Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-11-24
A YANKEE IN THE SOUTH!
ms OBSERVATION REroRTED
Votes 81 a EsrccsF E7o.r ~ Fkc Colscde.
TGCy!

ing, that all over the South, the pretty little toy
ON the left bank of the James river is spoken Of
as the Capital" Just as though Washington
used TO be in the United States, and still Is in
the loyal portionithereOC l was no. an idle or
uuinterested observer of men and things in and
around Richmond, and in that section OF the
South through which / made way over the Dor
lar - and n Won consider my observations of
sufficient interest to deserve a corner IN the Her
aid, they are most willingly al your service.
THE UNION PRISONERS OF wAR
Richmond has really but one business thor
oughfare. That is Main street Most Of the
hotels, banks, newspaper offices aud stores are
located on it. Il extends northward into the
omen country, and southwark to a suburb called
Rockets. In this latter section of it are situated
some of the tobacco warehouses where our
Union prisoners are now confined. These are
large, old brick ediices, of mouldy, dllapldated
appearance. They stand three together on one
side of the s~treet-which here is Of a most dingy
character-snd two nearly opposite. Those on
the north side are overlooked by the bluffs in
which Church Hill here terminates, and which
supply gravel for the city, while those on the
sOnth side Of the street have the james Tlver and
Kanawha canal, and the river itself, Immediately
in their rear. l have often passed By those prls-
Oh houses, and had "A ieeiingS Nyerated by
hEGlAk NLC NhAAtAlslAAA fA 90 .A.'
suffering here for then loyalty and devotion to
the country. It is hard 80 find ont anything re-
lating to the welfare Of the government, aud
inquisitiveness into public matters Is lot a safe
weakness to indulge in. Dissertations have,
therefore, to be made quietly, patiently, and on
whatever slight data may be casually present
cd or acquired.
Ny observation leads me 10 think that there
are. on an average, two hundred men confined
in each Of these warehouses, huddled together,
with not much more regard 10 health than a hu-
name captain of a SLAYER would show TO ms
freight of emigrants from Congo river to the
Havana. The lower floors are assigned to the
officers, the windows being strongly grated
the upper ones are occupied by the rank and hie
of our men who fell into the rebels hands at
Manassas and elsewhere. The condition OF all,
officers and men, is pitiable and deplOrable tothe
last degree, and not another day should be lost
by our government adopting some means by
which It's faithful but unfortunate adherents IN
Richmond may be rescued from their miseTies
and restored to the Gghtof freedom and the COM
forts Of home These men ought not to be
sacrificed any longer TO a mere diplomatic or po-
litical technically. Humanity, reason, justice,
common sense, al appeal in tones that should
not be ignored for q prompt termination to the
s-enseless bubble Of which these brave men are
victims. The rebellion can be quelod just as
eaectually after an exchange Of prisoners IS
effected as before. I believe there are one OF
two other warehouses and mills in the western
part Of the city near the canal basins, where
more Of our Union prisoners are confined. The
bulk of them, however, have been sent
further South.
o LETCHER n PRESIDENT DAVIS.
lido not believe that very friendly or confden-
tial relations exist between John Letcher, as head
Of the State government, aud Jefferson Davis, az
head of the rebel C0nfedeTacy. The former can,
by no proof of his subseryiency 10 the rebe
cause, prevail upon the ultra secession element
to place confidence IN him. Besides. he is alto.
gtther too pifbiaR ia origin and appearance, and
too democratic in his tastes 10 suit the deleata
fastidiOusness and the e~xactipg requirements OF
pure blood. ON which the chiyalry pride them
selves. / viii not say that any decidedly hostile
feeling is manifested in the relations Of the state
and Confederate executives, but ! am inclined to
believe, from ell / can gather. that those relations
are the reverse OF friendly. The citizens and thf
soldiers treat Letcbcr iCitb he utmost contempt,
while Davis has from them demonstration Of
respect and confidence that might hatteT the van
ity Of a European desp0t. When Davis came
FIRST 20 Richmond, he put up at the Spotswood
Hotel, but this residence was too public and too
vulgar TO suit either his tastes or necessities.
