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Five Months In Dixie

Five Months In Dixie image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
February
Year
1865
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The nionths of December, 1863, found me thus situated : myonly ohild, a lad eleven years of age, was in the South, in the care of a near relativo ; for neasly eight months, I had been without intelligence concerning him, and oonsequently knew nothing, if he still remained alive, as to bis welfare or cirouinstauees. The daily publislied accounts of destitution and eufferiug withiD the confedérate ines, I need scarcely say, inspired me with feelings very different from those excited iü the miuds of individuáis, whose atriotisru encountered m conflicting es. Anxiety and suspense finally became utolerable. Letter after letter brought no answer. Day by day, as I visited he post-offiee and came away disaploiuted, how sincerely could I have borne ;estimony to the truth of the adage, ' Hope deierred maketh the heart sick.' At length I resolved, if possible to make my way to Richmond, where I expected to be able to prooure at least gome inforraation touching the objeets of my olicitude. Acoordingly I went to Washington, where, through the iirfiueuce of friends, was fortúnate enough to procure au order from the War Department to Geueral Butler, to pass ma through the ines at City Point. From Fortrees Monroe, I took passage on the flag of-truce steamer 'New York' ommanded by Major, now Colonel Mul'ord. Tho localities and objeets of inerest to be observed on a voyage up the ames, are oither connected with events o remóte as to have rendered them long amiliar, or with those so recent that no ne has had time to forget them. In the mouth of tlie river, a dingv nd shapeless rnass óf rusty iron próruding trom the water, reminding one f Virgil's 'dorsum immane mari summo,' or more nearly resembling some gigan tic, haltbuned skuleton, a moulderÍDg momento of former strife, was poialed out to me as the remains oí the ' Merrimac." Here it tvas that she firsí sallied fortb, thrusting her iron aosa into other people's business, till reminded of the impertinance by a ' Monitor,' somewhat crusty it is true, but whoso counsela were not to be lighlly regarded. A few miles up, we passed James Island, on whieh Jamestown was built, aad the first EDglish sottlement in Virginia established, by Captain Smith and his companions. A dilapidated ruin near the lower extremity oí the Island, I wag iníbrmed, is reportad by the local traditions to bo the'tower of the church in which Pocahontas was baptized a legend which may have gained currency, like thousands of olhers, beoause it hurt nobody to belieee it, while to reject it, would have disobligcd thoso who derived pleasure í'roiu its uarratiou. The mansion of the Harrison family, and birth-place of the former President, is situated still further up, on the right as jou asceud. The houso stands on a lofty elevation, and must eommand a maguificent view of the river, which is here esceedingly majestic. Harrison's Landing, of which uieution is so frequentlj made in military dispatches, is at this point. Some miles above, on the same side, Malvern Hill becomes visible. The Bcene here is beautifully picturesque, but the pleasure I would, under other circumstances, have derived from its contemplation, was prevunUid by íadlj obtruding memories of tho thouëauds of ! gallant fellowB who there fought thuir ' last battle, and the thousands ot ' stones made desolate by the absence of those to return nevezoiobe. ' Just as it was growing dark, we reaohed Oity Point, at the juncture of the Appomattox and James River, thirtyfour miles below Riohmond, and carne to anchor in the middle of the stream Here we would be obliged to rernain till the Confedérate flag-if-truce steamer came down to meet us. Major Mulford went on shoie, where a rebel picket force was sta'ioned, and our arrival was immediately signalled, from post to post, to Riehmoud. Ou the Major's return, he brought the gratifying intelligenoe that owing to a rise in the river, the con sequent inorease in the rapidity of the current, the boat from above would prob ably not bo ablo to pass the obstruction at Drury's Bluff, for seTeral days. The result was our detcntion for over a week, in 