The war.
A gentleman who visited New Kent on Tuesday has shown us two copies of Northern papers, in which there are maps of the ‘"disputed territory."’ One shows the ground around Richmond with far greater accuracy than any of our county maps.--The locality of the tents of the ‘"rebels,"’ as seen from a balloon, are correctly given, and the different hills and fortifications properly drawn. Our information says they have committed every sort of depredation on their line, oven to stealing a sheep from a lady in Hanover. At another house, occupied by a widow lady, they dug up the brick floor and seized some money which they had heard from her negroes was buried there.The Petersburg Express says:
‘ The Federal gunboat John Bell. which was so severely peppered on Friday week last, while attempting to pass up James river, in the vicinity of Turkey Island, by a section of French's battery, under the direction of Col. Manning, of the 3d Arkansas regiment, has turned up at the North, and reports ‘"severe injures"’ sustained on the occasion above alluded to. Our boys fired 35 shots at her, (6-pounders, rifled,) at a distance of 250 years, every one of which was seen to enter, and must have passed through and through. Her decks, which were crowded with sharpshooters, were cleared at the first shot from the Confederate battery, and as they all ran below the casualties must have been numerous. Even the pilots left the wheel, and the John Bell drifted slowly down the stream, with the flag flying at half-mast. This signal of distress Col. Manning did not respect, as he know it was a miserable piece of deception to save the cowardly vandals who had deserted the deck and huddled below.
From a gentleman who has visited City Point within the last day or two, we learn that the malice of the commanders of the Federal fleet James river was so far indulged in their recent beastly raid up our river as to impel them to the commission of many dastardly acts. Independent of their wanton destruction of private property and the great jeopardy in which they placed the lives of many peaceful citizens on the banks of the Appomattox, they applied the match to all the buildings under the hill at City Point, after shelling all on the hill, and afterwards fired the lumber houses and the wharf, all of which were entirely consumed. The wharf and the lumber houses could not be replaced under an expense of $30,000. What their object could have been in destroying these buildings, we cannot divine, unless it was pure malice.
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A Trip to Yankee land.
A Richmond correspondent of the Montgomery Advertiser furnishes that journal with an account of the experience of Dr. Bates, of the 10th Alabama regiment, who remained with Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Forney, who was wounded in the battle at Williamsburg Dr. Bates staid at Williamsburg about ten days, was then sent to Washington city as a prisoner; but, in charge of some of our wounded, went first into a hospital, was then imprisoned awhile, then paroled for the District of Columbia--next paroled to come home, and finally discharged unconditionally The letter says:‘ Dr. Bates decided to cast his lot with the Colonel, and as our troops departed and the Yankees were coming in, made himself assiduous in his attentions to the wounded. A squad of the enemy soon came hurrying in, and inquired who were there and what they were doing. They next asked the Doctor how to get on top of the building to hoist a flag. He told him he had not been up there and did not know anything about it, and applied himself more diligently in his attentions to the wounded. The Yankees were jubilant over the retreat of our army and many of them talked of going right ‘"on to Richmond,"’ but finally concluded not to do it just then. Several officers soon visited Col. Forney, and finally Gen. McClellan came in.--Some of them were old schoolmates of Gen. John H. Forney, and learning that the Colonel was his brother, inquired much about him, and treated the Colonel with a great deal of kindness. He assured him he should have every attention and any quarters in Williamsburg, and as much room as he pleased.
The Colonel's ebony boy Zenas was terribly frightened, and commenced crying from the fear of being carried off by the Yankees from ‘"Mas. Henry;"’ but he was suffered to remain to take care of his wounded master, and up to the latest accounts was still with him. The citizens of Williamsburg. especially the ladies, ministered freely to the sufferings and wants of our wounded. The Federal Surgeons came in to look after the wounded, and visited Col. Forney, and tendered their services to him. The wounded were shortly after placed under the control of the Yankee Surgeons, after which Dr. Bates played a subordinate part, professionally, merely nursing, dressing and looking after the wants of the wounded. He boarded at a private house in Williamsburg, receiving over kindness from the Williamsburg people whom he represents as staunch in their allegiance to the Confederacy, notwithstanding the presence of the enemy. A Major Dwight was wounded, captured by our troops during the fight, and sent into Williamsburg along with our wounded, and occupied a position near Col. Forney. Dr. Bates attended to his wants and sufferings, and they soon became acquainted on good terms. When our army left their wounded and the Yankees came in, the Major told Dr. Bates if he got into any trouble to let him know, and he would help him out of it. This turned out well, for subsequently in Washington, when the Doctor was sent to prison for refusing to do drudgery in the hospital at the bidding of some medical cadets, or unfledged ‘"Doc's,"’ Major Dwight at once interposed and had him paroled for the city.
