"One Country, One qmlt(Nt!fiiiiline Destiny." -A ozor.-nee, ":, --•- ~, . . '•"" -01-r - - : - 419•4 005 * 1 1 , r ,- fro' i ,• ...7,011169 3 , 1 1 1160al , ,„ .), j*: ~, 1..-. ', • ii T ; 4, t ; 1 i / 1 .74 •• * l , • i; ( - •••• ‘ l , : . I k .'.. .l . r 1 1 , 7 , ,.' . .;-; - • . ~ k 4- . z .N. -'•,'W -- _ - . • --_,. - ---1.., i , , ' (''' , t -c--r--. .ate ._ .. "-‘.. ‘) A t t..•, ~i • - • , 1 7 1 ? . • i iitiei . ''' ',' - --- ,... 0 r4i4 .....'-_;,:--• • -:,er- .... , -, 7. , t , if , ---=., - --z1 iiE2l . j /'• ~ ~ ; t tiii, , C,ii I %)SIV%VAW?I,% N,2 WEDNESDAY; MARCH 1, 1865. DEMOCRATIC MEETING. There will be a Democratic Meeting at the Court House, on TUESDAY evening, the 21st day of March next, as business of importance are to be attend ed to. The Democracy are invited to turn out in their strength. The battle for the Constitution and the Union, yet demands the active ef forts of every Democrat, as well as the just protection of personal liberty and private property, from the usurpation of .power. Fellow Democrats and all lovers of the prosperity of the country, we may vpeii"be proud of our association with the-party that has among its lights and *Panders the author of the Declaration indepett4ttce, and of the Constitu • - tion; a party - whose wise al:ninistration acquired all the additional: te:Tit ory added -kith. original thirteen States—the pol 'lo of whose Statesmen formed, and established the national character at loine and. abroad, and at whose loss of -power and place the country was disin legreled. The American character lost-- l and the prosperity of the country ruin 7.4—,and the power of the Government Ito.enforee a just obedience to the laws of the land throughout the whole Union im „vaired —as well as the indentity of the States lost in the usurpations of the Fel- Aatal Administration. Oars is the only _party that can save eie county from her -I:iresent imperiled condition. A. A. PURMAN, Chairman Dis. Co. Corn. Ultraism in Politics. Ultraism is defined to be the advocacy ,of extreme measures or the holding of imixeme opinions on any subject of po 4itieal concern. Radicalism and ultraism ate conV&tible terms and their full scope grid meaning are 'generally understood. ,lopolitics, as in theology, the truth 'almost invariably lies between extremes. `kis rarely found with either the advo ittep of great and sweeping social or po- Atici►l.changes, or with those who oppose gay sateration or modification of super annated institutions or existing laws, or 4-items of public policy. We have had examples of ultraism iu the two great sections of this Union in the worst sense of the term, on a question of the gravest sort. Opposition to the institution of do mestic slavery as it was in the Southern States, says a cotemporary, has long ex isted at the North. This opposition, however, would have kept its legiti mate bounds, perhaps, had it not been for political ambition. Derisagogues found it teo good a hobby to be left to 10,46ment and moral influence. What could be done politically with ami concerning slavery was done in out Federal Constitution. The statesmen of that day, pro-slavery and antislavery, slavery as they found it, to the States, imposing no responsibility in compatible with the sentiments of any; except in the single case of the rCkqrn of fugitive slaves. They even protected the slave trade for tweri- Or'years ; we say protected, for they provided that it should not be pro hibited duripg that, time . It was n long until an effort to pro lit introduction of a slave State (Missouri) into the Union was made. Vortunately for the country, this attempt the free States, to prohibit the intro acLiitou of a new slave State into the irdfcris, failed by compromise. But the course of Jefferson, Clay and others , eittlirs Low tile wise and patriotic men 4t,;that shay dePrecated the agitation of et4eot in federal polities, and any action of Congress against the institu &pro, sentiments, .or prejudices of :any It is idle to discuss the right and 1110114 of &very. * If slavery be wrong Ares wrong Itithe States, wrong in 1 4144441 'lianas at: that time ; it is 'oils is „Africa now and wrong alt kit the world. Bat is it tutot the duty 04%erailitioitiforiiiiiii to use its: poe tr. , , what is wer to suppress wliat is ... , or politkAtAlaserribere its charter_eyes 1 petwerk4e#lll6ll4Ver ft iMhe it 41. • • - .s..ifh • nr• .... ..7 4Pi Er& hit "....trX. • ' edu.n Nora. -.' It "any 'pea ..... ••• ••• a~~~~: _Z EMI El 771 - '1 - sonieOirig eke nay let A it resort to the right of revolution, or if