Spanish vOyagers to the Carolinas, and
the distant city seemed to lift up its spires
into an atmosphere of undisturbed, perpetual
peace. Closer, the signs of the great contest
were at once recognized. At the lower end
OF Morris island was great swarm of tran
sports, while on the island the white, in
Vulnerable tents of Gilmorc's hosts were set
III conspicuous relief by the deep shade Of
heavy forests beyond. Off the upper end of
the Island the "chcese-box" monitors and
the sturdy Lroesides quietly rode at anchor.
Outside of these the other armed vessels Of
the fleet were lying at anchor also, or were
steaming out in quest Of blockade runners
During our brief stay the passengers were
gratltlCd III witnessing the firing Of two can
non shots against Sumter and the bursting of
a huge she'll against its southwestern wall
MOultre, standing across the channel from
Sumter, looked to be q much more formidable
work than the latter could ever have been.
The walls are apparently higher, and are pro-
teuted by heavy banks of earth, sloping to
the very top of the fort. But our fleet once
past the distractions in the harbOr, Moultrie
will be of rs little service to the Confedera-
cy rs Phillips and jackson were after the he
role Farragut had reached New Orleans
At Hilton Head we found the hero, thus
ihr, OF all this department, none other than
General Gilmore, temporarily absent from
the front. The General, it is said hardly
mn
ally pertaining to the graduates of West
Point, and unfortunately for the rules of
physlognomy, his nose curves the wrong way
But his clear, keen, blue eye, looks business,
and his every movement, tone and gesture
reveal the fullest mental and physical energy
Every man in his army believes he cannot
fail to take Charleston, and thinks he would
had the navy but done its appropriate share
of the work
Admiral Dahlgrens admirers are not nu-
mcrous III the army, nor indeed are they in
the naVy-whcther justly or not, time only
can decide One cause of his mpOpularity.
aside from his failure to accomplish anything
noteworthy, lies in the fact Of his having had
but little experience comparatively, as a ma
val commander, he having been afoat in that
capacity, it is said, but five Years in all. 1t
Is commonly reported that at every little
blow, he IS sea sick.
| overheard a soldier say the other day,
The only happy people down here are ne
groes." (Thc last word he pronounced the
short Way | am satisfied he would have
been right in saying they arc the happest
people here, and they have reason to be
There are said to be eighteen thousand of
t4em on the islands in the Beaufort district
now occupied by our forces, nearly double
/ no, In
war. There is scarcely one of these who
does not owe his freedom to the arms eff the
Union, the free negroes on these sea islands,
under the rule of the chivalry, being few and
far between. Freedom is something to a man
in 4 black skin perhaps not so much as if
his skin were white, yet it is something
And whatever it is, the black man is reioiced
at it; it is said he grows more erect and
manly through enjoying it, One of the Su-
pcrintcndcnts said to me, ''Do you see those
boys there ," pointing to some sootv iuven-
lies across the street "WcU, when | first
came here, they were so sheepish you couldn't
get one of them to look YOU in the eve Now,
sir, they will look straight at you, and if they
think you deserve it, they are ready to fight
you, too" | have questioned many of the
freed men since l have been here, and have
not yet met one who would prefer to be a
slave again.
On the recommendation of the Direct Tax
Commissioners, the President has directed
the Commissioners to sell on favorable terms,
certain parts of the lands forfeited to the
United States for the non-payment of taxes,
to 8 heads of families of the African race" in
quantities not to exceed twenty acres to any
one purchaser, "pretcrring such as b, their
good conduct, meritoriOus services or cxem-
~ 10
propriety and industry to those of the same
race Gen, Saxton, the Military Governor
of South Carolina, under whose excellent SUI
pervision the negroes are placed, has appoin,
ted an officer to receive from these heads of
families" money on deposit to be used for
these purchases as soon as the necessary sur
veys can be made. This officer has received
over five Thousand dollars thus deposited
since the opening of his office, two or three
weeks since, and it is believed among those
who have the best opportunities to know,
that there is hardly family among the col
,ored people who have been here for wear
past, but can raise twenty five to fifty dollars
to buy homestead with. Some of them have
two or three hundred dollars laid up for the
purchase of land. 1t SCENE to be an object
of their highest ambition to own Il part of
kheir native soil At the tax sales last Feb
ruary and March, two or three plantations
were struck off to the freedmen who had for
merly been slaves on them, and who had
dubbed together for their purchase. These
plantations during the past year have been
fully as well worked as those managed by the
Government, the profits more than paving tie
original investment in them. In the quarter
masters carpenter shop, some of the negroes
who are receiving so a month, [ am informed
bv one of the head carpenters, do more and
better work than some of the white carpen-
ters brought from the North and paC 81, SO
and IS, 90 day, rations being issued in each