The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-08-29
- lha Rlssnaaa EE.mlasr. ~. b.

l this battery and this island are consid-
cred essential 10 the safety of Charleston.
| Possession Of IL will enable the enemy 10
plant batteries within fourteen hundred
yards Of Sumter, but not TO approach by
parallel one foot farther II the fCrtrefe
is destroyed by cannonade al that dis
tame, ID will be the first considerable
work which has ever been so reduced.
The possibility Of accomplishing the
novel feat rests on the supposed superior
powers Of rifle guns. But though these
modern implements Of war can be en-
ployed with accuracy at much longer
distance than smooth bores, their breach
ing power has hitherto been considered,
II not inferior, certainly no greater than
those of the ordinary siege guns carrying
equal weight Resting their opinion on
the fate of Vicksburg and other places,
many persons in the South believe the
destruction Of Sumter and the fall of
Charleston 10 be inevitable events
There will be the more glory for its de-
tenders and honor for the city IL they
falsify such predictions. Any extensive
| city which cannot be circnmvallated, and
which is defended by large army with
heavy Notifications, is impregnable, il
| its people and soldiers are truly deter
mined never TO give in. The means of
defense multiply with every week OF
siege. All the power Of France
aud England employed 10 the ut
termost and without intermisslon was
insufficient TO take Sebasiopool They
gnally accomplished the destruction of
Malakof and the docks--the Battery
Wagner and the Morris Island Of that
place. But they never reached the north
side Of the port, and knowing by expe-
rience that they never would succeed in
doing So they made peace rather than
waste another hundred thousand lives in
the attempt. If Charleston is captured
history will declare that il was because
the spirit of the place had decayed.
That any such decay exists we do not
believe and that every foot of ground,
every stone, every ruin, will be defend
ed with the highest determination, is
what the world expects of General
BeAuregard and Of Charleston. If they
do 90 act in the coming emergency, al
though we may hear of some partial an d
expensive success 10 the enemy in the
siege; although Wagner may be taken,
or Morris Island evacuated; Sumter be
shattered, and even some portions of the
city injured by shells, the South will
never have to support the grief aid NOR
LITIGATION of knowing that Charleston is
in the hands Of the enemy and ruled by
Butler.
From the Ri.hmopd Examiner, August TO-
The sole point of real interest TO th,
North, as in the South, lie, aud during th'
next few weeks will continue TO be, Char.
lesion. All eyes, all hopes. all fears, arr
conferred now on that beleagured city. L
is astonishing 10 observe the confdenc,
which appears TO be felt by the Northern
public, in the rapid and certain success
] | of the operations now undertaken agains
. Charleston. II is equally astonishing h
hear many in this Southern Confederacy
who have not the means of knowing
aught about the situation Of the beseigeG
or the besiegers, express similar opinions
The difficulties in the way Of the be
siegers are 80 manifest and 30 mani
T. efforts like the present one have proven
a in result such pitiful abortions, that i
would appear impossible to regard th
. fall of Charleston as proper or pruden
Q subject for prediction. IL is true th
siege is now conducted ON a giganti
scale and with remarkable energy. Tn
# enemy employs on Battery Wayne
. and Fort Sumter an armament hilbert
unexampled in the history of warfare
y The vast material resources of the Unite,
e States will be used to their utmost ex
7. tent in the next few days, and are, il
r fact, SO used. But the preparation 70
the defence have been not less energeti
Ia and determined. If the huge projectile
a on the attack promise TO pierce seven fee
into solid brick work, the walls Of tn
g battery and the fort have been mad
y twenty feet thick with sand-bags b
i break the shock. Unable TO prOcur
"a much needed guns from Richmond
. Charleston has fitted up an arsenal of il
own, which rifles the heaviest ordinances
B. Not the slightest symptom of tagging Q
depression Is manifested by the brav
men who conduct the defence, and th
l. population ardently encourage them I
te maintain their places till every hous
a shall be reduced TO ashes, every gun dis
II mounted, and until the last man is dis
abled. Let us pray that Charleston vii
as il desires, be mound Of smoking RI
"a ms, if the day should ever come whe
l. the Yankee flag is planted there.
h UNION NEGRO SOLDIER PRIsoEERs-wHA
10 THE REBELS PROPOSE TO Do WITH THE
i. IMPORTANT oRDER FORM GEN. BEAU
- REGARD
On this very important subject, in r.
ply TO some structures of the Charlestc
- Mercury (made under misapprehensiOn
s the Chief of Staff of Gen. Beauregai
n has addressed to that journal the TO
" lowing letter:
/ HEADe'Rs DEPARTMENT OF SOUTH CAR
oLINA, jEoRGIA AND FLORIDA,
- CHARLESTON, S. O, Aug. IL. 1868.
B. col r, D. Rheii, Junior Editor Of NE curv'
III In the Mercury Of this day you al
10 pear to have written under a missppr'
N hension of the facts connected with Il
present status of the negroes captured
NC arms on Morris and James Island
which permit me 10 state as follows:
The proclamation Of the Presider
OF dated December %, 1862, directed tn
IL, all negro slaves captured in arms shou
ri be az once delivered over TO the executi
a. authorities of the respective States
:. which they belong, to be dealt with =
AZ oording to the laws of said States.
no An informal application was made
Ter the State authorities for the negroes ca
tured in this vicinity but as mono
them, il appeared, had been slaves
a.