Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-04-04
Eighth Let from Blynnks.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. April l, 1861.
III Ej5gorx Of H. DTiI,J Patriot

incurred during my stay an expense OF with
in a fraction of twelve dollars and carpet
bag. The twelve dollars have spent prin-
cipally for necessaries, such as drinks and
cigars;-the carpet-bag l left at the National
Hotel as feeble token of my sense of obi
gait IN to the establishment for its hospitality
of which availcd myself for the space of
some eight or ten days. l am sorry to say
that my mission here has ended in little more
than mOonshine. The President and | have
had slight misunderstanding, and l have
formally announced to him and his Cabinet
that will accept no position whatever at
their hands, and that L shall at once proceed
to Montgomery and tender my services to
President Davis as General in the Confede-
rate Army 1 am as yet in ignorance as 10
what effect this announcement may have had
upon the Administration; but | presume it
created good deal of feeling; and hence
am momentarily expecting to be arrested for
high treason and consigned to the Federal
Dungeon have therefore left my boarding
house without the knowledge. l may say, of
the proprietor, who, L have satisfactory
reasons for believing, is a secret spy of
the Government, and intended to betray me,
at the first favorable opportunity, into the
hands of the District Marshal, that officer
having no doubt been authorized and
Instructed by the President to arrest
me. 1 detected the Marshal in the act
of passing by the premises yesterday alter
noon, as if to confirm my suspicious
and establish the whole thing beyond all
question. the landlord dunned me for his
board-bill in less than an hour afterwards,
showing plainly bis anxiety to SECURE my
money before my arrest. l ASSURED him that
if he would wait until / could step down
town and get the change for hI adred dol
lar bill, would hand him the an CUNT Much
more readily than l dared to h3pe for, he
agreed to do so. l accordingly Started down
town, and finding that my steps were
logged neither by the landlord nor by any
of the Federal officers, l came on here to the
back-rOOm of cheap lager-beer saloon.
near the steamboat landing, where am now
writing this in a state of apprehension which
you may possibly imagine, but which 1 am
utterly unable to describe
Ia fifteen minutes l shall go aboard of the
boat for Alexandria, where l shall mail this
and take the cars for Montgomery, by way Of
Richmond. 1 shall stop day or so in Rich
mond. to procure letters of Introduction to
some of the more prominent Southern Re-
publicans from Gov. Wise. When Gov. Wise
practiced law in Nashville some thirty years
ago, was personally acquainted with him,
and as I was then kind enough to encourage
him by employing him, when he was young
and almost briefess, to clear one of my
near relations who was about to be sent to
the State prison upon the frivolous pretext
that he had stolen horse, he doubtless
remembers me with gratitude, and will take
great pleasure i'll giving me a series of very
fiattering letters TO his influential friends who
are dispensing the new agglomeration of
spoils down about Montgomery. These,
backed by my personal standing, will unques-
tionably secure me the epaulets of General
in the gallant army of the Confederate States,
whose soul, am credibly informed, is in
arms and eager for the fray. Besides, l am
personally acquainted with jeff Davis. 1
Vicksburg several years ago, and had the
honor of taking several cocktails with him
during the trip, and of winning about TWEEN
ty-five dollars from him at a friendly game of
poker. 1t was probably the last time that
either of us ever resOrted TO game involy-
ing money as a source of amusement. He as
sured me that it was also the first-tfme that
he had ever done it, and 1 asszfed him it was
the first time that ever hi q too. JEFF, if /
am correctly informed, was always extreme
ly upright in his department, as well as my
self, and is as far from being a gambler, ex
cept in the innocent game of politics, as 1
am. The recollection of our voyage together
up the Mississippi, which took place some
twenty-odd years ago, must be extremely
pleasant to him, for the liquor they kept on
the boat was of the best quality, and as an
entertaining eonpagnoH dU royage, was then
in my prime. This recollection will insure me
a cordial welcome to the capital of the new
Government, and as soon as enter upon my
military duties, shall bid an eternal adieu
to Nashville, where, blush to say, have
never been fully appreciated, and remove my
family to Montgomery. 1t is my intention to
procure q Lieuteuant's commission for
Charles William Henry (now in his eigh-
teenth year, and attach him to my staff as
aid-de-camp. You are therefore at liberty to
decline any appointment that may be ten
dered him by the new Nashville Postmaster.
McNish il no doubt anxious to secure his ser
vices. but, once for all, he can't get them.
These Washington people are sharp. If
you will excuse the seeming profanity of the
remark, will indulge myself so far as to say
that these Washington people are devilish
sharp But if the most enlightened among
them quits his yirtuOus couch sufficiently
early in the morning to come any of his ras-
cally nonsense over me, he will enjoy the
pleasure of seeing the sun rise, If nothing else.
1t would cost most men of my standing in
society at least hundred dollars to stay six
weeks in Washington but l would richly
deserve the reputation of being much great
er fool than l am generally supposed to be, if
/ were to pay the half of that amount for so
poor privilege If get away without be-
ing arrested for high-treason, aud can manage
10 make my way to Montgomery free of ex-
pense, as hope to do, shall be well salts
fed with the way the thing has turned out
so far.
hear the Alexandria steamer coming up
the river, and / have MT time now to give
you the particulars of my little misunder-
standing with the President, to which refer
red in the outset Of this hasty scrswli but