a change is to be worked out, the Consti : latinn providos a *Arto accomplish it: Iret t il i tiffiat anti-slavery party has re ,. .nor. to ,every expedient to stir up }fad Blood fan•thit subject. They have em ployed State power to thwart tl_e action of the Federal Government, on points plainly constitutional.. It seemed obvi ous that such constant, persevering ef forts!, • offensive to one section of the Union, that Issurrteci the people there to be man-stealers, robbers steeped in the worst of crimes, would, in the end, lead to trouble. All this didn't justify the rebellion, though it did much to provoke it. It only furnished the occasion and pretext for it. The ultras North claimed that Con gress had supreme power over the terri tories ; that it was the right of Con gress to legislate for territories in all cases whatsoever, and the duty to prohibit slavery in them all. It .would - seem a plain case that the Constitution gave to Congress the same grants of power over territories as over States, no more ; that all else was reserved to the States or Me people. The Smith not to be outdone, set up the claim that the Federal Constitution guaranteed the right to property in slaves in every territory. The South, of course, had inexorble logic for this as the extreme North had for their ultraism. Boat argued .away to prove what each had resolved to maintain without argu ment. Neither would admit the position of the other if it had been true, and neither had any reason to admit the other's position, for it was not true. Plain enough it was that these ultras were drifting on to the argument of the last resort. The South could never agree that the North should use the power of the Federal Government to prohibit slavery in all the territories ; and the North would never admit that the Constitution carried slavery into all the territories by its extension over them. There was no reconciling these extreme theories. Neither could ever become the doctrine of the country by peaceable means. Is the prospect any better now l The two parties have betaken themselves to the sword to defend and propagate tl•eir nitraisms. How differently our fathers acted on this whole subject ! How dif ferently all wise statesmen have acted They knew the danger and folly of attempting to put down convictions, and habits and prejudices by the sword. They lived in peace and r rosp eri ty— why can't we I In the language of one of them, must all they have won by their blond and sufferings be thrown away by the ill conduct of their sons l We have no faith in this ultraism on which the Government seems bent. Temporary success does not relieve it from its in herent vice. Its consequences will not be restoration and peace. What they will be man can't forsee ; but this con test will not be ended by ultraism. Its advocates must at least be disappointed. The original cause of dispute may disap pear, but the deep.seated antagonism will remain, and something less satis factory will turn up in its place. Revo lutions may not go back, but, without wisdom and moderation, that make bad worse. Radicalism may do a vast deal of mischief if it shall prevail fa. at y length of time in this country. Its great object now is the destruction of slavery. To accomplish this, Constitutions and laws mast be broken down. The pro cess is revolutionary. The object is not a restoration of the Uuiou, but a change of Constitutions and laws—a change of habits between the white and black races. This last is the prime object of this radical party. They do not intend to end this war without it, and if they have the power, they will accomplish as much iu that line as power can accom plish. In pursuit of their cherished 1 ideas, they will be perfectly reckless of consequences to the' white er black races. They claim infallibly right, and it is treason to question their infalibility. One is either a fool or a knaVe who ' doubts, so certain are they of their vir- I tue and wisdom. No amount of blood - i and treasure is too great to give for so great and holy object, in their estima tion. Suppose they have power to go on with the experiment, who is to be the victim of the experiment I The white race will fight it out, and adjust itself to any change that may be made. Emancipate the negro from the master 1 and the master will contrive to.emanct pate himself from the negro, and the simple question is. eau the negro endure the change I Down in Lousiana a system is in operation ; contract slavery takes the place of the old system. That is, the white man makes the contract himself, and compels the negro to abide by it I or starve. SO far it is plain who suffers. The Naples portion of the negro race Mast: live ni *nit)* stingily dealt ont, and saffau r starveapd die. -. It may be i rett a rift 4 }'`w.fte", 4 ".?l!"