You will assure all severely crippled, and many of the guns dis- | service. mounted. Much slaughter had evidently loyal masters that Congress will been made there, many bodies having been provide just compensation to buried in the fort, and some twenty or thirty Landing of the Land Forces. Sherman's forces all were landed safely on Friday, and immediately took possession of the fortifications as well as of the immediately adjacent lands. Reconnoissances and scouting expeditions resulted in finding no enemy near-only negroes everywhere, and fields white with the rich bolls of sea island cotton, for which that region was the chosen garden. The negroes were not at all alarmed at the state of war prevailing-they rather seemed to enjoy it. Even to their benighted souls, the lightening and thunder of Federal artillery were prophecies of hope. But, the day of their deliverance had not yet The orders by which Sherman was to be governed, in dealing with the slaves, were as follows: come. Cameron's Orders to sherman. "WAR DEPARTMENT, Oct. 14th, 1861. Sir: In conducting military operations within States declared by the proclamation of the President to be in a state of insurrection, you will govern yourself, so far as persons held to service under the laws of such States are concerned, by the principles of the letters addressed by me to Major-General Butler on the 30th of May and the 5th of August, copies of which are herewith furnished to you. As special directions, adapted to special circumstances, cannot be given, much must be referred to your own discretion, as Commanding General of the expedition: You will, however, avail yourself of any persons, whether fugives from labor or not, who may offer themselves to the National Government; you will employ such persons in such services as they may be fitted for, either as ordinary employees, or, if special circumstances seem to require it, in any other capacity, with such organization, in squads, companies or otherwise, as you may deem most beneficial to the service. This, however, not to mean a general arming of them for military Cameron's Order to Sherman. them for the loss of the services of the persons so employed. It is believed that the course thus indicated will best secure the substantial rights of loyal masters, and the benefits to the United States of the services of all disposed to support the Government, while it avoids all interference with the social systems of local institutions of every State, beyond that which insurrection makes unavoidable, and which a restoration of peaceful relations to the Union, under the Constitution, will immediately reRespectfully, move. 66 "SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War. Brigadier-General T. W. SHERMAN, commanding expedition to the Southern coast." Sherman's first step was Sherman's Proclamation to the People. to issue to the citizens of South Carolina a Proclamation setting forth the objects of his coming, and his progress in regard to those in arms against the country. We append the document, claiming attention to its humane sentiments and merciful tone: TO THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH CAROLINA : "In obedience to the orders of the President of these United States of America, I have landed on your shores with a small force of national troops. The dictates of a duty which under the Constitution, I owe to a great sovereign State, and to a proud and hospitable people, among whom I have passed some of the pleasantest days of my life, prompt me to proclaim that we have come among you with no feelings of personal animosity; no desire to harm your citizens, destroy your property, or interfere with any of your lawful laws, rights, or your social and local institutions, beyond what the causes here- in briefly alluded to may render unavoidable. "Citizens of South Carolina: The civilized world stands appalled at the course you are pursuing-appalled at the crime you are committing against your own mother, the best, the most enlightened and heretofore the most prosperous of nations. You are in a state of active rebellion against the laws of your country. You have lawlessly seized upon the forts, arsenals and other property belonging to our common country, and within your borders, with this property, you are in arms and waging a ruth less war against your Constitutional Government, and thus threatening the existence of a Government which you are bound by the terms of the solemn compact to live under and faithfully support. In doing this, you are not only undermining and preparing the way for totally ignoring your own politi cal and social position, but you are threatening the Sherman's Proclamation to the People. GENERAL SHERMAN'S PROCLAMATION, civilized world with the odious sentiment that self-government is impossible with civilized man. "Fellow Citizens: I implore you to pause and reflect upon the tenor and consequences of your acts, of the awful sacrifices made by the devastation of our property; the shedding of fraternal blood in battle, the mourning and wailing of widows and or phans throughout our land are insufficient to deter you from further pursuing this unholy war, then ponder, I beseech you, upon the ultimate, but not less certain result which its farther prosecution must necessarily and naturally entail upon your once happy and prosperous State. Indeed, can you pursue this fratricidal war, and continue to imbue your