'dreary December,' with no other variation of prospect, if we wen on deck, than occasionally finding the Appomattox on the wrong side of the James ; the stern of the vessel having swUDg round from down streatn to up or f ice versa, by a chango of tide, while we had been in the cabin. The delay would have proved insup portable, under less favorable circum stancos; but, thanks to the kiud attentions of Major Mulfoi-d and bis estirnablo lady, not forgetting the bright little Neddie who used to beat me at ' cteckers,' the time passed inore rapidly thau I could have antioipated. At length, on the eigth day, the amoko curling over the distant tree-tops, in a direction in which I had never looked for it in any of tny numerous prospeotings, (for the river above is as crooked as the line dcsctibed by the flourish of Corporal Trim's stick, illustrative of the glorious freedom of single blesaedness,) announced tho approach of the long ex pected boat. It was more than an hour coming in sight ; but, after turning tho last bend, t rapidly neared us, and was soon alongside. The residue of the day was oocupied in tranferriug the cargo of the 'New York,' cousisting of boxes of provisions and elothing for the Uuion prisoners, to the other boat. In tho evening Captain Hatch, commander of tho Confedérate steamer, and Judge Ould oame on board, to whoru I was introduced by Major Mulford. Our conversation was limited to au interen ange of ordinary oivilities ; uo allusion being made to the purpose of my journey ; though I feit very solici tous to know whether I should be allowed to proceed, having reached apoint whence furt&er progresa could not be materially promoted by Mr. Stanton's pass. Major Mulford and Judge Ould had sotne business to transact, having reference, I believe to a proposed exohauge of prisoners, at the conclusión of which both the confederates retired, leaving me still uncertain as to my eourse on the morrow. Next morning about nine o'clook, four or five other passengere and myself were notified by Mujor Muliord, that it was time to go on board Captain Hatch's boat. After a hearty farewell to those whose kindness I shall never forget, I passed the confedérate sentinel unquestioued, and was soon makiug headway 'on to Richmond.' Captain Hatch and Judge Ould received me vvith raueh eeurtesy, couversing agrecably on general topics, till, with another gentleman, we sat down to au old-fashioned game of whist, in which I had the misfortune to have the Judge aa an opponent, who, I Boon disoovered, must either have Hoyle, Matthews, and Deobapeües, all three at his fingere' ends, or must possess more original genius than either of them. Approaching Drury's Bluff, we went on deck, wheuce I had a complete view of the fortifications by which the passage of the river was, and etill is, tbere defended. The channels opposite the bluff is very narrow, and for a great distance was filled with obstructions of every character, leaving an exceeding difficult and tortuous pass-way ior the srnali steatner v hieh carried uu, to make her aocustomed trips. The southern bank in lined with batteries pointing in every direction. The works are very extensive, and, I have no doubt, mount the best artillery in tUo confedérate service, Net long after pasaing Drury's Bluff, the domes and spires of Richmond hove in sight. The State House, whioh stands ou a cominanding (minence, and the parts of the oity adjacent, can be seen from the river at a distance of six or seven miles, presenting a view rarely excelled in attraction and beauty. On landing, I walked with a gentleman to the Spottswood House. On our way, wo paesed tho Libby Prison. As we approached, the guards, who were pacing the adjoiuing paveinents, motioned us to the other side of the street. While passing over, I looked up, and saw a number of wan and oareworn faces, bearing the inevitable marks of vveary months of languishing imprisonaeut. I soon found tho person from whom I expootüd to gain the intelligonco I so earnestly desired. Mueh to my disappointtnent, he eould only inform me of an indetinite rumor, that my son, who, when I had last hcard from him, ■was at a villuge in Southorn Virginia, had been taken to Memphis for the purpose of be ing sent North to me. The idea f his arrival arnong straogers, or mero acquaintances, with ao oao