From the South.
Our Southern exchanges furnish us with the following interesting information:
The war on the Sea-coast — latest accounts from below.
From the Charleston
Mercury, of the 8th inst., we extract the following:
‘
Up to a late hour yesterday evening, all was quiet at the various military posts along the sea- coast.
The enemy have threatened to burn every house and outbuilding they find deserted, and have already begun their work of vandalism, having applied the torch to the fine residences of
Mr. Adams,
Mr. Chaplin, and
Mr. Wm. Fripp.
The last-named gentleman is well known as having first introduced into use an excellent seed for
Sea Island cotton.
Three negroes from
Barnwell Island, who were taken at
Page's Point on Monday, report
Mr. Trescot's house to have been occupied by a party of Yankee officers.
A few days ago,
Major Jones, (from York District,) of
Col. Dunnovant's Regiment, S. C. V., sent three men in a canoe, to a small island off Cunningham's Bluff, to burn the cotton house and barns, which they succeeded in doing.
The enemy turned out as soon as they discovered the fire, but they were too late; the party had returned in safety, and the
Major merely threw a couple of shells at the bewildered
Yankees, to let them know he was there.
On Monday evening eight gun-boats were reported off Mackay's Point.
Their object
in coming there was not known.
Mackay's Point is on Port Royal river, at the confluence of the Pocataligo,
Coosawhatchie and Tulyfinny rivers.
Vessels drawing twenty feet can come up as high as this point.
Near the spot where
Col. Jones lost his men, on the 1st., just at the side of the causeway, lies a twelve inch shell, which failed to explode.
When discovered, it created same surprise, owing to its being so much larger than usual.
It was thought at first eight to be a thirteen inch shell, but being measured, proved to be nearly thirty-six inches in circumference, and must have been fired from an eleven inch Columbiad.
This shows the very heavy calibre of the ordnance used by the enemy.
It also indicated that they have a larger and stronger class of gun-boats than had been generally supposed to be in our waters.
The rapidity of the fire proves that the one gun-boat in view on New Year's day carried more than a single gun.
Port Royal Ferry on the north side is to our army of the coast what
Mason's and
Munson's hills were last September to the advanced guards of the army of the Potomac.
At both points the hostile pickets have frequently spoken to each other.
Here is a specimen of a recent conversation at the
Ferry:
Yankee.--Halloo, over there.
Southron.--Halloo yourself.
Y.--So you've got
Lee over there, eh?
S.--Yes-sir-ee.
Y.--Right smart man he is too. Ain't his headquarters at
Coosawhatchie?
S.--Well, he is some.
Y.--Say, ain't his headquarters at
Coosawhatchie?
S.--Can't say; come over and see for yourself.
Y.--How are you off for tobacco and liquor?
S.--Got plenty of both
Y.--We want some tobacco; won't you trade some for whiskey?
S.--Don't want any of
your liquor.
Among some other pertinent questions was the following, which effectually broke up the strange colloquy:
S.--Halloo!
over there.
How many did we kill of your men in the flat?
S.--Halloo!
I say. What made you run at
Bull Run?
We have heard a touching incident related of the fight of the 1st instant.
A lieutenant in
Col. Jones's Regiment was mortally wounded by a shell, which broke his sword in half; he survived but a few minutes; but before his death, he took a gold ring from his finger, and handing it with his broken sword to
Lieutenant Colonel McGowan, made a dying request that he should forward both to his
fiancee. ’
The very latest — our Casualties on New year's day.
The
Mercury, of the 9th inst., says:
‘
Yesterday we succeeded in obtaining the following full list of the casualties among our troops in the fight which took place on New Year's day.
The names of the gallant men who fell upon that occasion, have not before been published:
Casualties in the Fourteenth Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, January 1, 1861, in the fight near Port Royal Ferry.
Company B,
Captain West.--Killed:
Privates A. Bartly,
F. M. Riser.
Wounded:
Lieutenant James Boatwright,
Sergeant F. Soach,
Corporal Robert Brooks,
Privates E. D. Merchant,
M. Plymate,
Joel Minnick,
Caleb Hare.
