Important from the coast.
--Our
Savannah correspondent has already furnished a comprehensive account of the situation of affairse on the coast; yet some additional information, which we get from the Savannah
Republican, cerived from a passenger who had been at
Fernandina, will be read with interest.
He learned from a gentleman who reached
Jackson ville a short time before he left, and who effected his escape from
Fernandina by wading through the marsh, and swimming over to the main, the following items: Immediately after the lauding of the
Federals, they went to work pillinging the houses of those who had deserted them and fled.
Those who remained they did not disturb, many of whom professed to be
Unionists, among them this informant.
By pretending to be a staunch Union man, he managed to get information from the
Federal officers that their intention is to lay
Savannah and
Charleston in askes in less than thirty days; that they were expecting the arrival of ten thoroughly fron-cladsteamers, and thirty others hartially iron-clad, when they would immediately proceed to take both of these places.
While our troops were withdrawing from the island, and were preparing to remove their guns, information was communicated to the blockading vessels at
Fernandina by a fisherman, when one of the steamers immediately started for
Warsaw, and soon after the fleet arrived and entered the harbor.
The guns were mostly dismounted from the batteries, and but a few men were superintending their removal.
Previous to the arrival of the fleet a large steamer appeared bearing down to one of the batteries, with a French flag at half-mast.--When within halling distance she lowered the
French flag and ran up the Stars and Stripes, and ordered
Col. Holland to come on board, at the same time running out her guns.
As soon as
Col. H got on board she immediately steered northward.