- - will poSsOilaeor e : ' mea-than white: 11111 1 4-1 )4 40, - - tboOrik 44 Wfr.-is 4ilet... And after the destlisotios I - ndisdaverr; is: 'Eroded by war, 'irliit will grow gn its place I Will the negro rappendttre the change or - perish, u all. subordinate iaoo have 4one in face .of a--anperior . ree - whaving no interest in- lires4ving • the former ? Is Butler a " Gold RObber.?" This query propounded by RepreSentative Brooks, in Congress, is not , yet settled to the satisfaction' of the admirers of the Hero of Big Bethel, ntqf is it likely to: be: But ler% friend Boutwell, (a brother renegade, by the way, from the Democratic party,) by a little special. !deeding a few bold asser tions and some adroit quotations, made a plausible case for Butler, in reply to Brooks' charge. He left the impression that Butler had deposited Smith's gold with 'the gov ernment, which used it to pay its troops, when short of funds,. This seemed plausi tie, and sounded well, in the public prints ! But it lacked the important element of truth, as is satisfactorily shown by Judge Pierepoiut, the counsel of the Smiths, in the attempt to recover their gold from the clutches of Butler, through an action at law. The Judge regards it due to his clients, that their cause should not be in jured by the special pleading of Butler and his friends. He demonstrates from his own correspondence with Butler before the suit was brought, [he was a member of the same political party with Butler, and did not wish him to make an unseemly exhibi tion of himself] and also from his own cor respondence with the Government, that al though Butler with the adroitness of the practiced criminal lawyer, attempted, re peatedly to get the government to shoulder this plunder of the Smiths and thus to shiad him from responsibility, it persistently re fused to do so ; and that instead of Butler's having paid the money to the government, he has it yet in his own pockets, unless he exchanged, it for greenbacks when a dollar in gold was worth $2.85 cents in green backs, which he surmises was probably the EME We have not room for this conclosiire let ter of Jndge Pierepoiotond only give its con chiding paragraphs: The grievances charg,el in this case are BM First. That in violation of this proclama tion, and without authority of law,.General Butler took $50,000 in gold from Smith & Co., New Orleans. Second. That this gold was. the property of Smith & Co., acquired by hottest industry. Third. That Smith & Ca., were northern men, engaged as bankers in New Orleans, La. Their business was extended, their credits in that state of necessity were long. They opposed secession with all their power, and when secession came upon them they tried to gather in their property as best they could ; that, being northern men, they were more liable to suspicion; and were, of course, compelled to be very circumspect.— That when a safe opportunity offered, they gladly took the oath of allegiance, .and the amnesty oath also. That they concealed the gold to keep it from the mob, which it was supposed would Oleg& the city if Admiral Farragut passed the forts, and this concealment IV a S was made a pretext fir seizing the gold by Gen. Butler. Fourth. That Gn. littler has not paid out this gold to his troops but has retained it. It is quite likely that , Gen. littler left the gold for a time in the safekeeping of a paymaster; but the point is, that the gold was returned to the general and nut paid out to the troops. Fifth. That Ghn. Butler did not take the gold, nor has he retained the gold, by any order, authori:y, or direclon of the Secre tary of the Treasury or of War, and • that he did not pay it over to the government as Mr. Smith requested. Sixth That so gross was the wrong to Smith & Co., and so clearly were they en titled to this money, that even Gen. But ler's own commissioners found that Smith & Co. were the owners, and wrote to the Gen eral, advising a restoration of the money, which has never yet been restoreA. Seventh. That Gen. Butler took this gold on the lath of May, 1562, and did not re port it to the War Department until Feb ruary of the following year ; and then re ported that Smith & Cu. were "active reb els," and "hesitated" to pay it over to the government, lest these "rebels" sue him ; to whom, "as a lawyer," he thought he might be