A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital Part 135

Charleston was evacuated on Tuesday last--nearly a week ago--so says the _Examiner_, and no one doubts it.

Mr. Hunter seems more depressed to-day than I have ever seen him. He walks with his head down, looking neither to the right nor the left.

I shall expect soon to hear of a battle. Beauregard must have nearly 50,000 men--such as they are, poor fellows! The rich have generally bribed themselves out of the service through the complicated machinery of the "Bureau of Conscription."

Senator Brown, of Mississippi, I am sorry to see, often r.e.t.a.r.ds legislation by motions to postpone; and the Senate listens to him, not knowing what to do. Hours now are worth weeks hereafter.

The President has made Wm. M. Browne--one of his aids, an Englishman and a Northern newspaper reporter--a brigadier-general. This does not help the cause. Mr. B. knows no more about war than a cat; while many a scarred colonel, native-born, and partic.i.p.ants in a hundred fights, sue in vain for promotion.

Governor Clarke (Mississippi) telegraphs the President that nothing keeps the negroes from going to the enemy but the fear of being put in the Federal army; and that if it be attempted to put them in ours, all will run away, etc.

FEBRUARY 21ST.--Another bright and glorious morning.

Charleston fell on Thursday night last. A large number of heavy guns fell into the hands of the enemy. The _confidential_ telegraph operators remained with the enemy. They were Northern men; but it is the policy of those in possession of this government to trust their enemies and neglect their friends.

Congress pa.s.sed yesterday a bill abolis.h.i.+ng the "Bureau of Conscription"

in name--nothing more, if I understand it. The bill was manipulated by Judge Campbell, who has really directed the operations of the bureau from the beginning.

The negro bill also pa.s.sed one House, and will pa.s.s the other to-day.

Also a bill (in one House) abolis.h.i.+ng provost marshals, except in camps of the army.

These measures may come too late. The enemy is inclosing us on all sides with great vigor and rapidity. A victory by Beauregard would lift up the hearts of the people, now p.r.o.ne in the dust.

Mr. D. H. London (on the street) is smiling this morning. He says there is no doubt but that we shall be speedily recognized by France, and that Gen. Lee has gone South to checkmate Sherman. I fear some one has been deceiving Mr. London, knowing how eager he is for a few grains of comfort. He is a rich man.

A dispatch was sent from the department to Gen. Lee this morning, at his headquarters, supposed to be near Petersburg. Gold was selling at $60 for $1 yesterday. This may be a "dodge" of the brokers, who want to purchase; or it may be the government selling specie.

A gentleman from South Carolina reports that the Georgians (militia and reserves, I suppose) refused to enter South. Carolina in obedience to Gen. Beauregard's orders, and that Gen. B. has not exceeding 10,000 reliable men. If this be so, Sherman may march whither he chooses! This is very bad, if it be true, and more and more endangers the capital.

Surgeon-General S. P. Moore's estimates for the year's expenses of his bureau are $46,000,000.

FEBRUARY 22D.--Bright and frosty. A fine February for fruit.

Yesterday the Senate postponed action on the Negro bill. What this means I cannot conjecture, unless there are dispatches from abroad, with a.s.surances of recognition based upon stipulations of emanc.i.p.ation, which cannot be carried into effect without the consent of the States, and a majority of these seem in a fair way of falling into the hands of the Federal generals.

The House pa.s.sed the bill to abolish quartermasters and commissaries in a modified form, excepting those collecting tax in kind; and this morning those officers in this city under forty-five years of age advertise the location of their places of business as collectors of tax in kind, Capt. Wellford, a kinsman of Mr. Seddon, among the rest, the very men the bill was intended to remove! Alas for Breckinridge and independence!

The following dispatch has just been received from Gen. R. E. Lee:

"HEADQUARTERS, February 22d, 1865.

"From dispatches of Gen. Bragg of 21st, I conclude he has abandoned Cape Fear River. He says he is embarra.s.sed by prisoners. Enemy refuses to receive or entertain propositions. I expect no change will be made by Gen. Grant. It is his policy to delay. Have directed prisoners to be sent to Richmond by rail or highway, as may be most practicable; if wrong, correct it.

"R. E. LEE."

This looks like the speedy fall of Wilmington, but not of Richmond.

To-day is the anniversary of the birth of Was.h.i.+ngton, and of the inauguration of Davis; but I hear of no holiday. Not much is doing, however, in the departments; simply a waiting for calamities, which come with stunning rapidity. The next news, I suppose, will be the evacuation of Wilmington! Then Raleigh may tremble. Unless there is a speedy turn in the tide of affairs, confusion will reign supreme and universally.

