Carolina Watchman

              carolina watchman weekly vol xix salisbury n c march 10 1862 number go .?. 1 hkl\nkr kmtoil and 1'k.oriuktotl 1 ■ " ■--.['■■ from the fayetteville observer the two late wsasfkrs tin memphis appeal of the 21st ult jjives a list of 23 regiments of infantry and two batteries of light artillery all of whor it says with the exception of es caped stragglei s surrendered with cen i-uckner nino of lhe regimen a were from tetineessee six from mississippi three from virginia two from kentucky one from texas one from alabama aud one from aikauaee il this be a correct statement — and from the particular specification of the no of each regiment »•« suppose it to be so — the enemy can scarcely have overstated the number of prisoners captured it is a disaster quite equal to the worst view we have bad of it and far overshadowing that i at roanoke island as to this latter we copy a somewhat remarkable statement from the richmond enquirer which doubt less puts a forth under the sanction of gen wise himself and while it abounds with glorification of wise and the wise legion nd 0 jennings wise and sys tematical depreciates the north carolina troops and is therefore unreliable on those points it may we suppose be relied on as to the forces and the condition of the de fences on the island we think there is serious reason to complain of that part of 1 resident davis's message in which he refers to those two disasters as lol lows : i have hoped for several days to receive official reporta iu relation to our discom | fiture at lioanoke island and the fail of fort i bmelson they have not yet reach ed tne and i am therefore unable to communicate to you such information of those events and the consequences resil ing from them as would enable me to make recommendations founded upon the changed condition which thev have pro ' duced enough is known of lhe surrender | at roanoke island to make us feel that it ! was deeply humiliating however imperfect j may have been the preparations for defence ' the hope is still entertained that our re i orled losses at fort donelson have l»een greatly exaggerated inasmuch as i am not only unwilling but unable to believe that a large atmy of our people have surren dered without a desperate effort to cut their way through investing forces what ever may have been their numbers and to endeavor to make a junction with other divisions of the army but in the absence j of that exact information which can only be afforded by official reports it would be premature to pass judgment and my own is reserved as i trust yours will be until ilat inform tion is received now why should the president without j waiting for official reports pronounce j judgment on the roanoke surrender as i deeply humiliating and withhold hisi judgment about fort donelson until he ! gets those official reports ? two reasons ! occur lo us as moving ibe president to ' this different and unfair course first that even the president is obliged to ad mit that the preparations for defence at roanoke island were imperfect aud therefore be attempts to throw off from the government and upon the troops the humiliation of that disaster and second ' that the troops at fort 1 onelson were mainly from his own section of the coun try aud therefore are treated with forbear ance whilst those at roanoke island were fiom north carolina which has received anything but a fair degree of consideration in richmond whose atmosphere appears lo have affected the executive and lords lative departments injuriously towards north carolina let us compare the merits of the two affairs at roanoke island there wore but 1700 effective men excluding green's battalion which arrived after the tight was over efconly in tune to be surrendered these were assailed by more lhan 100 vessels with tln-ir crew and between lb 000 ami 17,000 of the yankee army lhat number being admitted to have actually landed 00 the island before the principal fight occurred the yankees had there fore ten to our one they surrounded our small army which had no place lo retreat to and were obliged cither to die or sur render at fort doueison we had jy regiments numbering according to the most reliable accounts 16,000 men tbe opposing yan kee force was 52,000 according to ' the best information received there were then nol quite three yankees to one con federate if it be humiliating for ore lo surrender to ten bow much more humili ting for one to surrender to lets than i three ? beside ih s . fort 1 onel«on was % very strong place amply provided with cannon with three side on widen tlio de feated troops if i ik v ad hen defeated — con id cut tlieir way \ a a place of safety ; v l.i 1st at roanoke according to general wise lhe forts were worthless improperly located with no tools to make them bet ter and there whs jo place of retreat whilst tltus defending the character of our north carolina troops and exposing tlie absurd falsehoods about the unparal leled bravery of the virginians aud of iheir almost extinction by death and wounds we cannot shut our ears to the very general cry even of col shaw's own officers hnd men that he was utterly unfit for the command or for anv command his appointment was one of'those unfor tunate party acts from which the confed eracy has suffered so dreadfully he was a village doctor a native of new hamp shire who knew nothing about military matters yet was placed by a party gov ernor at the head of a regiment of north carolina sthte troops ! even if he showed personal courage at koanoke island which some say he did and others loudly say he did not he was unfit f,,r such a command since his men familiar with the ugly stories about bim which have abound ed in the ne.vspapers in the eastern pari of the state could not have had that con fideiice in him which is essential to faith ful and heroic service in battle tlie conclusion