to take more than & fricndly interest in his welfare, wae, if any thing, more perplexin than my preious anxicty ; while the effect of sucli a sit'.iation on one so young and senhitive, I could soarcelj bear to think of. I immcdiately telegrapheii to every point from which I oould hope to obtain the alightest inteiligonce ; but the lines wure so neariy oxelusively oocupied by the military and eivil authorilies, that I fnund the transmission of private messages subject to mueh delay and i tainty. It was nearly three weeks before I received an answer to any of uay dispatches. Ia the meantime, I had a fair opportutiity oí observiug what waa worthy of note in the confedérate capital, aud on which would certainly have been bette improved, had I been free from the pre occupation of constant suspense. Riohmond is a picturesque city, am boautifully situated, It stands on the north side, and at tho head of uavigation of the James River. Opposite the city the river is dotted with numerous islands and projecting rooks, between which the water rushes down steeply in clined chacnels, iu dashing rapids. Near tho hoad of these rapids is Belle Isle, ou which a large nuinber of Union prisonors were at that time confined. I caught but a glimpse of it from the cars, on leaving Bichmond. It was covered with tents, and presented the appearanoe of an extensive military encampment The descent of the channel from the commencement to the termination of the rapids is about a huudred feet. This ' fall' afords an immense water-powar has bean advantageously appropriated to the running of a large number of flouring milis and manufaotories of various descriptions. Tho fashionable portion of the city, containing the handsomest dwellings, as woll as tho State House and other public buildings, ia Shoekoe Hill, the summit oí whioh is an elevated plateau. In this quarter is the residenoe of Jefferson Davis, an elegant but plain-looking mansion, situated on Leigh street. The public grounds are very beautiful, though the Capítol, now the place ol meeting of both the Confedérate Oongress and the State Legislatura, presenta but an indifferent appearance. Nearly opposite the main entrañe, on a high pedestal, stands a magnificent equestrian statue of Washington, in bronze, surrounded by six lower pedestals, three only of whioh are oceupied; these support statues of Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and George Mason. One of the most interesting objeets I saw in these grounds, was a marble statue of Henry Clay. I rerneruber as though it were but yesterday, the only time [ ever snw the 'Great Oommoner.' He was od hie return from the extra session of Cocgress in 1841, during which hig 'Fiscal Agenoy Bill' had beeu vetoed by President Tyler. Word carne to the village in whioh I was then a sehool-boy, that Henry Olay was coming in the nest stage ; and of couree, everybody turned out to have a look at hini. When the iinpatientiy expected vehicle at last drove up, and the pasaengers got out, it is superfluous to say, no one required to be told whieh was he. Fresh from the stories of ancient battles, my üi'st reñection was, ' What a splendid leader for an army !' And if administrative capacity, ability to control and influence men, and power to cotnmand ;heir attachment and admiration, oonstitute principal elements in the eharacter of a chieftain, who possessed these qual.ties in higher perfection than the Great Dictator ?' Such as I saw him then, in the full vigor of maturiiy, ereot and majestio, dignified without aughtiness, too proud to exhibit pride, in manier at once oommanding and courteous, as the artist here represented him, with a fidelity oever attainable in the copy of a less Btriliiiig original. The next day after my arrival was Christmas, whieb was eelebrated in the rebel capital with a hilarity indicativo of a determiuation, for oae day at least, to exchange ' fierce alarums' for ' merry greetings-' The bill of fare at theSpottswood was not suoh as materially to conirm the 'starvation theory.' Game, oultry, fish, meats, and vegetables of dl kinds, togethar with wiüeo and other uxuries, which I had supposed bad no jusiness on thafc side oí the liae, wro araded with a profusión every way worthy of the time-honored festival. On the following Monday, I visited he State House or Capital, a