Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-05-03

w ANA@ - Ae1RNbAANNA
travellers in the same FIX with us, all anxious
to get to Washington. The hackmen, true
to their natural instinct were charging from
forty-Ave to sixty dollars for the use Of q car
riage to Washington-distaDce thirty eight
miles, requiring only seven hours to accom-
plish the io~urney-they to have in addition
the prospect OF a return load at the same
price. While at the depot we noticed a young
lady in an omnibus, weeping bitterly, She
expected to go to Washington, and no thaving
sufficient funds to pay the cut-thrOat hack
men, very naturally gave way to her feel
iugs.
Determining not to submit to being robbed
by these fellows, we drove to Barnum's Ho-
tel, to wait reaso, able terms.
After breakfast I went into the reading
room, and there met with a gentle man who
formerly lived in Cleveland. In the course
of our conversation, I very naturally alluded
to the delicate subject" free speech being
second nature to me. As the Secessionists
in thu room were pitching into the Union,
thought there could be no harm in my put
ting in a word in behalf of that glorious old
Union. The gentleman forthwith cautioned
me to "guard my tongue" He very soon
left me, and much to my amusement, in spite
Of my attempts, studiOusly avoided me
Il seemed be became somewhat alarmed
10 be seen in my companyI Shorty after
wards, three gentlemanIy appearing men
came running down the street to the place
where was standing, in front OF our hotel,
talking amongst themselves in a most
excited manner. listened with some interest
to learn what was the trouble, and ascer-
tanned that a certain Union man, not having
the fear Of the secessionists before him, had
been guilty of making the objectionable re-
mark that the Northern army would soon
wipe out the Southern rebels ~ These ex-
cited gentlemen had taken it upon them
selves to take the luckless author of such a
truthful statement into charge, and perhaps
give him a "tair triaI' before his Majesty
Judge Lynch. The gentlemen came to the
conclusion that the object of their ire had
taken one of the street cars and gone to
tother side of the town" and forthwith they
trotted off to hunt him up, as l supposed.
fell in with a Reporter Of the New York
World and a Washingtonian, both of whom
were endeavoring, like myself to get to
Washington. We agreed to charter a car
riage. They delegated me to go to a livery
stable and see what I could do, and "if |
could hire e decent conveyance for the sum
of thirty-fvs dollars, to give it, and no more"
After some higgling with the proprietor of
the stable, l succeeded in hiring an old-fash-
Toned carryall for the above amount.
We started at about 3 o'clock, and in a few
minutes we were beyond the reach of the
"Plug Uglies," and then We all expressed
our feelings in the most emphatic, if not po-
lite manner. We fe,t as though we had left
the modern SodOm, Gomorrah, or Babylon
behind.
At six O'Clock we reached the Half Way
House, without having been molested. There
we met some dozen loungers who were very
anxious to learn the news about the war
They were discussing the affairs of the ma
ton in a very animqted manner. We took
supper at this house, and such a support l
have often heard of the misery of civilized
travellers at the South, in being compelled 20
eat Southern eatables and drink Southern
~drinksbles, but this supper went ahead of
nay most sanguine Imagination, in regard to
filth and miserable quality. We had what
our landlady called coffee, but l doubt if there
is anything in heaven or on earth, or
any other place, outside of the Southern
States, that can produce a more disagreeable
concoction to one who processes to have al
least the one accomplishment of being a good
judge of coffee. Our landlady charged Us
for our ~unequalled meal the same price that
would be charged at a first class Northern
Rotel.
After we had resumed our journey, our
Washington friend said that that coffee was
not coffee, but "roasted corn ground up.
This he knew, because he was familiar with
the liquid. This explained the taste of the
villainous stuff.
At ten o'clock we hove in sight of the
lighted skylight over the Senate Chamber of
the Capitol, now occupied by the brave Mas
sachusetts troops. We soon drove up to the
National Hotel, and l got out and went in
solitary and alone, my travelling companions
continuing on to Wizards. Alter having
registered myself as from Cleveland, O., a
small crowd of -an1ious-faced individuals
gathered around me and enquired for "news
from the North" 1t seemed they had not
received a Northern paper for four or FIVE
days, in fact, for the time being, Washing
ton was almost entirely isolated from the
rest of the world. Only one regiment Of
Northern troops had arrived, and that the
Massachusetts, regiment although before
l left philadelphia, the New York pa
pers had announced the arrival Of he Sew
enth, and that IA, $40 men were already con-
gregated in this city. 1 was surprised to
learn Of the nor-arrival of the Seventh. 1t
also seemed that l was amongst the first that
arrived in the city from the North, since COM
munication was cut of by railroad. Hence
the intense anxiety displayed by the crowd
for me to give them news. Having been
thoughtful enough before left Philadelphia,
to provide myself with q dozen copies of New
York and Philadelphia papers, I loaned them
to the crowd, with the understanding that
they we're to be returned to me in the Morn
ing, fer the purpose Of enabling me to give
them 10 friends.
I also learned that the city had been in