From the South.
The Montgomery Advertiser explains that the regular Confederate Army is not to be composed of the State troops, now being turned over to the Government by States.--This is only the Provisional Army enlisted for one year. The regular army will be enlisted for a longer period, and will be officered by appointees of the Central Government.--The Montgomery papers furnish the following items of interest:‘ Col. J. W. Echols, the Commissary General of the State of Alabama, has just returned from a long and laborious trip through several of the Western and Northwestern States after supplies for the Alabama army. He has made ample provision for supplies for twelve months, which are now in Mobile and New Orleans. The duties of Col. Echols' office were hard and trying, having been forced to travel through snow, bad weather, and the abode of Black Republicanism. The Montgomery Advertiser, of the 29th, contains proposals from Postmaster Reagan for mail bags; for printing blanks and paper; for wrapping paper, twice and sealing wax; for circular marking and rating stamps; for stamped envelopes; for mail locks and keys; and for postage stamps. These proposals will be received until the 1st of May.
’ Five millions of the loan will be offered on the 17th of April, for which bonds, with coupons attached, or stock certificates, at the option of the subscriber, will be issued, in sums from $1,000 to $50. Preference will be given to the smaller amounts, in the event of an excess of subscriptions over the amount required. The bonds run for ten years, with interest at eight per cent. per annum, payable semi-annually. By the issue of bonds of small denominations, the benefits of the loan are placed within the reach of all classes of our people.
A correspondent of the Charleston Mercury, writing from this place, speaks of the offer of a loan of $200,000--which we mentioned some days ago — as having been made to the Secretary of the Treasury. This is an error, as we learn. The money was offered, for defence, without interest, to be repaid at the convenience of the Government, by Mr. S. Hart, a most patriotic and popular citizen of Ei Paso, Texas; and his proposition to advance the $200,000, and, if necessary, have it doubled and more than doubled by his friends, was made directly to the War Department. Mr. Hart, we believe, is now one of the Commissioners of Texas to New Mexico, &c.
President Davis has issued a requisition for 6,000 troops, viz: 2,000 from Louisiana; 1,500 from Mississippi: 1,500 from Alabama; and 1,000 from Georgia. The destination of these troops is Pensacola, and the object to take Fort Pickens, if it is not surrendered under the demand of the Government of the Confederate States. A number of the troops from Mississippi and Louisiana have by this time probably arrived at Pensacola, and the others are on their way or under marching orders.
The Savannah Republican, of Monday. says:
‘ The steamer Georges Creek, Capt. Willetts, from Baltimore, in coming up the river, was brought to on Saturday night last, by the battery at Fort Jackson. The Georges Creek, it appears, having, when abreast of the Fort, no lights observable, was hailed, and giving no answer, two blank cartridges were fired at her; still failing to answer, two balls were fired at her, one of which passed over her bows, and the other over her stern, which immediately brought her small boat to the Fort to explain her position.
’ Mr. T. F. Leake, of Tippah county, Miss., has tendered to Gov. Pettus five thousand dollars for the use of that State, and about the same amount in the hands of S. Apperson &Co., of Memphis, which is at the service of the Confederate States, if needed.
The following are extracts from the letter of an officer in Fort Pickens to a friend in St. Louis:
Fort Pickens, March 18, 1861.
‘ We left Old Point on the 24th of January, and came on the Brooklyn by Abaco, the "Hole in the Wall," and the Bahamas (my third trip through here;) stopped at Key West for coal, and arrived off Fort Pickens about the 5th of February.
’ On the 8th of February I was ordered into the fort.
We have hard work, plenty of guard duty, and plenty of anxiety. The Brooklyn, with our men on board, is anchored off the bar about four miles distant. She is accompanied by the frigate Sabine and sloop-of-war St. Louis. The Government at Washington consented, some time ago, to make an agreement with the authorities on the Secession side, to this effect: That if the reinforcements on the Brooklyn were not landed, no preparations for an attack would be made. So we stay as we were. The fleet is hanging on. The sloop-of-war Wyandotte (four guns) is lying in the harbor abreast the Fort, and every thing is apparently in statu quo.
We have finished mounting guns and getting in all our wood, and completed those little defences necessary to enable a small command to beat off thousands.
The enemy has mounted, under command of Capt. O'Hara, formerly of the Second Cavalry, some four or five guns at Fort McRae, bearing directly on us. And at the light-house they have two or three heavy columbiads, nearly enfilading our front face, while at Barrancas they have a large number of thirty-two pounders, and between this and the navy-yard are two or three batteries. So you see we are girt by a wall of fire.
Now and then they change commanders over there, and the work of negotiation has to be done all over again. Col. Bragg was the last one to get command, and he had to know of us what the status was.
I would like to tell you of the "flank defence," the grape, canister, shells, fire balls, mortars, columbiads, magazines, mines, scarp and counter-scarp, the pickets and guards, the long roll, and the alarm; but I cannot now.
The New York Express says:
‘ The State of South Carolina has paid for the first seizure of property made by the State after the act of secession, the amount being for a cargo of cement shipped by Delafield & Baxter, of this city, upon the order of Col. Foster, of the U. S. Engineer corps, and intended for repairs at Fort Moultrie. The vessel arrived at Charleston the very day Major Anderson took possession of Fort Sumter, and was immediately seized and held by order of Gov. Pickens. In a very handsome manner, after correspondence, Gov. Pickens has now assumed the further responsibility of relieving both the U. S. Government and the shippers in this city, by forwarding a draft in New York funds, which has been duly honored and paid.
’