liable! These facts cannot be denied, namely : That without the least authority of law Gen. Butler took this gold and his: kept it two years and nine months and still keeps it: That. Gen. Butler's own commissioners found that the money belonged to Su Co., and desired him to retire It ; That Mr. Smith supposing that Gen. But ler had paid the gold to his troops, as indi cated by the General's letter, applied to the Treasury and found, to his surprise, that Gan. Butler had the gold ; That fortkwith Mr. Smith, by hte counsel, proposed in writing to Gen. Butler that he pay the money over to the Treasury or to the War Department and leave ..Mr. Smith to such remedy as the governmeot might think tit to give him. That the gar.eral (to use his own words) "hesitated" to uay it to the government and refused to pay it to the owner, and by va rious deviees has contrived to retain it to this time, and without security either to the government or to Mr. Smith, and with the full use of this $50,000 of gold during a period of two years and nine months; Upon these facts an honest and intelli gent people will pass a judgment.. Gen. Butler still keeps the gold, or the proceeds at 285, if he sold at the highest price. Is it right ? That is the question—and I am truly yours, EpwARDB PagIIILPONT, Counsel for Samuel Smith dr Co. New York, Feb. 10, '65. d3-Since the date of our last publi cation, Charleston has falen. It was meet that the city which fired the first gun, in this terrible civil strife, and first trampled upon the glorious emblem of the Union, should suffer as.alone it has suffered. Between the continued bom barilment which it has undergone for more than a year past, and the fire which was raging in the city when our troops took possession, it is said to pre sent a sad spectacle of ruin acd desola tion. Wilnemg4ra Lae aim beit*iddad to the of the Mimi within a few Ilk • - fall ipto .1 061 4 58 A0u1K9. 1 ) , it :iChas 41101014 h. :°St $4llllll-14'71' ' : a .. We have with - great pleasure read the speech - of Col. HOPKINS, our vigilent Senator,_ against the "deep damnation of the taking off of Washington mutat from this Judicial District." No Legislature but the one now in session, could be guilty of the small spite of attempting to disrupt a Judicial District, which has existed now for nearly three quarters of a century, without objection or complaint from any quarter. merely on the ground of the politics Of an an ticipated candidate to fill the vacancy, at Me next eketion ! This Legislature may be intensely "loyal" but we trust if it - shall disgrace itself by doing this .ineffably mean thing that Gov. Curtin will promptly veto the act, as we think Mr. Attorney General Meridith will in form him he should do, on the ground of its unconstitutionality, refered to in the speech of Col. Hopkins. We expect to lay the speech . of Col. Hopkins before our readers next week. The sturdy Democrat John L. Daw son, of Pennsylvania, says the New York World, put the Republican major ity on record again the other day in a way which will make their own chil dren curse them before many years have passed. Mr. DAWSON submitted the fol lowing resolution, and demanded the previous question on its own adoption: "Witette,ks, The American people have now been engaged in a civil war of gigantic dimensions for nearly four years, which has resulted in frightful destruction of life, property, and treas ure, creating an enormous debt, im posing the most oppressive taxes, cov ering the land with affliction, corrup• ting the general morals, and putting in peril the liberties of the nation; where as, on the part of the United States and the people of the States which ad here to this Government. this is, and ought to be, a war solely to vindicate the Constitution and restore the laws to their just supremacy, and to that we are bound by our oaths and by our sol emn pledges made in the face of the world when the war commenced: There fore, Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to use all honorable and just means to brig; about a lasting peace and the re-establishment of fraternal relations among all the peo ple by a restoration of the Union upon the simple and just basis of the Consti tution and laws, with every proper guarantee to the southern States that they shall be pr:tected in the full en• joyment of their rights, and that un disturbed control of their own local af fairs which the Federal Constitution was intended to secure to them and to us. Mr. Tl{ ER moved that the reso lution be laid on the table. Mr. DA SON demanded the yeas