The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-08
FROM CHARLESTON.


Interesting Revelations OF an Inter-
cepted Letter.
New YORK, January 5.-The Tribune
vouches for the commences of the follow
ing letter, which intimates that the city of
Charleston is mined with powder:
~ , ,ao18 "CHARLEsroN, Nov. o.
"DEAR COUSIN Fred has consented at
last to let me come to Macon. So you
may expect me in very few days. The
other day a Yankee shell exploded just
around the corner from our house, tearing
building to pieces and setting two others
on fire. No one was injured, as all the
buildings were vacated some weeks ago.
CT don't believe there are 200 ladies in
town who are able to get away, for Fred
declared we should not leave while we had
a roof over US, but now that he sees the
danger we are in, he is glad to hurry us
off, Most of the families have gone to
Dorchester, Summerville, Icombo and Wa
terboro, and every house in those places is
crowded. Nearly every room is filed with
beds, and every bed has to accommodate
three or four persons. So much for war,
but I would willingly live in the city the
remainder of my life if it would keep the
Yankee miscreants out.
GA majority of our people have left
most of their furniture in their houses, ex-
pecting in few days to return to them;
but, of course, they know that if the Yam
KEGS take the city their houses and furni-
ture will all be destroyed.
''Gen. Beauregard caused information to
reach all, that if he finds it impossible to
hold the city, he will leave it a mass of
ruins. No one will complain of this, as
they know the barbarians have sworn to
destroy every vestige of the secession
nest if they can take it. If they should
ever enter my house, may God have mercy
on them, for can't. If they ever enter the
city you will hear of the greatest earth
quake ever caused by human agency. 1t
will be consolation, Louise, fer you to
know, that should the vandals ever get
here they will never be able to reach Ma
con.
seen. Beauregard is confident they
could never get ten miles beyond the city
in any direction, but he is equally conf.
dent they can never come. It's mournful
to go through our streets, once alive with
beauty and fashion, and see them deserted
with the exception now and then of one
of our colored people or a squalid Irish
woman. But l am to see you so soon
l will not write a long letter. Fred. sends
his love, but says he will not write until,
dipping his pen in Yankee carcass, he can
write with red ink.
New YORK, Jan. 4 -Advices from Folly
Island are received by the Arago. They
state that our guns at Cummings Point
opened on Charleston on Christmas morn
ing, lasting from one to three O'Clock.
Several fires were kindled in the city and
burned considerable amount of proper
ty. The rebel batteries replied without
doing any harm to US. The gunboat Mar
blehead was fired into by the rebel bat
terry on Stono Inlet, and two men killed
and fifteen wounded assisted by the Paw
nee, they compelled the rebels to leave
their works. Gen. Gordon with detach-
ment OF men landed later in the day and
took possession of the works. The Guns
were subsequently brought off by COM
mander Balch of the Pawnee. They are
two S-inch Sea Coast howitzers. The
iSoo'o A'tA oiC AHiSu anu I'VE WouilueC.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-The Navy De-
partment has received official information
in relation to the attack upon the gunboat
Marblehead, in Stono Inlet, on Christmas
morning, by which Robert Brown, Lorenzo
D. Shaw, and Joseph Phillips, were killed,
and Charles Moon, Alexander Henderson,
Jno. Hackett, and Charles Semmes were
wounded. Commander Balch of the Paw
nee says that at 6:25 on the morning of
the 18th of December, the enemy opened
on the Marblehead, which was replied to
vigorously. At 6:45 the Pawnee opened
fire on the enemy's battery from her 100.
pound rifle gun. At O'Clock the @. P.
Williamson hearing firing slipped cable and
came down Folly river under sail, and
opened fire handsomely. The rapid fire
from the three vessels soon caused the
enemy to retreat At 7:3O the rebels had
retreated in disorder, leaving two of his
guns in the battery. The Pawnee then
proceeded off Sicorsville. Soon after this
Gen. Gordon, commanding the troops on
the south end of Folly Island, came up.