The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-05-30

there was a great deal of terror. 1T
was sad work for US, said Mr.. Phil
lips, 'hut'-with grim smile-;we
heard it was great fun for your SOL
! diers.'
Ofcourse many lives were lost. We
heard of brother and sister who
were torn to pieces as they stood talk
ing by their freside; and Of fifteen
negroes who were killed by the burst
ing of single she'll.
There are no white Union men in
Charleston. There was not white.
man in the city that l dared to trust,'
said Robert Small. There src some
who call themselves loyal, but such
loyalty would be a Copperhead's de-
Light in Brooklyn. Of this latter
class is Governor Aiken, complain
ing, dissatisfied old gentleman, vexed
at the proclamation of emancipation,
vexed at the loss Of his wine and the
plumber of his plate by Sherman's
'Bummers,' and altogether 81 lone, lorn
creetur'-like Mrs. Gummidge.
The poor whites with whom we
talked are bitter rebels and did not
think their cause yet lost, although
they willingly sold US fifty dollars in
back. q
A beautiful girl, scarce fifteen years
old, came out to unfasten a garden
gate for us, and was very graciously
trying to do so, when her mother ap-
peared and said with naughty air
that could not brook our presence,
Come away, child This was the
only fine lady rebel visible to US
during our stay in Charleston.
We asked Robert Small where all
the grand dames-the wives and
daughters Of the leading men, were.
1 hope they are al; in their graves
was his savage answer.
There were MANY glad faces in the
city, but they Were all black ones.
The uegroes We're i'll strange state OF
deli.h1;. they danced tor us. they sung
for us, they brou., .,ht us flowers in pro,
fusion, and refused our protiered
mouey.-'Np; you have done enough
for us already l spoke of Lees sur
render to an Old negro woman, the
sole occupant Of n marble mansion.
She did not understand its full means
irg, !ut f-l it must be something good,
and so. lifted her hands and shouted.
Mighty klng!'
Fort Sumter is much larger than we
expected. At the tlag~raising there
were about tour thousand people in the
space enclosed by its battered ram
parts, ard yet it waa not more than
naif flied. Sumter, with all its bruis,
ing and pounding, is still impregnable.
Five hundred men, with communi-
cation open to Charleston, could hold
it against all come.s. An attacking
force would have to .isembark at the
base Of a hill Of crumbling brick,
broken shells, and loose sand, against
which tie sea beats; then climb
chain fence at the very edge Of the
water, and, before the top of this hill
could be gained, two rows Of sharp
ened wooden stakes, firmly imbedded
in the earth and pointing outward,
must also be surmouuted. II did not
seem as if this could be. doue in the
face of determined enemy; our boys
tried it once, and failed. The negroes
were out in full force to witness the
celebration, and cheered Justify as the
officers Of tho day arrived. AS the
hour passed for opening the cere.
monies we heard them ask impatiently,
Where's Beecher?' where's Beech~
er! At length some one shouted,
There he is in the white hat We
looked, and 10! the great expected
came looming over the top o. the
naranat In full uiax of tho cromA