to which we are led by tbe lights now before us is that there may have been one and only one north caro linian that showed the white fealher at lioanoke though unfortunately he was the commander and even as to him we learn belter from his officers that the virgin ians with all iheir boastings suffered less than the north carolinians but were ahead in the retreat tlat the island might have been and ought to have been made impregnable but was not so made owing to shameful neglect of the govern ment but lhal ii was not wisely or well defended even in proportion to us advan tages whilst we consider the surrender of fort donelson and 13,000 meu with arms in their hands and after three days of glorious and successful fighting utterly indefensible since the above was in lype we have receiv ed some additional information by mail and ntherwise which bears upon the subject of roanoke island first we learn that the company officers of tlie 8ih rejriment of slate troopii with the exception of one officer only signed and pre sented to col shtiw a requesi that he would resign this was not founded we learn upon any charge of cowardice of which they acquit him but of inefficiency second we learn from the raleigh standard which replies to the article we have attributed to cen wine that the six north carolina companies which were in the batile fought with as much courage as any portion of the wise legion and that capt lilea's company of anson and capt knight's company of martin icere the last to retreat the wise legion left before ihey did this is carrying the war into africa showing up the boastful virginians who slan dered the north carolina troops to cover their own defection the standard orrects the statement in the wise article that but 450 of iho wise legion and two companies of north carolina infantry gol into the tight there were hays the standard six companies of the north carolina infantry in the right — two from col jordan's two from col mania's and iwo from col shaw's regiment the standard ards the truth is col jor dan's regiment at best was only half armed they had flint and steel muskets and shot-guns and on parade the locks of many of these would fall off they were tendered in this condition to gen catlin aud accepted but we leurn lhat ufier cen gatlin oil a strict ex amination saw how poorly they were armed he appealed lo the governor lo furnish them with better arms but the appeal was unavail ing but it will he said iu reply that gov clark could not furnish them with better arms the answer is thai after this regiment had left aud we believe afier it had reached roan oke island two regiments near ihis place subsequently organized were armed with good muskets — one of them the p t regiment of col branch with the percussion muskets of the returned bethel volunteers the regiment commanded by col jordan was therefore in n condition lo meet the enemy but two companies of it that were tolernbly well arm ed were iu the light from lirst to last the richmond dispatch's tegular correspon dent dr miepardson who was on the island has written an account of lhe battle for that paper in which we hud mich statements as the following ! i '* the guns in fort bartow wero very skill fully used and did good service throughout the day the buttery was manned by two com panies of the ltib north carolina under ma jor hill the state cuards and lhe john harvey tinards hut only the former company was brought into immediate action as the guns were ranged lather loo much up the channel the men fought with greal coolness aud int re - pidltv the place wasentirely niidefensible with out iho aid of a naval force strong enough to cope with the federal gunboats " after the figluing ton the second day had continued about an hour colonel anderson sent to maj laws ni fora reinforcement of three coinpunles tin chose captuin dickinson's swan's cotupuny tinder lieut roy and a com , puny from the hih north carolina command i ed by lieut murchison and planing himself at their head inarched at double quick to the buttery there the bullets flew aa thickly us one could well imagine them bul waving bis eword major lawson called for ihree cheer and wilh hearty shouts these brave men rush ed to their posls several however fell ill lhe attempt — two killed and some half-a dozen wounded the hth north caroliua under < ol jordan and the 3 1st were held in reserve far in the re"r oui of the reach of harm some of the men however like capt whitson en tered the engagement on their individual re sponsibility and fought with lhe soldier •• col shaw was ulso under firs and display ed personal courage and coolness the only charg that can be made against him is that of inefficiency — and be makes no pretensions to military genius then what business had he there us colonel ?] " capt t j wise as brave and gallant a man us ever breathed constantly exposed him self to protect his man and finally fell mortal ly wounded his fall affected the " blues se riously und sadly grieving over their b.ss could never be rallied again us before but they had fought bravelv and well for hours be fore from these extracts which are purely vir ginia hulhority.it will be seen that the vir ginia charges against north carolinians are ut terly false so far from failing in courage they did more of figluing than was required of them whilst the much vaunted richmond blues could never be rallied again an before — a deli cate form of stating thul they retreated ut " double quick from tbe richmond christian advocate we will never surrender a sure way to realize defeat in any mat ter is to familiarize ourselves with its practicability until we cease to appreciate its evils and degenerate from a brave de termination to triumph into a discredita ble attempt to persuade ourselves thai af ter all failure is not so bad a thing as we at first supposed 1 espoudency the off spring