Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-03-17
Occupation of Charleston.


"Carleton," sends to the Boston
Journal the following additional interest
+, ing particulars Of the occupation of
Charleston
n New YoEK, March l, 1865.
1 have Just arrived in this city by the
ss.amer Arago. l left Port Royal on
Sunday morning, and Charleston Bar at .
2. NJ, same day. l have passed four
DAYS amid its RUM. No language can
convey a true idea of the desoatior.-
Over thirteen thousand shells haye been
thrown into Charleston since the lombard
ment commenced. Houses, stores, church
e., banks, buildings Of every description,
are riddled and blown to pieces. From
ten to fifteen thousand inhabitants are re-
manning in the upper part OF the town
two.third- Of tLem colo:ed. The old
.aristocrats are all gone to Columbia,
Cheraw and other places in the int> Dr..
right i:i,o S,lerman's line Of advance.
. Gov. Aiken remains The colored popula-
tion are ove.oycl, and the whites most
thoroughly suhdued.
Hardce left guard behind, with or.
dcrs to destroy the city. They set it on
FIRE in dozen places, destroying COM
missary stores, several thousand bales OF
cotton. forty thousand bushels of rice,
and an immense amount Of ammunition :
Three iron.c.ads at the wharves were set
on ERE, with shotted guns turned upon
the city. They blew up with terrific ex.
plosions.
The Northeastern Railroad depot was
full of cotton, colnmissary stores, and
ammunition. Men, women, and children
rushed to obtain supplies when the am
mun:,ion exploded, throwing shells, burn
ing ,imbers, aud rcd-hot shot over the
surrounding buildings. 1t is estimated
that t &c three hundred pcrsons-mostly
women and children-werc killed or burn
ed to death. Four squares were burned
: around the depot A large number Of
buildings were burned near the Savannah
Railroad wharf, also the new bridge to
James Island.
The first troops in the city were the
2lst colored, commanded BY Col. Bennett,
followed by detachment of the Mass.
54th. Many of the 2lst were formerly
slaves in Charleston. They manned the
!. FIRE engines and aided in eztinguishing
the flames. The 18th Mass, came in
next day, singing John Brown and
cheering for Abraham Lincoln and Gov.
Andrew. These were new times IN
Charleston. The colored troops patro!ed
III. city, greatly to the disgust of the
whites, but to the inexpressible joy Of
the negroes.
-Four hundred and seventy cannon have
been captured in the Notifications. Two
magnificent Blakeley guns in the city were
exploded. A thousalad tons Of shot and
shell were left in the forts.
l visited Sumter. The guns only re-
main facing Moultrie. Five howitzers
were kept on the walls to repel assaults.
Tho fort is surrounded by wire net
work, kept afcat by buoys. The fort
could not have been carried by assault
without great loss of life.
Immense batteries were erected in the
city along the whnves. The rebels in'
tended to hold the city to the last, even
if the iron.clads passed Sumter.
The citizens remaining say it is the
bitterest thing they have swallowed to
e,ye up the city.s Many of them did not
dream that the dit4 would be evacuated
till the day before. There was great con-
sternation in consequence.
Five locomotives dnd several cars were
left uniniured. Very little cotton was
left, but an immspse amount OF rice re-
ported to be I'VE hundred thousand
bushels, uncleaned.
The 22d of February was celebrated.
The war vessels were speedily decorated.
Each vessel fired q ssalnte Of thirty.six
guns. A dinner took place In the city.
Gen. Webster, Gen. Sherman's Chief of
Staff, officers of the navy and army,
members of the press and civilians from
:. the North, sat down to the table. "Ihe
President" 1.-The Army and Navy" &C.,
were toasted, and sentiments were given
never before heard in Charleston. II any
one doubts our having Charleston, have
only to say that l have secured the auc-
tion.block from the slavc-mart, which is
on it, way to Boston. 1 hope to hear
Governor Andrew make speech from it
in Faneuil Hall. l have also secured
the locks from the iron gates of the
American Bastie, as evidence that at last
We have possession Of the proud old
city.
cotton ssiled from Savannah on Saturday,
conveyed BY gunboats.
The rebels under Hardee were falling
back from Columbia to North Carolina.
The people were panic-stricken and the
country filled with refugees.
Sherman, at last accounts, was moving
Directly north, finding sufficient subss-
teriSc. He will not make new base in
Charleston.
..Ca.le,oa' also relates the following incidents:
Rev. d. Porter, was pastor Of the
Church of :hc Holy Communion. He
v.s especially bitter against Yankees
He called upon his people to fight to the
bitter end till the streets ran with blood
to perish in the last ditch. But be lief.
Charleston very suddenly last week, going
~ Cheraw, probably in search of it
Perhaps be W Il find it, for Sherman is in
that vicinity. He turned over his house
TO The care OF an English lady where We
obtained lodgings. In the morning, |
found the old negro cook very jubilant
At something. She was dancing in great