The condition of things on board the transports to Washington is described as horrible, where the wounded Yankees and Southerners lay as close as they could be packed, with their now festering and offensive wound. Our friend was sent into a hospital occupied partly by Yankees and partly by Southerners. The Doctor bears testimony to the uniform kindness of the enemy to our wounded. They were kindly cared for and well treated everywhere by their captors, and rarely received an unkind word, except from an occasional ignorant and vulgar fellow. He states that the respectable people never annoy our men with discussions of ‘"secession," ’ that sometimes a big-month ‘"politician,"’ or some ignorant fellow, would endeavor to deliver a lecture on the wickedness of secession and the enormity of fighting against the ‘"Old Flag."’ Our men soon found plenty of friends in Washington. The Secession ladies were so open and profuse in their attentions, and lavish in supplying the wants of the wounded prisoners, that the authorities interfered, and finally forbid their visits. He says it is it true, as published in the Northern papers, that it was not uncommon to see wounded Southerners surrounded by groups of ladies in rustling silks, furnishing them all sorts of delicacies, books, papers, &c., while many poor Northern hirelings lay with such attendance as the hospital furnished.
After leaving the prison, he lived at Brown's Hotel, without being troubled with ‘"your bill,"’ and had his pocket full of money. The Doctor saw the great magician, Seward, who pulls the wires, and Old Abe and Mrs. Lincoln, several times. Old Abe he describes, as everybody else does, as a long, awkward, and kangaroo-looking person. Mrs. Lincoln was out in her carriage frequently, and is a genteel quiet, amiable looking, middle-aged lady.--The Doctor thinks she has been misrepresented by newspaper correspondents. He did not hear a single Secession lady-speak disrespectfully or unkindly of her.
The newspaper writers, politicians, and wire-pullers of the Lincoln dynasty are violent, abusive, and vindictive towards Southerners, and succeed in stirring up their followers and keeping up their power, while there is a large class of hippies, in the form of office-holders, manufacturers, contractors, and speculators, who are now fattening on the war. Many of the soberer and more intelligent people are heartily tired of the war, and despondent of final success. The most marvellous reports of great of great victories are often put into circulation, especially on the sailing of a European steamer. Great handbills are stuck about the streets, containing these announcements.
The Doctor managed by a little adroitness to avoid being paroled not to tell anything seen or heard, consequently is free in his communications, being untrammeled. While they were paroling the others, he managed to be very busy talking to a Yankee lady, and was overlooked.
In Baltimore, Dr. Butes found plenty of friends. It is only necessary to be know that you belong to the Southern army.
They are compelled to keep ‘"mum,"’ as the sword of the Abolition Government hangs over them.--But in their private circles, clubs and little social parties, they enjoy their sentiments and discuss matters, and wait and hope for a ‘"better day coming, "’ singing ‘"My Maryland."’ ‘"The Bonnie Blue Flag,"’ and other Southern war songs. One noble young captive officer, in the prison at Washington, seats himself in his prison Window of an evening, and pours forth ‘"My Maryland"’ to the passing crowd, in defiance of jailors and guards.
McClellan's army was about ninety thousand strong. It has been reduced more than twenty thousand by disease and battle. All the drilled troops are being removed from the fortifications and posts to make up his loss, and their places filled by recruits or militia. It is expected to reinforce the army by this means to its original strength.
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Discordant in the U. S Senate.
