, 1862-07-15
FROM BEHIND C0RINTH.
WHAT OUR ARMY IS DOM g..
The Protection OF Rebel ChattelS,
Pigs and Chickens.
KEEPING THE SLAVES At WORK FOR
REBEL MASTERS.

|
those Of the rebels, his area is wonderfully
enlarged, and he finds an increased amount OF
business on his hands. His army Is taking
its summer Riesta, having apparently little to DO
but to guard defenseless women and children
whose husbands, fathers and brothers are now
before Richmond, giving battle to Gen.
Mcclellan, and to See that the negroes on
the plantations are orderly and quset-giyfng
food to the poor and Furnishing any soldier
whose scorbutic appetite impels him to take
q handful of onions from the garden Of his
proteges.
I ha1e spent some two weeks In looking
through the various camps, calling at the |
farm houses, for the purpose Of posting |
myself both as regards the sanitary condition |
Of the army and the prospects Of the rebel |
population. From Hamburg to Danville,
some thirty miles, is almost continuous |
camp, the Inhabitants have nearly all fed, |
and the farms are in ruins, the crops trodden
down and the fences in the corduroy roads. |
a little of from the line the farms are in
better condition and the usual amount of
crops planted, with the exception Of cotton,
in which corn has been planted in its stead.
The same may be said Of the farms to the
northwest Of Danyille, which have no ap-
pearance Of the war, further than the fact that
the white men hare gone to the var and the
farms are carried On as usual by negroes,
under the care Of the mistresses.
4 pertinent inquiry is what the army be-
Lind Corinth is doing. 1t is said they are re-
cruiting their wasted energies, lost In en-
taenching, heavy marches and climatic expo.
cures. Certain it is that they are foraglng on
| blackberries, dieting on strong coffee, fat
| bscoD, hard bread, occasionally relieved with
seccsIl pics at twenty-five cents each,
butternilk at fifteen cents quart, onions at
fifty cents a dozen, of the size Of hens eggs
guarding farm fences, hen coops, feeding pigs
on the garbage Of the camps, protecting
gosliugs and poultry from being run over OF
disturbed in their searches for food. 1t is true
that q small number answ er to roll call, while
the large number are accounted for, absent OF
in hospital; and dress parade draws out from
200 to 400 to the regiment, as the shades Of
evening invite to exercise.
It may be giving mid and comfort to the
enemy to thus give truthful picture Of the
army Of the Mississippi, but as the enemy are
having the full benefit of it what more can
they ask besides this, they know the condi-
lion Of every regiment and its location, and
are as we'll posted in the movements as the
officers themselves. While every able bodied
nLitc man among the rebel population is OF
from home fighting the Union, is it not kind
IN eur army to project their slaves while pro-
yiding them subsistence, aud to Keep theil
, women and children IRON starving. That
these rebel families are pleased but not thank
tul for I'll this Kind attention I know from
personal examination
. This is no plan to improve the health oi
f the army, tor with ihe exception OF the black
: berries, it has no redeemiug qualities uudel
} the present condition Of quarturmaster anG
t commiseary stores. There is plenty Of poul
try in The country, but tic rebel women vii
; not sell to our sick soldiers, and the sick il
] Hospital and IN camp must make the best theJ
!, can Of brown and hard bread In camp thai
/ visited few days since counted over titt.
7 chickens, a dozen gos{ipgs busy picking u
i crumbs about the tents, while nigs 0
IS running their noses into mess boxes and Wa
= ter buckets. But should d soldier take one c
these for toll, he would be sent to extra dut
q or lied up by his thumbs to gun carriage
If When consider that i large majority Of thes
soldiers are the sons Of 'armers, Of mocha nici
- and professional men, os well as the fathc,
Is themselves who enlisted for the war out OF p:
r. triotic motives, it is sickening TO thus Sc
n them sinking tor the want Of good, wholesom
e. food with Which the country abounds, and I
h, be put at the ignoble task Of standing guar
:, over negro plantations whose masters al
II busy shooting down our men from fence CO
IT, ners and forest thickets.
