The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-02-25

The war news of the past week brings IL
dimgs Of several brilliant Union successes
Charleston, :. the cradle Of the rebellion" has
fallen Sherman has taken Columbia. the
capital of South Carolina and Fort Andcr,
son, below Wilmington, has been taken, com.
polling the rebels to cvacuate Wilmington.
Such succession of brilliant achievements
d screws 10 be related more in detail.
Before, however, We can give an intel
li1ible account of how Charleston was
taken. it is necessary that the reader should
have some understanding Of Gen. Sherman :
operations since his army lift Savannah
Sherman army started on il march into
South Carolina in two columns the right
wing. under Gen. Howard, moving directly
upon Charleston along the coast and the
Charleston and Savannah railroad and the
left wing. under Gen. Slocum. moving up
along the south bank Of the Savannah river
on the Augusta turnpike. to Sisters Ferry. So
miles above. Here it crossed. and thence
threatening Branchvilleand Orangeburg but
thanking these points, compelled Beaureguard
to evacuate them and fall back towards Col
umbia, TO which place there appears to have
been q fair race between Slocum and the re-
bels, the former pcrsuing the latter SO closely,
that they fthe rebels) were unable to become
firmly fixed in Columbia before they were
routed out. In possession Of Columbia, the
next most likely point Sherman would strike
would be Florence, and here lies the secret OF
the sudden evacuation Of Charleston.
The right wing of Shcrman's army. as We
have read, was moveing upon Charleston
| along the coast 1t had proceeded to within
two miles of the city, and taken it in flank
thus closing up all chance Of egrcss towards
the south or southwest. The operations OF
Shermans left wing, having cut off escape
towards Branchville there remains no choice
TO the rebels in Charleston but TO stand a
siege or escape on the Wilmington road to
Florence. As Of coarse they meant TO es-
cape, the time to do so was the moment the
road TO Wilmington should be threatened
and this was the case the instant Columbia
fell. and Sherman started for Florence
Columbia is 9S miles from Florence. and
Charleston 1872 miles and as Sherman and
the rebel Gen. Hardee, who was in command
at Charleston, started for that point about the
same time, it is yet an open question which
gets there first, and whether Hardcc, though
he has escaped from Charleston, may not
still fall into the hands of Sherman
The march of Gen. Sherman from Sisters
ferry to the Santce, was a most laborious one,
being half the way through swamps which
could only be crossed by building many miles
Of bridges and corduroy roads. Now, howev.
er, he is in a high, dry, rolling country, with
good roads, and after reaching Florence, the
belief is, he will move with all expedition
upon Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina,
where we may next hear from him, and
where, the indications are, the people will
hail his advent with JOY, being heartily tired
Of Confederate rule. Instead of taking this
route, however, the latest Richmond papers
say he is pushing rapidly north for Charlotte,
Greensboro, DanvIllc, and thence to Join
Grant, and unless he is soon checked, they
say there will be no stopping him.
Charleston was evacuated by the rebels on
the 9Th. Long before daylight, On the 18th
the federal forces below the city were star.
tied by q vivid flash in the city, ilumina
ting the whole western horizon. Immedi
ately after, other fires were seen in seve.
raj parts Of the city. 1; was at once clear
that either Sherman had made On attack from
the land side. or that the city WAS being evac.
ua:ed. at daylight on. videttes on James
! Island reported that the evacuation OF
Charleston had taken place, and preparations
were at once made by the federal forces to
! enter and occupy. The stars and stripes
were raised upon the ruins of TT. Sumter,
at O'Clock. Before leaving, the rebels
burned all the arsenals, dcpots, warehouses,
two iron.clads, and 10000 bales of cotton.
The city had been fired in a number of
places, and the latest opinion was that two.
. tLirda OF the city must be destroyed before
Ike flames could be suhdued. An explosion
occurred at the Wilmington Depot, by which
several hundred citizens lost their lives
200 cannon, spiked, fell into federal hands,
/. the Notifications being unniured. Scarcely