Mr. Saulsbury (Del.) said (in the U. S. Senate on the 24th) history would hand down to the future, with execration and condemnation, many acts of the present day. An arbitrary and despotic power now, not satisfied with tramping on every constitutional right of citizens, has dared profanely to enter the temple justice and drag her ministers from the altar. He was thus invades a court of justice proves himself a tyrant, capable of any assault on the liberties of the people. Under the pretence of suppre a causeless rebellion, the Executive Department of this Government, in his judgement, were daily engaged in the greatest violations of the fundamental law.Who are they who are thus murdering civil liberty! Those who is the pretence of , have plunge the country into all the
of a civil war, and now evidence sincerity by shouting loyalty, while engaged in destroying the liberties of the people, and even go so far as to dire to impeach the loyalty of those men who by the Constitution. He said it was his deliberate and solemn conviction that either abolitionism of constitutional liberty must forever die — the two cannot exist together. Abolitionism has, for the time being, dissolved the Union, and while it lives it will remain dissolved. No free people either will or ought to submit to its away. It has been the auther of all our political woes.
Abolitionism always has been aggressive on the liberties of the Government, and had culminated in an attempt to invade a peaceful State. Then the Republican party, in the same aggressive spirit, nominated a man who declared that ‘"a house divided against itself cannot stand. "’ The war immediately began to threaten. A Senator (Mr. Crittenden) offered a compromise, which would have averted the war, but the Abolitionists referred compromise, and deliberately chose war. Then arose the cry of ‘"One to Richmond, "’ when it was met with a bloody defeat at Manassas. Then Congress passed a revolution that the only object of the war was to suppress rebellion and nothing else, and the loyal people of the Border States took heart and courage. How has Congress kept this pledge?
They abolished slavery in the District of Columbia, and established a paradise for free negroes from Delaware and Maryland, where they were supported by taxing white men. They are paying negro teamsters thirty dollars per month, while our white soldiers are working at thirteen (13) dollars per month. They have legalized negro testimony and established diplomatic relations with Hayti and Liberia. The council chamber of the nation has been turned into a house of wailing for the wrongs of the negro. He contended that the present war was not merely an insurrection or a rebellion, but a great revolution.
He would take the admissions of the Senators from Vermont (Mr. Collamer) and Pennsylvania (Mr. Cowan) and assume that the present Confederate Government is a Government de facte, and contend that when the old Government was fully ousted and a new one firmly established, those who give allegiance to the latter cannot be punished for treason to the former. The right of revolution has been asserted in this country, and he thought it settled, that where a revolution is inaugurated under circumstances where success seems probable, it may become the duty of every citizen to yield allegiance to the new Government, and where there is only a reasonable probability of success, such support to a new Government is not a felony which would subject them to imprisonment and death, or confiscation.
It was not right to visit severe punishment on men for doing what they conscientiously believed to be right. A large mass of these men at the South believe that they have the right, and that they owe allegiance to the State as well as to the Government, and they had always given great weight to the former. Humanity, charity, and all the usages of the civilized world, cry out against a severe punishment to those who yield allegiance to Government de facte, where a Government de jure ceased to protect them or have any power.
He denied that there was any justification or cause for the present resolution. He admitted the right of the Government to prevent the secession of any State, but such right was not derived from any authority in the Constitution, but from the right or self-preservation. He thought that if there had been no slavery in the Southern States there never would have been any confiscation bills. The passage of this bill will only tend to prolong the war and make the separation complete.
The Assaults upon General Blenker.
It is said that the correspondence in the New York Tribune against Gen. Blenker emanates from Cari Schurz, who desires the command of the division. Since the battle of Cross Keys, Colonel Fremont has manifested less unfriendliness towards Gen. Blenker, because in that fight his military abilities and bravery were exhibited. It is contended by the friends of Gen. Blenker that the German division is not demoralized, as the Tribune asserts. The marauding attributed to this division is said to have been occasioned by the utter want of provisions, a consequence of the inefficiency of Gen. Fremont's commissariat, which compelled the soldiers to live on the resources of the country. It is remarkable that the Tribune should in this case evince so much sympathy with the rebels, while elsewhere, and through its followers in Congress, it has-fiercely demanded that rebel property shall be appropriated for the use of our army, and has more than a hundred times assailed General McClellan on account of his alleged leniency towards the enemy. The whole attack upon Gen. Blenker smells very much of political intrigue to raise Cari Schurz to the command of this German division.
Defence of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
It is understood that the military protection and defence of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, east of Cumberland to the city of Baltimore, and of the railroad between Harper's Ferry and Winchester, is especially assigned to the command of Major-General Wool. Officers on the line of that road will accordingly report to him. The operations of the Winchester and Potomac Railroad will remain under the direction of Major-General Banks, it being his line of supply.
