Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-25
OUIE RHUTEmOND CoRREsPoNDENcE.


Looks these War 7imss-Plsntycf Life and Belstle-
Soldiers in Hacks-7Re Golden Age Of Tailors ana
the Like-High Price Of ProvisiOns- Enough Ief
for Gen. Scott-Futurs of Richmond Public Opia
ion IN Regard to the Rdr-Fsars about MiscOncep
ton Gen. A. s. Johnson-In Intercepted Dispatches
a General Engagement on the Potomac, de-, de-
RICHMOND, 0ctoberAs, 1861
daresay the best way to begin correspondence
is to.plunge IN nledias res take for granted that
yourself and your readers know, or are going to
know each other very well, and to waste no time II
passing compliments, or in making promises, but 60
straight to work. If you want better introduce
ton to your correspondent than the above, you
must await more convenient season, for it is just
as impossible for him to do any fac writing this
August>like afternoon as 1t is for Yankee to tell
the truth or for Tennessee Regiment to show its
back to the foe, for Gen. JOHNSON not to winter
his troops in St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati, and
perhaps, Chicago-if he does his duty and comes
up to the public expectation which is rapid tray
eler, as every General is well aware.
You would, doubtless, like TO know how this
beautiful Capital of the Southern COnfederaey looks
after six months Of our tine have passed over it.
In the first place, there is just as much busting
life as though the war had never existed. There
are more people, more drays,carts, wagon carriag>
and wheeled vehicles generally, on the streets,
than have ever known before. Sometimes Main
streets closed upprety much az Broad way opposite
Barnums Museum is, or as Lynchburg used 10 be
twenty years ago, when the Main street there was
crowded with Tennessee wagons laden with live
geese, feathers ard other plumber, and having IN
der each of them, between the hind wheels, and in
close proximity to the tar-bucket, large brindled
bull dog and, sometimes, cub bear. As for the
hacks in Richmond, the war has been perfect Cod
send to them. They are going continually. The
highest ambition and most amberial delight of the
soldier on furlough seems to be the getting of
good dinner and fine cigar INTO himself, and then
the getting Of himself into first class hack in
which enviable position he proceeds without delay
to air his much braided Confederate uniform, and
to distribute the power of his home made Havana
throughout the principal thoroughfares to the in
finite admiration, az he imagines, Of the ladies
Hence the immense business in the hack line. AS
with this business, so with every other. You CAM
not name trade that is not fourishing. 1t is the
golden age Of taiiors boot makers, bar keepers,
lverysstable men, cigar sellers and the yender Of
pea nuts. These gentlemen now hold their noses
so high in the air that it is questionable whether
any of them have seen the pavement within
the last sixty days. Why boots are fifteen dolz
lars a pair, AMI a decent cigar can't be had
for less than twenty cent, 1 called upon
son Of the goose and shears the other day
and humbly petitiOned him to tx the col
collar Of a coat which meekly held in my hand.
Sir" aad he I'VE do repairing II this establish
ment." Z" Sir" said /, " does any one in this town
do any repairing?" Sir" said he, '-we concern
ourselves with nobody else's business but our own"
Thus discounted, retreated, and my coat collar
remains unrepaired to this day.
You may judge from the foregoing that as yet
nobody is hurt" much by the war. 1t is true that
hams are selling at prices which would crafty
Hebrew of the Straightest sect, AID that Rio cot
fee is worth half dollar a pound yet do really
believe have enough food left satisfy even the
capscious gastric apparatus of General Scott, and
liquor enough to wash down all the oatns he ever
did or ever will take during the remainder of his
gluttonous, trsitOrOus and unnatural life But,
somehow he has lost his appetite for Richmond din
ners. Ofcourse the Blu siness people glad Rich
mond has become the capital Of the Southern Re
public, aad all of Us look forward to bright future
for the city. But we miss sadly the faces Of the
three thousand brave boys We have sent to the field
of battle and some Of US, who love purity Of man
ners than pecuniary prosperity, take little joy
10 Witnessing the rapid corruption which Richmond
is undergoing in consequence Of being the political
and commercial centre Of the Confederacy.
If you question me concerning the state Of the
public mind, hardly know how to answer
you. Unquestioaably the great mass of our people
IRE well content With tbs existing condition of
.hingS and are not unprePared to suffer any hard
,hip rather than bow the knee to the low fuLg, I
bloody BAAL in Washington. There is no thought |
If ever again living in political union with the luna
lc population Of the North; nor is there whisper
# opposition to the Administration. But, at the /
anne time there is q deep seated conviction that
he war haS not been prosecuted with that ardor
md onward vigoF Enieh should characterize the
military operations OF the most Earl.te people on
he face Of the globe, and there is painful sppre
tension that the timid, tardy, unsouthern course
which We EsYe pursued may be attributed almost
oley to admin.sEE stiTe miscOnceptOn Of the po-
itical effect Of reversing tie EeEreB 81 invasion,
nd Of thus relieving our soil and people Of those
lorrOrs which rightfuly belong TO tina besOtted
and inviting land, in which ard among
gho1a the fratricidal strife began. Rse5less pro
ongstiGB Of the contest, and an infinite amount of
stress here at home it ia feared will follow, as the
ogical consequence O. this miseoneeRtiaq. 7 viii
cave this painful subject at this point reserVing to
lyssf the privilege Of returning to it in the event
hat Genera I. S. JOHNSTON shall not, by a rapid
nd brilliant campaign, Felieye re entirely of the
issgreea bic task. You can scarcely imagass hog
roudly and hopefully we looked forward 10 his az
uming command OF the Department Of the West,
nd bow confidently we predicted for him achieve
rents worthy Of EASOLEoS's best days in Italy.
As for news, there ia nathins 70 tell which will
OF reach you by telegraph in anticipation Of this
,tter. 7 may say, however, that general engage
tent on the FcsOnlc is looked for with absolute
ertainty, less on account Of the recent advance of
lie enemy than because of the interrogation Of dis
atehes to President DAVIS by LISCoLN's myrny>
ons in Ohio-aa event Of comparatively late occur