The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-17
OUR SOUTHERN EsTAFETTE,

We are favored with copy of the following let
ter, addressed by clergyman of Virginia to DIR
Tying:
ST. PAULs REcToRY, Va, August Il, 1861.
Rec. and Dear Sir: \ few days since visited
the battlefield at Manassas, to look after many @
my friends, who had there engaged in deadly con
fiict in defence of their dearest rights.
need not tell you how nv heart was saddenec
By the hor 'oic pictures that were everywhere t,
be seen. Besides the many hundreds who had bee1
hastily Inferred where they fell upon the battle
field, nearly every house | saw for miles aroupt
was turned into hospital, where day and nigh
are heard the agOniZinE grOans of the wretchrr
victims OF this h0rrid and unnatural war
Would that all who have taken part in brinqipc
1t about, could witness the agones of the thousand
who have fallen in this battle! But it is t.
De feared mat they who have been chiefly nstru
mental in bringing about the war, have as yet seer
but little of its horrors. 1t is not they who fgh
the hattles. They stay quietly at home, and by
their ianatical haTangues, urge on the poor igno
rant, delud"d masses to certain destruction.
Never has any army been more deiudPd than thai
"graud army" which retreated so hastily frnrr
Manassas In irving to minister to the snirftua
comfort of the many wounded that have been leit
behind, have had frequent opportunities of hear.
ing, from their OWN lips, an account of the gros;
deception which hac been practised upon them.
They were told that the great body of the peonIa IN
the SAuth were Union men, ready to raiIy around
the Stars and Stripes" as soon as they could do ).
with SAFETY. While, on the contrary, there never
has, II the history OF the world, been seen great
er determination in any people, TO struggle, even
unto death, for what they regard as their cansttn.
tiOnal rights. They were told by their Ieadars
that we could bring into the field no force IN
stand against the grand army" Of the North;
while now the whole n Drth attempts to expsiD the
shameful defaat at Manassas, on the ground Of our
superior numbers and generalship
And, in this connection, You will pardon me, sir,
for referring to another false impression wh hich
you, perhaps unntentonaliy, have assisted in nro
duciDg. | need hardly say that refer to your re-
cent speech before the Bible Society," in which YOU.
in sneerng manner, express the opinion that n0r
five hundred Bibles could he found in the whole oi
the Southern army; while at the same time you
speak in the most glowing terms of the relirinus
character OF those vcu have sent forth to suburate
Us. In most fervid language you exclam HHas
the world ever seen such an army? How their
names will glisten in gloryr' And in the ardlr of
your deep feeling, you suggest that "Che rare
birds of Billy Wilson's flock" may secure their sal
vatiOn By the c0nsecrati0n they are nov making of
themselves to the cause of heir country
A stranger might infer, from this remarkable
speech, that the contrast between the two armies
must be most discreditable to the South lie miyht
naturally expect to a horde Of barbarians con.
tending with the most enlightened Christian army
that ever went into a field of battle But what ,o
sae, when this vauuted army treads upon the
soil Of the Old DOmini n? Robbery house burn
yards have followed in its train. Already, horrors
enough have been committed to degrade any civil
lied people on the face Of the globe.
>, few days since l stepped into a sweet IjttIl
Episcopal church a. Cort~oviilo, at vvi,aao oanro
Grafton | was present nine years ago, and though
this ''grand Christian army" had been quarterec
in its vicinity but two days, they had almost en-
tirely DESTROYED the chance, and had covsraf
nearly every foot OF its walls with the "names that
to glisten in glorY"-some of them signed tc
the most filthy and basphemous expressions-a
few specimens of shc more decent of which | vii
repeat. 10 large letters over the pulpit is, 'Deali
to traitors-thus saith the Lord" death to trai
tors and rebels Amen" Good damn the South
"Death to all Of the sesessonest-Ssntervilla
Nergenia, July 20th, 1861, by Cod" In one placr
Jefferson Davis is represented as swinging from
gailowS, with most disgusting inscription under
neath while in another place he is resented rs
dead and dropping into a coffin, with the iuscrip
tion '0ld jeff. going into the box"
As turned away, with a sad heart, from thi:
desecrated church, went into another near by
where were collected MANY of the wounded Of tn,
''grand army" And there / saw the "S0utherr
barbarians' kindly and tenderlv nursing thoa,
who mad few days before contended with them il
deadly fight. sentinel at the door ordered m,
back, and only admitted me when it was ascer. ain
ed that came for the spiritual comfort of tn
wounded. In nearly every of the many hos
pitfalls ! entered, saw the same tender regard fo
the wounded enemy, and from the lips Of many o
them heard expressions of gratitude for the grea
number Of them assuring me that they were treate,
in the same manner with our own wounded
From what ! had seen, in the papers, of tb,
Christian character Of the great army, and of tn
many thousand copies of the Bible that had beer
distributed among the soldiers, ] naturally ex
pected to find g0ad number taking consolation il
their Affections from its blessed teachings; but
have no recollection Of having seen among them
single copy of the Bible, and certainly converse
with no one who seemed to have clear views Of tn
| Gospel. | would not be understood to intimat
that think there no pious men in the Northern
| army. There are, doubtless, many sincere Chris
| tians to be found among the many thousands VIII
the facts which have mentioned clearly show tha
! the army, generally, is very far from being cor
| trolied by Christian principles.
| And now, in conclusion, sir, will take the lber
ty OF saying to you, thar it is impossible for tn
South to be subdued By any army you can brin
| against US. The world has never before seen sue
an army as that which has been raised here to rt
| sist this unjust and unhGly invasion. Every elias
aad every profession, from the highest to the IoH
est, is representedin in this army. And 2 very larg
! proportion Of the men not only pay their own e1
penses but contribute very large sums tow ards t
J prosecution of the 1t matters not what forc
! you may bring against us-we can easily rails
man for mao; and the experience Of the past fe
| weeks clearly shows that larger number will NJ
! be required to drive the invaders from our soil
| We will be, with Gods blessing, a free and ind
| pendent people, and when separated from the DO
soDouS influences OF Norther ab0tionisfl, wi hor
| and expect to do more than we have ever done f
the temporal and spiritual elevation of the race ovt
whom God, in His all-wise providence, has place
| U.S.
Praying that the North may soon be led to Sc
the utter folly and wckedness of this unnatur
war, remain, very truly, yours,
II. Il. ScoTT.