Clarksville, Mecklenburg Co, Va., May 20th, 1861.
As your liberal and popular paper seems open for all correspondence on general subjects, I thought in these soul-stirring and alarming times a few words from the female portion of the community would not be rejected.
Now that the women have, as it seems, to be left alone while the men are gone to fight.
I think their opinions are entitled to more weight than formerly.
We sometimes feel as brave as a lion, and then again as weak as a lamb, in anticipation of the coming invasion.
If ever there was a time when a great deal devolves on females, that time is now on us, when it is getting so common to say the women are going to fight, too. We at first thought the idea most preposterous, but every day brings stronger evidence of the necessity of it; but they will have to proceed in a kind of Indian fashion, not meeting the enemy on the open field, but from windows, behind walls, batteries, &c. Our place looks lonesome enough since the departure of the Clarksville Blues, having a few old men and beardless boys left, who look so lazy and slow that here the necessity again presents itself of the ladies getting their guns and pistols burnished and ready for the conflict.
We were much struck with your most sensible editorial, of the 18th instant, with regard to the war. If ever there was a war that will be beneficial to a country, it will be this same civil war. Already do the good effects show themselves, are a single pitched battle has been fought.
The Southerners are making their own percussion caps, their own military equipments, their own pianos, and indeed their own of all the many articles of necessity and luxury necessary to a great nation.
They have not yet learnt the art of making wooden hams and nutmegs, as they have a plenty of the right sort, and will leave the hard ones for Old Abe and his crew to masticate after the war.
With the hope that nothing will transpire to keep you from your post as editors of the Dispatch, we conclude. Celestia.
