Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-05-29
ING been necessarily absent for few days, we


11,vrSa been necCssariy absent for few days, We
were refoicd to find on returning this morning that
wilmington still stood in its cd place, and that as yet
it had not suffered from hostile attack fallen into hos
tile hands Long may it stand.
Passing on our way through pretty large section of
country formerly devoted extensively to the cultivation
of cotton, we do not remember to have seen single
field, although, perhaps we may have passed several OF
one thing however we are certain and that is, that we
saw field after field for miles, that we knew had in past
years been given mp to cotton, now occupied by al
thrifty growth Of young corn.
Apart from the topic of the war, and not so far
apart from it either, found reference made to
salt than almost anything else. On the cars and off
the cars where men talked seriously about cause
and its prospects, cur successes and failures, ad
vanages aud our difficulties, hopes and our fears,
still the salt question would We speak, think
advisedy when we say that there is hardly any ques
ton of more pressing Importance to the country than
that Of salt 1t is OF vital Importance to the people and
TO the cause of the South and every effort public and
private by every party, State or Confederate private
persons or corporate bodies, ought to be made to get
supply of salt We may talk OF speculation il We please,
and OF making laws to repress it, but cannot TINS
talk or legisate salt out Of the earth the sea-
We must have the supply before can regulate its
sale or distribution We may economist salt as much
as we please but there is point at which that
must stop.
We have talked with men from North and South
Carolina Georgia. Alabama and Mississippi, and heard
The same talk about salt. Why, at points in the inte
ror as we have learned, salt is being retaed at fifty
cents quart which would make it expensive luxury
to indulge in even at table IT, as the legend goes or
as Luther is said to have said heonco eat bushel Of
salt with the devil we rather think that salt must have
been cheaper then than it is now else it would have i'm
povcrshed the devil himself to have paid for many re-
pQts at the rate of sixteen dollars CT indeed thirtgtwo
doars if we assume that his Satanic Majesty eat bush
q for bushel with the great reformer.
But disguise this matter we may II is q serious
one most serious one 1t is no longer simply ques
ton of price, although that is serious enough Il is
question OF supply at any price People must have
salt. If they can't get it from friends tbey will be
tempted, perhaps forced, to get it somehow from the
enemy, and we all know the danger, the Generalization
of this trading with the enemy 1t is Of the things
that our cause has most to fear from.
During our absence from home business took US to
Charleston where martial law is in operation ard from
=
other sphere of duty not much to the regret Of the ci
zens as we should judge ron the general tone of
mark The people of Charleston are still sore about
the running Of of the steamer Planter well the
score Of some other things of the kind equally shameful
There does not appear TO be any great excitement a.
though families are getting eff fast they can and
the whole up country is crowded with Cha1lestonians
who have gone up sce of them, far away Green's
borough, n. G.
OF the number of troops in and around the city, of
course we cannot speak There are a good many how
ever but they make show the Streets and but few
uniforms are to be seen around the hotels Or public
places The pickets in the city are mounted.
No one, merely from reading. could have any idea of
the destructive sweep of the great fire which swept
through the very heart of the city. Certainly we had
none. There is appearance now of charred timbers
or baCkcntd walls. The timbers were all burned up
wholly, or have been removed. The walls where uu-
safe, have been taken down, and the bricks generally
cleaned and neatly piled Up within the spaces they for
mery enclosed. Here and there, where the founda-
tons have been good Or the remaining fragments Of
wall would bear it, houses have been up or are still
going up the old bricks being generally used but these
rebuilt houses are very few.
The water courses are all up higher than we recoect
to have seen them before The Pee Dee is trimming
so with the Watere and the CoDgaree aud of course
with the Saptee. OF the reports of the movements o.
the Yankee gunboas on the South Carolina coasts anG
rivers, we could not make much definite. They have
certainly been proving around and up the Black Rive
and the WGccamaw, and it feared that they wou'G
get up to Conwayboro'. OF the means taken to repe
them or check their advance we hardly know and cou
speak. 1t is very desirable that these shouC
be prompt ard Efficient their further progress, espe
ciaIy up tie Pee Dee, might jeopardze Southerr
Railroad muniCatiOns well telegraph lines
On the n Orth Eastern Road there is q colOred train
hand with fiery red whokers. He looks rather peculiar
THE DEsPoTs IN WASHINGTON, n. Give haV
been kindly permitted to see private letter from
lady formerly resident in the vicinity OF Washington
but who has been forced to make her escape from th
insults and depradatons Of the invaders who have
of most of her servants, ransacked her house. searche
every nook-opened every drawer closet taken VIVA
they wanted and given the rest to the negroes to tax
away. On Tuesday of last week, after the lady ha
gone, they returned to the house-tod servant VIII
would appeared to have remained that there was some
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