m The negroes are carrying on plantatie
w work as faithfully under the control Of tt
n mistress as though the master Was presen
-, and as but little cotton has been |lauted, Il
- breadth Of other crops are correspondent
ch large, and the idea Of starving ths rebels
ral simply ridiculous. The negroes take the co
to mill within the lines and sell pi
ra- and other products ut fabulous prict
NJ Occasionally an aged rebel will visit t
:, camp to gain information and to 6
u lis truck, but the women folks stand on tn
ed dignity have Visited plantations oyer yer
with the people, have not met . loyal Woma
de as vet, and among the men but one reasona1
he rebel, who is strictly neutral The Uni
vote on the secession Of the State was onl
,er. No one here preteuds to disguise the fact q
Only submit from sheer necessity: Scare
= one is to be found who will take the oath
the sake Of selling bis cotton, still hoping t
the South will Jet win. This is the class
by persons whom the army Of the Mississippi
our neutral friend has been his protection.
the owns but one negro, q valuable farm ha
aer- n with whom he lab0rs day BY day in the fl
1ea fsa the same as our northern farmers with tt
| u1TGQ lhHO3. AnC 1ESA4E ID L4al uE uac
de- most tidy farm and the best crops that We b
seen in Dixie. This man enjoys good heal
II | which he attributes to his Industrious hab
81 idleness being the banc Of the white man.
len says that the corn and vegetable crop il
&C. Viii Eil be T grown. W. Be has s.5oo pounds Of cot
las which he will sell in the course Of the 4
he ten days. Nearly all ofthe cotton is Gecre
-, to avoid the cotton burners, which are n
l1co dreaded than our army. He does not th
OUT the absence OF the white population will
RI. teria1ly interfere with farm operations, IN
the negroes arc employed BIZ the army, wi
ring they would flock By Thousands if the oppo
lion nifty should be Offered.
The army is benefit to the country, ex
bus on batlletielde, and On fkiTmishlDg groI
ruth where tarm operations are intcrfe1ed With
,,a.a now Hour can be had ut four dollars per
n.le dred pounds, coffee at tWenty-d cents.
olive other things In proportion, while pies, ,mi1t
who ts ana gaIoen @ .1aeh Is soin a. pr Pr
1tlTe apples ten cents u dozen. With all thes:
ents yantase6 and slave labor intact, the men
easily be spared to defend Richmond, wa
men railroad. trains, make fofays on our camp
time shoot down stragelers from our lines.
:, en- Never In the history Of war have
~ scenes been enacted, and never before ha
field. enemy been treated with such marked
,ou1d q Alnane.s nu 3a;a coS.Gn. "n,,i1 h anu
help such bounds in an enemy's country, whtl
look enemy conld ask nothlns more generous
g for thcir wicked calse for with this kind Of t
they will thrive and gather strength, Will
Amy is wasting away and becoming disg
with the farce
M ,f We need laborers in the camp, cooks,
~ ~ sters, and nurses In the hospitals, and b
party our hands, anxious1y waiting to assist
npitv thousands Of industrious and hardy
Iually and upon whose ioyalty We can depen
n Sal, they are SO trusty and valuable to their
masters without wages, how much m
1meh- v;..7a thcT be when stimulated with the
eeroes Of freedom at,s nf receiving pay for their
= and # the lines Of our army was opened TO
thousands upon thousands would leay'
length plantations and give us their valuable Sc
uSiru and thus draw from the resources ofthe e
whose women and children would be IL
threat real danger Of etarviDg that their hus
nd the and sons would be compelled to lay
.-.,, their arms and return home to protect
5ool There Is no other WAY Of closing thi
1nonal 1t should be 80 prosecuted as to prodac
o,o+;o, yation throughout the rural districts,
The men lay down their arms and rett
ything their loyalty. THIS entrenchlng
1t here Co1inth, t9is care oI fsoeis VII never
begin Northwest has aiIeady been spent in t1
Of the attempt TO carry out that most insamo
\, tt,a, unwise Order No. 8, to have stop put
= aA0n further mischief.
left st Gen. Halleck, with dogged stupid
J. ,,,,,r adhere to his pet, for he belongs to c
"a ~" old fogy politicians whose boast Is tbs