of a cowardly imagination has strangled many a noble purpose which a couiageous energy would have executed — filled with fascinating aud romantic conceptions of things we hope to realize lhe first difficulties we meet surprise aud disappoint us and turn us to counting the cosi which but for our impulsive enthusi asm we would have calmly done before we commenced the undertaking then follows the temptation to abandon lhe en terprise this is lhe course pursued by even some sensible people but if we have been guilty of such unwise conduct the best way to amend our ways is to renew our purpose re-collect our energies aud resolve to success though a thousand greater dillicuities oppose us in the great struggle of right and free dom iu which we are now engaged it is the duty of every man aud woman to con tribute to the public confidence and not to a disgraceful despondency h we are worthy of the cause we have espoused a hundred defeats will only serve lo intensi fy our determination aud exercise us iu those virtues and improve us iu those plans which belong to the cause of justice and liberty if our fathers had fainted and abandoned the cause of american indepen dence at lhe close of even lhe seventh year of tho hard struggle the victory would have heen with the roe — one year longer however and we were acknowledged as a free and independent people let the ltn coluites know once and for all lhal if it takes seventy times seven years to drive back the thieving miscreants who have invaded us that we will accept the war as a belter social status than union wilh such people again christians who have fought against the world the flesh arid the devil for years have no idea of kin-cling at the feet of tbe yankee world the black lie publican flesh nor the lincol^jfish repre sentatives of the devil if they insist on fighting we regret their brutality and la ment their wickedness for we plefer l *' as much as lieth in us to live peaceably with all men ;" but if thev will nol allow us to separate from them in peace then we say calmly coolly firmly and in the fear of god lhat we accept the war as unspeaka bly morn honorable to ourselves and more valuable lo our posterity titan subiin.-sion to the vilest rulers that breathe on earth we will if god decide it so prefer to will the war to our children as lhe noble lega cy of their fathers — train the little ones to the music ofthe fife and the roar of the canuon and teach them lo smile at the flash of the steel and with our dying breath bequeath to ihem the cause of truth and right and liberty talk about failing nuances — enormous numbers of ihe foe — naval advantages ac but if wc have to bum every low n and hie away to the woods and mountain fastnesses wo would slill cherish the spirit of our cause and grow ing strong in adversity fall by day and by night upon the invaders and never cease the conflict till the sun rose again on the unpolluted soil ofthe south il auy one amongst us ia not of ihis f pii it he is unworthy ofthe battle and in finilely unworthy of the victory let him away to his gyves and his cell of submis sion ; let him surfeit in the glory of his meaner achievements ; let him rejoice in his liberty of being the most humble obe dient servant of that yankee master who always prefers n white slave to a black one and when bis life is ended his dying eye will be filled with tbe image of his own treason to that which ia just and he will enjoy us the last earthly prospect for his children everything that yankee free love woman's rights and negro suffrage have to bestow thank god our people are rot ol this rniud the north supposed we would soon tire of the war their jour nals boast of the superior energy patience and perseverance of the noil hern race well if they ehos they might leain iheir error in this hypothesis in a less costly way but as they are disposed to test il we are agreed ; for the providence of hea ven bath permitted it aud they shall be fully taught though alas ! iu bloody les sons — lhat the south lias entered on this war for no fancy — by no transient impulse j — but for a constitution and a govern ment lhal man can respect and that they : will triumph as sure as the truth triumphs — will conquer as certain as rigiit conquers aud will have an honorable peace at last as undoubtedly as thai those who seek on ly an honorable peace shall have itordaiu ed for them of heaven everywhere this spirit of noble heroism is spreading and deepening as tbe war goes on volunteers no longer talk of en listing lor tweho months — everybody is for the war ! we may suffer utah — have to take up many a cross and consent to endure hardness as good soldiers but it is clear the shortest road lo success is to look lhe worst in the lace aud boldly dare it and by the help of g«>d meet it the great aud good men of former times who lose above the love of present ease and comfort if il had to be purchased at the expense of principle leach us bow to live for posterity glorying in their example let us live for our children let us secure r>ur personal salvation — gain lor i ourselves tho hope of an inheritance among tbe saints in light and then as to this j world consecrate our tii e and toil and blood aud gold to make it a better nobler j land ol inheritance for our sous and daugh j ters if we spoke to every heart in tbe j conledeiacv as well as to the members of our own church in virginia we would seek lo breathe upon lhe vital sparks of patriotism the inspiration of christian zeal and rouse in all to iis very highest stand ard the unquenchable resolution to serve the cause of humanity and the purposes of christian civilization by yet more devo tiou aud larger exertions in this cause but by the grace of god we will never surren der ! a crumb of comfort a richmond correspondent of the charleston courier takes the following hopeful view of the struggle in