and nays. The veas and nays were ordered The question was taken ; and it was decided in the affirmative—yeas, 73, nays 41, not voting 65. So the resolutions was laid on the ta ble. Seventy-two Republicans, aids the Word, voted to lay these resolutions on tke table, voted that the war was not solely to vindicate the Constitution and restore the laws to their just supremacy, voted that we are not bound by our ()fells and solemn plc lges made when the war began, voted not to request the Preside..t to use honorable and just means to effect peace on a basis of a restored Union, with the rights defined and secured by the Constitution to eve ry state. Here are the seventy-two Republicans who cried havoc. Ere ten years are over, we say again, their very children will curse them for their fanat icism, their folly, and their treason. The PhiladAphia Aye, has the follow ing on the resolutions: The preamble and resolutions of M. Dawson, offered in the Rouse of Rep resentatives on Monday, brought the administration party to the scratch. The unanimous vote of the Abolitionists for laying the resolutions on the table proves that their pretense or willingness to make peace on fair terms was all sham. Interminable war, with direful consequences to us and to our children, is their real policy, and will remain so as long as shoddy can thrive by corrup tion. To neuative this resolution was. to say that 'lasting peace' is .a thing not. to be sought even 'by honorable and just means,' and that 'the re-establish ment of fraternal relations' with the South is not a desirable object if it be accompanied by 'a restoration of the Union upon a simple and just basis of the Constitution and laws.' As long, therefore as Abolitionism governs the country, It must be understood that cid war is a permanent institution— not for the sake of justice, of the Con stitution, or the laws, but for the sake of war itself, which gives the Abolition favorites-jobs and wntracts, and ?stables them . To feed on tears, to fatten ou llistrets, And wing their wealth from suffering's last We hope our readers will carefully note the terms f the resolution, and the vote by which it was laid on the table. Fitz Hugh Ludlow. in his overland trip to California, found between Utab and the Humboldt Mountains a large desert composed, as he says, of "sand of snowy alkali." He describes it as one of the most difonal and forbidding spots that was ever traversed by the _foot of man.; but in view of the eaten= Sion _through 4to the • Atlentic and raer&Railroad; - a sufmeata an inter- Wail* possibility at to its• future Hi Op Ikaaitic Ma* x '6l6 lEEE YV• 6. Pict (j iestlon. Restoration of the Union. excess. The Resources of Utah. f. crudest state the alkaline earth of the desert is sufficiently pure to make vio lent effervescence with acids. No elab orate process is required to tarn it into commercial soda and potash. Coal has been already found in Utah. Silex ex ists abundantly in all the desert uplifts. Why shouti t aot the greatest glails works ie the *orld be reared slang the desert section of the Pacific Itoad ? and why should not the entire market of the Pacific coast be supplied with refined alkalies from the same tract ?" This opens up a present prospect. Glass, unlimited glass ! A desert of soda and sand. with coal underneath! Glass-works of some thousands of miles in extent, the_ materials ready mixed, and the furnace, as it were, ready to be lighted up —Scientific American Another Peace Mission. NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—A Herald's Washington special says: Gen. Single ton, of Illinois, a peace Democrat, who, it will be remembered, recently visited the rebel capital, has lett Washington again on a second extrusion to that place, accompanied by Judge Hughes, late of the Court of Claims, it is sup posed on a peace mission. Fem. Capture of Charleston ! Official report of Gen Gilmore. Two hundred Pieces of artillery Taken. SEVERAL FORTIFICATIONS UNINJURED. The city Occupied without Opposition. FIRING OF THE CITY BY REBELS. 6,OOO:BALES CF COT TON BURNED. Fearful Explosion in the Wilmington Depot. Several Hundred Citizens Killed. C en. Sehlenmelfeistaig Cean , tlVg. the City. DESTRUCTION OF TWO REBEL IRON CLADS The Stars and Stripes Baised oat Fort Sumpter {Secretary Stanton to 3.laj. Gen. Dix.] WAR DEPARTMENT, Wasnwrox, Feb. 18, 1865. j Major eon. Dix, Xew Fork: The announcement of the occupation of Columbia, S. C., by Gen. Sherman. and the probable evacuation of Charles ton, has been communicated to the de partment in the following telegram, just received from Lieutenant-Gen. Grant. