Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-29


Its People.
Mr., F. W. Bird of Walpole made Il recent
visit to Norfolk, accompanying Gen. Wool
and his staff. on one of the trips to the city.
In a sketchy and interesting account of what
he saw, contributed to the Boston Transcript,
he says =
eve walked up the deserted wharf, entirely
deserted except by Union soldiers and a single
omnibus. Order reigns in Norfolk. We
landed between ii and II o'clock and the
streets were as much stiller than they are in
Boston on Sunday, as our Sundays are stiller
than the Attn OF July. There was not only an
almost entire absence Of carriages OF all
kinds, but also of foot passengers. Nearly
| every door, window, blind, and shutter was
| closed. few doors Of shops were partially
open, but the shops were so darkened by the
closed shutters as to amount to !. prohibition
OF entrance Indeed, my companion applied
to two or three tailors to mend a
trii1ing rent in his coat, but they resolute-
ly refused until he gave it up, and got a
'contraband to get 1t done the next morning
Towards evening we strolled about the city,
and found the same state of things No Ian
guagc can describe the sulky, sullen hate
which inspired every white countenance. |
have always given our dear southern brethren
credit for reasonable contempt for the
christian injunction, Love your enemies :; but
was entirely unprepared for this exhibition
OF teToclty. twas not so much in words as
in sort Of volcanic outburst in every feature.
Toward evening, some twenty or thirty
men collected in groups on the sidewalk in
front of the Atlantic Hotel-an excellent
house, by the way, and very well kept, con-
sidering the extreme scarcity of good things
in Norfolk. The only white resident in Nor
folk who wore pleasant look or had civil
word for us, was the Office clerk, and that be-
cause he is English and has been here but
year. These groups talked in low tones, not
allowing word to pass beyond the circle.
took a malicious pleasure in drawing nearer
to them by degrees, just to notice the gradual
lowering Of the tones, until at last | would 81
lence every gun or drive them off. The con-
trabands, with their unerring instinct, bowed
and grinncd our only welcome.
Our room was on the lower floor, the win
dows reaching nearly to the sidewalk.
| had noticed that the outside doors, one of
which was within few feet of our room door,
in addition to the usual security of lock and
bolt, were each provided with a stout chain,
attached to a staple on one side behind the
door and drawn across the door when closed
and fastened by paddock to a staple on the
| other side. confess, these things, aided by
what had seen Of the feelings of the people,
made me nervous, and determined to spend
the night in the camp Of the Massachusetts
18th regiment over back of the navy yard.
Gen. Wool is trying on small scale the
| system which Mr.. Seward and General Scott
adopted on large scale for the conduct of
the war-that is, to starve the Jockeys of
Norfolk into loyalty! and he will fail, Just as
| they failed. Said the general to me, Il pro-
tect all their civil rights. i beg your pardon,
| general replied |, but always thought that
rebels had no rights. They will remain stub
born till Richmond is taken, or rather evac-
uated; they still cherish the dream that HUI
ger will come back. Richmond lost they
will sullenly profess loyalty, and will be re-
ceived back into the Union with open arms
But how desperately they mean wGy, let the
still smoking ruins of the navy yard, which
our government spared for fear of irritating
them, attest; how they hate us, let the uni
yersal scowl, let the privations they endure
nom the enormous prices of all foreign arti-
Giles, attest.
vi course they cannot suffer while they
nave an abundant supply of the products of
uieH soll--and their waters swarm with the
u l uehcious fish. They must submit when
,sicil'iohu mas fallen, but they will hate us all
Wv lnole' 80 long as the guilty cause of this
I'M 70 alowed TO breathe the breath of life
s;h;I, leu,ingt 10 their deluded people the nos
sunny VI the rehabilitation of slavery A.
iookeu upon the sullen faces, found m,,.oIe
! repeating the stanzas which Monrn 80, -
the mouth Of Tilted lover Pu'' III
ADVISE some Yankee 10 set then, IN ,,,,.i,..