, 1865-02-28

nus cone HelI uok " Eueoau.eA" ~ oAe HAu
that Charleston has dcfied all attack from the
water side for nearly four years.
But the tye did not dwell long upon the
network of defpnscs which line both shores
of the harbor above Fost Sumter, or on the
burning wreck of rebel tug beached above
Moultsie It wandered back to the city lying
Quiet and, eaye the column Of smoke, lifeless-
n fhe calm afternoon sunshine, with its five
or six white steeples, ita empty piers, and al
lent rows Of houses. The harb0r, and the
CITY itself. from distance, reminded one viz.
IQly, in miniature, Of New York, from = like
lookout, which, like Charleston, as I need
hardly cay, Is compactly built on . narrow
strip at the confluence Of two rivers. We
We could sec, are simply piles driven partially
across the harbor mile from the city, with
ample room left in the channel remaining
open to admit two or three chips abreast. We
saw our 1ag-a small oue-tuttering from
the cupo1a Of the old postofice. At one of
the piers wef6'two Of our smaller tugs ; at an
oneor o1es sSo.t St dsfsnce ron ths doek Tas
Admiral Dahlgren's 1ag-boat. The Colt,
the fifth vessel to reach Charleston, swung
beside crazy old pier, to reach which first,
two of the officers Of the Colt had playful
ecufile, the result Of which verified the max
In. that the battle is not always to the strong,
The motley crowd of one hundred on the pier
to which the tugs were fastened seeing hand.
some transport land with-its two large white
stars on a field Of blue, flying ut the, ,JackHtaf,
deserted the little crafts and the Admiral, and
rapidly made Il tlftour to the pier at which we
rode. A lot Of urchins, In worn ont rebel
Jackets, were the skirmishers; then negroes,
of both sexes, who rushed to shake hands
with such of tho crew rs we're already ashore;
then ten OF fifteen st1agglefs, all Irish or Ger
man, f1om the rebel army, who had hidden to
fall into our hands, and looked on without
demonstration and, lastly, squad Of five
well dressed for Charleston, twenty per cent
of the five being rosy, plump, good looking,
and all not the least afraid Of the Yankees.
In all, General Gil1mote's committee of recep-
lion numbered barely on hundred, and WAS
composed as have stated. Along the whole
line of piers not another cole WAS visible,
save few Of our colored soldiers. The streets
not horse Or vehicle In sight. No smoke
arose from the chimneyg, no blinds were
thrown open. But the piers told the most
eloquent tale Of decay. They were crazy,
neglected, and u sorry t0mb.s stone to departed
41atlic. On none Of them WAS there the
slightest evidence that any commerce had
been carried on there In the memory Of man.
and dismantled, and in places removed Alto
gether. Even the rings worn on the stan
cbions by the old-tiHe cables were no longer
visible. Around the piles, and for ahort
distance out In the harbor, loated clots OF
balEconsumed cotton, sent nearer shore By
every impulse Of the lood~t'de, and not at
all detracting from the aspect OF commercial
ruin.
At the shore end Of the pier at which we
landed (the pier was at the lower extremity
Of the city, was a hcnvy battery Of two gums,
erected at the very base ofa TOW OF houses,
and almost hiding 1t from view. It was built
Of the white sand Of the beach, and conf
manded the channel through the obstruc-
lions. which, in view Of Forts Sumter, john
contiguous batteries, was throwing water On
q drowned mouse. About three-fourths Of a
mile to our left, In the Cooper river, Lay the
fine blockade-runner Cyrene, which had slip
ped across the bar very neatly the preceding
night, and prepared to dispose of her assorted
cargo. It was taken IN bulk by . wealthy
customer at much earlier moment thnn her
Captain anticipated. She Is 4 roomy side
wheel steamer, with powerful engines, aud
has lad q very successful career. She is
pa ntcd dull lead color. 1could not ascer-
tain the reason she WAS not destroyed. Even
If she had not arrived until nearly morning,
1t is hardly possible thst her commander
failed to learn Of the evacuation In ample
time to burn her, had he been 30 diaposed.
