April 12.—The Nineteenth Regiment of South Carolina volunteer State troops, reached Augusta, Ga., to-day, on their way to the West. After reaching the Georgia Railroad depot, a large number of them—variously stated at one to three hundred—refused to proceed further, alleging that they were enlisted to serve the State of South Carolina, and were willing to fight in her defence, but that they would not go out of the State. Some declared that they would have gone if they had been consulted before starting, but that their officers had not notified them that they were to leave the State. Others had furloughs, and desired to see their families. The officers urged in vain the stigma that would rest upon them for refusing to go where their country most needed their services, and the reproach they would bring upon the State of South-Carolina, which had been foremost in the work of resistance. Their appeals were unavailing, and the malcontents returned to the Carolina depot Some of the officers telegraphed to Adjt-Gen. Gist for instructions, and that his reply was: “Arrest them— they are deserters of the worst character.” Gen. Ripley sent similar instructions. About thirty of the mutinists belonged to the command of Capt Gregg, Graniteville. He was proceeding to execute the order of Gen. Gist, when many of his men and others that refused to go on in the morning, took the evening train which conveyed the Tenth regiment, Col. Manigault.
“We deem it proper to make this statement of the facts of this unfortunate affair,” says the Constitutionalist, “leaving the press and public sentiment of South-Carolina to assign the proper position to all parties concerned. It was at best a melancholy spectacle to see the sons of our gallant sister State turning their backs upon the region threatened by the invader’s tread, and if there is any circumstance to palliate their conduct which we have not stated, we shall be glad to make it public.”—Augusta Constitutionalist, April 13.
—Lowry’s Point batteries on the Rappahannock River, Va., were evacuated by the rebels this day.—New-York Commercial, April 18.
—The Nassau (N. P.) Guardian of this day contains a “complete list” of all the arrivals at that place from confederate ports since the commencement of the National blockade. “It is not with the view of expatiating on the effectiveness of the blockade,” says the Guardian, “that we have compiled this table, but to show to our merchants the importance of the trade that has recently grown up, and which, if properly fostered, may attain much wider proportions. The majority of the vessels mentioned have again run the blockade into confederate ports, but of these we need not present a record.
“It is a notable circumstance that the arrivals from the Southern States are far more numerous than those from the North, with which our intercourse is free and unrestrained.”—(Doc. 131.)
—At Fort Pulaski, Ga., this day, the following general order was issued by command of Major-Gen. David Hunter, U.S.A.:
“All persons of color lately held to involuntary service by enemies of the United States, in Fort Pulaski and on Cockspur Island, Ga., are hereby confiscated and declared free, in conformity with law, and shall hereafter receive the fruits of their own labor. Such of said persons of color as are able-bodied, and may be required, shall be employed in the Quartermaster’s Department, at the rate heretofore established by Brig.-Gen. W. T. Sherman.”
Gen. Hunter also addressed to Mr. Pierce, the Treasury Agent in charge of the Sea Island plantations, a letter asking for “the names of the former owners, and the number of persons formerly held to involuntary service,” in charge of the Government agents. On receiving this information, it is the intention of Gen. Hunter to afford said owners a reasonable time to prove their fealty to the Government, and then in case of their failure to do so, and upon sufficient proof of their treason, he will at once restore these slaves to freedom.—Cincinnati Gazette, April 23.
—Pocahontas, Ark., was taken possession of by a body of Indiana cavalry, under the command of Capt. G. P. Deweese.— (Doc. 137.)
—This morning two expeditions were started from Huntsville, Ala., in the cars captured by Gen. Mitchel yesterday. One under Col. Sill, of the Thirty-third Ohio, went east to Stevens, the junction of the Chattanooga with the Memphis and Charleston Railroads, at which point they seized two thousand of the enemy, who were retreating, without firing a shot, and captured five locomotives and a large amount of rolling stock.
The other expedition, under Col. Turchin, of the Nineteenth Illinois regiment, went west, and arrived at Decatur in time to save the railroad bridge, which was in flames. General Mitchell now holds a hundred miles of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.—Philadelphia Press, April 15.
—Commodore Foote, with the Western flotilla and mortar-boats, en route for Fort Pillow, left New-Madrid, Mo., accompanied by a large body of National troops.—New-York World, April 16.
—Four companies of the Connecticut Eighth Regiment had a skirmish this day with a force of rebels of one hundred and fifty men that made a sortie from Fort Macon, the rebels driving in the Union pickets. After a sharp engagement the rebels were driven back to the Fort. Capt. Schaffer and one private of company II, of the Eighth Connecticut, were severely wounded.
The rebels were seen to take four of their men into the Fort, one of them supposed dead. During the engagement Fort Macon fired seventy shots at the engaging forces.—New- York Herald.
—This day a party of Union soldiers sent from Kansas City in search of Quantrel’s band of outlaws, came upon them near the Little Blue River, in Jackson County, Mo., and after a hard fight, succeeded in killing five, and capturing seventeen of them. Quantrel had his horse shot from under him, and made his escape by swimming the Missouri River.—St. Louis News, April 17.
—Brig.-Gen. Shields, at Woodstock, Va., issued the following general order: “The General commanding the division directs that the special thanks of himself and command be tendered to Capt Ambrose Thompson, Division Quartermaster, for the energy, industry, and efficiency with which he has conducted the affairs of his Department previous to and during the battle of Winchester, and in his untiring and successful efforts since to employ every means which judgment and activity could devise to furnish this division with every thing required to render it efficient in the field. This order will be published to the command as an assurance of our appreciation of his ability, and a copy of the same will be furnished Capt. Ambrose Thompson.”
—The United States revenue steamer Reliance arrived at Baltimore, Md., this morning, with four prize vessels — the schooners Hartford, Bride, Whig and Two Brothers—all captured in Wicomico River, between the mouths of the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, Va. They had all been landing coffee, salt, flour, flannel and whiskey for the rebels.—New-York Herald, April 13.
—Near Monterey, Va., the rebels about one thousand strong, with cavalry companies and two pieces of artillery, attacked the National pickets this morning about ten o’clock, and drove them some two miles. Gen. Milroy sent out reenforcements consisting of two companies of the Seventy-fifth Ohio, two companies of the Second Virginia, two companies of the Thirty-second Ohio, one gun of Capt. Hyman’s battery, and one company of cavalry, all under Major Webster. The skirmishing was brisk for a short time, but the rebels were put to flight with considerable loss. The casualties on the National side were three men of the Seventy-fifth badly wounded. The men behaved nobly.—Gen. Milroy’s Despatch.
