The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-02-14


and Commssary Departments us store
houses and forming quito Il village In
The vicinity of the loig pier which eX-
tended Il quarter of Il mile into the bay.
port Royal Ilarbnr Is one of the best on
the southern coast and the bar acrps~
its mouth, which sometimes proves
~ impeachment TO vessels dc-irous OF
utering, forms u natural break. water.
over whicn the mighty waves are broken
md lhu- nflor.' : an anchorage lrubIb
V more .afr than ifit did not exist. For
a mile or more from the coast, Tn" same
.uW, sandy fiat cNtcud---Wtth no trees,
ave here .ud ther.a "a palmetto, -tanding
nfoct and lonely, like Il sentinel Watch
ing over the cottou.tieldS extending ON
either side Soon however the wuud~
appear, AMI once in them, it seems ai ii
you were suddenly transported To an
other land. On either hand rise IT..
mighty oaks Of the South, frStOoncd
with long gray hanging moss, and GOV
red 10 the very tops Wi,h inuumrrapl"
parasitic plants, ami creepcrs, many q.
them hearing flowers of the brightest
and gaycet CoiOf'. The pruiu,ipu Of
,hcsv crpcpcrs is almost incredible, thcN
cover everything, fences, trees ANA
stunps, and the objects which in our
nOrthcrn countrv are deem II un-ightly,
become fairly beautiful, serving H. they
10 for mammoth tlpwer-stunds. ETvrA
hollow stump is changed 10 II va~" for
aolding the floral wealth which nttdtr
,catter5 with so lavish Il hand. The
roads, winding in graceful curves, un-
der canopy Of leafy branchys, ami
Doricrcd with II fringe "f the luN"iic-t
plants and flowers, offer to the cqur1Iri-
an scene indcscribLbiy beautiful, aud
contrast presented by the Iul and mo-
uotonous scenery Of the sandy flats out
side of the woods. To one vicWiHg II
lis did, with northern eyes, unac H.
toned to the pro.u1cnyss of trup'aI
vegetation and the pccujiar gray hang
| ing mUss-it seemed lii" fairy land
| Nothing could be more delightful than
to escape the heat and glare OF Carnii'
| nian sun, and to wander slowly through
| these cool shady rOads, where the sun :
rays never enter. There are but icW
houses on the Island Of Port Royal,
| and those were the residences OF the
ovcrseers of the plantations, The own
cr5 never lived there mt amy season %
,he year, and during the fail, the over
occrS themselves frequently sought tn,
main land to escape the low malariuu'
ieVers to which the Island has aiWa%'
been unusually subject. Our soldier
however, MANAGED to exist, with r'
great loss from disease except in th,
autumn of 1862 when the yellow ievC
broke out, and for Il time proved cN
cecdingly difficult to manage. y mor
unhealthy looking place than the Head
quarters Of the Department Of th'
south, for such it was during tn" war
would be hard to imagine. There Wcr
-wnmp- to the right Of them, swamp
to the left Of them, swnml'S bvhlr'
them, and there would have hcgt
-WumpS in front of them hut for th
bay. These swamps too, when tNposc'
To the hot sun, after the water had roco
dcd, gave out an odor OF the most dis
pustiLC kiid. The soil WAS black vii
dccuycd vegetable matter, and mitl,
turned putril under the intense heat
hr thermometer, it must be lDm' NJ
/
than with us. | have known tito rang
between l0J' and ll0' in the shade for
week ut time during the day aud sin
but few degrees lower at night. III
Island produces principaIly colton uu
nras. These last, if thcy POSSESSED
money value, however small, could !
collected in numbers -utiirlCt a. Il
two or three such National ocht- ,
ours. They are an active and CncrEct
, race and devoted themselves Win II
l greatest ardor TO the cnlcrtulumVn,
| the boys in blue. 1t is said thai tie
cease to be an annoyance after Il rr'
tructed residence among them, but
4, was unfortunately Con-tltut. d ! ,uppos
- for never grew fond of them, or obi
u vious of their approaches. The lii
i regiment Of negro troops who ate
e wards, uccording to report, "iougl
+ uohly" were raised here. | paid th,
If visit one day and was giatly strut
q by the neat appearance OF their cam
IS Everything was in tn e most perfect {
n der, and if mere routine duty, such
r this, was all that makrs so!dl,r, lll'
+ certainly, these Alric's sunny 20
j. might have taken rank among tie l.
e blrst ufuur veterans. They were drvs-'
= in the amy blue sac and rcd hlecch'
Al and maI,h,d well, most Of lhom haVil
Ie ulutuiul ear iUr music, ana kt'ill
10 step correctly 10 the sounds oi thc 4
y and drum.
y Col. IIalpinc who was at the tn
Chief of Slpfl m.d Assistant Adjula
General Of the Department, has late
written an article as 10 the ardor
IL these troops in the Union cause, iI'
y which il would seem that they were |
~ so intens,ly loyal as sCme of cur RH
81 cal friends would have us believe. III
expressed he greatest rcl lugnancc
'@' fighting Uncle Sum's battles, althou
none to eating his latlons, and dEui
to at any favorable opportunity I
oTr amount of heat which II negro tan b
est il surprising. l have il'qucntly ''
20 IL, m asleep with their faces turh'd
- 10 the sun, the ,lGn 'mu" Lon + al
Whore 1ra m IIho 10 10 MhIn ] lou