house of our pilots. I immediately started in the gig up Horn or Big River Creek, in the direction of the fire, accompanied by the tender Wildcat, Boatswain Downs; launch, Acting-Midshipman Terry; 1st cutter, ActingMaster Billings; 2d cutter, Acting-Master Hawkins; and 3d cutter, Coxswain Shurtleff. Soon after leaving the ship, a canoe, containing three negroes, was met, who stated that the rebels, three hundred strong, were at Mrs. March's plantation killing all the negroes.

As we advanced up the creek we were constantly met by canoes, with two or three negroes in them, panicstricken, and making their way to the ship, while white flags were to be seen flying from every inhabited point, around which were clustered groups of frightened fugitives. When about two and a half miles from Mrs. March's I was obliged to anchor the Wildcat, from the want of sufficient water in the channel, with orders to be ready to cover our retreat if necessary.

On arriving at Mrs. March's, the scene was fearfully painful. Her dwelling and chapel were in ruins—the air heavy with smoke-while at the landing were assembled over one hundred souls, mostly women and children, in the utmost distress. ****

I there gathered the following particulars: The rebels, during the night, landed on the island from Fort Chapman, with a force of unknown numbers, guided by a negro who for a long time had been on Otter Island in the employ of the army-surrounded the house and chapel, in which a large proportion of the negroes were housed, posting a strong guard to oppose our landing.

At early dawn they fired a volley through the house. As the alarmed people sprang nearly naked from their beds, and rushed forth frantic with fear, they were shot, arrested, or knocked down. * * * *

It appears that the negro who guided the party had returned to them after the evacuation of the place, told them all the troops had been withdrawn, and that the islands were entirely unprotected except by this ship. I am therefore at a loss to account for their extreme barbarity to negroes, most of whom were living on the plantation where they had been born, peacefully tilling the land for their support, which their masters by deserting had denied them, and were not remotely connected with the hated Yankee.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Flag-Officer S. F. DUPONT,

W. T. TRUXTUN, Lieutenant Commanding.

Com. South Atlantic Blockading Squadron,
Port Royal, South Carolina.

Admiral Dupont, in transmitting (June 16, 1862) Lieut. Truxtun's graphic report of this murderous assault on unarmed men, women, and children, who had taken no part in the war-and were then scarcely expected to who were quietly remaining and cultivating the soil where they were born and reared, describes the letter as "giving, in strong and earnest words, the condition of many of these sea-islands in consequence of the withdrawal of the army forces to Stono." He adds:

"The rebels surrounded the house with a ferocity characteristic, at all events, of this part of the Southmurdered in cold blood the poor unfortunates, who were awakened from their slumbers to fall by the hands of the infuriated rebels.

"The contrabands have remained quietly here cultivating the plantations, under our protection, and it seems 'to me that the government is bound by every principle

of justice and policy to shield them from these barbarous inroads."

Noble words! May they meet with a full response in every heart!

PROPOSED TREATMENT OF UNION PRISONERS.

THE following is from the Savannah (Georgia) Republican :-

"How shall we dispose of the [Federal] prisoners? Let the Quartermaster-General of the Confederate States issue his proclamation, stating that the prisoners will be hired out to the highest bidder, for some specified time, and in such number as the hirer may desire. I know of a gentleman of this city, a rice planter, who would gladly take two hundred of the Yankees on his plantation to build up and mend the dams of his fields. He is more desirous of doing this, he says, as the Northern gazettes have long asserted that we can do without negro labor, and he is anxious of testing the question. One good black driver to every forty Yankees, would insure good order and lively work among them."

THE following article, taken as it is from the Memphis Bulletin, a rabid Secession paper, affords the most convincing evidence of the atrocious treatment of Union men in the revolted States, simply for the utterance of Union sentiments. The coolness with which the tragedy

is related is significant. It will be perceived that no apology is offered, no contradiction attempted, but the atrocious act is recorded with that silence which gives

consent.

"John Beman is the name of the watchman on the steamer Morrison, who was hung near Mound City. He was a native of Norway, came to this country in 1811, and lived in Boston, where he has children. He was first examined by a committee, was proven to have said that he hoped Lincoln would come down the river and take everything; that he would die rather than live in the Southern States, and much more of the same sort that it is needless to repeat. The committee proposed to forgive him, if he would take an oath to support the Southern States. He indignantly repelled the proposition, and said that he would die first. Finding that he was determined and malignant, they threw a rope over the limb of a tree, and strung him up twentyfive feet, where he was hanging last night."

VIOLENCE TOWARDS NORTHERN PEOPLE.-OUTRAGE ON A LADY.

MR. COLLINS, son of Dr. Collins, a noted Methodist, who escaped from the South some time since, relates the following:

Miss Gierstein, a young woman from Maine, who had been teaching near Memphis, became an object of suspicion, and left for Cairo on the cars. One of the firemen overheard her say to some Northern men, "Thank God! we shall soon be in a land where there is freedom of thought and speech." The fellow summoned the

Vigilance Committee, and the three Northern men were stripped, and whipped till their flesh hung in strips. Miss G. was stripped to her waist, and thirteen lashes given on her bare back.

Mr. Collins says the brave girl permitted no cry or tear to escape her, but bit her lips through and through. With head shaved, scarred and disfigured, she was at length permitted to resume her journey toward civilization.*

PERSECUTION OF UNION MEN, AND FACILITY OF GUERRILLAS IN TAKING THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

EXTRACTS of a letter from Lieutenant Commander Le Roy Fitch, dated U. S. Gunboat Lexington, Paducah, Kentucky, April 2d, 1864:—

*** I would state that all men along the river, above Fort Henry, must be either disloyal in sentiment or actually engaged in the rebel cause; from what the numerous refugees tell me, none expressing sentiments the least loyal are permitted to remain at home or cultivate their farms.

Since so many of these guerrillas have been found dead on the battle-field, with the oath of allegiance in their pockets, I would believe no man of these guerrillas, though he had taken the oath forty times.

* New York Tribune, August 7th, 1864.