hands in the loyal blood of your countrymen, your neighbors, your friends, your kinsmen, for no other object than to unlawfully disrupt the Confed Reconnoissance to The fine resi The town of Beaufort was Extension of Fortiflcations. eracy of a great people-a Confederacy established by your own hands-in order to get, were it possible, an independent Government, under which you can never live in peace, prosperity or quietness. "Carolinians: We have come among you as loyal men, fully impressed with our constitutional obligations to the citizens of your State; those obligations shall be performed as far as in our power, but be not deceived. The obligation of suppressing armed combinations against the constitutional authorities is paramount to all others. If, in the performance of this duty, other minor but important obligations should be in any way neglected, it must be attribut-great exertions were put forth to add to ed to the necessities of the case; because rights dependent on the laws of the State must be necessarily subordinate to military exigencies created by insurrection and rebellion. T. W. SHERMAN, ' Brigadier-General Commanding. HEADQUARTERS, PORT ROYAL, S. C., Nov. 8, 1861." This was but a mere form, however, since no means existed whereby it could be placed before the Carolina people. No Southern paper, if possessed of a copy, would dare or care to reprint it. Any negro found with a copy of it in his possession was sure to receive bloody stripes as his reward. Any man willing to accept the proffered mercy would have been deemed a traitor and punished according ly by the rebel authorities, for they knew the meaning of treason and did not hesitate to apply the full rigor of the law to delinquents. For all of which reasons the proclamation fell as impotently as if it were written in an Meanwhile the work of unloading the fleet of transports was progressing, and the construction of wharves, depots, barracks, &c., entered upon. The defenses were at once put in a good state of efficiency, while their extent and strength. A careful topographical survey of Hilton Head island was made, and, at all points indicated by the engineers, defensive works were thrown up. In one month's time the position was deemed perfectly secure against any attack which the enemy might make. Alarm of the People. No attack, however, was meditated. The alarm and terrorism which followed upon the Federal descent and occupation, for a brief period left the entire area of country from Charleston and Savannah quite at the mercy of any invading force. The latter city was a scene of extreme excitement for the week following the fall of Fort Walker; women and children fled into the interior, while all males capable of bearing arms, were called to the fieldexpecting every hour to hear the sound of Federal guns booming up from below against Pulaski. Every step was taken, during the Saturday, November 9th, a reconnoissance weeks succeeding the advent of the Yankees,' was made up Broad and Beaufort rivers, by to save Savannah from what was deemed the gunboats Seneca, Pembina and Curlew. her impending calamity—its occupation by unknown tongue. Alarm of the People. persons so drafted and warned who shall neglect or Sherman's Activity. Sherman's forces. A dispatch from Charleston to Richmond, Nov. 17th, said: "The unexpected failure of our shore batteries at Bay Point and Hilton Head to demolish at least one of the attacking vessels, has sadly shaken the popular confidence in the efficiency of our guns against the monster frigates and iron-ble inland communication between Charleston and Savannah, prevented the Federal forces clad gunboats which they may have to encounter, and now, so alarmed are many of from operating against, the enemy at the the sordid souls that infest all the Southern points indicated. Sherman afterwards wrote,* cities, that the effect may already be seen in in defense of his apparent inactivity at that the lengthening of freight trains which leave time: "Immediately after effecting a landing almost hourly for the interior. In Savannah at Port Royal-a place that had not been the panic is even more general and decided, agreed upon to land until after the departure of the expedition-I studied the general whole neighborhoods having been suddenly left deserted by the exodus of the wives and state of affairs as far as I was able, and conchildren of those who are in arms at Fort cluded that in consideration of the unlooked Pulaski and the batteries on the Savannah river." This was no fancy picture. Rebel Preparations for Defense. Charleston likewise was the scene of alarm; but with commendable energy -if energy in a bad cause can be commendable the State authorities prepared to contest any advance beyond the limits of the islands adjacent to Hilton Head. In the week of Nov. 10th-17th, numerous bodies of militia and volunteers occupied various points along the Savannah and Charleston railway Port Royal ferry was strongly fortified; at Pocataligo, ten miles North of Port Royal islands, fortifications were thrown up and guns mounted; a large force under command of General Drayton gathered at Bluffton; while the Ninth and Twelfth South Carolina volunteers, and the Edisto and Beaufort artillery took up a strong position on Port Royal island. Orders promulgated by General DeSaussure for the defense of Charleston were very stringent, indicating a purpose to defend that city to