Company C,
Captain Wood.--Wounded:
Sergeant George Weatherall.
Company E,
Capt. Brown--Killed:
Lieut. J. H. Powers,
Private S. L. Boyd.
Wounded:
Privates Jno. B. Jones,
W. H. Owens,
J. H. Garrett,
R. B. Halk.
Company G,
Capt. Taggart.--Wounded:
Samuel Cothron.
Company H,
Capt. Croft.--Killed:
Corporal Jason Eubanks,
Privates Darley Eubanks,
James Notherford.
Wounded:
Corporal Jas. Culler,
Privates Peter Day,
Calvin,
Cushman,
John Jonikin.
Company K,
Capt Tompkins.--Wounded:
Lieut. William L. Stevens,
Corporal Noah J. Werts,
Private Ransom Timberman.
Total killed and wounded 27.
On yesterday, so far as known in the city, all was quiet at the various posts below.
On Monday night the pickets on Mackay's Point, on what is known as
Graham's Neck which has been previously alluded to by us, discovered a boat in the
Coosawhatchie River.
After hailing it without getting an answer, our
Tennessee friends commenced an active fusillade, which caused the crew and passengers of the unknown boat to beat a hasty retreat.
It has since been ascertained that the party fired into was
Colonel Radcliffe, with some of the officers of his North Carolina Regiment.
They were in imminent danger; the balls struck the boat repeatedly; one man had his hat shot from his head, and another had a bullet through his coat sleeve.
As soon as the boat touched the marsh, they jumped out and waded and swam to the main land.
It is said that the gallant
Colonel, who is, we believe, a graduate of the Citadel reached his headquarters in very scanty attire.
Our pickets, like the main body of our army, are ‘"nursing their wrath to keep it warm,"’ and after ‘"retreat"’ it is rather dangerous work to put one's nose beyond the lines.
With regard to the removal of the negroes from within the military lines, it is said that many of the planters, having every confidence in their slaves, and being unable, on so short a notice, to provide comfortable homes for them elsewhere, have left them on their plantations, where they have shelter and ample support.
’
From the Louisville
Courier, of the 7th instant, we copy the following:
‘
A report reached this place through several distinct channels that on the day after the fight at
Sacramento,
Gen. Crittenden shipped his artillery down
Green river, and it was understood in the neighborhood of
Calhoun that the destination was
Louisville.--Connected with this, was a report that
Calhoun had been evacuated.
We understand that an artillery
Captain and several men who had deserted from
Crittenden, arrived at
Hopkinsville on Thursday of last week.
One of the
Federals captured by
Lieut. Hines, below
Morgantown, confirms our reports that there is great dissatisfaction among the Kentuckian at the abolition documents of the
President and
Cameron.
From a source which seems worthy of credit we learn that the
Federals have nearly finished the
Green river bridge.
It was reported by a gentleman just returned from
Cave City that the
Federals had begun to erect fortifications on the ground where
Col. Terry fell.
This is not very probable.
’
Dispersion of Dutch Cavalry.
It was rumored in
Hopkinsville, a few days ago that six hundred
Dutch cavalry were in
Crittenden county, on their way to
Princeton.
Two companies of
Col. Forrest's famous cavalry, under the commands of
Capts. Overton and
May, were promptly dispatched in pursuit of them.
They, however, were unable to overhaul the flop-eared thieves.--Scenting danger from afar, the vile robbers betook themselves to their mountain fastnesses, and thus escaped the punishment which their villainies so justly merit.
Infamous Yankee outrages.
Since the signal defeat of the Lincolnites at
Sacramento, the troops at
Calhoun have been perpetrating every species of outrage that their cowardly hearts could plan or their Yankee ingenuity devise.
They have arrested a number of private citizens, and plundered those whom they could not arrest.
The residence of
Dr. Linthicum was visited by the hell-hounds, and all his negroes, horses and mules were stolen, and what other property they could not carry off they wantonly destroyed.
We learn that
Mrs. Morehead, an estimable and venerable lady residing at
Sacramento, was arrested and forcibly carried off to the camps at
Calhoun by these vile miscreants.
The old lady has two noble sons in the
Southern army, and this is her only offence.
May God in His goodness nerve the hearts and strengthen the arms of her gallant sons to avenge the wrongs of their helpless and unoffending mother.
If such unprovoked outrages do not arouse the great heart of
Kentucky, then surely it is as pulseless as adamant, and cold as the mountain snow.
Jim Jackson's retreating cavalry from
Sacramento rushed into the camps at
Calhoun without caps, guns or pistols, the very pictures of deep despair, the hair on their heads resembling the ‘"quills on the back of the fretful porcupine."’ In response to
Jackson's question, ‘"what's the matter?"’ a fellow, scared half to death, replied: ‘"Hell's broke loose up yonder, and the devils are after us"’ (pointing in the direction of the
Southern troops.) Then applying additional ‘"steel and timber"’ to his already jaded steed, he made his way as best he could to the banks of the beautiful
Ohio.
Patriotic Sentiments.
In the Louisville
Courier, of the 7th inst., appears a card from
R. J. Breckinridge, announcing himself as a candidate for a seat in the
Confederate States Congress from
Kentucky, of which the following is an extract:
‘
I am utterly opposed to a reconstruction of the old Government, or any measure which, in the remotest degree, tends in that direction.
For one, I shall never consent
that peace shall be made, until the very last of all the enemies of our liberty shall have been driven, not only from our hallowed soil, but from every foot of territory which, from its geographical position, naturally belongs to the
South.
God grant that the day be not far distant when
Kentucky will arise free and disenthralled, and assume her true position as one of the fairest among the sisters of the
South.
’
Yankee vessels on the Texas coast.
From the Houston
Telegraph, of the 16th ult., we extract the following:
‘
A Federal bark made her appearance off Pass Cavalla on Sunday last and coming in range of the guns there some sixteen or seventeen shots were fired at her, some of which it is thought struck, as she soon made the best of her way out of range.
She neither replied to the battery nor showed her colors.
On Monday evening, when
Col. Richardson left Saluria, the bark was still cruising off Pass Cavalla.
It is probable that this is the same vessel which passed
Galveston about two weeks ago, and which the lookouts there reported to be crowded with men.
’
Coffee from Mexico.
From a late number of the San Antonio
Herald we take the following item:
‘
Considerable quantities of coffee are being brought to our city from
Mexico.
The tide of trade has been turned of late.
Instead of getting their coffee from New Orleans, as formerly, our merchants are finishing shipments of it for that city.
Mexican coffee, which is a very superior article; is now selling in this city at from 40 to 50 cts. per lb.
Rio coffee, it is probable, will soon be brought from
Mexico in large quantities and at lower figures.
The supply can be increased to any quantity required by the market, and we are informed ample arrangements to that effect have been made.
’
From the Eastern Shore of Virginia — Stampede of citizens — outrages.
The
Norfolk correspondent of the Petersburg
Express, writing under date of Jan. 9th, says:
‘
A perfect stampede has taken place among the people of the Eastern Shore of
Virginia, and all who can possibly do so are trying to get away.
The following persons were drowned on the first day of January, while attempting their escape in an open boat:--
Isaac Smith,
Wesley Smith,
John Moore and
Ben. Ward.
Unlimited licenses is allowed to the negroes, and only a few days ago one of the first ladies of
Accomac was whipped by her once favorite servant.
’
High prices for Negroes.
The
Charlottesville Jeffersonian, of the 11th inst., says:
‘
Four negro men belonging to the estate of the late
James Buck, were sold at auction for cash, on Monday last by
Benson & Bro., at the following prices: One negro man 25 years old, brought $1,100, one 32 years, $1,110, another 23 years, $1,000, another 45 years, $760.
’
