Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-09-04
[Our Army Correspondence. ]
From Folly Island.

=
and again been ordered southwark The plac,
which we have visited since last wrote to yo
have been so many times described by CORE.
pondents. and the incidents Of the camp and th
march so often related, that pass them b
Tor the most part as an old story While i
Virginia we had one execution for desertion.
was an aggravated case and fully justifed til
severity exercised. Six men were detailed 70
the service Only three Of their rifles wer
loaded with ball cartridges, the others bein
blanks. The execution was in the presence q
the entire brigade, and we marched past tn
body after the deserter had been shot. Onl,
two of the shots took effect, one bullet passin.
near the heart. so that he died almost instantly
We reached our present quarters on Folll
Island on Sunday the 10Th. On the Ilth inst.
we were ordered to leave Newport News fol
Fortress Monroe. At Fortress Monroe We wer,
ordered on board screw steamer and sailes
southwark. About two O'Clock SUNDAY morn
ing (l6th) We came to the blockading feet Of
Charleston. 1t seems we passed them out o.
hailing distance, for | was awakened bv the
sound Of a shot fired across our bows to bring
US to. Our boat was Immediately stopped
We turned back and were soon hailed hy tie
commander OF the bloekadins vessel, Ship
ahoy What vessel is that Answered by,
The L. 5. Transport America 90 Then the
blockader, d" Never pass a blockade without
coming within hailing distance Anchor imme-
diately." Aye. Aye. Sir, - returned our COM
mander, and we remained at anchor till morn
ing. When daylight came. Charleston. the fl
nous forts Sumter, MoultIie ana Wagner were
in full view, about four miios ii-t.it apparent
ly about midway between us .ll Fort Sumter
were the Monitors quietly waiting their time 70
make another grand attack on the forts
During the day. sunday, occasional shots
were fired perhaps once in ise or t.u minutes
from the batteries N Morris Island into Fsr,
Sumter.
We coull see the smoke Of cur guns and a
short tine after the smoke Of the bursting shell
within Fort Sumter or against its walls. Many
of them appeared to US to be doing considerable
damage and some thought they could sce a large
hole in the walls made by our shells. 1t WAS re
ported that the grand attack WIS 20 be made on
Monday
Early in the morning We veEc SMILED from the
America to the side-wheel steamer Mary Benton.
We expected to land on Morris Island, but after
passing the bar and reaching the dock and wait
ing while We hal orders to so to Stono Inlet,
before disembarkins While we waited heavy
cannonading between our batteries and Monitors
and forts Sumter and Wagner commenced. but
We steamed away down the coast Of Folly Island
to it, southern extremity, where after waiting
till almost night we disembarkei and encampei
a little distance from the wharf in the midst of
the sand We have since moved our camps Little
farther from the point and here We remain to DO
guard and provost duty in place Of other regi-
ments which have just left this point. This We
do instead Of joining in the attack on Charles
ton, as We expected. We hear the boom
ing Of the big guns day and nigh; eight
or ten mile> distant, but except this it Is
As peaceful a camp as We were ever in. To the
south Of Us are Johns and james Islands. on the
latter is small village. In Stono Inlet, which
lies between, are many ships and steamers at
anchor; on the point are stacked piles Of army
stores. Here are also bresstworks well built
and guns mounted for the protection Of the
place.
These Islands arc all merely heaps Of sand
thrown up by the ocean in years gone by, and
are covered mostly with small trees and shrubs,
most of which are strange to us. Here grows
the palmetto tree. the prickly pear and hundreds
Of weels, shrubs aud flowers with which We are
unacquaintei. J.R
CANADAv GOVERNMENTAL ArrMRs.-The
Canadian Parliament assembled at Quclec
on the 18th inst. The contest for the speak
ership Of the House was spirited and result
ed in the election of the Government candi-
date, Mr.. Wallbridge 1t had been antici-
pated that the party favoring the ministry
and the present administration, would put
forward Mr. George Brown as candidate for
Speaker. The opposition orators had. there
fore prepared themselves to demolish Mr..
Brown, and, if possible, prevent his election.
A correspondent describes the effect of the
hits at him which had been carefully inter-
woven into their speeches as, on the whole,
very ludicrous. 1t IS presumed that some
measure will be taken by the pr,scn, Par
lament affecting, in some degree, the rcla-
tions Of Canada to the United States The
Montreal Transcript significantly quotes
London authorities as follows
The London Morning Post in an editorial on
Canadian defenses, says We have confident be
lief that the bluster Of the Federal Government
will produce very salutary effects in Canada.-
In spite Of the urgent appeals Of the colonial
Office, the legislature OF Canada has refused to
place the militia on an efficient footing. As the
Canadians have no sympathy with the North,
the present aspect of affairs on their continent
may induce them to show little Of the spirit
which aroused their father in lol2. Prudence,
as well as selfinterest, should lead them to
adopt this course. We may add that it is the
bounden duty of the home government to look
TO the naval defenses Of the province on the
inland seas from Superior to the St Lawrence
there is not so much as gunboat or armed
steamer, while the Americans profess to have in
their ports hotilla which, at any rate, would
give them command Of the lakes. and render
access to Canada a matter of comparative ease.
EyGLAND's PRE-ENINENcE on IHE SEA.-
The July number of the Edinburg Review
sums up the conclusions arrived at in dis
cussing the navies of France and EnglanG as
follows
But whatever may be the power of artillery
afloat-and it is this with which We are princi-
concerned; however hard the struggle may be
al la1, hasrr and