Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-02-24
NO TIES IN DIXIE.
WV
RoBERTsvnLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, /
Febrnarv Ist. 1861

I
February LIST, 1865.
The campaign in South Carolina has beer
fairly commenced. The right wing of the
army has succeeded in penetrating the interior
about seventy miles from the coast, while the
| left wing has meanwhile reached this point
Tomorrow the Twentieth Corps will push
! forward to Lawtouville, at which place, when
reached, it will again be abreast with the most
| advanced column of the army. The 18th
Corps, now crossing the Savannah at Sisters
Ferry, will follow, the line of communication
will once more be abandoned, and the army OF
Atlanta and Savannah will again have disap-
peared amid the dark, dreary confines of the
rebellion. When and where it will next emerge
from the wrathlul cloud that for a time will
conceal it from the fondly searching gaze OF
its friends, remains yet unknown, ard, indeed,
almost beyond the reach Of conjecture. A
great blow in behalf of the Union and liberty
is about to be struck, but how and where it
will be delivered probably no one except the
commander-in- chief fully comprehends.
The movement of the troops has thus far
been greatly retarded by the difficult nature OF
the roads, resulting in part from the bad
weather, but chiefly from the peculiar charae-
ter of the country. The territory OF the
Carolinas for the first hundred miles from
the sea coast consists of a low, fiat surface al
most unbroken by single hill or valley and
clothed with an interminable growth OF
pines and other evergreens. The soil is d loose
vegetable mould or else a sandy loan, of mod
crate fertility but destitute of the consistency
and stability necessary for making substantial
roads. For this reason the travelled high
ways are usually banked up so as to be much
above the ordinary level, or else corduroy
ed with pine logs. Being constructed with a
view to the exigencies of country travel, they
are incapable, particularly in wet weather, of
bearing the heavy tramp of an army. Hence
a strong pioneer force is kept constantly en-
ployed in repairing the road as the army ad-
vances.
The column has now reached the border of
this tract, and>begins to emerge upon higher
and more substantial ground. The surface is
still level but is more redeemed from swamps,
which though still numerous and difficult to
penetrate are more local and confined. Per
haps l can best describe the country by using
the language of Colonial historian, which
| shall transcribe Verbutim ct HterGtim. The
Soyl near the Sea, Of mould Sandy, farther
distant, more cayey or Sand and Clay mkt j;
the Land lies upon level in fifty or sixty Miles
round, having scarce the least Hill or Eminen-
cy, It's cloathed with odorifereus ard fragrant
Woods, fourishing in perpetual and constant
verdure, viz. the lofty Pine, the sweet smelling
Cedar and Cyprus Trees" To extract farther
from this ancient chronieler: "'Fhere are many
and LawIel. Fruit Trees there are au abund-
ance of various and excellent kinds, the
Orange, Lemon, Pomegranste, Fig and AL
mond. Sponges grow on the Sandy Shoars,
for which Samos in times past was famous
Amberguise is often thrown upon the Shoals :;
a pretious commodity to him who finds it, if
Native and Pure in worth and value it sur
passes Gold"
OF the peculiarities of the country as seer
by an early immigrant, viz, "T A. Gent, Clerk
on board his Majestie's Ship Richmond, which
was sent out 10 the year $780," it may be
profitable to speak farther, using his own
language:-
Birds the Country yields of differing kinds
and Eagle, &c For Pleasure, the red, copped
and blew bird, which wantonly initiates the
various Notes and sounds of such Birds and
Beasts which it hears, wherefore, by way of
AIlusion, it's called the Mocking Bird. Birds
for food, and pleasure of Game, are the Swan,
Goose, Duck, Mallard, WigeoD, Teal, Curlew,
Plover, Partridge, Pigeons, and Parakeittoes.
They have bird named the Humming Bird,
in magnitude not exceeding the Humble Bee
They are deep green, shadow'd with a muir
ry, not much unlike the color of some Doves
necks, they take their Food humming or flying,
feeding on the exhuberant moistures of sweet
odoriferous Leaves and Flowers. have fire.
quently seen them in many parts of the West
Indies, but never observed them to have any
musical Air, but loud Note of Admiration,
crying, chur, chur, chur, &C., which at the dis
tanee Of half mile is plainly heard. X
There are 10 Carolina great numbers Of Fire
Flies, who carry their Lanthorns in their Tails
in dark Nights, flying through the Air, shin
ing like Sparks of Fire, enlightening it with
their Golden Spangles. Amongst large Orange
Trees in the Night, l have seen many of those
Flies, whose Lights have appeared like hang
ing Candles, or pendant Flambeaus, which
amidst the Leaves and ripe Fruit yielded a
light truly glorious to behold with three of
these included in Glass Bottle, in a very dark
night have read small Characters.
Their is in the mouth Of their Rivers, or in
the Lakes near the Sea, creature well known
in the West Indies, calrd the Alligator or
Crockodile whose scaly back is impenetrible,
refusing a Musquet Bullet to pierce it, ont
under the Belly an Arrow finds an easie pass
age TO destroy it. This Country
was first discovered by Sir Sebastin Cabott,
by the order, and at the expence Of King
Henry VII. The Principal Place where the
English are now settled lies scituated on . |
Point Of Land about two Leagues from the
Sea, between Ashley and Cooper Rivers, so
named in Honour of the Right Honourable |
the Earl OF Shafts-bury, great Patron to the
affairs of Carolina, the place called Charles
Town. by an express order from the Lord !
Proprielors in the Year One Thousand Six |
Hundred and Eighty" Thus discourseth the
erudte, incognito historian, II. A" Let us
not do him the discourtesy TO cast "A shade OF
doubt over his learned and accurate statements,
even though in this modern age the fact be
notorious that no hummipg bird humme;h loud
enough to be heard bali mile, and no eight
ening bug" lghteneth brightly enough to make
livery small characters" legible in very dark
night.
Concerning this valuable and charming az |