tasteful hough by no means magniücent etrucure, adorned with a pórtico of Ionic columns. In the rotunda stands a mar)le statue of Washington, by Houdon, modelled trom life, and reputod to be an accurate likeness. This building conains the public iibrary. The colleotion s eotensive and valuablö, comprisiüg an UQusually largo nurober of historica! tnd political works. Here are collected .he Union bannors and battlu-flags capured since the beginning of tbf war, ach bearing an inscriptien of the date and place of capture. Here, also, I saw an authentic oil portrait of John Randolph, of Soanokë. The expreesion of discontonted petulance which marks the countenanee, cannot, in this instance, be explained on the principie on which 3oileau once accounted for the air oí chagrín observable in an indifferently executed cut of himself - ' because he 'ound himself so badly engraved;1 for he artist seems to have performed his luty well. The faca is thafc oí a weird, laggard, ghrivelled4 disapointed, sharpempered, sharp-tongoed old maid, and s emióentlysuggestive of the reflection : What shrews meu would be, if - they were only women 1 On the saine day, I entered the gallery oí the Confedérate House oí Eepresentatives. The Speaker, Mr Bocock, oí Virginia, formely a member of the Federal Congress, seewed to ba an efficiënt and popular presiding officer, perfcotly familiar with the duties of his posilion. The matter undergoiug disuussioq was a proposition for the reassembüng of Congress (vvhioh would bë oblig-ed to . adjourn on ihe ensujng fourth of March, on u day anterior to that tíxed for it, at ihe beginuing of the next regular sosI Bion. Mr. Dargan, oi iVlub:unn, irt whose delivery tho tíoütbiirn drawl and breadth of accout, iré as eunspicuou.s as tho ' 'nasal twang in tbe enunciatjon oi a Yankee tborough bied, had ttie flcior and was advucatiug the appointrnent o a day ome rnonlhs i henee. "Wlrile he was speaking, [ notioed a little gray ! headed, gray Iroardéd, gray-moustacb ed, fiery, and whbal at every -pausa o the speaker, us tbough between hiinsel and hisseat soma powerful electrioal repulsión existed, wbich tlireatoned even moment to projaot hini iiidcfinitely up ward. No omier had Mr. Darían con cluded, thati the little mac fuirly bound ed fiMin his ehair, Qfiught the Speaker'a eye, and commeiiced pouriug foith a terrent of woria, wi:h groater voliibility than I bad ever hoard before ; and tbey were well cbosen and well put togethur, too. He was in favor of an immadiate reassembliug of Congress. The exiginciea of tho country required thern tö continue at their posts. If the Yan kees came, they ehould not flee, but re raain in their places; and as Biennus and bis aavagc hordes, when they onterp.A thfi Rornun Forum, found the tors in their official robes, neated in their irory chaira iu aceustomed order, so il their capital should bü invaded by northern vándala, tbü mernbors of t bat body should be found in their seais uuuwed, exhibiting u siir.ilar Bpectacle of undaunted devotion. I tbink I could havo gucssed what book it was I had aeen the little gentleman so busy with in the -library, that moruing. On inquiriug his nuuae the aaswer was ' Henry S. Puoio.' I had freiuent ppportunitit-s of hearing him afterward ; for I believe he spoke on every question tbnt oame up when I was present, and gonerally oombatad tho views of every one else - Tiiis indiscrimuiate opposition of every thing and every body, appearod to render him unpopular, and in a gie:it measure to dcstroy the influence whieh his unquestioned 'ability would otherwise undoubtedly command. Át the dinnertable, I oue day heard a brothu-r member, iu speaking of him, apply the line, ' Impiger, iracundns, inexorabüi, acer,' with a 8tres8 on the aibilant in the laat word, that caused it to sound rem rkably like- '■plain Engish. Of the Senate, I would rank Crr of South Carolina and Hunter, of Virginia, as the loading mambers. Decidedly the ablest speech I heard in the Confedérate Congress, was by the former of these gentlemen, in opposition to a provisión in the Consenption Bill then pending, requiriog persons who had prooured substitutes under the existing act, to enter the servioa. His exposure of the mala fides of inducing men to expend large sums on the fuith of a legal promise of exemption, and then annul ing