Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-10-11

Interesting Historic Resume OF
the settlement Of Port Royal
Scenes and Incidents OF It's
Capture by the Federal troops
Descendants of First settlers
Make Place for their Former
Slaves.
I For ths sunday Appeal
I Beaufort, 8. O., one of the earliest set
| Elements on the Southern coast, Is situ
sted on the large and fertile Island o.
{ Port Royal, on the harbor Of the same
name. In 1852 Jean Rebault, in COM
mand of 3 French feet sent out by Co
/ lignf, Admiral of France, sailing North
/ from the st. Johns river, Ftorids, en-
/ tered harboT, which, far surprising II
/ size and depth of water any be had pre-
( viousIy discovered, he fitly named Port
Royal. So impressed was he with tae
advantages it offered 80 haven for
I shIps, that he speaks Of it rs 4" where al
I the arg1sies of Veuica, yea, all the Ia
vies Of the world, might ride at anchor. !.
In token OF the claim of the King OF
France to this newly discovered terri
/ tory, be erected small pillar. Soon
after he left with his fleet. Another
/ French feet afterwards arriving here
: they found the simple-mindsd femas.
sees Offering to this pillar presents OF
fruits and flowers, and woTshippfng II ss
I a gift from their Good Spirit.
/ In 1910 a settlement was attempted
I here, but the hostility OF the Indians
compelled its removal to Oyster Roint,
/ tthe present CharlestOB), st the conhu-
( encs of the Ashley snd Cooper rivers,
I where the means of defense against the
| savages were better.
1 In 1884 another settlement was made
( here by a few Scotch families, but about
/ two years afterwards the Spaniards from
/ ST. Augustine, claiming the territory az
/ belonging to the King OF Spain, Invaded
and laid it waste. It regstned 1ts pros
( perity, and, during the revolnsionT We
/ fud the historian mentioning tha5 me
British Col. TarIeten was sent to the
( larzs aud fertile island of Port Royal TO
procure horses for his famous cavalry.
The opening of the war found Beaufort
/ & beautiful and hourishing town, situated
on land sloping gradually to the waters
brink, and looking sesvsrd over the
+ calm aud placid waters Of the great bay,
dotted here and there with fertile isiasds,
+ from which the royal Palmetto lifted Iss
graceful shape, and giant oaks hung
their long wierdliks drApsry OF spanish
I moss over the tide, which rippied softly
I and gently on the shell covered beach,
/ The q weliiugs were substantial and eie-
gait, with broad streets finely shelledi
and shaded by the pride Of India, the
ash and the live oak, OF century g
growth. Property had changed hands
less here than in any portion OF the State
Of South Carolina, and as riches we're
/ reaiiLed refinement followed ana COM
nunity was formed to whom wealth was
not an accident, bat hereditary, who held
eirlands not by purchase, but by descen
/ from men vino, iI the days OF yore, h2n
/ "fought the savage for the crown, and
i the crown fer their liberties, aud whose
exploits had illustrated the land OF
1 Sumter and OF Marion. A society SO
constituted, with proud historic reo0i-
Iections, and its members in many in
+ stances tracing their ancestry TO the
bloody field Of Hastings, was essen tally
( aristOcrstie, and very exclusiVe-lndeed,
too much so and i: is to be regretted
that a people so highly educated, and
in every way so eminentIy qusllhed TO
charm socially, should have drawn rig
: idly around themselves the barrier OF
family descent. Though It Is but in ice
10 say, that for this town, SO for ali Car
olina, that while = just pride In noble
I ancestry was thought highly commend
able, yet nowhere were talent aud H.
tegriIy more appreciated and more hb'
orally rewarded. To the man OF honor
and ability the doors OF the proIdest
mansion in the land ever stood open, and
/ this State sver delighted to henor with
/ the highest trusts her gifted sons.
In proportion to its population this was
- al 5z..s -ar M In the Afafa
il supported ons OF the finest classical
, schools, and had been the blrth-pisce OF
msn Of 1ational reputation, who had sd
dsd to their States glory in the Senate
Hall and On the Il nd Of battle. MOI
witbstsndiUg the great commercial Ad-
vsntages OF the harbor, which had
first attracted the attention OF
the early djscoverers, and which
should how make it the Atlantic
terminus OF the Southern Pacific road,
no effort was made TO profit by them
( until Just before the war, when careful
I survey OK the whole coast being COM
pleted, an effort was made to have 3
navy yard established there The prOni-
nence it then gained wss unfortunate,
/ for it brought 70 the attention OF the Ru-
thorities as Washington, immediately
4 previous TO the war, the great advantages
\ this place afforded for the establish msnl
! Of naval stationIsthey were not slow 10
pro6ting by their knowledge, and in
1851 a powerful fiset appeared on tine
bar, aud sfter an unsuccessful defense ol
the fort, the troops Withdrew imme-
diateIy TO the main land, and the iowa
was left defenssless. Every confidence
I hsd been felt In the ability of the forts tC
resist the fieet TIL ths last moment, and
on the news reaching the town most o.
the inhabitants were panic stricken and
Z left on twelve hours notice. The negroes
7 soon realizing the state Of affairs, fushe q
into the town In hordes, and commenced
sacking the abandoned Dwelling. Costly
curtsias were torn down, elegant carpets
rippsd I'D and pianos and furniture, which
yers heirlooms, and around which Gus.
tered Revolutionary recollections AID
the historic associations OF more
than century were scattered in prodi-
gal prolusion through the streetsi and
negroes, men and woman, having now
broken into the stores OF liquor, rioted in
drunken frenzy on the choice wines oi
the wealthy fugitives, and ever and
4 anon there came TO the ear OF the hur-
ried pRSsers by, from the palatial resi-
dences, strains Of bsrbaro1s music and
wells Of baechsnailan triumph, az the
/ Va.us0 DOCKS ana NabS6 were Auftsd Win
4 shouts against the beautiful mirrors,
which fell crashing from their marble
Dedestals. For about two days this scene
of riot and plunder continued. The few
families who had remained, seeing theiT
lives ia danger, fed from what would
have been second st. Domingo. The
FederAls then took possession, aud re-
stored order somewhat-to0 late, alas
20 get the rich "relics so pleasing to
saints. Much, too, OF the newly gathered
crop OF cotton had been burned, but
enough remained to Gauss Joy TO the
hearts OF New EnglaDd's noble sons. "
The news OF the viatory was soon carried
North, ard ffOck Of uneieaB birds
trooped down TO fatten on the Eposls.
Prominent among these were . lot OF
. school narnas, whose advent was herAl-
dsd ia flaming lettsrs-they cali them
{" ladies - in New EDglaDd-and they
d. were said to be ss "wise rs serpents and as
harmless as dOVes.H These "ladiesh were
sent down by the so-called religious so
oietIes OF the North to instruct the " poor
slave.n They we're thoroughly imbued
with phftanthropic Ideas, and most oI
them soon put the principles they had
been taught in practice, and though
" BarcAs u wss dusky, yet ne WAS vii.
HnE n-weIl, they suddenly returned
nome, and 10 hsr credit be il spoken
- 4. -r-nt =.