the last extremity. One section of the order may be quoted as indicative of the manner in which military conscrip tion was enforced : "The commanding officers of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth regiments will promptly issue orders for the draft pointed out in section CXLVI., A. A., 1841, A. A., 1841, and will order the persons so drafted to be warned for duty, and the persons so warned will promptly assemble at the respective muster grounds, armed and equipped for duty. All for extent of the success of the combined expedition thus far, (which involved the capture of the whole coast from Edisto to Ossabaw Sound,) with a reenforcement of ten thousand men, five light draught steamers, a certain number of rowboats, and a certain additional amount of land transportation, a system of internal operations that would not conflict with the general plan of the campaign, but would be a great support to it, might be wisely conducted from Port Royal as soon lead to the capture of Savannah and Fort as our positions were secured, and that would Pulaski, and, as an immediate consequence, the whole coast south, and afterwards Charleston. This plan, as a generality, was proposed to the War Department, and the reenforcements and means as above, asked for. "The plan for reducing Pulaski was fully and speedily approved, and the armament for the siege asked for was ordered. The ufactured, and did not reach me in sufficient armament, I believed, had mostly to be manthe last of March. The general plan was quantity to authorize an effectual assault till much as the siege armament, the steamboats supposed to have been also approved, inas and rowboats were ordered to be sent to me. But the steamers that were sent from New * Communication to National Intelligencer, July 26, 1862. See the same for a full exposition of his conduct of affairs in that department, up to March 30th, 1862. SINKING OF THE STONE FLEET. 393 Sherman's Activity. reached me-not one; the reason, I suppose, will some day come to light. The hundred rowboats, though I had been officially advised, in the middle of January, that they had been hurried on, never reached me until the 24th of March-five days before I was relieved from duty there, and even then but half the number that had been asked for. The reason for this extraordinary delay, it is hoped, will also some day come to light. In the course of the winter I received also a reenforcement of four regiments of infantry, one of cavalry, and one harnessed light battery. So, unless the army could have been possessed with the attributes of a Moses, my plans, or indeed any system of internal operations, could not have been carried out or pursued during the time I commanded the expedition." With the insufficient means at his disposal for extended operations much was donc. An expedition consisting of three gunboats proceeded (Nov. 24th) to Tybee island, off Savannah river-meeting with no opposition from the rebel fortifications at that point. A reconnoissance by General Sherman in person, was made Nov. 26th, to within half a league of Fort Pulaski, which saluted the party with several shells. Other reconnoissances followed, resulting in giving the Federal commanders a perfect knowledge of the enemy's disposition and strength. Beaufort was finally occupied on the night of Dec. 6th, when Stevens' brigade pitched their camps in and around the village. It was indeed a melancholy sight to witness those homes of ease and aristocratic association given over to desolation or to the wild revels of negroes, who, for the first time in their existence, knew no restraint. The village became hospital headquarters and afforded comfortable provision for the soldiers debilitated by the climate. Tybee island was formally occupied, a few days later, by the Forty-sixth New York regiment. December 20th, seven companies of the Seventh Connecticut, under Colonel Terry, landed, with materials for a permanent possession. Fort Pulaski opened on the transports bearing the troops, but without effect the distance being too great for its guns. Thereafter Savannah harbor was so effectively sealed that the fleet of old Sherman's Activity. vessels ladened with stone and designed to be sunk in the channel, was permitted to leave for other waters. The British steamship Fingal—which had escaped the blockade and had borne a heavy load of artillery, arms and munitions to the rebeis-was, at that time, in Savannah harbor. She never was able to escape with her heavy return load of cotton, but was finally burned to prevent her seizure by the Federalists. We have already referred to this craft, [see foot Note, page 143,] as an evidence of the gross violation or the Queen's proclamation of neutrality [see Appendix, page 474]. It is gratifying to know that, like many similar breaches of international comity, it resulted in heavy loss to the abettors of insurrection. The Stone Fleet. The old vessels above adverted to were purchased in the North, from among the disabled and idle whalers, were loaded heavily with stone, and dispatched to the South, with orders to rendezvous at Hilton Head and Savannah. The design was to sink them in harbor channels and thus to render a blockade effective. Savannah being secure by the occupation of Tybee island, the vessels which had there rendezvoused were diverted to Charleston, where they were successfully submerged, December 19th and 20th, in the main ship channel, between Morris' and Sullivan's islands. They were so disposed as to prevent the exit or entrance of any craft, though not to bank up the waters and thus create sand bars. The Federal Government's wish was temporarily to obstruct the passage, in order to assist in the blockade at a season when it would be difficult and dangerous for the squadron to maintain its place off. the station.