Monday last was the 129th day of the sledge of
Charleston, and that city bids fair to give the
Yankees one hundred and twenty nine more days of toil and trouble.
We take from the Charleston
Courier, of Tuesday, some interesting accounts connected with the progress of the bombardment:
Another Monitor attack on Sumter — Disastrous result — no more flags of truce.
The heavy mortar shelling kept up during Sunday night on
Gregg and
Cummings's Point from our mortar batteries on
Sullivan's Island appears to have alarmed and rendered the enemy on
Morris's Island somewhat desperate.
The monitors, four in number, which have been of late comparatively quiet, moved up between six and seven o'clock Monday morning, and opened fire on Sullivan's Island batteries and
Fort Moultrie. One monitor took a position between
Sumter and
Sullivan's Island.
The other three were drawn up close together about six hundred yards from
Sumter, in line of battle.
The leading monitor got aground.
The enemy's fire was returned by a heavy cannonading from
Fort Moultrie and Batteries Marion.
Bee, and
Rutledge, on
Sullivan's Island, and
Fort Johnson and Battery Simkins, on
James's Island.
About half-past 11 the
Monitor which was aground got afloat and moved off, not, however, without being severely injured.
Observations made with good glasses showed that her smoke-stack had been perforated in two places, and her turret in three, two of which were above her port holes, and one shot in her pilot-box.
Another monitor had her smoke-stack perforated and the turret struck in two different places.
By twelve o'clock they had all gone back, two of them at least in a disabled condition.
The others returned in the afternoon, and fired a few shots at
Sumter, after which one left for her anchorage, while the other remained off
Cummings's Point on usual picket duty.
The heavy and unusual firing so early in the morning brought out large numbers of our people; some under the impression that the enemy had commenced a general attack.
No report of any casualties reached us up to a late hour Monday night.
A flag of truce from the enemy came towards
Sullivan's Island about three o'clock Monday afternoon, and was met by one of our boats.
The cause of it we did not learn, but it is reported the enemy's communication was refused, in accordance with orders from headquarters to receive no more flags of truce.
The shelling of
Fort Moultrie on Friday and Saturday was very heavy from battery Gregg, and for a few hours on Saturday was terrific.
But few shells fell in the fort.
The monitors, though occupying their usual position, had been inactive, excepting whenever fired upon from-the fort they immediately returned the fire, but always took good care to move further off. The casualties were one man killed.
Maj. Jas. McCauley, in preparing to go from the fort to another battery, had his carriage struck and one of his horses killed.
On Sunday neither the monitors nor the
Morris Island batteries opened on the fort.
The mortar shelling of
Fort Sumter continues severe, and without any intermission, from
Cummings's Point batteries.
During Saturday night the number of rifled shots fired was ninety eight, of which thirty-nine missed, and two hundred and nineteen mortar shells, of which ninety missed.
On Sunday sixteen rifled shots were fired, of which six missed, and three hundred and twenty mortar shells, of which fifteen missed.
A Story of two captured Massachusetts negroes.
Two Yankee negroes, captured by
Major Jenkins's pickets on
North Edisto, while out oystering last Thursday, were brought to
Charleston Monday morning and turned over to the
Provost Marshal.
They are miserable looking specimens of the
Northern negro, and claim to belong to the 55th Massachusetts regiment, now stationed on
Folly Island.
They give a doleful account of their treatment on the
Island, and represent that over four hundred of their regiment have sickened and died since their arrival in June last.
The negro troops are subjected to the severest discipline, and a strict watch kept over all their movements.
They are compelled to do all the fatigue duty on the
Island, such as cutting down trees, digging the trenches, throwing up mud and sand embankments, dragging the guns, cleaning for both the white officers and privates, &c.
Their pay was to be, on leaving
Massachusetts, thirteen dollars per month, with clothing and rations.
They state they have never received one cent since their enlistment, and but one suit of clothes.
At one time nearly five hundred of the regiment were down sick with marsh fevers, contracted by exposure while building batteries in the marsh.
The prisoners appeared very humble and penitent, and were rather pleased than otherwise at being captured, after discovering that they were not immediately hung, as the negroes are told they will be in case of falling into the hands of the Southerners.
Experience of a slave in the Yankee lines — the Way the negro soldiers are Treated — negro conscription.
Last week James, a very intelligent and observant negro, who ran away about a year ago from
Mr. Wm. R. Habersham's plantation, on the
Ogeechee river,
Georgia, and who has since been living amongst the
Yankees in and near
Beaufort, made his escape through the enemy's lines and returned to seek his master.
His account of the condition of affairs in
Beaufort is interesting, and in some respects important.
During the greater portion of his absence James has been used as a servant on the plantation of
Mr. Edward Walker, six miles from
Beaufort, by a Yankee, named
Thompson, the "Superintendent." of Negroes.
Thompson has his two sisters living with him, and acting as school-marms.
He says that a regiment of white troops is stationed at
Mr. Tom Baynard's, and another white regiment at
Barnwell's brick house.
These regiments are relieved every weeks; and from these two points, as centres, the enemy throw out their pickets.
From July 8 to the middle of October there were but 3,000 troops on
Beaufort and
Paris Islands and in that neighborhood.
But, during the last three weeks, heavy reinforcements had arrived — some from
Morris Island, but the bulk of them from the
North.
Of these last, many came handcuffed.
A new General and several
Colonels were amongst the fresh arrivals.
The
Yankees say that they cannot take
Charleston from the front, but hope to reduce it from the rear.
From the statements that he heard,
James gathered that they intend to open a heavy fire from the front on
Charleston, on
Savannah, and on some point near
Ashepoo — this last to be the main attack.
They do not expect to take the Charleston and Savannah Railroad at once; but while the demonstrations at
Charleston and
Savannah occupy our attention, they hope to be able to lay waste
Ashepoo, cut the Charleston and Savannah Railroad, and fortify their foothold on the main.
They have the guns for this attack on
Ashepoo now ready at Hilron Head, having received two shiploads of artillery from the
North.
James believes that this movement against
Ashepoo is certainly resolved upon, and will soon take place.
The
Yankees have ordered a conscription of all negro men, between the ages of 18 and 45.
This conscription was to have taken place yesterday, (Monday,) and it was to avoid this compulsory display of martial ardor that James forsook the enemy.
He says that the negroes who led the assault on battery Wagner were drunk at the time, and the remnant not killed cannot be made to fight again.
The
Yankees are very brutal in their treatment of the negroes.
The negro men of
Colonel Heyward, as soon as they arrived at
Beaufort, were put into the army.
The small pox prevailed extensively on
Paris Island.
The houses of
Mr. Nat. Heyward and
Mr. John Barnwell, in
Beaufort, are occupied as hospitals.
A white "superintendent" is placed upon every plantation, except such as have been "sold" to Yankee settlers.
They are quartering up the land into 20 acre lots, and persuading the negroes to put up cabins and rent these lots.
There is a telegraph from
Beaufort Island to
Hilton Head via
Paris Island, and from
Beaufort toward Port Royal Ferry.
A Captain Paine (whom we took prisoner on a scout between
Morris and
James Islands) and a millwright named
Saulsbury, are the two greatest Yankee scouts, and have frequently been over to the main.
General Gillmore has sent North for 40,000 men, and some of them (all drafted men) have come.--On Land's End two negro men have been shot dead for swearing that they would not fight.
One of them belonged to
Mr. Richard Fuller, and the other to
Brigadier-General Finegan.
Whatever portions of the above facts are based upon hearsay were obtained by James from his Yankee taskmaster,
Thompson, and from the white soldiers whom he happened to meet.