We have here now some 4000 or 5000 paroled prisoners returned by the Federal authorities, without sufficient food for them, and soon there may be 10,000 Federal prisoners from Wilmington, which it seems cannot be exchanged there. Is it the policy of their own government to starve them?

Mr. Burgwyn, of North Carolina, writes to the President (11th inst.) that some 15,000 bales of cotton are locked up in Wilmington, belonging to speculators, awaiting the coming of the enemy, when the city will certainly fall into their hands. He says Gen. Bragg's orders regarding its removal are wholly disregarded; and he implores the President to prevent its falling into the enemy's hands, and disgracing his State as Georgia was disgraced by the cotton taken at Savannah. He says these speculators have an understanding with the enemy. The President indorses, simply, "For attention--J. D."

I bought quarter ounce early York cabbage-seed to-day at $10 per ounce.

FEBRUARY 23D.--Raining; the most inclement February for years.

It is stated that Gen. J. E. Johnston has been replaced in command of the army in front of Sherman; a blunder, for Beauregard's friends will raise a clamor.

Grant's men fired salutes yesterday in honor of the DAY--22d--and had the Richmond papers read to them by order of Gen. Grant--accounts of the fall of Charleston. Our government will continue this fatal policy of allowing easy communication between Richmond and the enemy, begun by Mr.

Benjamin, and continued by his successors! It will ruin us, and would destroy any cause. Next, our papers will announce the fall of Wilmington.

Three preachers--Hoge, Burroughs, and Edwards--have sent in a proposition to the President, to take the stump and obtain subscriptions of rations for the troops. The President marks it "special," and refers it to the Secretary "for attention and advice." Humbugged to the end!

These men might fight, but they won't. They will speak two words for the soldiers, and one for themselves. I believe two of them are _Northern_ men. What idiocy! If they meddle at all in the carnival of blood, I would put them in the ranks.

Gen. Bragg says he is greatly outnumbered by the enemy's two corps near Wilmington. Of course he will evacuate.

There is no money (paper) in the Treasury. Mr. Trenholm, seeing Mr.

Memminger abused for issuing too much paper money, seems likely to fall into the opposite error of printing too little, leaving hundreds of millions of indebtedness unpaid. This will soon rouse a hornet's nest about his ears!

Gold is arriving from Charlotte, N. C., and I suppose from other places.

Its acc.u.mulation here, when known to the enemy, as it certainly will be, only endangers the city more and more.

Mr. Harman, of Staunton, suggests that every house in Virginia be visited, and one third the subsistence for man and beast be bought at market price. He says that would subsist the army.

FEBRUARY 24TH.--Rained all day yesterday; cloudy and cool this morning.

We have no news--only rumors that Wilmington has been abandoned, that A.

P. Hill's corps (Lee's army) has marched into North Carolina, etc.

Yesterday the Senate voted down the bill to put 200,000 negroes in the army. The papers to-day contain a letter from Gen. Lee, advocating the measure as a _necessity_. Mr. Hunter's vote defeated it. He has many negroes, and will probably lose them; but the loss of popularity, and fear of forfeiting all chance of the succession, may have operated on him as a politician. What madness! "Under which King, Benzonian?"

The President and Gen. Breckinridge rode out to Camp Lee yesterday, and mingled with the returned prisoners, not yet exchanged. They made speeches to them. The President, being chilled, went into a hut and sat down before a fire, looking ill and wan.

The Bureau of Conscription being abolished, the business is to be turned over to the generals of reserves, who will employ the reserves mainly in returning deserters and absentees to the army. The deserters and absentees will be too many for them perhaps, at this late day. The mischief already effected may prove irremediable.

A dispatch from Gen. Lee, this morning, states that Lieut. McNeill, with 30 men, entered c.u.mberland, Maryland, on the 21st inst., and brought off Gens. Crook and Kelly, etc. This is a little affair, but will make a great noise. We want 300,000 men in the field instead of 30. However, this may be the beginning of a new species of warfare, by detached parties. Our men, of course, have the best knowledge of the country, and small bands may subsist where armies would starve. The war can be prolonged indefinitely, if necessary, and probably will be, unless there should be some relaxation of the stringency of measures on the part of the United States Government.

The markets are now almost abandoned, both by sellers and purchasers.

Beef and pork are sold at $7 to $9 per pound, and everything else in proportion. b.u.t.ter, from $15 to $20.

The President walked down to his office after 11 o'clock this morning, very erect, having heard of Lieut. McNeill's exploit.

Another dispatch from Gen. Lee says detachments of Gen. Vaughan's cavalry a few days ago captured two of the enemy's posts in Tennessee beyond Knoxville, with 60 prisoners, horses, etc.

The following letter from Gen. Lee, on the subject of putting negroes into the army, clearly defines his views on that important subject:

"HEADQUARTERS CONFEDERATE STATES ARMIES,