The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-12 00:00:00

THE AMERICAN WAR.

The following is an extract from a letter from a
Confederate prisoner of war, dated Point Lookout,
Maryland, Prisoner of War C imp, Oct. 10 :
" This letter will not be sent through the regular
channel of United States officials, but will go by
private hand to Baltimore and be mailed there, I
shall thus be able to write you more freely. There
are 7,000 of our prisoners at this point. Most of
them having been in prison 12 months have suf-
fered many indignities, and been subject to the
most galling ordeal of sacrifice and hardship, which
none but themselves can realise. The Yankees,
with characteristic malignity, use the most
cowardly means and inducements to cause our
men to desert that country which they love so
well. Our rations are curtailed, our blankets taken
from us, no wood furnished ; our men are shot
down in cold blood. Then comes the comedy. The
officials, in the livery of the United States Govern-
ment, with faces radiant with smiles, ride through
our prisons. The oath of allegiance to the United
States is offered us, and our men are entreated to
leave the so-called Confederacy,' and fight under
the ' stars and stripes,' and be relieved from the
horrors and sufferings of a prison life. These are
only a few of the means employed. Everything
that Yankee ingenuity and Black Republican
malice can suggest is used to accomplish this pur-
pose, Bat, thank God! these Southern patriots,
though tortured and persecuted by the representa-
tives of the best Government the world ever saw,'
still remain true and faithful to the cause which
they have espoused; they reject with indignation
and contempt the offers of our magnanimous Yankee
philanthropists, and anitiouily, hopefully look for-
ward to the future, when they shall once more,
with musket in hand, be under the folds of that
banner which on more than a hundred fields has
waved triumphantly in the face of the United States
army. Our confidence in the final success of our
arms has not been lessened by the ordeal through
which he have pasted. True, a cloud hangs over
us now, but we still feel hopeful and sanguine of
ultimate success in the future. With such men as

Davie, Lee, Beauregard, and a host of others, we
cannot be conquered, but we will fight on till our
indepence is gained, or until the Southern people
are ' numbered with the things that were.' fhe
Southern spirit is invincible, it will surmount all
obstacles, and overcome all hardships, and endure
all privations .to secure our people a separate
nationality, distinct from this modern mobocracy
established at Washington. We are told every
day by our gaolers that Richmond has fallen,
that our armies are beaten and demo-
ralised, that our people are discontented
and starving, that our troops are deserting, and that
we are in the last ditch Eco. Of course such rumours
and reports have no other Effect upon us than to
make U 3 more determined, i► ever the opportunity
offers, to revenge these base calumnies and insulting

taunts. The worst feature of our imprisonment
the being guarded by ' negro soldiers'—our own
slaves stolen from us by our magnanimous Northern
brethren ; but there is no alternative, we must re.
main and suffer for conscience and for country's sake
until our Government can effect an exchange. These
privations, however, are only for a time. The
Southern people are only suffering temporary hard-
ships and sacrifices; for I am forced to believe that
a glorious future is in store for the Confederate
States, and that after safely passing through this
terrible ordeal of war we as a people and a separate
nation shall be better able to enjoy that independ-
ence for which we have suffered and battled, and
which we are determined to extort from our bitter
enemies. No doubt I weary you with this lengthy
history of the sufferings of myself and comrades at
the hands of the United States officers; but I feel
certain that I am writing to one who deeply sym-
pathises with our people, and who has done all in
his power to ameliorate and lessen the sufferings of
myself during a long imprisonment here. My health
is still quite good, and my spirits as buoyant as could
be expected under the circumstances."