Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-03-26
State of Affairs at Port Royal--Strange
Revelations from Massachusetts,
journal. ....-. ......
[From the New Bedford Mercury. jsth

"O'o'"hVus Hoh maSSachusetts
Journal. ..r-. .-u
lFrom the New Bedford Mercury, 18th
We take the following extracts from letter
placed in our hands, dated st. Helena Island
Port Royal, s. c., February 18. They contain
some interesting particulars, which have not
been published before: tUs- - -
"The Boston Educational Commission have
extended their field Of operations quite large.
ly. | believe they have undertaken IN bsIn
the cause in the Wet. and In Wasbinoton
and in North Carolina, Norfolk, and alon9 IN a
Southern coast. | wish they wouldn'ta for
they have been obliged, In consequence 70 re.
duce the teaohers' salaries to thirty dollars
per month for men, and twenty for women :,
Without considering myself, really think this
is bad policy You must pay for good work OF
you won't get it done-even 10 philanthropy.
"We have suffered lately from the savage
maraudings OF the soldiers encamped on o1r
isian1. An army corps, or grand division,
has lately arrived 10 this Departments, and
been temporarily stationed at Lands Eud
about four miles from US. While Gen. Foeter
(Who came here IN command of them), and
Gen. Hunter, who is In command of this De
partment, are amusing themselves with little
patriotic quarrel concerning their reanpctive
rights, and while Gen. Foster has gone to nro.
tsst in Washington, the whole expedition ia
frustrated. Charleston is supposed to bo the
object Of attack, but this petty eouabbIe has
rendered such thing abortive noW. In the
mean time the soldiers have been conducting
themselves with the meanness of pioknock ets
and the ferocity of savages They have scat
tered abroad over the lower part of the island
like swarm Of locusts. They have burned
half dozen houses, violated the negro women. !.
robbed the men by brute force of money, poul.
try and pigs, and they have even KILLED Govern.
ment cattle. They come aud ask negro tn
cook them dinner. Then they either 90 off
without paying, or they hand the man a five
or ten dollar bill Of Confederate money NJ
other trash, and take change from the poor
fellows in good money. This has been done
to such an extent that our people are mas.
SCISSORS Of great quantities. of this spuriona
stuff. While II lasted, for it has been
stopped), we were all kept in constant az.
| citement, called out at all hours of the
day and night by the cries for protec.
tion. We would rush to the stable. sad.
BILE our horses put our pistols In onr
pockets, and gallop to the scene OF riot.
But before we had arrived, the scoundrels, vbo
we're as cunning as they were brutal, Would he
| off with their plundef. Once / reached tbs
spot before they got of. The negroes, seeinO
me, we're encouraged, and picking up Sticks
fence rails, and other weapons, pursued the fel.
lows The soldiers overtaken, cooked tbeii
muskets, put on their bayonets, and threatened
the blacks most ferocously. The latter showed
no want of pluck, and it was all could do ID
prevent row. They would have got the worsl
of IL, for they bad no such weapons as the sol.
diers, and the latter were set of the most des.
perste looking rascals you would see In New
York One Of them cooked revolver at ne.
gro and swore he would blow his brains ont
Another rushed up to man and put bayonei
to his breast swearing he would run him
through. In each case l was in time to stor
the murder, If indeed they had seriously meant
TO kill. There was terrible deal of curspp
and pointing OF muskets aud shaking of fists
but at last | persuaded the brutes tc
70 off, They offered me no violence, and
seemed inclined to listen to reason when
told them | would bear witness to any yio-
lence to the people, and that should at once
report the case to the General. | tell you the
possession Of loaded revolver, quite ready tc
my hand, gave me coolness and feeling of
confidence that we're OF great service to me
went down at once to. the General In com
mand. l found he had already written off 9
general order concerning the matter, ,'and had
begun the most prompt and severe measures o.
repression. So l went back comforted, anC
since there has been no trouble. During thes,
few days of rapine, the poor blacks lost hun
dreds of dollars worth Of property. b..
81 am sorry to hear that some of the Twen-
ty-fourth Massachusetts, Regiment we're anon,
the msrsuders. l understand that q whole
company Of that regiment are now In irons al
Bay Point, their officers included. Genera
Negley himself told me that he had arrestet
one Colonel for permitting this disorder. 81
you see we have 10 lack of excitement her,
down South"