The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-03-10

thousands, but what cared he! Gov Nc
) Grath called upon the people to destroy
their houses. The newspapers pointed II
, Moscow as sublime instance of heroi,
devotion. Human life, the wailing of in
fants, the feebleness of old age, weighed
nothing with Hardee, McGrath, Gen. Lex
or JEFF. Davis
The torch was applied early in the
morning of the 18th. The citizens sprans
to the fire engines and succeeded in extin-
gushing the flames in several places. but
in other parts of the city the fire had its
own way, burning till there was nothing
more to devour On the wharf of the
Savannah railroad depot were several
hundred bales of cotton and several thous-
and bushels of rice. On Lucas street in q
shed were twelve hundred bales of cotton.
There were numerous other sheds all filled
Near by was the Lucas mill containing
thirty thousand bushels of rice, and Walk
er's warehouse containing large amount
of commissary stores, all Of which was
licked up by the fire SO remorselessly
kindled.
At the Northeastern Railroad depot
there was an immense amount of cotton
in shed, which was fired. The depot
was full of commissary supplies and am
munition, powder in kegs, shells and cat
ridges. The people rushed in TO obtain
the supplies. Several hundred men. wo-
men and children were in the building,
when the ammunition LIMITED. In an in
stant these were blown into eternity
three hundred, it is said. The explosion
shook the city to its foundation. No
language can describe the scene; no artist
pencil picture 1.-THE great upheaval of
the building-brick>. timbers. tiles. beams,
girders, flying through the air-Shells ex-
ploding, crashing through the panic
stricken crowd-the shrieks and groans OF
the mansled ones lying helpless in the de-
vouring flames, beyond the reach of human
aid, burning to cindcrs in the all-devour-
ing element. Nor was this all At the
wharyeS We're the iron cladS. burning. torn
rent. scattered over the water and land
the shells and solid shot. iron braces, red
hot iron plates, falling in an internal
shower. firing the wharves, the buildings,
and all that could burn.
There was more than this. The two
magnificent Blakely guns-one at the
battery. the other near the gas works on
Cooper Rivcr-were loaded to the muzzcl
and trains laid to bust them The con-
cuSSion shattered all the houses in the im-
mediate vicinity
The buildings near the northeastern
depot were licked up by the flames. All
the houses embraced in the area of four
squares We're destroyed. The new bridge
leading TO James Island was burned-the
fire eating its way slowly from pier TO pier
through the day. The citizens did the
utmost to stay the flames, but from sun
rise TO sunset on Saturday, all through
Saturday night, Sunday and Monday. the
smoke of their tenement> went up. How
fearful, how terrible this rctribution for
crime. Abandoned bv those who had
cajoled, tlattered and deceived them, who
had brought about their calamity, who
had sworn to defend them to the last.
humbled, reduced from aiiuence to poy-
erty, the people of Charleston Were COM
PEELED to endure the agony of those event
full days.
The troops OH Morris Island were sent
up in boats. The first troops which land
ed We're of the 2lSt United States colore,i
troops. This regiment is made up of the
old third and fourth South Carolina regi-
mentS. and many of them were formerly
slaves in the city of Charleston. 1t was
their high privilege TO be first in the city.
The stone which the builders rejected once
i'll the history of the world became the
head stone of the corner. and in like man.
ner the poor, despi>ed, rejected African
race, who had no rightS-against whom
the city of Charleston plotted iniquity and
inaugur;lted treason, muchei into The city to
sl,e it from destruction. Following the 2lst
were detachments of the 5Ith aud 10Th
Massachusetts.
''lIet him lie buried beneath his niggerS."
was the insulting answer sent out from
proud, naughty, arrogant Charleston, when
the friends of Col Shaw asked for he re-
mains of that heroic commander. Now
is the hour of their revenge The soldiers
of the 54th have proved their powers on
the field of battle; they have met the ciliv-
airy of South Carolina face to face and
shown their equality in courage and hero
ism, and on this ever memorable day they
make manifest TO the world their superior
ity in honor and humanity.
Let the painter picture it, Let the po-
ct rehearse it. With the old FLAG above
them, its tadeless stars and crimson folds
waving in the morning breeze. keeping
step to freedoms drum beat, up the grass
grown streets, past the slave marts where
their wives and children. their brothers
and fathers, Where they themselves had
been sold in the public shambles' laying
aside their arms, working the fire engines
to extinguish the flames, and in the spirit
ofthe redeemer of men, saving that which
was lost
Laying off the bar on the steamer Full
ton, l could see the great black cloud that
hung over the city, reminding me of the
sights that Abraham saw when he looked
toward Sodom in the day its destruction.