That portion Of Charesten subject to the
Swamp-Aneel's favors, :ay opposite where
We we're moored. and 1t Was not necessary to
stir from the deck of the Colt to sec . fair
specimen Ct the havoc occasloncd By them.
through which horse might enter: Many
roofs along the pier were perforated by
smashIng bolt, making an opening large
enough for Photographic sky-Dght, and the
piers themselves had bee9 hastened In thelr
neglect and disorder s'hy'sFay shell-ffactu1es,
now and then
General Gilmore sent for General Schimmel-
piennfg, who was the first General officer to
arrive In the city, and from him he obtained
the facts of the occupation. The evacuation
was discovered at Fort .Moultrie, which was
found deserted early in the morning: The
smoke from the upper end Of the city (which
Was caused from the conflagration Of sir thou
sand hales OF cotton piled In the yard ad]oin.
! Ing the Wilmington depot had already set
| the rasrisons On Morris and James Islands on
I the o1H tice, and ekfrmishers vent forward at
an carly hour, on the latter Island, toward,
and into, Fort Johnson, which was, OF course,
deserted. Some delay occurred in getting
length accomplished, md the boats hlled
with both white and coIored troops, thu
whole under command OF Lieutenant Colonol
4. G. Bennett, Of the a1st United States col
/ o1ed troops. The boats first pushed over tt
Sumter and found thai. empty; they thsr
headed toward Charleston, for Which ths
crews pulled heartily. At half past II tht
boats grated on the beach at Charleston, ant
LIeutenant Colonel Bennett was the first Il
jump ashore, though his detachment closely
contested that honor with him. Very few
citizens were on the piers while our boat
we're approaching, and no demonstration fol
lowed lie landing. Mayor McBcth was clos
at hand, who made the usual plea 1or pro
lection Of life and property.
Ths ;:-ar-guard OF the enemy, which hat
1inresed to ns11np,, rather than serve any mill
tary purpose, I'D not leave tho o,..s.1E ,.@Ee !
until bali past Il ; and It does not seem +
have been the design to molest our occupa
ton Of Charleston, even with u small force.
Gen. Schimmel lpftnnig-whoi is not an 1ta
lfan. as many might suppose from the name
but Gcrman-arrived shortly after and tool
command Of the city. Admiral Dahlgren al
rived in his aag-boat Philadelphia, about p
Gilmore touched the wharf Gen. Schimmel
piepnig told the Mayor that the citizens wer
permitted to 70 right along as usual; which
was, believe, sanctioned b. Gen. Gilmore.
Gen. SehimmelplentIg reported TINT tn
number Of guns, in all, that fell into On
hands, would foot up pnearly 200; all Of whie]
were spiked, but very few dismounted. Th
guns are mostly heavy. and number Of then
nrc of English manufacture.
The utter nelvclcssness Of the people VIII
remained, WIS matter for curious remark
They did not appear to care pin about tn
matter, and seemed so we'll prepared 10
it that they took the approach Of our bouts
first landing was witnessed by just such
crowd, as to numbers and composition, a
1locked On the pier when General Glllmor
landed.
The military authorities at Charleston ha
strenuo ously endeavored TO rake all the cot
! ton in The city together at the yard adjoinin
the Wilmington dspoat, pa :. Tae'a aerhres as have a
A dreadful calamity occurred at the WI
mington depot, in which a quantity Of con
missa1y stores had been LETT, and which
motley crowd Of poor people-men, Womer
and children were appropriating. While til
depot WAS crowded by the pillygers, quar-
t'ty Of powder in It was 'gnited n az unat |.
conntable way, blowing the building. 4
pieces, killing and wounding d large number
Some Of the citizens with whom couyersed
estimated The number at two or three bur
dred, which possibly Is exaggerated. tn
Wilmington depot Is In the upper part OF tn
city, and Gen. Gnlmore's visit was 50 brle
hardly an hour in duration, that had no oI
Cor,uujty to visit the ecene Of disaster. !
was this explosion that We had Witnessed a
BnlPs Bay.
Idescended from the Colt and engaged
conversation with three deserters-all 1ria
ono Of whom had no further capacity 70
snut]rg the battle afar OF, owing to the fac
that he lad enriched the soil Of Virginia wit
the la1gest and most ornamental portion {
bis nose at the battle Of Charlottesville
The spokesman Of the party was q deserte
fom the Palmetto State, one Of the rebe
iron -cla1s in Charleston harbor- The feet
consisting Of The Chlcora, four guns, the Pa,
metto State, four guns, and the Charleston
six guns, was run short distance up Ashle
river and there. destroyed, ear]y in the mon
Ing. One deserter said that II our fleet ha
attempted to run past the forts It would hay
been pretty well warmed, In which am dit
decidedly Of the opinion TINT Beanregard wa
. Just the man for Sherman, provided the fo
mer had enough troops, which condition b