Notes of the War.
a view of Affairs in Yankeedom — late and interesting War News, &c., &c.
The following letter, which we copy from the Petersburg Express, was written by a native of Richmond, lately arrived from the North. It gives a good view of.
Affairs in Yankeedom.
The terrible storm which has prevailed at the North in the last twelve months seems to have swept away every vestige of reason and religion from the great mass of the people.--Past favors and obligations of the most sacred kind due to Southerners residing in the North were in a moment forgotten by these crazy hyenas. Men who had grown rich through Southern patronage, aided in the acquisition of this patronage by Southern young men residing at the North, at once became our fierce and relentless foes.--Some of the most disgraceful exhibitions of such ingratitude came immediately under my own observation. Many of those who had been the loudest declaimers in favor of Southern rights, in an instan arounded and became our most implacable foes. We have still, however, at the North, quite a number of warm friends, though I regret to say there are few, very few, among the business men; indeed, the bar of Philadelphia is much more largely represented by Southern sympathizers than the mercantile community. I only know six wholesale merchants in Philadelphia, of Northern birth, who feel an interest in the Southern cause, and I am acquainted with double that number of lawyers who boldly avow their sympathy for the South. I am well acquainted with a retired merchant in Philadelphia who numbers his wealth by millions, the most of which was realized by business transactions with the South, and he is now one of the most liberal contributors to the Northern Government in a pecuniary way, to carry on this unholy war.Of the six merchants above alluded to who sympathize with us, only two ever did a Southern business. The reason why those who have grown rich by Southern trade are against us is, that they are accustomed to test all matters by "gain." They know well that the separations of the North and South was the death knell of Northern prosperity, and when hostilities were first inaugurated they foolishly imagined that a ninety days campaign would settle it all. Why, I saw a hand of men (?) In Philadelphia, many of whom were fresh from prison, under the lead of an Alderman from the low part of the city. They talked as confidently of their march through Virginia to New Orleans, as if they were going on a picnic up the Delaware, and many sensible people in Philadelphia had every confidence in their ability to perform their threat. But the war has gone on from month to month every day. Seward promising that in thirty days all would be over and the South would be crushed. Now they have a debt, the terrible proportions of which is kept concealed from the people; it is, however, every dime of fifteen hundred millions of dollars. To pay this debt, permit me to give you their programme: Subdue and disarm the South, not permitting you to keep a fowling piece — no, not even a pocket-pistol; garrison at your expense each large town with brutal soldiery; take your cotton, tobacco and grain to pay their debts; in many instances confiscate real estate property, upon which they will settle Yankees to aid in your oppression. That they believe themselves competent to the performance of this task, I am not able to say. Certainly many do. Whether the inventor of the new saddle entertains such views, I know not. I hardly think he does. I mean McClellan. Like all new brooms, he made a clean sweep at Washington. When he first took command everything must be changed. The noble bearing and brilliant charges of Southern cavalry at Bull Run induced him to increase that arm of the service until he had horses enough to carry nearly all his infantry. But then came the rub. His men could not ride, so he caused to be made several thousand saddles, after a new plan of his own. The idea was to fix the rider securely upon the horse by elevating the pommel and the hinder part of the saddle — forgot its name — some 12 or 14 inches. You know few Northern men understand horseback riding. This plan was to keep the rider secure.
The first review of 6,500 men caused some 1,500 cases of severe hernia.
The Northern cities are ruined. In Market street. Philadelphia, half the stores are closed. Rents all over the city are reduced 50 per cent. Money scarce. Idlers at every corner. Merchants, salesmen and bookkeepers loafing around.
Morgan and his men.
A correspondent of the New Orleans Picayune gives the following particulars of an interview between Captain John Morgan and the Federal General Buell at Nashville:‘ Before leaving Tuscumbia I learned the particulars of an interview between the celebrated Capt. John Morgan and the Federal Gen. Buell, at Nashville, which is worthy of record as a part of the history of the times.--The exploits of Capt. Morgan are more like the romantic and during feats of the days of knighthood and chivalry than anything else we can compare them to.
’ It seems that Capt. Morgan, having learned that Gen. Buell had determined to hang four of his men as outlaws, who had been taken prisoners in his memorable scout of March 8, he proceeded with a flag of truce and ten of his men to Nashville. On his way he met Gen. Mitchel with a large force of the enemy's cavalry, and to whom he made his object know. Mitchel said he was just going out to search for Morgan, and regretted to meet with him under the protection of a flag of truce. Morgan, with a meaning look not to be misunderstood, assured the Federal General that no one more than himself shared his regret and his disappointment, and hoped that an opportunity would soon offer of meeting him under more favorable circumstances.
Mitchel then gave Morgan an escort, and accompanied him to Buell's quarters. Buell was greatly surprised at a meeting with the bold partisan face to face, and evincing no little uneasiness, asked to what circumstances he was indebted for the honor of this visit.
