The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-03-11
Letter from Charleston.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Feb. ~, 1866.

When did you receive letter direct from
Charleston, S. c.? Certainly not since April
II, 1851. 1t seems almost like dream that
am writing my thoughts freely, with the flag
OF the Union floating above my head, in this
birthplace OF secession-this hotbed OF trea-
son-this boosted last ditch Of rebeldom.
We steamed cheerily in this bright morning,
passing the now harmless rebel forts, beaufe-
gard and Muutrie and Battery Bee upon our
right and Sumter on our left. The circum-
stances are too interesting to be lost. Our
steamboat was the celebrated Planter"
which escaped from the rebels in 1862, and
ran past these same forts, then sending after
her hostile Shots Your readers will remem-
Der this bold exploit by the negro pilot, Rob
ert Small.
To day we had the extreme satisfaction of
returning upon this famous boat, no,o com
manded by CAPTAIN ROBERT SMALL. Few
men are as well entitled to the name of hero
as Robert Small. He said, as he left Beau
fort, S. O., to return in triumph to the city he
had left three years ago little better than
slave and a scape-galows, ut is the proudest
day of my life" The triumph was greater
that he had brought, as sort of guest upon
his own boat, Maj. Gen. Saxton. the great
friend and patron of the negro, and the officer
appointed by the U. S. Government to pre-
vide for his wants and supervise all his inter
ests.
Small took the boat out, as it will be re-
membered, under the most hazardous circum
stances. Yet black man was not then
thought competent to command or manage a
boat, so he was simply paid small fraction
of the worth of the boat he had brought to
the government, and WAS employed as pilot.
ae distinguished himself afterwards as pilo:
on the Notwithstanding her nearer to Fort
Sumter than any other boat in Ddpont's great
naval battle. She went to the bottom soon
after, but not till she had set an example
which, If it had been followed by the rest of
the fleet, or encouraged and persisted in by
Dupont, would have resulted in the capture OF
Charleston at that time. All on board the
Keokuk escaped, and Small finally returned
as pilot to the Planter, after she had been re-
paired. Here he fouud another opportunity
for distinction. a 98
In running through Folly river with sup
plies, the Planter came under fire OF the rebel
batteries at Secessonville, and the white cap
tain became so terrified at the storm of shot
and shell that he betook himself in discredita-
bic haste to the coal bunk below. Robert
Small stood coolly at the wheel and brought
the boat safely through all the critical wind
ings and around the shoals of that most crook
ed and difficult of streams.
For this act he was promoted to the cap
taincy of the boat, and hundreds of times has
dared those same rebel batteries, as learn
from his own lips. We came up by this iden-
teal route, Capt. Small pointing out the spot
where the rebel gunners SO often taxed them
selves in vain attempts to sink his saucy little
craft as she steamed along, for quarter of
mile or more completely within range.
The stars and stripes are over Sumter wav-
ing in the clear breeze. You knew that
you celebrated it on Washington's birthday
throughout the North. True, but does it not
do one good to dwell upon the glorious fact?
And did it not do us all good as we stood on
the hurricane deck of the Planter this morn
ing, and watched the graceful folding and lift
ing of the old flag? Since it wound there be-
fore it has acquired new beauty and increas-
ed significance. Its scarlet has deepened, its
white is purer-and soon its peaceful blue
shall be more serene than ever. 1t now means
freedom to black az welt as white citizens,
and teaches lesson of the triumph of right
so plain that all the nations of the earth may
Rad and understand it.
The vessels of the bockading fleet are now
between Fort Sumter and the city. They
can have holiday now. There is little else
for them to do. As we drew near the dock a
few people gathered on the pier-o1e or two
citizens, some soldiers and some negroes. The
last mentioned seemed to know the Planter,
and were eager to take Capt. Small by the
hand who stepped down from the daol- of t- .
boat among them with evident pride-honest,
manly pride and satisfaction. The white men
also took him by the hand, but he seemed TO
prefer The greeting from those of his own
color.
The piers look grass grown and dilapidated.
This tells the story for the entire city. The
houses are old and neglected in all the bust
ness portion Of the town. Few buildings near
the docks or in the lower end of the city but
show some CHASTITY hole made by canno shot
and shell. Whole blocks have been destroyed
by fire, the brick walls only remaining to show
where blocks have been. Most of the houses
seem to have been vacated. The city has al
q, N vi
would wish to dwell there? Unless vigorous
measures are taken to make it more Clearly,
there will be a great deal of sickness there
this summer. l heard some resident Irish
men beg for work Of government officers that
they might earn their bread.
Gen. Schemmelfenning has been in com
mand of the District, but has recently been as
signed to command the defences, while Gen.
Hatch takes the District. Gen. Schemmelfen-
ming had pushed Gen. Potter on in pursuit Of
Hardee, who did not get fairly across the San
tee river until last Saturday-more than
week after the evacuation. Potter now holds
tho Santee as his line, and will not push fur
ther He is either not so enterprising as Gen.
STRENGTHENING or else he is more cautious.
Hardee took away large amount of field ar
tillery, and deserters say he hopes to combine
with the reinforcements from Hood and
some from Lee in North Carolina, and give
battle 20 General Sherman, though there was
some fear that Sherman would get between
these detached rebel forces. About 10000
men of the rebel reinforcements from the
West are known to have been cut off by Sher-
man, and hence left behind him at Augusta,
while the larger part are said to be already in
North Carolina.
Col. Woodford, 104th U. S colored, com
mands the city and protects the unfortunate
chivalry who remain by bayonets of negro SOL
diers. Col w. was formerly 1t. Col. of the
127Ih n Y. VOlnntears. ~.