Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-03


every feature was photographed on both his mate.
rial aud his minds eye not many months ago, wheh
he gave impulson to the series of ingenious comb-
nations whose fruits were pretty valuable at the
moment whereof write. al never saw our mont
tors 80 near Sumter beiore," said he, '.but flag
is not ON it. Run up near Sumter and see what IL
means !" From the upper part OF the city the
smoke still rose in dense volumes but seemed to
grow no larger The shipping of the bar aud the
monitors had their large hags lying. This was
significant, but vaguely so.
Gen. Gilmore the first to give the solution,
charleston is ours" said he, briefly and without
external emotion. 81 see Admiral Dahlgren's flag
ship way beyond the forts, heading for the city,
Wen run up, too" There was poetic propriefy
in Gen. Gilmore being in command OF the Depart
ment OF the South Just then. That he enjoyed it,
| can readily believe, though | am still puzzled to
know how lie concealed his exharstion so CON-
pletely.
THE SCENE IN THE HARBOR.
The scene in the harbor is thus described
We were soon IN what had lately been the debat-
able waters, going straight TO Charleston, at the
rate of thirteen knots hour, through the egion
where Advancing that many inches few days
before Was successfully resisted. On our right
hand rs We shot ahead, was Fort Moultfie, with
Tits masonry hidden under huge, brown embark
ments OF sand, line OF immense batteries con
Meeting with it, aud extending to the OPPOSITE end
of SuiiIvan's Island. These batteries were FULLY
as formidable as the fort itself, each gun be
Nng protected by trayerscs, which no ball could go
through On the lett was Fort johnson, on James
Island another impregnable work, mounting many
guns and looking "a II IT were much better con
tcut to have cried "gramercy" to Sherman hun
dred miles away, than To have been taken in the
deadly, imminent breach. Ahead was Fort Rip
I1ey It's flagstaff Ornamented by sailors. dccayed
shirt On the right shore again, and near Charles
ton, were other massive batteries, one Of them
suuarc work, with parapets Oi pure white sand
- "A rt,rIt and l.l La
lined with works insuring cOnyergent fire. the
terrurs oI which our navy has done we'll not to IL
counter. No who gazes, even from distance,
can toel surprised that charleston has deiied all
tack from the water side Tor nearly four years.
Tue LANDING N CHARLESTON.
The Colt the fifth vessel to reach Charleston,
swung beside u crazy old pier. Tnc motley crowd
of some hundred the pier to which The tugs
were fastened, seeiug handsome transport land
with its two large white stars'On field Of blue ny
ing AT the ack-sah, deserted the little crafts aud
the Admiral aud rapidly made dstow to the pier
at which we rode. A lot OF urchins Ill worn out.
Rebel Jackets were the sklrmishers then negroes,
of both sexes who rushed to shake hands with such
of the crew were already ashore then ten
hf,een sAagglers, all Irish or German, from the
Rebel army, who had hlddep to TALL into our hands,
and looked OH without demonstration and, lastly,
squad vi five young ladies', OF German extraction,
pretty well dressed for Charleston, twenty per cent.
of the ave being rosy, plump good looking, and all
not in the least AFRAID OF the Yankees In all Gen.
Ginlore's committee OF reception numbered barely
one hundred, and was composed as have stated.
DECAY AND DESOLAIION.
Along the whole line OF piers not another soul
was visible save u lew oil our colOred soldiers :
The streets down which could look were dc
serted not a horse a vehicle in sight. No snok.
arose from the chimneys, no blinds were thrown
open. But the piers told the most eloquent tale of
A. Tlay nd
tombstone To departed traffic. On none of them
was there the slightest evidence that any Commerce
had been carried Oh there in the memory of man
The piles were awry, the planklng warped aud dis
Inanlled, aud III places removed altogether. Even
the rings work on the stanchions by the old time
cables were no longer visible. Around the piles
and Tor a short distance Out IN the harRor noated
cots of half cons uIncd cotton, sent nearer shore
by every impulse Of the Hood tide, and not at all
detractng from the aspect OF commercial ruin.
REBEL BATTERY OS THE PIER
Al the shore end Vt the pier at which We landed
the pier was al the lower extremity Of the cityl
,wya, heavy battery Of two guns, erected at the
,o.,v base Of a row OF houses, and almost hiding il
,,, view Ii was built OF the white sand of the
hao,.b and commanded the channel through the
oh~trnrtions which, in view OF Fort Sumter, John
con Moutrie, Ripley, Pnckney, and miles of con
lemons bltteres, was throwing water on a drowned
mouse.
pLoCKApE-RCNSER CAUGHT.
bout three quarters OF "a mile TO our loft in the
T1oper river, lay the pno blockade-runuer Cyrene,
which had slipped across the bar very neatly the
nreceding night and prepared To dispose OF her as
sarted cargo Ii was taken in bulk by wealthy
,ustomer al a la UGH earlier mOIuent than her CAP
tam anticipated She Is rOomy sidc-w wheel steam
or with powerful engines, aud has had very sue
cessful career. She is painted dull lead color.
cuId NOT ascertain the reason she Was not destroy
I....l tNs.aA ty.e,l,
inr il is hardly possible that her commander failed
10 iearn of the evacuation Ia ample tme TO burn
her had he been So disposed.
FROM WILMINGTON.
A correspondent OF the Tribune writing from vii
min.ton ON the I'D uit, describes some OF the incidents
connected with the entrance OF the Yankees the
town 1t will be observed THAT the negroes mid.
ding class seemed pleased al tho advent oi the ene:
Abnut s o'clock the troops OF General Ane.s ID;
vision which had held TIE advance and skrmished stea.
div with the enemy III company with General Panes
coiored troops took up the line vi march and passng
through the outer line OF eaithworks, three hail
. from the place, advanced upon the town All hos.
tile demonstrations had ceased IN mont The Rebel bat
teres were silent the sandy rhepits deserted Nothing
opnDsed the march AT t3e a. M. General Terry and
stan entered the outskirts OF the city, where the troops
weary with their sandy march halted Tor lew moments
and Ihe General rode into the town. The Mayor John
Dawson Esq, met him at the City Hall and formally de.
iYered the city into his hands General schoheld and
followed SOOH Noiuldl( received by
the Mayor and of the prominent aud inauen
tial citizens Mr.. Shackeford offered the General the
hospitate- vi h3 house which were politely accented
as temporary headquarters Of the Department of North
G olina.
Gen. Cox, ii understood would be made Military
Governor The iOith Ohio Colonel Sperls regiment
with possibly the Tooth Ohio detailed as provost
guard and Colonel JOurdan appointed Provost Mar
shall He IL already dsiricng the town and preparing
carry ont the necessary regulations for the protection
and good government OF the place
A. Yet there's general showing OF themselves by
the prominent or woudbe aristocratic portion the in
habitants The common people receive u gladly.
Considerable quantities OF tobacco and some cotton
have been captured The tobacco will be most welcome
to the soldiers; they literally hungry for the weed
The large cotton she'd ana presse, on the island oppo
large quantity of cotton has been burned
THE EMMY CONCENTRATING
All the intelligence We can gather goes to prove that
L " mini