Morgan replied that his errand was a Christian one; that he had been informed that Gen. Buell had threatened to hang four of his men, who had been taken prisoners, as outlaws, in violation of the rules of war and civilization; that he had thirty-six Federal prisoners in his possession, and that if such was Buell's determination, he should retaliate by hanging nine Federals for every one of his men.
Buell disclaimed any such intention, and said he should never violate the usages of civilized warfare.
Morgan then proposed an exchange of the thirty-six Federal prisoners for his four men, saying that the difference in numbers was but a fair valuation of the services of his brave troopers.
Buell replied that he was compelled to decline the offer, as he could not negotiate with an officer inferior to him in rank.
"That is unfortunate, sir," replied Morgan, "as the objection could not hold good in any other sense;" and the interview then terminated. It was after this that Morgan learned that one of his men, named Love, had been shot after he was taken prisoner.
I have also been put in possession of the particulars of another most gallant affair; which occurred on the 10th instant, and of which no mention has yet been made. On that day Lieut. Basile Duke, the Adjutant and brother-in-law of Capt. Morgan, and equally as brave and daring, proceeded with eighteen men to within 3½ miles of Nashville, and half a mile of Gen. McCook's camp, where, concealing themselves, he dismounted, leaving the horses in charge of three of their men, while the fifteen took positions off from the turnpike, and succeeded in killing twenty-three of the enemy's advance guard, among whom were three Lieutenants and one Captain. Three of our men being cut off from returning to their horses, were forced to cross the enemy's lines by an old field, and passed within thirty steps of their pickets, who saw them from the pike, and who allowed them to go by, supposing there was a large force and that they would capture the whole command. The three men, by making a circuit of half a mile, regained their horses in safety, and the whole command escaped without the loss of a man!
From the Georgia coast.
The Columbus Sun, of the 1st inst., has the following:‘ By a private latter from Waynesville, to a gentleman at present in this city, we learn that on the 26th ult. the Yankee were landing in force at Fancy Bluff, near Brunswick. They were discovered by the pickets of Capt. Hopkins's cavalry company, which is stationed at Waynesville. The pickets were shelled by the enemy's gunboats.
’ Col. C. W. Styles, who has been stationed with his regiment. At Brunswick, had gone further down the coast on an expedition, the object of which it would be imprudent to mention, and it is not known whether he was accompanied by all, or a part only, of his regiment.
Fancy Bluff is nearly opposite Brunwick in a westerly direction. Waynesville is sixteen miles distant from the same point, in a northwesterly direction, and is situated on the Brunswick and Florida railroad.
The campaign of the Mississippi Valley.
The New Orleans Delta has an encouraging article upon the campaign in the West, which we copy:The prospect of the Confederate arms in the West is every day looking brighter. The recent movements of our Generals from the Tennessee river to the Ozark Mountains, have been marked by comprehensive forethought and skillful execution. The dispositions of Johnston, Beauregard, Bragg and Polk on the Tennessee border have forced the enemy to pause in his advance; and Buell and Halleck are now evidently perplexed as to whether to persist in the policy of pushing their chief column up the Tennessee river, or withdrawing from that river and pouring a grand expedition down the Mississippi.
But perhaps the most auspicious feature of the Western programm is revealed in the contemplated movement of Gen. Van-Dorn from Northwestern Arkansas to co-operate on the west bank of the Mississippi with our Generals on the east side of the river. If the enemy, as now seems probable, intends to attempt an advance down the Mississippi, the appearance of Gen. Van-Dorn on his flank, and threatening his rear, near New Madrid or Cairo, would unquestionably disconcert the plan, and compel him to enter upon a new campaign in Missouri as a preparation for invasion. Even if this movement of Gen. Van-Dorn should accomplish nothing but t gain time for maturing our river defences by arresting the progress of the enemy, its wisdom would be amply demonstrated.
It may be remembered that this paper conjectured, as soon as Gens-Beauregard and Van-Dorn went to their new commands, that the movement in question was embraced in a general plan of operations in the West. We have no doubt that it has all along been entertained, and that Gen. Van-Dorn's purpose in so speedily attacking Curtis was t cripple him as much as possible, and, leaving him in te wilds of Northwestern Arkansas, where he could gain nothing by invasion, move across to he Mississippi, in order to act against Gen. Pope at New Madrid.
The Boston merchants and the Secretary of the Navy.
The following petition has been placed this morning, (says the Boston Transcript, of the 29th ult.,) in the Merchants' Exchange and News Room, and meets with great favor among our prominent merchants and shipowners. It embodies, in respectful terms, the wide-spread discontent of the community with Secretary Welles:To the President of the United States:
The undersigned, citizens of Boston and its vicinity, respectfully request that the present Secretary of the Navy, Hon. Gideon Welles, be removed from office, and that his place may be supplied by some man qualified, by executive capacity, and by competent knowledge of naval and civil affairs, to exercise the proper forecast, vigilance and energy in preventing such disasters as may be directly tracted to the lack of those qualities in the present incumbent, and in those subordinates for whose fitness he is in the main responsible.
