Matters at Charleston.
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.
