Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-03-03
VIII M|AGT HAS FALLEN !
WHAT WE FOUND THERE.
UNION PRISONERS SNELE.
TONS AsD asa.DT@.
FiEND!SH aTTgoclIlEs GssgEsLs.
wnSIScrGN. n C Feb. 90. lsG5,
-. ~. 49, ..-.----.-

Washington birthday has BEEN lilly cee
brated in this Department. Wilmington has
followed Charleston, ard the las, rebel sea
port has fallen. Gen Bragg in person lcst
the city on the morning Of the 2lst. The
troops began to move out in the evening, the
lsst leaving before daylight Of the 22d.-
About forty heavy pieces of artillery were
left in the works around the city and in the
batteries on the river, and 500 stand Of rides
we're found at the City Hall. and one Whit
worth gun at the depot. Some s., 900 worth
Of comn,issary stores were also Abandoned.
Three locomotives and q dozea cars u into
our hands 700 bales Of cotton were burned
in Government sheds and about 300 belong
ing to private individuals. A rebel ram,
partly finished. three steam mills three large
turpentine works, and adjacent wharves and
| railroad Pontooh bridges were destroyed
The railroad depots, car houses, machine
shops, and most Of the warehouses are unin,
jurea. The extensive Government stables
were set OF. fire, bu. extinsui.hed by citizens
The ram Chickansusa aud two transports
escaped up the river. .#.
The Raleigh ContSdsrats, two days before
the evacuation, charged that 1900 bales Of
cotton were concealed in the city. Citizens
and merchants place the number at $4,000.
and place high c-titns'. upon turp.ntlne
concealed. Both tn. cotton sad tnrp-ntins
will be sent North by Gcr. ScAoned.
In the opinion Of eminent engineers, Cape
Fear river, from Wilmington to The ocean, is
mere strongly fortified th.n any one of our
Northern harbors. or any river in the world
nineteen forts and batteries line its approach
es within the short distance named, all OF the
heaviest character, NEST scientifically Goa
structed, and thoroughly armed-three lines
of formidable distractions, consisting OF
spiles, torpedoes, sunken ships and cribs,
chain cable, and RATS Of heavy timber Sc
curely fastened together. The entire front Of
this line Was covered by succession of lakes
and deep swamps, stretching from, the river
to the ocean, and only creased by two mar.
row csu.eways. Then three miles outsi.le of
these works was a second strong line. The
city was capable Of stronger defense than
any We have taken during the war; Its only
lack wss In men.
SchoticId was most heartily congratulated
on sit sides for this fa,tering result Of his
comtins;isa. Only one division, the Sd, and
one brigade, Moore's, Of the 2d Army Corps,
were engaged. The remainder Of th- 23d
Corps did not arrive. The total loss On both
SIDES Of the river, after Schohrld toek cs,n
mand, will fail lritle below 300 This Was
owing to the fact that the position assaulted
cOud ba TUNED But frw citizen, lvf, the
city except such as the .n,Hy fare, do..nter
the ranks. All able bodied men hid them
selves and thronged ihe streets As soon as
our forces entered. The ladies' were also out
in force, ana the negroes crowded all the Az
enues. Not symptom of luminosity was
displayed by man, woman or child through
cut the day Early in tn mornirg large
class et citizess bessn 10 help themselves to
goods in various stores, but provost gus rd
soon stopped this traffic so peculiar to ,ebsI
tcwas.
The city contains number Of very fine
chulch edifcos and public buildings, ard
msay beautiful private residences, but these
serve 10 max" III" general sh.lbness Of the
rest more conspicuous
The Union prisoners had been confined at
Camp Lalnh, atgut nine miles from the city,
and their treaimsat was worthy of tiends
from nell. Though agreements 70! gene
raj exchange had been completed al Ech.
nOmd. the starving process goas on. For
| three days before the evacuation these pris-
oacrs bad not received m0uthful to eat
70 the credit OF citi!sns, snauy alters pts wsre
J
wss taken away from them by 0rler of the
olticor in command and trodicn into the
ground before the ewes of citizens and priS-
eners. 1t was thought that 10 were reco,~
cred, but many in dying condition.. All
which has appeared IL the public prints in
regard to Ibis pnat.sr utterly fails to prepare
one for the awiul reality.
| After ncrving myself for the visit, and t.y
] =
slowly over mile to the house where they
mad been collected. my brsin re.led for mo
nsnt AZ the sickeuiEg rcnlity burst upon me.
Ar officer came in, and those Who had never
ouailyd on the field u asa'h, whose checks
Aal never biauched, stool aghast vita .esr>
in their eyes, grinding their teeth, clvnching
their hands, and thanking God tt,st there
WAS hell. Pale, hsggnrd, and emacsted
skeletons glazed on us from classy eyes,
whose light Of reason Was just expiring
| With matted hair and skin bIackoned with
smoke, scarcely covered with the Glthiest
shretS Of cast eff rebel clothing, without
blankets, aud most of them without coats
and shoes, they ga2ed or us with almost i'd
! otto stare, while the minority coulh with di-
! fcultv be reused from thelr listlsSSneSs.
! Many had forgotten their Games. Som"
could be aroused by asking them Of homr,
, wives and children; tkuse maggie words
bringing them back from the grave n!"
which they were sinking with hands clutch
ng the bread which our soldiers brought -
| As they lay there dying an old negro woman
/ passed from one to another tendcT!y smooth
ing their awful passage to the grave, know.
ing that the authors of al this misery had
escaped. How c0msoIing to repeat Ven,
geance is mine, will repay, saith the Lord.