Southern Affairs.
We compile from late Southern exchanges the following news summary:
Latest from Pensacola.
We find the following interesting telegraphic dispatches in the Mobile Register and Advertiser:Fort Barrancas, Nov. 26th--Night. --No intimation from the enemy of a renewal of the fire upon our works.
Our men are at their guns, ready and eager for the fight.
There was no arrival in the fleet to-day. It is now composed of four men-of-war, which are lying near Pickens, to the eastward.
During the cannonade the enemy fired from Pickens above six thousand shot, equal to eighty-five tons of iron, and with all this tremendous storm of missiles killed but one man on our side.
Barrancas, Nov. 27th.--Night. --Gen. Bragg has determined not to allow any more Federal transports to land stores or troops at Fort Pickens or Santa Rosa, within range of his guns.
A large transport steamer and a bark arrived in the outing this evening.
Gen. Bragg, accompanied by Lieut. Ellis, visited several batteries to-day.
Barrancas, Nov. 28.--Old Brown is evidently tired of the unprofitable business of fighting across the channel.
The screw sloop-of-war Hartford, which was disabled by our guns in Friday's fight, was towed off to parts unknown this evening, the damage done her by our skillful gunners being too serious for repairs anywhere but at a regular ship-yard.
There has been no new arrival among the fleet.
There have been buryings at Pickens, and from the manner of the funeral doings it is thought that two officers were laid to rest.
[Second Dispatch.]
To-day a little sail boat showed herself off the point of Santa Rosa Island, near Fort Pickens, and her impudence in coming under our guns being considered offensive, our boys were ordered to turn loose on her.She was fired on twice from Fort McRae, once from Captain Aderhold's battery and twice from Captain Clark's battery, and it was curious to see the celerity with which her navigators made a landing, abandoned their boat, and scuttled through the sand out of danger.
Old Brown bore it with apparent humility, and fired no shot in response. It is supposed that he is "nursing his wrath to keep it warm," while he waits for the arrival of the grand armada fleet, when he will proceed to make a meal of us.
The voices of the cannon once more created the greatest enthusiasm all along the line of forts and batteries, and every one was hoping that Brown would accept the challenge and open this fire.
A visit to Cairo from our gun-boats.
Brief mention has been made under our telegraphic head of the firing from our gun-boats upon Fort Holt, near Columbus, Ky.-- We take the following in reference to the affair from the Columbus Confederate News, of the 2d inst.,Yesterday about noon it was observed that a couple or three of the northern gun-boats were round the point above Columbus. Steam was immediately made on our gun-boats, three in number, and they started up to have a conversation with "Abraham," if agreeable to them. But as soon as they "knew by the smoke that so gracefully curled," that we were coming, they very naturally backed out and returned to Cairo.
Our steamers pursued and followed them up to within sight of that awful place. An anxious crowd of thousands stood upon the eminences around our town, regardless of a rather raw day, awaiting in breathless suspense to hear the opening of the cannonade. But they were doomed to be disappointed. After the three boats that had been lying here had started, a fourth, the McCrea, came to our wharf; but without tieing a line she pitched off up stream, hunting for the fight. There was much conjecture as to what it would all result in, but for our part we take it that our boats saw what they wanted to see up the river, and on their return communicated their information to the Commander, which was all as it should be.
P. S. Since the above was put in type, we have seen a gentleman who accompanied the expedition, who informs us that we fired some 10 or 15 rounds of shell at Fort Holt--scattering the Hessians like rats.
Evacuation of Tybee Island by the Yankees.
The following report from the Savannah Republican, of the 2d inst., is republished because the fact was deemed of sufficient importance to be reported from that place by telegraph:‘ Our citizens were taken by surprise on Saturday afternoon by a report from below that the enemy had pulled up stakes and were taking their departure from Tybee. Further advices, received yesterday, confirmed the report. The particulars, as we learned them from an authentic source, are as follows:
’ Early Saturday morning a movement was discovered among the Federals on the Island. Soon the boats commenced pushing out from shore for the fleet, and up to nightfall some twenty-four boats, containing from forty to fifty men each, had left the Island. The embarkation continued through Saturday night. One ship load had left Saturday morning for the South, and one yesterday, bearing Northward.
We are left to conjecture the cause of this sudden departure. It may be that they feared an attack and were unwilling to meet us in the tug of war, with gleaming steal and face to face. Another conjecture is, that finding an attack on the main land, via the frowning walls of Fort Pulaski, rather an impracticable affair, they concluded to concentrate their force at a more assailable point. Still another is, that the forces were originally thrown on the island for the purpose of erecting the necessary defences to control the entrance to our harbor, and having finished the work were taken back to the rendezvous on Hilton Head, or to construct fortifications at some other point.
The indications on Tybee yesterday, as observed from the fort, seemed to warrant, the belief that a garrison has been left behind, sufficient in their opinion to hold the Island against any force likely to be sent against them.
Saturday afternoon a large ship, equal in size to the New York and Savannah steamers was seen from the fort to enter an inlet to the South, supposed to be Warsaw, and run up several miles. Supposing her intentions to be to intercept our inland navigation, which has been considerable in the last day or two, Commodore Tatnall went down with his fleet yesterday to run her off, or give battle. She, however, disappeared before his arrival, and the fleet returned to the city last night.
Six Federal vessels were off Tybee yesterday afternoon.
Later.--From the Savannah News, of the 5th instant, we take the following:
‘ The steamer Ida arrived last evening about five o'clock from Tybee, bringing the latest intelligence from that quarter.
’ Early on Tuesday night, Lieutenant Henry Williams, with a squid of the Irish volunteers, visited Tybee Island, and after placing a keg of powder in the third story of the large light house, set the wood work of the building on fire, after which they retreated to near King's Landing. As soon as the Federals discovered the flames they commenced a terrific bombardment of the island. Nobody was hurt, as nobody was on the island in range of their guns.
During the morning the Federal placed a U. S. flag on the Martello Tower, where it was floating yesterday afternoon.
Late yesterday afternoon, fourteen vessels were inside the bar, and two coming in — making sixteen in all. Some of them are sailing vessels, transports, or probably whale ships, for the vandal blockade.
