The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-04-01
Army Correspondence.
CHARLESTON, s. c., March 10, lSG

HUM mere UuiCHt not De uniutSreSt!uy ~ yum
many readers. / came down here along with
some forty other officers of Sherman army
who like myself, are unable to reach orr
commands. Upon arriving we reported ut
once to the Provost Marshal, who informed
us that we coald not get to sherman, and
that the best thing that we couIt do would
be to take possession of q house and make
ourselves comfortable. Some Of the party
went into fine marble palaces on Broad ST.,
while the rest of us were contented with less
imposing structures, but all were well furnish
ed with the implements of housekeeping as
well as the Injuries OF the parlor, such as
sofas, pianos, libraries, paintings, statuary,
dc. All these had been abandoned by their
owners in their ha ty flight from the city.
] can hardly dasc.ibe my exultatlon as we
sailed down the harbOr in view of the places
which have been and are forever memorable
as the scenes % battles, sicgcs, and many
stirring incidents of the past and present
On one side were Folly and James Island,
with their formidable batteries of,Gregg. Wag-
ner, and Fort johnson. On the other, rose
the low shores of Suivars island, on the
sea-face Of which stands IT. Moultrie, famous
in the Revolution as Fl Sullivan. IN beating
off, and nearly destroying the British fleet
under Sir Peter Parker, in 1876. At the ex-
of the fortress where 100 Carohnians defeat
ell Sir Henry Clinton In fro t of me lay
the battered ruins Of Fort Sumptcr, in the
distance Castle Plnckney and Fort Ridgiey.
The old flag was tiving from the battiemen'S
g III IL Use works, and from the prominent
buildings o! the city.
When | stepped on shore, felt somewhat
different than did five months ago, when
here . prisoner. wing IL the. filthy Charleston
Jail. IL was really amusing 10 see the negro
soldiery pa;roi.ing the streets and occupying
as barrack. the pala;:al mansions Of their
.orller owners The city IS garrisoned, IN
part by negroes, and though It makes the
rebels squirn considerably. II is none too
severe. Charleston has been far more batter
ed 80 By cur shell than any OF Us supposed.
Whole blocks haze Leen burned by fire
Those buildings tha: have 10: suffered IN this
way .r shzt--Eed by the shells, 50 as - lee
untenablc. Splendid and costly n.&os;o:.s
are NV entirely desol.;ed. and deserted or
else occupied " poor whites and negroes.
These two classes are abost the only alloy
persons that remained after the evacuation.
But = great many rebels are lurking about
- keep out o!thc rebel army. Our Cciec,lves
are sIr.aGy q; wora, and have caught q good
MANY Charleston. before the war, had Il
population OF 10000 o: whom -'"gI weg-
negroes. She had L large aud cxte.ic!
commerce and i've i!"eS OF steamers - dll-
!eFeai pCiIts. She Contained a great amount
OF wealth her ariaiocEacy prided themselves
ON their money, slaves, and lineage lht'
became naughty and. over bcarIng. Ihcy
Had = mos, supreme c"EtcH.p. lot southern
mu!siis, and got an idei. that ey were BET
ter than any BODY else, ana Dorm to RUE.
Slavery corrupted them, here i the secret Of
the whole 'hin.. Secession is The leg.,.a- ate
result o; the peculiar institution, as are the
tlous mi other evils ,haIhaYc How'd from H.
But here, al east, lie 'r!me again-t man
and agains, G I'd government IS term mated.
And should not We rrjoloe and en- we not
See how Justice aud right have crowned oar
arms with success. and enabled IS to reduce
tie stronghold OF tie reDe!ion.
Among the trst places VISITED were the
Uorhhouse and jail. Here some 30 o!Ls ~. .
confined last TAI. these were tithy holes, and
as the yellow !ever was thea raging, many
~! is victims. both are no" uscd aa prisons
aud some Of the same men who guarded US
are contemplating the pleasant prospect Oh =.
ha!ier within their "a!.a. Inc pFphah .'SE
lum Is an immense strlctG-se. and c"n';!iEeh
b ore the war so o. 300 rpIans. ! no"
uncut, ec cte,i las. winter. to Stone wa. Jack
sJD. it was made OF shell al Mas al, y. 3.
and run through the blockade. Ia the yard
which is adorned with choice shruJbcrv. Is
another monument Of marble to William
PIT. erected SHORTY after the Revolution. -
commemorate his distingu shed services -:
behalf OF the Americans
The Military Academy tN:faCeij wac n
State 'Asntuton, and had I7O pupils. Manv
OF the fenei ieader' we're educated mere. lAe
famous battery or charleston RAJ" IS On me
Soulh sea !'.Ce OF me civ us gardens ana
"'.!hs were d famous resort i.F Inc ,h't!estoh-
!ahS- D3t low rs size IS occupied by fort
i-ai-1aeE ana Iois '" me Io!tl anu lhtf
magazines. nee are a iot OF HeaIey ais
niGuLte" guns MI u,n5 t"o h'aNe's, Eng
iish NV p'GnIer'' ne Tro' PIE" these up
ou' IL '"elE haste '''' me O'"'i9 a'il' III
nict s. Su!!,.eS VI AN ~ ''''''','i'
ne nc" Nus'o'i' 1ouse, "ut'. y. ,'''' ~
"hPoSI"e "''U St"'''' - H'' Il" W.
reps lHteEueu - DO" II "P 1u' "e'T l" u'o
ntch 81 q hurry 10 CART ouI me whoie pan
be old custom House erected IN me C"loni-
a. "c:ioH SUI! STANDS Il was u'ed oF ue
brush as Inc PF;>o" mouse OF Tue p"'ri'IS-
FROM ~ nam '!r '-i"' W. WIS eu ..'tn d"
execution, i"eEe - literary anu Ne"ica'
No1c-e' ''5o seTeFa' VI uae"iH' a'u L'o'!''e''
no. ~ 'ii"e''' "u 'e '"''H's' ''o"
mere are >o'"e 'Me'',l Gh-'cHes, aho"s
"h''.i d " "a ',.'I''' anu o. mp
III" az, INC ~, 'o"e'' 'S' - '"e
neieNt o. -eo 'sc'' mere are a'c0 several
large DeFo's.; one OF these was tiled with
provisions. Inc hai! starved people broke
IN and wee helping items Te5 Ju ioc.o'e our
to:ces landed. D"t the :ebe'' 10 prevent oar
trlops getting tn: p-oVislon7, blew up te
building and with 1t some 500 perspnS, vrt-
tins to the barbarism Of war The scenery
around Charleston must nave been soiendli,
before desolaled by the havoc Of Mars. The