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of 'War. [General Grant to Secretary Stanton.] CITY Pons-r, Feb. 18.-4:45 r. m. E. Stanton, War Deportment : The Richmond Dispatch of this morn ing says Sherman entered Columbia yesterday morning, and its fall necessi tates, it presumes, the fail of Charles ton, which it thinks is already being evacuated. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. CITY POINT, VA., } February 18th, 1865. Hon E M. Stanton, War Department: The following is taken from to-days Richmond Dispatch : "THE FALL OF COLUMBIA "Columbia 'hat% fuller. Shermarr marched into and took possession of the city yesterday morning. The intelli gence was communicated yesterday by Gen. Beauregard, in an official des patch. "Columbia is situated on the north bank or the Congaree° river, just below confluence of the Saluda and Broad rivers. 'Trom Gen. Beauregard's dispatch it appears that on Tuesday evening the enemy approached the south batik of the Congaree and threw a number of shells into the city. During the night they moved up the river and yesterday morning they forded the Saluda and Broad rivers. While they were cross ing these rivers our troops under Beau regard evacuated Columbia and the en emy soon after took possession. “Through private sources we Team, that two days ago, when it was decided not to attempt the defence of Columbia, which it was thought was impossible to remove, were destroyed. The female employees of the Treasury Department had been previously sent off to Char lotte, ten miles south of Columbia.— We presume that the Treasury litho graphic establishment was also remov ed, although as to this, we have no pos itive information. "The fall of Columbia necessitates we presume the evacuation of Charles ton, which we think likely is already under process of evacuation. It is fin possible to say where Sherman will next direct his columns. The general opinion is that he will next go to Char leston and establish a base there, but we confess that we do not see what need he Las of a base. It is to be presum ed that he is subsisting on the country, and he has had no battle to exhaust his ammunition. Before leaving Savannah he declared his intention to march to Columbia, thence to Augusta, and thence to Charleston. This was utter ed as a boast and to hide designs. We are disposed to bclieve that be will next strike at Charlotte, which is ten miles south of Columbia on the Charlotte and Columbia railroad, or at Florence, South Carolina, the junction of the Co lumbia and Wilmington and the Char leston and Wilmington railroad, some ninety miles east of Columbia. CHARLESTON, S. C., Feb. 18, via Nsw YORE, Feb. 21, 1865, To Major Gen Halurk, Chief of &a,§l General—The city of Charleston and all its defences Gam into our possession this morning, with two bundxed pieces of good artillery and a supply of fine anuntinitiou =The etemy oommenced the estimation of 1111. the works_ last night, litia 'ensttendered the city to the troops of Gen. Schim meifennig at 9 o'clock this morninz at which time, it was occupied by our forces. Our advance on the Edisto, from Bull's Bay, hastened the retreat. The cotton warehouses, Arsenals, Quar termasters stores, Railroad bridges and two iron-dads were burnt by the ene my. Some vessels in the ship yard were also burned. Nearly all the in habitants remaining behind belong to the poorer classes. Very respectfully, [Signed] J. Q. Git.moitE, General Commanding. NEW YORK, Feb. 21.—. The steam. ship, Fulton, Captain Nolten, from Port Royal the 18th, at 6 p m., arriv ed this morning. The pursuer, Tom. McNams, furnishes us the folowing memoranda : Charleston was evacuated by the en emy on the night of the 17th, leaving the several fortifications uninjured, be sides two hundred guns which they spiked. The evacuation was first dis covered at Fort Moultrie at 10 a. m. Part of the troops stationed at James Island crossed over in boats and took possession of the city without opposi tion. The upper part of the city is on fire. SECOND DISPATCD Previous to the enemy evacuating, they fired the upper part of the city, by which 6,000 bales of cotton were burn ed, and it was supposed that before the fire can be subdued two thirds of the city will be destroyed. A feartid explosion °cm - lied in the 77ilmington depot, by which several hundred citizens lost their lives. The building was used for commissionary purposes and was situated in the upper part of the city. Cause unknown. Admiral Dahlgren was first to run up