May 30, 1863, The New York Herald
Our Hilton Head Correspondence.
HILTON HEAD, S.C., May 24, 1863.
Again I am compelled to employ that stereotyped phrase, “All quiet in the Department of the South.” But little has occurred of interest since my last correspondence, and an earnest and careful search for indications of active operations to come is unrewarded by anything of a promising character enough to hand a hope upon. We are doing nothing and we shall do nothing which promises results. There may be raids between this and fall, but no serious operations. So all reports that may reach the Northern ear of active movements in South Carolina, and especially against Charleston, may be set down as false. It is folly to look for results.
From Folly Island we get no important news. The rebels on Morris Island are very uncommunicative just now, and preserve an extraordinary degree of cautiousness in narrating the military operations out West. We are convinced, however, from the reports of deserters and the stories of rebel pickets, that at least twenty thousand men have been sent by General Beauregard to Vicksburg to aid General Pemberton in his defence against the advance of General Grant. We can only pray that they may not arrive in time to join their forces with the Mississippi army, and re-enact the game played so successfully by Jackson on McClellan’s right before Richmond. North Carolina and Alabama have been drawn upon to swell Pemberton army; and if Grant does not look out sharply, or move with great rapidity and use up his foes in detail, he will be outnumbered at every point. The rebels are already inclined to crow, and claim the game as theirs. We can only indulge the hope that Pemberton’ reinforcements arrive “a day after the fair,” or in time to be completely flogged by General Grant. It is sufficient to state, at this time that heavy reinforcements have gone forward from Savannah and Charleston to the rebels in Mississippi. All surmises and conjectures on the results will probably have been set at rest by Grant movements before this will reach New York. We look for news of success from the West, but fear the result.
The enemy continue to throw up heavy batteries on the southeastern end of Morris Island, working with the greatest activity. A large force of negroes, male and female can be seen daily, with picks and shovels, enlarging old works, building new, and making the defences as strong as possible. We are placing Folly Island in as good a state of defence as possible. Precisely what we are doing it may not be well to state. Time alone can develop the results of our labors. It is not a correspondent’s province to indulge in any conjectures in the matter. General Vogdes occasionally treats the rebel scouting parties, who become too impertinent in their approaches to a few shells, and the rebels indulge now and then, as well, in the same practice followed in each case by the same magnificent displays of pedestrian powers. The rebels run well, and at times, with unparalleled speed; but our troops do excellent foot service when the occasion requires. No one has been injured on our side by this heavy gun practice, and it is doubtful whether the rebels have suffered any. The performances serve to relieve the monotony of camp life on a barren island, and are commendable for that single reason, if not for others which might be mentioned. Thus stand military matters.
On the night of the 20th inst. a large steamer was discovered by the Powhatan coming out of Charleston by the North channel. She was fired at repeatedly, and totally driven back; but before she reached the bar again the Powhatan fire, and that of two or three other blockaders that had slipped their cables and come up, was so heavy and well directed that the Anglo-rebel was bored through and through and sunk in about eight fathoms of water. Nothing but her topmasts were visible the next morning at daylight. She was a very large steamer, loaded with an immense cargo of cotton and tobacco. Her name was not ascertained nor the fate of her officers and crew. They were probably drowned, going down with the ship, as she went under very suddenly. There is a splendid chance for wreckers to save her cargo, if the weather remains good.
Not a night passes that one or more vessels do not run in or out of Charleston or are driven away by our forces off the bar. The number of blockade runners has increased to a wonderful degree. Never were there so many vessels engaged in the business, and never was it so active before the force off Charleston has been strengthened as far as it is in Admiral DuPont’s power. His squadron is not so strong as it should be, and unless he denudes other and important points he cannot further increase the force off Charleston. His squadron must be greatly augmented to be a complete barrier to blockade runners and even then it is doubtful whether the desired end could be satisfactorily accomplished.
Commander Schufeldt has arrived and assumed command of the Cimmorone and Commander Rhind has taken the Paul Jones. Lieutenant Commander Williams will resume his position as executive officer of the Powhatan.
The Ottawa, Lieutenant Commander Whitting, arrived a week since, and has gone off Charleston.
(This post is also being contributed to Carnival of the Carolinas! on the blog, The Junky’s Wife.)