Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-01-07
,Gairs in Gen. Fosters Department
Tf.e Campaign 51s TTrginiG
Movements in the Southwest.
ram South Carolina.

Ls1siRg Rebsl La1lds-A Splendid Education
u FilHd-7He Bar5arous Treatment Of Union
Prisoners.
Correspondence OF the State Journal.
BEAUFORT, s. c., Dec. IA.
The man We all have waited for anxiously
and long has come at last, and brought his
srmy with him. On Monday, the 18th inst,
We heard at this place heavy and ineessant
canuonade nearly al day long. Then We
knew the rebels we're walked up or Sherman
vas waking them. At night an official dis
patch came TO Gen. SaxtOn. in command
OF the post here, from Gen. Foster, stating
that a member of Sherman's staff had come
through to the latter, and that Sherman HIM
self was close behind, marching upon Savan-
nah This evening a steamer has arrived
trom Ossabaw Sound, on board of which
Gems Sherman and Foster this morning break
tasted together.
Size brings the report that last evening
sherman sigraled the naval vessels in the
Sound, asking what force they could bring TO
bar on Fort McAllister. The reply was
mat the vessels then in the Sound were arm
81 with nothing heavier than six pOunders.-
Sherman answered that the Fort must be
taken Immediately, and at once signalled an
assault BY three brigades of infantry. In
twenty minutes the parapets of the Fort were
,vsrming with blue coats, and McAllisteF was
AIKEN. Seventy men were lost in the assault,
bout half Of them after the Fort had sur
rendered. from torpedOes planted by the re-
s.I- inside the works. Sherman came up
in person and ordered the garrison, some
3JB in number, officers included, to lay hold
at snades and shOvels and uneaFth the in
,.rnal machines they had concealed, threat
gafng, in no gentle terms, TO thrust into the
bl,nb-prOOf as many of them as had of our
men fallen victims to their diabOlical devices,
ana blow them up together. After breakfast
+ i reported that the triumphant General.
an and weather-beaten, wearing a slOuched
il, and covered more or less with the sacred
soil Of Georgia, visited Admiral Dahlgren on
totrd his flagship, where he apOOgized for
the muddy tracks he made.
It l. reported here on good authority that
ras march of the army extended across a
strip Of territory sixty miles in width, which
a0x lies as barren a waste as sixty thousand
veterans could make, and leave It. All sub
,i,,ence of every sort was appropriated or
lastr0yed, and cattle, horses and mules
seized 20 the number of twenty thousand
En- mills and factories with the exception of
one factory at MiIledgeville, on which large
number of poor people we're depending for
support, we're burned, and also all public and
private buildings that could in any manner
hp Of service to rebels, not excepting the
plantation houses of the cruel authors and
instigatOrs of the rebellion. The railroads
were DESTROYED beyond the power of the
Contederacy to rebuild them in the next six
months. Sherman Is reported to have said
in his conversation this morning with Gener-
al Foster and the Admiral, that We had made
var in silk gloves long enough. He Lad
taught the GeOrgians what war meant. In
use the South CarOlinians persisted IN de-
tins, the authority of the Government, he
should have 10 teach them the same lesson.
IT, should send 70 inquire of Hardee (whO is
known 10 be In command at Sayannah) what
he intended to do. If Hardee should con-
elaIe to surrender the city he would do well
If be persisted in his efforts to keep the
ARMY OF the Cumberland out of it, when he
.Shermanl did obtain possession of the city,
il would be his, and Z, should DO with it as
he chose. Thus another one of the strong
holds Of the rebellion lies PROSTATE at the
feet Of Western men. At most in but few
i.vs more, Savannah will be in the hands of
loyal men-Sherman says in a week more.
Tie men that came through this march
uilI be worth seeing. Every animal which
the country they passed over afforded, has
been pressed into the service of Uncle Sam.
nan or pull a wagon, have been assigned to
duty in the knapsack and blanket line. Sub
sistenee has been abundant on the march,
the army having more now than it set out
with The large towns have been threatened
OuIy-unnecessarT battles have not been in
Yired. From one 60 two thousand men-Ya-
FiOusIy reported have been lost, and twenty
thousand negroes have been liberated and
brought along, one half of whom are capa-
be Of bearing arms. Two corps, the right
and eenter,are at Savannah, the right resting
on Ossabaw Sound. The left, under SlOcum,
Is understood TO be advancing on Broad
River or this place, and will speedily COM
plete the enveiOpement OF Savannah, etec-
tually bagging, without doubt, ten or fifteen
thousand rebels-rumOr says twelve thou
sand
Auxiliary 70 this grand movement of Sher-
man. Gen. Foster has been engaging rebel
forces along the Charleston & Savannah rail
road, for the last two weeks, with a view to
break the road, first at a place called Ora
Evansville, about 10 miles west of this place,
and so miles north of Savannah, and more
lately at the COOsawhatehie, 6 or eight miles
further from Savannah. Foster has had, an
told, in these operations, but $500 men, and
has been confronted BY more than that NUM-
Der, partially int-anehed, and having every
advantage of position. But he and his little
army have fought With an obstinate valor
deserving the most brilliant success, and they
nov hold the road at the COOsawhatchie,
though it has cost more than 1000 men TO
take It, half of whom are in the hospitals at
tais place.
Consequent on this movement of Foster,
the civilians here and at hilton Head were
drafted for twenty days guard duty, which
they have performed in the most satisfactory
manner, many of them being old soldiers
Your correspondent, being in the civil ser
vice of the Government, was not called on,
but volunteered as mounted patrol for night
iutv on the roads through the swamps on
Jis island, port ROyal) He has, at this
Friting, a very distinct though not unpleas-
at recollection of dews and damps, of sleep
ng on the ground, or roasting sweet potatoes
a the ashes Of the camp fire while of duty,
aud while on duty of watching step by step
for skulkeFs, with al occasional pause TO
listen for them, but Of hearing nothing and OF
seeing nothing except a few black stumps,
which, though not rebels, were, as Pecksnlff
said Of oysters while trying TO think of ST.
rets, "verv like" The stiffness of the night
vas broken only by a heavy gun now and
then al the front, the rumbling of distant
rebel railroad trains, and the desultOry
screams of our steamers in Broad river.
On the 18th inst. we THAT we means the
direct Tax Commissioners for South Carolina
aud their clerk leased 80 school farms, of
i60 acres each, for four years from the LIST of
January next, at auction. The bidding was
very spirited, the aggregate fOOtings for all
ne farms amounting TO Sl3, 725 per annum,
sum preater I haliava than the annual in