to the city. where he arrived at about two delnek. Gen. Gilmore fol lowed soon after and had an interview with Gen. Schimmelfennig, he being the first general officer in the city, and for the rresent in command. The remains of two iron-clads were found which the enemy had destroyed by blowing them up previous to the evacuation. The blockade runner, Cyrene, just arrived from Nassau, fell into our hands, and two others were expectad to arrive on the night of the 18th. The first flag over Sumter was rais ed by Captain Henry W. Bragg, A. D. C., on Gen. Gilmore's stafi: The city was completely riddled' by our shot. The population have de serted the city, and now all that re mains are the poorer classes, who are suffering from want of food. A move had been made by the force under Gen. Hatch which resulted in the capture of six pieces of artillery. The .7n7,unes correspondent, who ar rived by the Fulton, gives the follow ing account : CHAREESTON HARBOR, Feb. 18.—Ear ly last evening Brigadier General Sehimmelfennig, commanding, discov ered some indications which led him to believe that the rebels were about to evacuate Charleston and its defences, and lie accordingly ordered his pickets and his picket-boats to keep a bright lookout, and report immediately any movement on the part of the enemy. About half past three o'clock this morning a urrific explosion took place in Charleston, which shook every ship in the harbor and off ]he bar, and al most simultaneous with the explosion the flames broke out and could be dis tinctly seen in different parts of the city. It appears that the first explosion took place at the Wilmington depot, the fire from which rapidly communi cated with the adjacent buildings, caus ing a general conflagration of all the dwelling houses iri the vicinity, and it was while the unfortunate inhabitants were trying to extinguish this fire that the second explosion took place which resulted so disastrously and caused a Jorge loss of life amongst the women and children who are re,,resented as having been horribly mutilated. About six o'clock this morning, Gen. Sehimmelfennig moved his forces and occupied the city and its defences.— The formidable earthworks of James Island were found abandoned and the guns spiked. At 8 o'clock this morning a detach ment was sent to take possession of Fort Sumter and raise the flag which Gen. Anderson hauled down nearly four years ago. At 9 o'clock the flag was raised amidst cheers. As fast as the fbrces could be thrown into the city they were set to work to put out the fire which, up to the time of leaving, was raging furiously in different parts of the city. Old men, women and chil dren were rushing frantically to and fro in agony of despair at the loss of their homes and the killing and muti lating of their friends. It is impossible to estimate the amount of cotton des troyed by the rebels. Several thou sand bales were collected in different parts of the city and set on fire almost simultaneously with all the hospitals. There is no doubt the rebels intended to burn the city to the ground despite the misery it would entail on thousands of women, children and old men, of which class the inhabitants of Charles ton is now almost entirely composed It was the opinion of General Gil more's staff that in all probability, two thirds of the city would be destroyed before the fire could be extinguished with the imper[ect means far subduing The last of our rear guard of the reb els lett Charleston at four o'colck this afternoon, and there are various rumors and conjuctures as to their destination, but the prevalent opinion is, that they intend concentrating in the vicinity of Florence, to which pang they have rail. road communication from Charleston, unless it has been recently destroyed by the expedition to Bull's Bay. Several hundred rebels who had se creted themselves iu different parts of the city when the main body was re treating, have given themselves up, and taken the oath of allegienee, with the story of being tired of war, and halt starved, &c. They expressed a desire to be rllowed to take the oath of elle gismos t? oar Government and tallith] in the atty. Capture of Fort Anderson OFFICIAL FROM AD'ML PORTER. THE UNION LOSSES VERY LIGHT WASHINGTON, Feb. 22. The Navy Department has received the following from Admiral Porter; Unitxd Stales Flag Ship- Malvern, Cape Fear River, Feb.. I have. -the honor to report the surrender and.evac nation of Fort Anderson. Gen. Bttho field advanced from Shaithville with 8,000 troops, on the 17th. At the saute time I attacked the