The new South. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, 1864-01-09

MORRIS IsIAND-The Correspondent of the
Philadelphia Inquirer, writes as follows of Morris
Island, which has become So famous in the history
of the siege of Charleston. The subject is by no
means sxhaustcd-will some body else give that
dreary island ga first rate notice."
"CoopER, in "The Pioneers" makes LEATHER
sfockinq say "that the best work God ever did was
building the Catskil Mountains" But what shall
we say of the "building" of Morris Island-this
waste of sand, this desert of barrenness this ste
rile drift of the ocean, upon which no vegetation
(except the lowest type), dare grow, and over
which the buzzard flaps his wings with disgust?
And vet the siege operations Of this army will
make it famous in all lands; its campfire tales be
told to generations yet unborn, and its deeds of
blood and conquest be enblazoned on the annals
of the great Rebellion. And to-day, in countless
Northern homes, how many fearful eyes are look
ing down across the mourning waste of waters"
to this dreary isle; looking, in imagination,
through trench and parallel over bastion and pa
ranet where brother husband or father, fought
and fell Alas looking also along the beach, in
the ma,shes over the headlands for that one grace
where the heroic dead reposes.
7 have seen miles of soder-cemeteries in Vir-
oinia where the Army of the Potomac had buried
its fallen heroes but have never seen or imagined
a more desolate place to sleep "after lifes ftful
fever" than Norris Island. The sun does not
shine here it blears or scorches. The breeze does
not kiss, but blinds You with clouds Of sand the
flora OF the marshes brings no fragrance, but ma
laria the birds do not sing, but pipe notes OF
ceaseless sadness. There is no forest to afford you
shelter. no green valley to ramble over no noun
tains with blue peaks to cheer the vision, and even
the sky and clouds appear mean and cheap as you
raza upon them day after day, and night after
niaht. The ocean sighs with dirge-like mono
tone as it chafes the beach, or howls with rage
when the storm drives it headlong and tumultuous
against the head-lands and sand-drifts Physically
speaking this island belongs to the Pleutonic, if
not the internal, type was began at the last end
of creation and was left for this hesieging army
to finish. Professor AGlssIz might write its ply
sical history-your correspondent cannot.
Geographically considered it is q curiosity. Its
first stratfed deposits were accomplished centuries
before Secession was dreamed of, and yet its Or
.panic sand is excellent for building redans and
Notifications; also good for trench work, as Gen.
/ G1LLMoRE demonstrated months ago. Insular as
it now is, there is probability that it once be-
lonced to tho adjacent lands but the tides encir-
ced it. cutting it off from JaMes and Folly Islands,
and from which it is now separated by Light
House Inlet The two last mentioned islands dis
solved partnership with it in absolute disgust and
such is pride in South Carolina to-day that pover,
marsh hens and sand-suipe from Morris are con-
sidered vulgar and rarely if ever associate with
the respectable wild fowl of other sea islands, In
length Morris is about three statute miles; III
width nysterously uncertain, and in shape like a
bologna sausage in Southwark market