Yesterday morning the steamer Gen. Hooker arrived in port, bringing twelve of the passengers and crew of the ill-fated Republic. The history of these people is truly distressing, they having suffered everything but death. The boat under the command of the chief officer, S.[???]. YOUNG, left the Republic just as she was going down, and in a few minutes swamped; but owing to the energy and coolness of those on board, the boat was cleared of water and kept head on the sea till daylight. By a singular good fortune, Capt. GEO. W. MCNAIR, late of the ship Inspector, was on board the boat, and as the chief officer was exhausted by his efforts to save the steamship, Capt. McNair took the management of the boat, so as to give Mr. YOUNG some time to rest; and the passengers kept rowing with a desperation which only the fate before them could inspire. The demijohn containing the only water on board got broken before one drop of it was used -- thus thirst, more terrible than anything that can be describe, was added to their other calamities. The boat had no provisions except salt meal and ship bread, which got saturated with salt water, with [???] exception of three cans of preserved fruit. T[???] may be said to have saved the lives of the people[???] the boat, and were kept to the very last. On [???]day, every one having become so much exhausted that it was impossible to make headway by rowing, a table-cloth was found in the boat, and they extemporized a sail, and with that the boat was kept on her course to the westward, as well as could be done with nothing but sun and the stars to guide them. Thursday night was one of intense suffering, and insanity, the invariable result of exposure, want of sleep and thirst, began to exhibit itself. Friday morning came, and no sail, no land in sight. It was water -- water everywhere. The imagination of all on the boat began to conjure up sights and sounds which were only imagination. Insanity was dawning upon every mind. At about 10 in the morning of Friday, a sail in the distance was discovered, and, as the breeze had died away, the sail in the boat was taken down, and the oars again assumed for a pull for life. They kept on for hours, but could not gain on the sail in the distance, and finally gave up. Having worked in the sun with all the energy possible so long, and yielding the chase in disappointment at last, the sensation of thirst now seemed, at this time, to be unendurable. Men's throats were swollen, their jaws set, and speech began to be difficult. As a last resort, the whole party jumped into the sea to bathe and absorb moisture externally. It seemed to allay the burning thirst. Soon another soil came in sight in the opposite direction, and, as a last effort, the boat was reversed and they began to pull for it. The sail proved to be the barkentine Horace Beals, from New-York, commanded by Capt. JOSEPH BLANKENSHIP, who picked them up at 6 o'clock P.M., after they had been in the water for fifty-one hours; and every thing that could be done for their comfort was done by Capt. BLANKENSHIP. They could not stand when they were hoisted upon his deck, but were soon restored by the use of stimulants and water. If ever a man was a nobleman by nature, who held his patent direct from his Maker, that man was Capt. JOSEPH BLANKENSHIP. The survivors cannot say too much in his praise. From the time they were taken on board till Sunday evening, they remained upon his ship, when the steamer Gen. Hooker came up and took them off, and brought them to this port yesterday morning.

The following is the list of persons saved: E.E. Young, Chief Officer of the Republic; Col. W.T. Nichols, first cabin; Major H.J. Nichols, first cabin; John B. Harloe, first cabin; Lieut. Louis V. Caziarc, first cabin; Capt. Geo. W. McNear, first cabin; Charles H. McNear, first cabin; Horace D. Ellsworth, first cabin; Ferdinand Muller, first cabin; John C. Potter, second cabin; James Cavana, fireman; John Maney, coal-passer.

A CARD.

The survivors 0f the steamship Republic, who escaped on the boat of the Chief Officer, E.E. YOUNG, hereby desire to express their profound gratitude to Capt. JOSEPH BLAKENSHIP, of the bark Horace Beals, who saved them from almost certain death, on the evening of Oct. 27, 1865, of the coast of South Caroline, and, refusing all compensation, used every means and effort in his power to restore them to health and strength, and entertained them on his ship till they were taken off by the steamer General Hooker, which had been sent in search of them. To a kind Providence, and to the kindly sympathy of all good men, we commend the fortunes of Capt. BLANKENSHIP, and bespeak for him a host of friends as good as he has proved to us.

S.E. YOUNG, Chief Officer, LOUIS V. CAZIARC.

G.W. MCNEAR. JOHN E. HARLOE.

C.H. MCNEAR. H.D. ELLSWORTH.

W.T. NICHOLS. F. MULLER.

H.J. NICHOLS. JOHN C. POTTER.

CHARLESTON, S.C. Oct. 30, 1865.

At a meeting of the survivors of the ill-fated Republic, who [???] [???] [???]t of the chief officer, the following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, That Capt. EDWARD YOUNG, by his coolness and presence of mind in making every preparation that it was possible, under the circumstances, to make, prevented any panic or confusion, and personally superintending the embarkation in the boots, till the ship went down, he going down with her -- thereby exhibiting the highest type of moral heroism; and we tender to him our sincere thanks, and implore an overruling Providence to guard him through the future of his life.

S. MULLER, Capt. GEO. W. MCNEAR,

JOHN C. POTTER, CHAS. H. MCNEAR,

JOHN C. HARLOE, LOUIS V. CAZIARC,

H.D. ELLSWORTH, W.T. NICHOLAS,

H.J. NICHOLAS.