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

CHARLESTON, Feb. 20, 1865.
Charleston, the city in which secessio,
had its birth, where the most stupendou
crime of history was consummated, which
for four years has resisted the power O
the Fede. al arms, is once more subject tt
the authority of the United States. Th,
old flagg-the glorious ensign which is s,
hated by the South Caroline chivalry-
floats ever Sumter and Moultrie, and ovel
all the forts erected by the rebels. On
Saturday last, the 18th inst, the fort
and city were evacuated.
| THE EVACUATION A NECESSITY.
The combined movements of the differ.
ent bodies of Union troops in South Caro-.
lima compelled the rebels to leave the city
or be captured.
When Sherman marched from the coast
one month ago into the northwest. the
rebels were in doubt as to his intentions.
They were foolish enough to attempt to
hold the whole line of railroad from
Charleston to Augusta. Sherman, with
out fighting battle, broke the lines. tore
up the railroads between Augusta and
Branchville, cutting off ID. H. Hill who
was at Augusta This did not neceSsari-
ly compel the rebels to evacuate Charles
ton, for there was the northeast railroad
still intact. IIardee, who was in Charles
ton, still held on to the place, determined
to hold it to the last. 1t must have been
exceedingly bitter even to contemplate the
necessity of yielding the place
Sherman moved across the South Edisto.
His cavalry went to the north fork of that
river-fianking Orangeburg, and compel
ing the evacuation of that place. but Har-
dee still held on to Charleston, keeping
his coast troops upon the EdiStO. thirty
four miles South of the city, holding Gen.
Hatch in check, who was advancing in
that direction.
At this stage of the game Gen. Gilmore
brought a pretty piece of strategy into the
play. Twelve hundred men were sent up
TO Bulls bay on transports. Admiral
Dahlgren co-operated, sending nearly all
the blockading fleet and several monitors.
There was a great deal of moving to and
fro, seaming about and demonstrations
for landing. Bulls bay is twenty miles
north of the city. Ilardee saw that a
formidable force was evidently about to
land, push towards the interior, cut the
Northeast railroad, unite with Sherman
and cage the rebel force defending the city
There was no alternative: he must 60
must give up Sumter, Moultrie, and the
proud old city to the Yankees. 1t was as
bitter us death a few of the heavy
guns were sent off to North Carolina.
all the trains which could be used on the
railroad were loaded with ammunition and
commisSary supplies. The guns in the
the forts were spiked and the troops with
drawn.
In the city there was great excitement.
the inhabitants had been assured that the
place should be defended to the last. In
the Courier office, the correspondent of the
New York Tribune found the following
sentence in type: There are no indica-
tiOns that our authorities have the first
intention of abandoning Charleston, us |
have ascertained from careful inquiry" :"
Duplicity to the last
The rebellion was inaugurated through
deception, and has been sustained by an
utter disregard of truth. Some of the
inhabitants were far-sighted enough to
discover the impending events, and moved
from this city to Columbia, Cheraw and
other places in the interior, but they Jump
ed from the frying pan into the fire, ii the
sententious though homely phrase is al
lowable
Friday and Saturday were terrible days
in Charleston. Carts, carriages. horses.
mules, hand barrows-all were brought
into use. The railroad trains were crow
ded. Men, women and children fled, ter
ror stricken, weeping, broken hearted,
humble in spirit, from their homes. How
different from the 18th of April, 1861,
when they stood upon the esplanade of
the battery, sat upon the house tops, clust-
cred on the steeples, looking seaward. shout
ing and waving their handkerchiefs as
the black clouds of smoke and forked
flames rolled up from Sumter! But time
works great changes. Pride goeth before
fall. Vengeance is mine, l will repay
saith the Lord.
"God don't pay at the end of every
week, but he pays at last, my lord Cardi-
nal," said Anne of Austria. Well had
it been for Charleston to have known in
her day of prosperity the things that be-
longed to her peace. But so God teaches
the nation.
THE EVENTS OF TIE EVACUATION.
Gen. Hardee remained in the CITY till
Friday night, the 18th inst. He left a
detachment of cavalry to destroy what he
could not remove. Every building, ware
house, stable and shed in which cotton
had been stored was fired on Saturday
morning. The iron-clads Palmetto
State" 90 Chicora," and Charleston
were also given to the flames. They lay
at the wharves, and had each large guam
titles of powder and shell on board. Gen.
Hardee knew that the explosions of the
magazines would send stream of iron
hail upon the city. He knew that the
simultaneous kindling Of twenty, or thirty
or fifty fires would endanger the lives of