the privilege after it had been beught and paid for, was at onoe tnasterly and eloquent. But the repeal of the substituto law, it was urged, would prove highjy satisfuetory to the array ; and on taking the vote, there were but two native voiees. The Vice-President was coofined to his home at Orawford8ville, Georgia, in consequence oí illness, bis place as President of the Senate beiug tomporanly filled by Mr. Hunter. Mr. Baviu I sasv but onoe. I waaintroduced to him by his private soereta ry, a young gentletnarn who had been educuted in the North, and whose ao quaintanee I made acuidentally. With the personal appearanca of the Confedérate President, every one ia familiur. He reoeived me with courteous atfability ; but mude no allusiorc, daring tha nterview, to tlie controversey betvyeen the seclious. He rnadeeöveral inquines concerniíiíí formar acqu-iiutauce ia the Worth, of many of whum he spoke in :erms expressivö of frieudahip and es;eem. Hm distinguishing mental cbaracteristics, if I may be allowed tospeak 'rom au observation so liioited. Í übouid ;ake to be fáearneae, precisión, activity, vigor, determination, and self-control ; the defect of bis mind being a greater )ronenes8 to adjust every thiug with mathematical accuraöy, than is always oousisteut with the practioal management of affairs. It wae during my Btay that John Süorgan, who had recently soaped ft-ora mprisuuraent in Ohio, arrived in llichmond. He was honored witk a grand military reception, and publicly welcomed at the Gity Hall by the Mayor. - ïis speech in reply I was not close enough to hear ; though I have no doubt it began - at least it ihould have done so - witb the u&ual exordium, TJuaccustomed aa I am to publiospeak ng,' etc, eto, rie wia of medium stat ire, and apparently between thirty-five and forty years ol age, with notiiing remarkable or triking in bis appearance, and a face indieative rather of homhommie, than strength of intellect or foroe of character. Afier he had spoken, Genera! Stuart, sineo killed, was otro duced. His age I would not have supposed to be above thirty-five, while in person and bearing ha corapletely realïzed the conception of a j?renx chevalier. One sentence of his speech, the whole of which was neat and hondsomely delivered, I still reraember ; 'It has beon whispered in my ear, that soniething ike rivalry has boen supposed to exift etween General Morgan and myself. We are, indeed, rival, but in k contest u which it is my ardeut dusiro that both may win.' The disordered eondition of t'ie currency was then absorbiug univursal atention. Oongreas was daily holdiug ecret jset-sioue n the sDnjecl IJvery body tiad sorne sovereign remedy to proposi', never beiore 'drcamed of in phiJosophy.' One gentleman published an eiaboraUï enaay, in which he reconimended a new issue of treasury notos, auiounting to about one fiftli of tho aggregate of thoseiu circulation, coupled with a provisiou authorizing the hoiders of tho existing curroncy to exchango it fot the uew, in tfre pi'nportion of five dollars for ooe, with the alternativo of its beouming void in their hands. The plan finally adopted by Cougress, ot requiriug tho old currency to bo fundod, and supplying íts place by a iiew and lesa extensiva sbjo, seemad to rest on the idaa Ihat tho credit oí a governmeut may be enhuncod by incroasing its indobtudaoss, and simply cbanging tbe form of its oblisutions. The brokers, wero, at thattime, paying twenty dollors in Confedérate paper for one in gold. Considoring the precious tnetals as the standard what econmists cali 'exchangrtable value,' wbich, under normal conditions, they uudoubt edly are, this would huyo indieated a depreciation of the paper cnrroncy to one twentieth of its nominal valuó; but, a coroparisonwith thoae actual values, of whieh money, after all, ia only tho representativa, readily demonstrated this to be an exaggeratod oatimate. - Boarding and lodging at a first class hotel cost frorn fifteen to twjrity dollars perday; and other prices, exoept in case of commodities poculiarly aöeotod by the blookade, ranged in proportion. This proved the real valué of confedérate currency to be about ono fifth that ofourowo; whilo the exorbitaut prico of eold was nrobablv, in a orreat uro, attributable to the conibiried effect of its scarcity, the impedimenta to lts influx, and the urgent domand of blockade-runners aud others daily going beyoud the linea. Whilo in Richmond, and duriug my subsequent travels I had a favorublo opportunity of becoming acquiated with the state of public sentiment on the subject of reconstruction. As it is not tny purpose that tliis article símil assume a political complexión I shall, without venturing any opinión toucning the true solution of the most diffioult problem ever subinitted to tho wisdom of stuteemanship, present more ly the result of my observations. In Virginia, as well as in overy State through which I passed, I foiiud many persons, and was assurcd they everywhere constituted a larger elass iban a casual observer would be likely to suppose, who had not ouly opposed seuession in the outset, but were still ef nest ly desirous of a restoraáon of the Union on the basis of the original compact ; but every one of these gentlernen wiib vyhoni I conversed, eraphatically declarad that this clasa of persons, tho only Uuion men in the South, wero most determinad of all to resist any encroaehrr.ent on the rights of their respectivo Status to the exclusive regulation of their domestic institutions. On the o;her hand, tho seeesMonistg per te, how inuch soevg,thsir attacbment to slayery may have influenced them in the beginning, now aim at but a single object- independence. I heard more than one of these expresa thair willingness, should the alternative be offered, to purcha-e fureign intervention, or any efficaoious ineaus of securing permanent separation, by the abandonment of slavery, or any "otlie' eoneeivable sacrifice; and, if it were proper to hazard corijectures, I woulil ' not hesitate here to prediot, th:t the radical secessionists and ultra abolitiou- ist wiil again be fouud, as tkay have otten been heretofore, occupyiug a commoü platform, .which will arnbody the sum total of the ideas of both - aboütiou and disunion. At lat n answer came to ons of my dispatuhes, from a lady ia Mobile, atating that my son, when last heard from, wa staving at the house of a relativo in alissiauppi, waiting an opportunity of goiog Nurth. Througb the influance of a gentleman, for whose kindness I sball ever feel grateful, I procured a pass from the Confedérate Secretary of War, and imfiediately set out for Mississippi. If an accouüt of my journey öhould proye half as tedious as ts actual performance, I am certain the reader would be le&a inclined to pardon its narratioa, than I trust he will be to excuse its omission. It occupied quite two weeks, and was enlívened by but a single agreeable incident. At Augusta, Georgia, I was dotained three days by the losg of my trunk. I found, at the Globe Hotel, an old elassmate and intímate friend, whom I had net seen sinco the commencementday whioh had terminated our colloge life. He bad ever sinco residod in Florida, and, by a happy coincidence, chanced to visit A.ugusta ou business at the time of my uuforeseen detention. Eighteen years oí separation left so many thiugs to be inquired a&oat, while our unexpected meeting reoalled so many scones ;.nd adventures long for goitea, tfaat I feur we botb beonuiü ob livious of our legal relations of eumity, and only remembere i the claims of the 'higher law' of aneietit irieadahip. The village of P , some twolve milos from my plaee of destiuation, was tho uearest point I ould reach by railroad. At the time of my arrival, I had yetreceived nootherintelligence than the telegram already mentioned ; consoquently l knew not, bnt at that moment the object of my search niigfct bö seeking me, many handred of miks away. As I w:is walkiug io thedireetion of the village, I saw a geutloinan and lad souie distancu ahend ridiug towards ma. Presently tho latter threw bisreiu to his companion, sprang from his l;orse, an2 iuanother moment I wasfast in the ombrace of my long absent boy, who had received a dispatch I had sent forward trom Jaokeon, and come to meet me. The residue of thü lyinter I spent on the plautation of te íriend, with whoja riiy son had beeu etaying eince hts i jouru in Mississippi, On tho twellth of May, we arrived in Menjphis, whore terminiited my tour of Five Months in ! JDisie. C" In tho late fight on the Potomnc, our loss is put down at nbo.it LöOO. - - Enough i id know#.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus