Southern news.
Our Southern exchanges furnish the following:
The Raleigh papers publish a long statement from
Gen. Walter Gwynn, of his transactions in regard to the coast defences of
North Carolina.
The
Register thus alludes to it:
This statement makes most astounding disclosures of gross negligence on the part of some of the authorities of this State, and most triumphantly exonerates
Gen. Gwynn from any, the slightest blame for the disaster at
Hatteras.
According to this statement, scarcely a recommendation or requisition made by
General Gwynn was ever complied with by the authorities having jurisdiction in the premises.
Had the advice given been followed, and the requisitions made by
Gen. Gwynn complied with, Hatteras would, in all probability, have been now in our possession, instead of that of the enemy.
It would all most seem that
Hatteras was given away.
The reader will be struck with that portion of
General Gwynn's statement which relates to the condition of Fort Hatteras.
It was currently reported after the surrender that the fort was given up because it was not bomb-proof, and the garrison were in momentary apprehension of the explosion of the magazine.
The statement shows that the fort now stands intact, and that, in fact, it is a stronger work than any of those erected for the defence of
Charleston and siege of
Fort Sumter.
Taking it altogether, the loss of
Hatteras is one of the most extraordinary events of the times.
The disregard of
Gen. Gwynn's repeated and almost importunate requisitions; the disregard of the plan laid down by him for the reception of the enemy on his attempting to land; the permitting three hundred of the enemy to remain safely on shore all night in the occupancy of the camp designated by
General Gwynn for our troops, and also Fort Clarke; and the crowding into Fort Hatteras, against his express injunction, of nearly four times as many men as it could usefully hold, are all features of this transaction which mark it as one of the most extraordinary of the age.
Col. R. H. Glass writes from
Floyd's camp, Sept. 15, an interesting letter to the Lynchburg
Republican, from which we make an extract:
*** Had
Gen. Wise reinforced us with 1,000 men, or, had it been possible for the
N. Carolina and
Georgia regiments to have come to our assistance in time, we could doubtless have whipped
Rosencranz as badly on the morning of the 11th as we had done on the evening of the 10th.
Indeed, we think it highly probable we could have whipped him anyhow; but, as retreat would have been impossible under the fire of the enemy, and in the possible event of a defeat we should all have been slaughtered or captured, our prudent General thought it dangerous to hazard so much upon the cast of a single die.
To retire to this side of the Ganley, therefore, was the only safe alternative left us, and the wisdom of this movement was fully endorsed on the next day by a dispatch from
General Lee, advising us of our danger, and suggesting the step we had taken.
Our withdrawal was as brilliant a success as our defence.
We lost in this movement not a man, a gun, or a wagon, and would not have lost a single article of value had not the removal of our large number of sick required the use of an unusual portion of our means of transportation.
The road was terrible, and wide enough only for the passage of a single wagon, while the rapid and rugged
Gauley had to be crossed on two flat-boats and a temporary foot-bridge, just completed on the morning of the fight.
The feat was accomplished in less than five hours, and in the darkness of the night.
Our subsequent movements have been entirely governed by those of the enemy.
The night after the fight we encamped at Dogwood Gap, on the main turnpike, midway between the Saturday and Sunday roads, and about ten miles from Camp Gauley.
On Thursday, intelligence reached us that the enemy was crossing the
Gauley at Hughes's Ferry, with a view of cutting us off by the
Wilderness road, at
Meadow Bluff, sixteen miles this side of
Lewisburg.
We at once moved back to this point, so as to place ourselves in striking distance of the enemy, should be appear in that quarter, and at the same time to hold the strongest and most defensible position this side of
Gauley Bridge, on the line of
Cox's advance.
If we are attacked here with as many as ten thousand men, I think we can defeat them, and we are anxiously anticipating a fight in a few days.
The writer urges the great importance of the
Government sending forward men and provisions immediately.
On
Gen. Hill's return to
Yorktown, after a protracted sickness, the 1st North Carolina regiment greeted him with much warmth, and called on him for a speech, the conclusion of which we copy from the Tarboro'
Mercury: ‘
"Well, we have met with reverses in
North Carolina.
It is no more than I expected.
Our proud and boastful spirit, especially of our press, has taken to ourselves victories; we have been saying, 'I did this with my own might and power.' We have accredited our success to our own prowess, instead of to God.
We have been disparaging the bravery of our enemies.
I know some of them; I know the
Commander all Newport News--a braver man never lived.
The different between them and us as soldiers is the . They come among us marauders — it is that that makes them cowards.
Apply the to yourselves Suppose you were to invade their country, driving their women and children before you with the torch and dagger, you could not meet their men broadly, but would feel like running.
They are not natural cowards.
Let us learn from, this a lesson; let us learn to cultivate a strict moral discipline.
With a consciousness of a strict moral purpose, what need we to hear.
"Your time of service will soon expire; then we will return to our own good old State, where your services will be appreciated and your wants will be cared for; and then we will drive back the invader.
"Fellow-soldiers, I thank you for this mark of your confidence.
My feable health will not allow me to say more.
I respectfully bid you good night."
’
Skirmishing on the water.
The Memphis
Appeal says:
‘
By letter from
Columbus, we learn that on the afternoon of the 15th a detachment of
Captain Warner's artillery company embarked on board the
Grampus with a six-pounder and proceeded up the river to look after the gun-boats.
They went up about ten miles, when they came in sight of one, supposed to be the
Lexington, lying at anchor opposite
Norfolk.
Captain Warner concluded to get as near the enemy as possible, and kept on steaming up the river.
When within a mile and a half of the
Lexington, he fired at her, the ball striking the gun-boat at the wheel-house.
The Lexington now rounded to, showing her broadsides, when
Captain Marsh Miller thought is best to go back.
The
Grampus, while coming down the river, pursued by the
Lexington, was fired at from the
Kentucky side, some of the rifle shots striking within a foot of
Captains Warner and
Marsh Miller, who were standing near the pilot-house.
Captain Warner immediately fired at them, which scared them so that they took to the woods.
’
Future Dependence.
A Fairfax correspondent of the Rockingham
Register furnishes the subjoined interesting item of news:
A lady residing near this station, a few days since, gave birth to three children — all boys.
All three are healthy and doing well.
She has named them
Johnston,
Lee and
Beauregard.
Rockingham will have to go to work again.
At this rate the Southern Confederacy will soon have sufficient boys for another army.
Salt.
The Fort
Smith Times, says that those are salt springs in the
Cherokee Nation, where the water runs out of the ground in sufficient quantities to manufacture salt enough to supply all the
Confederate States.
There are other springs of like character in the
Choctaw and
Chickasaw country.
Concealed Foes.
The Pocahontas
Herald learn that as one of the express riders on the
Memphis route, was returning from his station to that place, with dispatches for
Gen. Hardee, he was shot at twice by some one concealed in the swamps.
One of the balls penetrated his hat. As he turned to see where the shots came from the discovered a man just emerging from the wood, who on seeing him, immediately turned and find.
This is a most high- handed outrage; and proves that abolition enemies recovering around us.
