Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-04-10
Letter from Mississippi.

~-'SNA""'', A'Aloo., H4hiNl oD.--DEAR IA
zETTE.-As one who appreciates your noble
old paper, wherever [ find it, whether amidst
my native hills of Fauqnier or in these low
lands of the South, allow me to drop you
few modest lines upon the times in this
section of country.
Having been here for about two months,
we have had fair opportunity ofjudging of
The sentiment and feelings of the mass of
the people, upon our national troubles, and
we think that il the readers of the Gazette
cou!d have the same opportunity, the hue
anu cry over the hardness of the old Domu-
ion going out the Union would soon be hush
eI, ior every one of them would return and
hlt old Virginia over this side of the fence.
was much surprised. on reaching here.
to find affairs 50 tranquil, and not confused
and IN chaotic state as | expected. In the
councils OF this state, where | expected to
ind diSSenSion and rashness, | found har-
mony and de!iheratiou. Not only in the
abuTe bodies, Legislature and Convention,
VAS this spirit found, but it pervaded all
classes; rich and poor, high and low, all
seemed governed By the same sentiments
nil said to the contrary by Northern papers
being mere tabrications. And, so far as we
can Judge, we found the poorer and lower
classes as enthusiastic on secession, as those
Of wealth and power.
In New Orleans we found a little diversi-
ty Of sentiment, but even there the Union
! ly IL, H.
the South has taken, and, as there is now Il
Southern Consederacy, all arc ready to de-
fend it.
While in the Crescent City we saw the ma
| ter:el which is to defend Southern rights. 1t
was on two occasions the military. turned
ont 10 the number OF $500 to 5000 men,
the 22d of February and the reception of
Cen. Twiggs from Texas. TO any common
observer it was evident from these military
displays, that improvement in the Southern
volunteer force was of vast importance to,
and sorely needed by the South
These displays showed the necessity Of
Immediately making q portion of the volun-
tser force, the regular army to be ready for
duty at any moment, accustomed to the hard
ships and prlvations Of Il soldiers life. As
it liz, two-thirds Of the volunteers in our CT
| ties, are persons engaged in sedentary pur-
suits, lawyers, clerks, statesmen, doctors,
wholly unified for the seventies Of a cam
paign. If ever they are called upon the
field, they will not be found wanting in cour-
age, but in discipline and in enduring the
hard routine Of Il soldiers life, they will be
deficient They have strong hearts but mild
constitutions. They may storm battery
with coolmess, yet the first days march of
thirty miles would wear away the legs Of
half Of them, and the first wet night spent in
| the tent, their camp would resound with
coughs. sneezcs and all the noises of an army
OF toads. From the number of pale faces
which we have seen in the New Orleans
companies, we are forced to believe that in
| the hour Of emergency the South will have
to rel mainly upon her young men from
| the rural districts, who are already some
what enured to hardship, and consequently
would not suffer so much from the shock
caused BY exposure of the health.
Notwithstanding these disadvantages, the
New Orleans troops, by gradually making
! themselves soldiers in constitution, may yet
shed lustre on the history Of Louisiana and
! The Southern Confederacy.
During the past week the volunteer COM
pnnies Of Kinds, Mississippi, and the neigh
boring counties of Mississippi, have been in
! great excitement and enthusiasm in antici-
| pation cl being ordered to Pensacola, Florida,
! bY President Davis. He has since ordered
each State to furnish a regiment to 20 to
! PIckens, so the volunteers Of the above coun-
! ties have been collecting in Jackson previ-
Gus to their departure en- masSe for Plckens
| About 800 got their first taste Of camp life
| here ii tine town, and they seemed to relish
it mach. While here we frequently visited
their camp and found them TO present at
times both II picturesque and ludicrous
scene. 10 visit them at n light we could
easily imagine ourselves in the midst of IN
enci4mpei army. Their innumerable camp
| fires illuminating the wreaths Of smoke,
which were in beautiful contrast with the
snow white tents. the stacked muskets, files
! 81 luggage AMI the dusky forms of the senti-
naia in tie distance, couspired to make it
picturesque in the extreme. 10 see the lu-
dicr0tts You NEST visit their camp in the
! morning. when the half disciplined voiun-
tezrs and raw recruits are going through
their daily evolutions
NJ fifty OF them being uniformed alike,
ana some not uniformed at all, some with
red, Others with blue shirts, and others with
Sir! ply colored ribbon around their hats,
presented ~ odd and not at all Il martial ap-
pcaraDce. All the colors # the rainbow
were represented in the line. This, togeth-
or with the miscellaneou. character Of the
men. professional, farmers, mechanics and
laborerS formed an interesting group. But
when they began tn manmuyre, that u.s. tread
on one an1ihcrs heels aud toes and turn
every way but The right, it would have made
a hog split his che eks laughing. Yet, With
all this, they were a noble set Of men, and
most ii them, being of an active life, will
make s"d;ers, aud something better THAI
mere food for gunpowier." Determines
ton. iIrtnneSs and energy were marked in
every c;:untenance, and there was IL total
disregard for brass buttons epaulcttcs, and
AL military araphcrnala-a proof that the
men were not alured III the expedition by
surh foolish attractions. Most of them, on
hearing that there was call for troops, drop
ed their planes and trowcls, and left the
plow in the furrow, 10 be the first on the
tented field
THIS morning they took their departure
for Pensacola via Mobile. Ga reaching the
depot we found :: large crowd assembled TO
see the "boys' of and tell them good bye. |
Many were the sad and sorrow stricken
iuces MorheFs and sisters wept for the SONS
and brothers, who, perhaps, may never re-
tIru: whr, though they may escape bullets |
md L..rnuot. will have fnrpi 1,1 ,Ia opa,ios |