which the soulh is engaged : hut while the soft weather makes every one feel uncivilized and suicidal be god jupiter pluvius is really doing his best for our cause the roads are gelling worse and worse and the young napoleon sees the prospect of ao advance of his armies becoming more and more impracticable — meanwhile the yankee nation is going to ruin for the want of 3,000,000 per diem to pay the expenses of lhe war every day that decisive movements are put oft adds to tho burdens of the federal govern ment every day of inaction is a fresh victory to the rebels costing the lincoln nation just 800,000 vide tribune ev ery day adds to the certainty that chase will break down that the rebellion will not be crushed out that panic distress stnrva i tion riut murder and conflagration will convulse the north that lincoln seward ■ and chase will eventually il v for iheir lives iwtore the vengeance of a people deceived to their ruin we may reasonably presume from northern accounts thai there are many men iu washington who foresee the fear ful ebharu into which their country is be ing hurried senator i'.eii wade told lincoln but a few days ago vide herald thai he — lincoln — was within a mile ol hell !" the late secretary of war came nm having robbed tbe treasury to bis pockets content has lied from the ameri can continent to a spot where be can enjoy bis ill-gotlon gains without the phantom guillotine ol liie future before his mental vision to my mind the uneasiness of these and othei grfat dignitaries of the abolition empire is a strong evidence of the speedy end of war we are just on lhe point of being recognized by european lowers and how the rotten inflated con cern at washington can stand that blow is more than i can underst.iud recogni tion the raising of the blockade tbe col lapse of the federal treasury the forced inactivity of tha federal army for the win ter and spting must combine to break down the lincoln government and ring about a peace and to go a step beyond lhe treaty of peace what advocate of the war at the north will be ablo to stand be fore the tornado of the reactiou f is the northern mob incapable of erecting a guil lotine in the city uall park or boston common and glutting its newly awakened taste for blood on the politicians dema gogues and contractors who have dragged the united slates to destruction ? nous verrons ! there are lively times ahead there is truth in these words but let no man rely upon the hopes they inspire lad roads do not protect us everywhere and jupiter pluvius was on the side of the yankee gunboats when they ascended the tennessee river it is not safe to trust to anything but downright hard fighting to put us safely and honorably through this war if senator wade told lincoln he was within a mile of hell there is noth ing like the bayonet and pike to shorten the distauce aud push him over the preci pice it would be difficult to estimate the effect uf a few decisive confederate victo ries to wake up these sleeping demons that are waiting at the north to seize up on and devour lincoln and the guilty au thors oi this atrocious war the shortest road to independence is through the tri umphant march of a great confederate army let those who want peace prepare to fight those who court the ease of home fight those who desire to see bus iness resumed fight — those who are op posed to a long war fight we quote brenan again the true interpreter of south ern duty speaking to the living from hia early grave : men ofthe south ! look up behold the deep and sullen gloom which darkens o'er your sunny land with thunder in its womb j are ye so blind ye cannot see the omens in the sky i are ye so deaf you cannot hesr the irarnp of foeman nigh i ar ve so dull ye will endure the whips and scorns of men who bide the heart of titus oats beneath the words of penn are ye so base that foot tt foot ye will not gladly stand for land and life for child and wife with naked steel in hand ? a ntto eireurm — mr j b rankin of marion mcdowell county showed us on saturday last an excellent breach-loading rifle for which he has secured a patent it is exceedingly simple in its construction as light as a single barrel shot gun can be fired at the rate of ten or twelve shots per minute and is effective at 1,000 yards it carries a half-ounce ball and can be used with the cartridge or with loose powder and the best feature of it is it can be made at the cost ofthe ordinary rifle the work is durable and simple and a child may un derstand the use of it mr rankin ha exhibited his rifle to our military authori ties who think so highly of it that they have undertaken to purchase all that cau be made mr r assures that he will take immediale steps to at once proceed with lhe manufacture of the rifle capitalists should encourage these efforls — state journal a rote among the yankees in salis bury — a correspondent writing from salis bury on friday last says : i understand that one ofthe federal pris oners confined in the prison at this place was bung by his comrades night before last for using strong anti-lincoln doctrine — that he intended to remain in the soulh when released and battle for its institution , instead of being under the dominion of lincoln fc co — he was rescued from death by tbe timely interference of some of tbe guard who heard bis supplications tfce the distilleries a correspondent writes us : the governor and council of state have sent forth one beam of light whieh 1 hope to see illumine the entire confedera cy thev have immortalized themselves and the coming generation will call them blessed and the women of the land do now rejoice the stopping of the distilleries is an act above praise and all the people ar glad the distiller alone accepted a man who will deliberately gn to work to dislrl whiskey tit a lime lilo the present seems to me avarice personified he should h shunned