The citizens, therefore, procured for him and II
ted up in the most expensive manner avery large
and beautiful residence ON MARSHALL street |
believe Il is built of white msThle. Il occupies
"a large plot Of ground, the gaLXn sweeping
down, terrace Ike, in the direction of that deep
gully which separates this part of the city from
Church Hill. Here he holds his court, and is all
the time surrounded by military officers and
civil diguitaIies. He has but recently recovered
from a severe attack Of intermittent fever, the
same from which be was reported 70 have died,
BUSINESS AND CURRENCY.
So much for the typographical and other
prominent features Of the city. / wish could
present them more clearly, but | still hope that
they are sufficiently Ineligible. As to business,
it is generally represented as completely ruined,
except those branches OF trade that are con
nected with the equipment and supplies Of the
army. These are h0uTshing, but the only cur
rency to be had is paper money; and when the
war ends those who have appeared to drive the
most thriving business will probably find them
selves rich only in worthless shinplastels.
Nevertheless the people do not seem iuclined to
look far into the future, and as bank notes, Is
sued in unlimited supply, and without any re-
gard to a corresponding capital, viii pass cur
rent in trade, there DO not appear TO be hard
times. Those branches Of trade, that are con
nected with articles of luxury, or articles not Of
the FIRST necessity, are entirely ruined, and many
are the empty stores that eau be seen in MAN
street. silent witnesses against the madness Of
the hour. Still the sidewalks are crowded with
pedestrians, and on the whole, Richmond may
be said to be a gay city.
SOUTHERN BOMBAsT.
The people are carried away with the flush Of
the partial successes Of the rebels, and mere than
ever vauntedis the vast superiority of southern
ers over Yankees. Oh, how / have longed to see
a check given tothis bTavado by a triumph Of the
national arms, which would bring these people
70 their senses. ! think that one grand battle
and decisive victory in Virginia would burst the
bubble, dispel the insanity that has seized upon
the popular mind in the South, disorganize their
immense army, and lead TO a speedy restoration
of peace, order and obedience TO law. But ev-
cry little check that our arms sustain is magnihed
by these boosters, and is an additional obstacle
in the way of peace. Every party of Union
soldiers that IS paraded through the streets of
Richmond on their way TO prison appears to
these American Gascons incontestible evidence
of their great superiority over the men of the
North. Captivity Itself is hard to bear, but the
sting is made dOubly severe by the tauntS Of the
women and negroes. and by the feeling that ev-
ery one Of those unavoidable incidents Of war
is taken as a proof Of southern yalor. / have
often thought that the negroes, with the cunning
of their race, make a show Of hostility to the
northern prisoners only the better to ward oil
suspicion from themselves, and gain the good
will and confidence Of the white folks
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
The handsome ediice erected BY the general
oYemmen a few years ago, ON Main street.
Richmond, for the purpose Of a post Office, is still
appIied TO the use for which it was designed.
Postal arrangements in the South, although
sadly shorn of their former completeness, still
preserve an air of regular existence. To be
sure. IL sometimes takes the mail from Memphis
a week or ten DAYS 10 reach Richmond but then
the answer to the grumbler Is, that even in the
North the regularity olRthe mail is, at present and
on account Of the war, sadly deranged, There
Is still an apparent postal system IN the South.
Many of the contractors for carrying the United
States mails continue 10 perform then contracts
under the Confederate government, receiving
bonds in payment. Others have thrown up
their contracts rather than take such Problemat-
zeal remuneration aud besides that, a large pro-
portion of the mail routes have been discon-
timed.
Perhaps there l. no deprivation resulting from
tb;, war which The people Of the South regret
and miss more than they do the mail system.
But recklessness aud an utter disregard Of the
future. rules everywhere. The southern mind
seems TO have resolved itself into this one idea:
oAfer ms. the d%eluge." II was that improve
dence aud reckless disposition that drove them
into this rebellion. and il is the same that viii
retain them in the hostile attitude winch they
nave assumed 1t would be idle and ridiculous
-m.-ATLNA naHHaWEaNfUa