Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-01-05

"
Some few squaws witnessed the scene.
Correspondence Of the Cleveland Leader.1
HILTON HEAD, soUTH CAROLINA,
CAMP 10Th REG'T PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS,
December 24th, 1862,
Editors Leader
In the absence Of war news in this De-
partment, trust short sketch Of the
progress, improvements and changes in
this and adjacent Islands will be interest
ing to your numerous readers. But lit
tIe oYer-Uuv year Ego urvnerut r5nsr1run
captured this Island and took possession
of the same, hoisting on the rebel Forts,
"Beauregard" and " Walker" the glorious
Stars and Stripes. The Forts were only
earthworks, hastily thrown up and poorly
planned. These, with about dozen old
frame buildings, were the sum total of
improvements found here when General
shermans army landed. When we take
into consideration that Port Royal Harbor
is one of the largest, safest, and most
convenient of any on the Atlantic or Gulf
Coast, and that settlements on this Island
were over one hundred years old, it nat
urally leads us to inquire the reason why
this harbor has not long ere this been i'm
proved. But the landing of our noble ar
my Of patriotic Yankees turned over a new
leaf in affairs. The true Yankee, go-abead
spirit of cur Northern people, as well as
the Nation, soon showed itself A large
and substantial pier, six hundred yards
long, was Immediately constructed, also
Government buildings for COmmissary,
Quartermaster and Ordnance departments
Within three months after General Sher-
mans arrival there were 100000 feet of
frame buildings put up, and in addition to
this five miles Of the heaviest kind Of en-
trenchments had been thrown up, palisad-
ed, and guns mounted, enclosing an area
Of about eighteen acres. The entrench-
ments simply a continuation Of Fort
Wells, formerly Fort Walker are in the
form Of an arch, yet so built and the guns
are mounted in such manner as to rake
right and left and in front, making it i'm
possible for any enemy ever to scale them,
if properly defended. The Forts have
also been completely remodeled, and may
be said now to be invulnerable. Since Gtn-
eral Sherman left US improvements of all
kinds have steadily advanced, until we
now have a young city. Over two hun
dred new buildings, Of various kinds, are
now on this Island. Every kind Of busi-
ness and manufactures is carried on sue
eessfully here We have fashionable no.
teLs, saloons, TestGyRnts, schoolhouses,
churches, newspapers and printing offices,
and from forty 70 eighty vessels are con-
stantly moored in the harbor. One hun
dred and fifty contrabands are daily en-
played unloading vessels on the wharf.
About one and half miles of iron railroad
have been laid, and are now used by the
Government in conveying stores TO the diff
ferent storehouses. About sixty carpen-
ters, freed men, and about the same num-
Der Of soldiers detailed, are constantly en-
plOyed putting up new buildings. These
| people are now constructing houses on
what is called the Drayton Plantation,
three miles from the Fort. The plantation
is laid out after the form or pattern Of a
Western Reserve town, with large lots and
wide. streets. This plan was suggested
and put in operation by the late General
Mitchell, who took a most lively interest in
these heretOfOre-neglected people. Large
numbers ofthem have settled on st. HeleuG
Island, where they are located in the same
way as above stated.
Large numbers of freed men have beer
selected for soldiers, and taken to Florids
and Georgia, where, as,your readers have
| doubtless seen, they have done good ser.
vice in fighting the rebels.
Great quantities Of corn and cotton have
been raised in the past season, and Cover
nor Saxton announces in advance that h'
has arrangements already made to quad
ruple the amount the coming year.
Three things have been proved here il
the last year with regard to the coloreC
race lst That they love liberty above al
other things, and viii, if opportunity Of
fers have and maintain It at every cost
ID, That they viii fight, and can be disei
plined and educated easily in civil or mil
itary attainments; Sd, That they will liv
well and contented on small wages, ant
are generally inclined to listen to tn
teachings Of missionaries and all thos
who propose to be their moral instructors
In proof Of this last statement may men
tion that in numerous instances has tn
writer of this been applied to by negroes
fifty years old, to teach them to spell an
read, saying to me that {" they wished I
learn to read the Bible"
The freedmen, who, when we arrive
here, were in rags or filth, or covered wit
the coarsest of cloth, are now neatly an
comfortably clad, especially the women
, and on Sundays they all attend churel
J and are as well clothed, and behave then
selves as well as the common people {
the North.
The schools for the children are in fu
and successful operation. The childre
learn fast Mrs. Gage, at Beaufort, has
, school of 160 scholars, all learning to reaC
Just think Of it. Ten years ago an estin
able lady was imprisoned and fined in th
great State Of Virginia, for teaching min
little darkies to read in Sunday Sehoo
Now, in 1862, Mrs Gage is teaching on
! hundred and sixty scholars in the yer
heart of slavedom. She teaches them I
read on week days, and on Sundays sh
teaches them the glorious doctrines of sa
walton, which not only give life an
hope in this life, and in world to com
but liberty How great the change. We
ily the world moves.
The freedmen receive for their wage
from four to eight dollars per month an
I rations, for common labor. Mechanics n
| ceive from eight to twelve dollars pG
month, as they are proficient.
It would seem as though in the face
these facts and many more that might
adduced, that al good men would uni
their influence and support to farther Il
amelioraton Of this degraded race. 7,
there are some men here, who do all
|, their power to ridieule and write dow
J every effort Of the friends ofthe freed me
!. for his good. The scoundrely and heir
u correspondents Of the New York Heral
Y - l..-.lnrr D;cr,nfnh hnrn srl-,l..na H.