vroilts *by water, placing the monitor Montauk Op posite the works and enfilading with the Pawtucket, Pacific,• tnadina and Peqnot, and allowing no: more vessels to get under way. The-fort fired brisk ly, but was quieted by sunset. On the 18th, at 8 o'clock I moved up closer, the Montank leading, followed by tne Huron, 3.lcMan, Sassacus, Ponotasic c Moratingo, Senafer, Unadilla, Pavirtncle. et, Osceola, Shawmult, Seneca, Wyad; Chippewa and Little Ada, and kept up a heavy fire through the day till late in the afternoon. The enemy's batteries were silenced by three o'clock, though we kept up fire until ("lark. We also fired through the night. In the mean time Gen. Schofield was working in the rear of the rebels to cut them off. The latter did not wait for the army to sur round them, hut left in the night, tak ing five or six pieces of light artillery with them, and everything else of any value. At daylight this morning some of our troops that were near by went in and hoisted the flag on the ramparts, when the firing ceased from the moni tors. There were ten heavy guns in Fort Anderson and a quanity of am munition. We lost but three killed and. five wounded. I am, Sir, your obedient servant. D. D. PORTER, Rear Admiral. Hon. GIDEON WELL s, Sec. of the Navy DARING REBEL DASH INTO CUMBER- LAND. MS. CROOK AND KELLEY CAPTURED. WHEELING, Feb. 21.—A party of rebel cavalry dashed into' Cumberland before daylight this morning, surprised and captured the pickets, and cars ied off Gens Crook and Kelley. It seems to have been a very daring and well planned affair. Cavalry have been sent in pursuit. Capture of Wilmington.. seen hundred Prisoners and Thirty" Guns Captured. REBELS BURN COTTON AND ROS N. Terry's Force in Pursuit of fie Rebels WAR. DEpA RTMIENT, WAS nr(CrOS ! Feb. 21. —MIDNIG 13 ir —To Major General Dix : —The following official report of the capture of Wilmington has been for warded to this Department by General Grant, signed E. M. Stanton Secretary of war: FORTRESS MosnoE, Feb; 24-10 P. To Gen. U. S. Grant, City Pont: Our troops entered Wilmington .on the morning of the 22d. Atter the evacuation of Fort Anderson, General Schofield' ordered Gen. Cox to MOW' its garrison towards Wilmington, while Terry followed Hoke. On the east side of the river, the latter took up a new line four miles from Wilmington, but was hotly pressed by Terry, ao that he could send no troops to the west side. Ou that side the rebels made a stand behind Town Creek, but on the 20th, Gen. Cox crossed his troops below them on a flat boat, and attacked them in the rear, routing them and taking two guns and three hundred prisoners. On the 21st General Cox pushed to Brunswick liver, opposite Wilmington, where the bridges were oc fire. Oa his arrival the rebels began burning cot ton and rosin in tne city, and left it that night. Our capturers, including Fort Anderson, amounted to about 70G prisoners and 30 guns. The citizens state that the rebels burned one thousand bales- of cotton and fifteen thousand barrels of rosin. The Union feeling showed itself qui?. strongly in the city. General Terry fol lowed Hoke northward. C. B. Comsrocx, Llent. Col. A. D. C. and brevet Brigadier General. How to Rob Bee-Hives. A soldier arrived from Sherman, who was through • with Sherman, tells of the trip, as reported in the Dayton, Journal: "The boys learned how to rob bee hives without the penalty of stinging. The plan was to rapidly approach a hive, take it up suddenly, and hoisting it upon the shoulder, with the open end behind, run like thunder ! The bees bustlee out, and fly Mack to the place j where the hive stood. The honey be , longs to the boys who win it. A cav alry lieutenant, with his squad, rode up to a plantation house one day and were pretty crabbedly received by the girls of the house, who desired to know, 'why you'uns can't let we'uns be? and hoped the devil would get the Yanks. The lieutenant was not very well pleased with his reception, and seeing some tempt ing looking hives of honey in the yard, he ordered one of his men to hoist one up to him. The hive was handed to him in a jiffy, and the lieutenant bid ding the girls good-bye, started off with the hive on his shoulder. Bud, the bees came out the wrong way, and swarmed upon the lieutenant and his horse, compelling the former to drop the hive, while the tauntg rebel fa• males on the poareh clapptd tbeir'Oain• ty.tiny hands, stampaLtheir little beta feet, and • screamed good ! goody '4 . goody !.! ! until they-ot ied fto joy.n
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers