A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital Part 18

A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital Part 18

AUGUST 20TH.--We have now a solution of the secret of Pope's familiarity with the country. _His guide and pilot is the identical Robt. Stewart who was sent here to the Provost Marshal--a prisoner._ How did he get out? They say money did it.

AUGUST 21ST.--Some apprehensions are felt by a few for the safety of this city, as it is supposed that _all_ the troops have been withdrawn.

This is not so, however. From ten to fifteen _thousand_ men could be concentrated here in twenty-four hours. Richmond is not in half the danger that Washington is.

AUGUST 22D.--Saw Vice-President Stephens to day, as cordial and enthusiastic as ever.

AUGUST 23D.--Members of Congress are coming to my office every day, getting pa.s.sports for their const.i.tuents. Those I have seen (Senator Brown, of Mississippi, among the rest) express a purpose not to renew the act, to expire on the 18th September, authorizing martial law.

AUGUST 24TH.--In both Houses of Congress they are thundering away at Gen. Winder's Provost Marshal and his Plug Ugly alien policemen. Senator Brown has been very bitter against them.

AUGUST 25TH.--Mr. Russell has reported a bill which would give us martial law in such a modified form as to extract its venom.

AUGUST 26TH.--Mr. Russell's bill will not pa.s.s. The machinery of legislation works too slowly.

Fredericksburg has been evacuated by the enemy! It is said the Jews rushed in and bought boots for $7.00, which they now demand $25.00 for, and so with various other articles of merchandise. They are now investing money in real estate for the first time, which is evidence that they have no faith in the ultimate redemption of Confederate money.

AUGUST 27TH.--Huzza for Gen. Stuart! He has made another _circ.u.mvention_ of the enemy, getting completely in Pope's rear, and destroying many millions worth of stores, etc.

AUGUST 28TH.--Pope's coat was captured, and all his papers. The braggart is near his end.

AUGUST 29TH.--b.l.o.o.d.y fighting is going on at Mana.s.sas. All the news is good for us. It appears that Pope, in his consummate egotism, refused to believe that he had been outwitted, and "pitched into" our corps and divisions, believing them to be merely brigades and regiments. He has been terribly cut up.

AUGUST 30TH.--Banks, by the order of Pope, has burnt 400 Yankee cars loaded with quartermaster's and commissary stores. But our soldiers have fared sumptuously on the enemy's provisions, and captured clothing enough for half the army.

AUGUST 31ST.--Fighting every day at Mana.s.sas.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Lee announces a victory.--Crosses the Potomac.--Battle of Sharpsburg.-- McClellan pauses at the Potomac.--Lee moves mysteriously.--The campaign a doubtful one in its material results.--Horrible scene near Washington.--Conscription enlarged.--Heavy loss at Sharpsburg.-- 10,000 in the hospitals here.

SEPTEMBER 1ST.--Official dispatches from Lee, announcing a "signal victory," by the blessing of G.o.d, "over the combined forces of the enemy." That is glory enough for a week. When _Lee_ says "signal victory," we know exactly what it means, and we breathe freely. _Our_ generals _never_ modify their reports of victories. They see and know the extent of what has been done before they speak of it, and they never mislead by exaggerated accounts of successes.

SEPTEMBER 2D.--Winchester is evacuated! The enemy fled, and left enough ordnance stores for a campaign! It was one of their princ.i.p.al depots.

SEPTEMBER 3D.--We lament the fall of _Ewell_--not killed, but his leg has been amputated. The enemy themselves report the loss, in killed and wounded, of _eight generals_! And Lee says, up to the time of writing, he had paroled 7000 prisoners, taken 10,000 stand of small arms, 50 odd cannon, and immense stores!

SEPTEMBER 4TH.--The enemy's loss in the series of battles, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, is estimated at 30,000. Where is the braggart Pope now? Disgraced eternally, deprived of his command by his own government, and sent to Minnesota to fight the Indians! Savage in his nature, he is only fit to fight with savages!

SEPTEMBER 5TH.--Our army knows no rest. But I fear this incessant marching and fighting may prove too much for many of the tender boys.

SEPTEMBER 6TH.--We have authentic accounts of our army crossing the Potomac without opposition.

SEPTEMBER 7TH.--We see by the Northern papers that Pope claimed a great victory over Lee and Jackson! It was too much even for the lying editors themselves! The Federal army being hurled back on the Potomac, and then compelled to cross it, it was too transparently ridiculous for the press to contend for the victory. And now they confess to a series of defeats from the 26th June to the culminating calamity of the 30th August. They acknowledge they have been beaten--badly beaten--_but they will not admit that our army has crossed into Maryland_. Well, Lee's dispatch to the President is dated "Headquarters, Frederick City." We believe him.

SEPTEMBER 8TH.--But the Marylanders have not risen _yet_. Some of our divisions have touched the soil of _Pennsylvania_. And I believe the whole Yankee host would leave Washington, escaping by the Potomac, if it were not for the traitors here, who go to Norfolk and Baltimore by flag of truce, and inform the Lincoln Government (for pay) that we have no troops here--none between this and Mana.s.sas, none all the way to Lee, while thousands in the army are prostrated with physical exhaustion.

SEPTEMBER 9TH.--Lord, what a scare they are having in the North! They are calling everybody to arms for the defense of _Philadelphia_, and they are removing specie, arms, etc., from Harrisburg and all the intervening towns. This is the chalice so long held by them to our lips.

SEPTEMBER 10TH.--On the very day that Lee gained the signal victory at Mana.s.sas, Kirby Smith gained one at Richmond, Kentucky, capturing thousands of prisoners. This is not chance--it is G.o.d, to whom all the glory is due.

SEPTEMBER 11TH.--And Cincinnati is trembling to its center. That abolition city, half foreign and half American, is listening for the thunder of our avenging guns.

SEPTEMBER 12TH.--The ranks of the enemy are broken everywhere in the West. Buell is flying to Nashville as a city of refuge, but we have invincible columns interposed between him and his country.

SEPTEMBER 13TH.--Buell has impressed 10,000 slaves, and is fortifying Nashville.

SEPTEMBER 14TH.--Our army has entered the City of Lexington, and the population hail our brave soldiers as deliverers. Three regiments were organized there in twenty-four hours, and thirty thousand recruits, it is thought, will flock to our standard in Kentucky.

SEPTEMBER 15TH.--Our flag floats over the Capitol at Frankfort! And Gen.

Marshall, lately the exile and fugitive, is encamped with his men on his own farm, near Paris.

SEPTEMBER 16TH.--Intelligence from Missouri states that the Union militia have rallied on the side of the South.

SEPTEMBER 17TH.--Everything seems to indicate the "breaking up" of the armies of our enemies, as if our prayers had been answered, and the hosts of Lincoln were really to be "brought to confusion."

SEPTEMBER 18TH.--To-day, in response to the President's proclamation, we give thanks to Almighty G.o.d for the victories HE has blessed us with.

SEPTEMBER 19TH.--And G.o.d has blessed us even more abundantly than we supposed. The rumor that our invincible Stonewall Jackson had been sent by Lee to Harper's Ferry, and had taken it, is TRUE. Nearly 12,000 men surrendered there on the 15th inst., after the loss of two or three hundred on their side, and only _three_ killed and a few wounded on ours. We got 90 guns, 15,000 stand of small arms, 18,000 fine horses, 200 wagons, and stores of various kinds, worth millions.

SEPTEMBER 20TH.--While Jackson was doing his work, McClellan, who has been restored to command, marched at the head of 100,000 men to the rescue of Harper's Ferry, but D. P. Hill, with his single division, kept him at bay for many hours, until Longstreet came to his a.s.sistance, and night fell upon the scene.

But Lee soon concentrated his weary columns at Sharpsburg, near Shepherdstown, and on the 17th inst. gave battle. We got the first news of this battle from a Northern paper--the _Philadelphia Inquirer_--which claimed a great victory, having killed and taken 40,000 of our men, made Jackson prisoner, and wounded Longstreet! But the truth is, we lost 5000 and the enemy 20,000. At the next dawn Lee opened fire again--but, lo! the enemy had fled!

SEPTEMBER 21ST.--We have one day of gloom. It is said that our army has retreated back into Virginia.

SEPTEMBER 22D.--There are rumors that only Jackson's corps recrossed the Potomac to look after a column of the enemy sent to recapture Harper's Ferry and take Winchester, our grand depot.

SEPTEMBER 23D.--Jackson, the ubiquitous and invincible, fell upon Burnside's division and annihilated it. This intelligence has been received by the President.

We have, also, news from Kentucky. It comes this time in the _New York Herald_, and is true, as far as it goes. A portion of Buell's army, escaping from Nashville, marched to Mumfordsville, where Bragg cut them to pieces, taking 5000 prisoners! It cannot be possible that this is more than half the truth.

The newsboys are selling extras in the streets containing these glorious accounts.

SEPTEMBER 24TH.--The papers this morning are still in doubt whether Lee has returned to the Virginia side of the Potomac, or remains in Maryland. My theory is that he is _perdue_ for the present, hoping all the enemy's forces will enter Virginia, from Washington--when he will pounce upon that city and cut off their retreat.

The Northern papers contain intimations of the existence of a conspiracy to _dethrone_ Lincoln, and put a military Dictator at the head of the government. Gen. Fremont is named as the man. It is alleged that this movement is to be made by the Abolitionists, as if Lincoln were not sufficiently radical for them!

A call has been made by Congress for explanations of the arrest of a citizen of Virginia, by Gen. Winder, for procuring a subst.i.tute for a relative. Gen. W., supposing his powers ample, under martial law, had forbidden agents to procure subst.i.tutes. This was in contravention of an act of Congress, legalizing subst.i.tutes. If Winder be sustained, it is said we shall have inaugurated a military despotism.

I have just seen persons from the Eastern Sh.o.r.e of Virginia. They say my farm there has not been disturbed[2] by the enemy. I think it probable they knew nothing about its ownership, or it would have been devastated. My agent sent me a little money, part of the rent of year before last. My tenant is getting rich. After peace I shall reside there myself. How I long for the independent life of a farmer!

Wood is selling at $16 per cord, and coal at $9 per load. How can we live here, unless our salaries are increased? The matter is under consideration by Congress, and we _hope_ for favorable action.

Col. Bledsoe has resigned and gone back to his school at Charlottesville.