* The passage called Maffit's channel was obstructed, a few days later. We may add, neither pas *The English Government protested against the sealing up of harbors by artificial process. A if, in the first place, it was any of the English Government's business; and, in the next place, as if the English Government had not practised the same belligerent right in French harbors. Mr. Seward replied to the protest in effect that the United States Government held itself bound to resturn the ob structed harbors to efficiency after peace was restored. sage was more than obstructed in name, for | intervening between Port Royal and Charleston. Whenever the marauders choose next to land, and it is useless to disguise the fact that they can land at a great many points, they will find nothing but devastated fields, deserted by all save the avenging presence of the partisan riflemen. The patriotic sacrifice which has been made by our planters is all the greater when we consider that the crops of the they were both used by the blockade runners ere three months had expired. The Negro. ton Great quantities of cotthe were found on islands, in spite of the burning ordered by the authorities. The gathering, packing and shipping of this much desired staple occupied a large force of negroes, who came in in such numbers as to form a colony of a very unique character. These people, deserted by their owners, sought the Federal lines without fear, although South Carolina masters sedulously disseminated among them the idea that every negro man, woman and child coming within reach of the Yankees would be sent immediately to Cuba for sale. It was an amusing sight to witness the quiet humor with which the slaves expressed their disbelief in any story of worse evils than they had, for generations, suffered. Acting under orders from the War Department, Sherman had them comfortably quartered; all were busily employed who were able to work, and, for the first time in their menial estate, received pay for their services; a corps of instructors was sent from the North, and the laws of South Carolina were so far set at defiance as to open schools and chapels for their instruction. The experiment there initiated proved to the world how great was the capacity of the negro for improvement, and forever gave a quietus to the convenient assumption of the slave breeder and owner that a negro was in his normal condition when treated as a beast of burden rather than as a human being. past season have far exceeded the best ever before known." Cotton Burning and Notwithstanding this attempted general destruction, as already said, so great was the quantity of cotton remaining, that the Federal Government dispatched a special agent to Port Royal for rescuing the staple and remitting it to the North for sale. Several large cargoes eventually found their way to New York, where they were sold. Adventure of the Many stirring adventures occurred during December. That of the steamer Mayflower may be referred to as illustrative of the "sport" which followed reconnoissances up the island rivers. This steamer attempted a running hydrographical survey of the Coosaw river, Dec. 18th. She proceeded without obstruction ten miles up the stream, when a long line of infantry, concealed in the dense woods lining the banks, opened a cutting fire. The steamer pushed on, however, determined to carry out her explorations. A six-pound howitzer in her bows, worked by a detachment of the Third Rhode Island volunteers, under Captain Day, scattered grape and cannister so freely in the thickets as to render the enemy comThe planters in the sec-paratively harmless. A masked battery was tion likely to be visited by encountered at a narrow section of the river, the Federalists quite gene- which suddenly betrayed four embrasures. rally sought to remove their negroes and to To turn in the stream was impossible: noconsume their cotton. A correspondent writ- thing remained but to run the gauntlet under ing from Charleston to a Richmond paper, a low head of steam, since the channel was under date of Nov. 21st, said: to be "felt," and the danger of grounding For the past five days gangs of negroes from the imminent. Captain Phillips, with a firmness sea coast, ladened with such effects as they can carry, and followed by droves of mules and horses, have been passing through the city on their way to the back country. Night before last the whole atmosphere in the city, and for miles around, notwithstanding the bright moonlight was heavy and lurid. Many could not account for the phenomenon. It was the effect of the wholesale conflagration of Cotton Burning and quite admirable, kept on his course, receiving the fire of the battery at three hundred yards the Rhode Islanders answering with their single gun. It was a critical moment, The enemy's pieces were badly handled, shooting over their mark. One well served shot would have ended the steamer's Voyage. The cotton now going on at Edisto aud other islands | danger was passed in comparative safety, |