The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-07-02
HEAD-QUARTERs, PICKET GUARD, !

3" am happy TO night, almost perfectly happy, SO
are my soldiers. They are singing a beautiful rich
negro melody Of the words Jehovah has triumphed,
his people are Free L; is wonderfully expressive,
not only Tor its own sweetness and pathos. but espe-
cially when one thinks of their condition, it is full
of sublimity. They are now on soil which for gener-
atoms has been cursed with slavery, the riches, cot
ton growing land in the South. On Port Royal
Island. near us. is the lovely City of Beaufort, the
Newport of the South, whose noble stately mansions
are now hospitals for the very slaves whose masters
not long since fed in terror from the same doors into
which those sufferers have been carried.
| came into camp a short time ago from a long and
tedious ride along a portion of the picket line under
my command. Col. Bayley of our regiment. is on
trial by Court Martial in town. and !, as Lieutenant
Colonel, command the regiment. / had walked out
on cause ways, sailed from mainland to island, and
from island to mainland, and posted my pickets TO
the best possible advantage. for We are separated
from the enemy by n river only, and can see them
easily along the opposite shore. l saw fifty to-day.
l had so arranged my men, that each could get a
little sleep during the night. of which they have
generally been deprived, and feeling glad that | had
done the faithful fellows a kindness, turned my
horses head to Head Quarters. After 8 pleasant
gallop through groves of pines. I struck the sea road
thiodN nNstiy VI tgotS ohNA.cJ ~"~ oNH
camp.
My camp is beautiful 1t was yesterday 4 rough
dirty place-now it is covered with spotless white
tents, which open into wide and we'll graded smooth
streets, and between the tents are young pines trans
planted, and there are o few trees besides, throwing
a grateful shade over them, and a splendid magno-
liza tree close by my window (for l room in u house
close by camp } You cannot imagine how wonder
fully n dirty rnnob place can he transformed into 8
paradise of order and neatness.
And so here l am in command of a Picket Line.
% miles long, not over a mile from the enemy at
any point. On Port Royal Island, the Sunny South,
where spring is beginning to launch her charms in
wondrous beauty, it is very probable that there will
be no fighting. There has not been for two years.
except m occasional raid of little account. At one
place just in front of my camp, two cause-waysr run
out to meet. and the ends are separated by about 80
yards. Every night there is n rebel and a Union
Picket posted on either end, and the men frequently
talk to each other.
The poor freedmen OF these islands have been much
abused by Northern SPECTATORS. and have found that
Liberty is no dream. Many of them are no better
off than before. But 1t will not last long. | am
doing my best to throw light on the evil deeds of
spectators, and to help the people. l am in a posi-
ton to do So" {. C. 4.
The following is from a lady, the wife Of an officer
in the Army of the Potomac, written before the army
crossed the Rapidan
WooDLAwN. Va, May lst. 1864.
"DEAR Dow here in r~ebeldom, I address
n letter to you in your far away island home. L
came here for a week, to rest from the fatigues of
two moves in less than a week. VS. company had
orders to move from Battery Cameron to Fort Mans
field, three miles up the river. 1t took IA six-mule
teams to move our company and all their effects.
Many of the officers aud men have there wives and
some their children with them, and had built them
cabins, and were housekeeping.
The house assigned for our quarters at Mansfield,
had two rooms in it, and a garrett. and a very pretty
garden surrounded it. 1t was built under the wide
spreading branches of an apple tree, then in blossom.
We had carpenters in to take down a partition. had
a book case made, and n wash-stand, and had our
carpets nailed down, windows washed, new covered
our lounge, made over our curtains to suit our new
windows, AID late ct night next day had everything
in order in our small habita;ion. l went TO bed SO
thoroughly tired that l thought nothing of the rain
which drove in through the stockade and wet US
thoroughly. I arose, refreshed, and promisin@any-
self a quiet Sunday IN ny nc" o75sseo-I II
when u i, l.v.u an orderly from headquarters
orders for Co. -, LIST Maine Heavy Artillery,s
he in marching order forthwith, and TO report to t !"
commander of their battalion at Battery Cameron
Good-by to visions of qnief Sunday. All the Won
Of the previous day was pulled to pieces. everytn vTs.
hacked into trunks and boxes and put on army
wagons. By noon the company at the sound or
music, we're marching ankle-Geep in mud TO their old
quarters, and the army wagons and ambu!ances
slowly numbering in their train. What good this
- I'LL IN .ha cnuntry some If the sayans NAV
know, we do not. Oh this wicked war! 1t has
almost worn away the distinction between Sundays
and other days.
The evening | came here there was an alarm of a
rebel raid about two miles from Woodlawn Mansion.
The Home Guards were mustered and mounting their
horses, went in pursuit of the rebels. They were
gone all night and till Sunday evening. They over
took the guerrillas, who had been stealing horses;
retook the horses and wounded two OF their men, one
of whom has since died. Two OF the Home Guards
were wounded, but not seriously. This part OF the
country is open to rebel raids. There is no part OF
the Union army stationed here. The Union citizens,
white and colorej, have organized themselves into
Home Guards for their own protection. TIE farmers
work in companies and stack their guns by them
while ut work. They dare not leave their horses In
the stables or pastu res, but hide them near them. L
do not feel afraid as they do not trouble the women.
The farmers are putting seed into the ground, but If
our army meet with a repulse they will have 10 leave
all and fy from this part Of the country. There is
n family living in a boat on the Potomac, n short dis
lance from the Mansion. They had been thrice
driven from their homes, and at last concluded TO
live in their boat till the close Of the war. There
will soon be n decisive battle fought between the
rebe! army under Lee and ours under Grant. Our