, 1862-05-02
EHVlE. =
Sod bless our native land, and let this be
,edily written Of each part Of It. z. A
FROM MITCHEL's COLUMN.

Extracts Of Re1eI LetteTs-4d Long Story for
Gin. McCuok.
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Trlbune.l
DECATUR, ALA, April II, 1862.
You have Of course read Michelet on his
fayorite subject, La Esnn.e.'' 1fthe French
man Was to ride through this part Of the
* Sunny South''-it has been raining hard for
four days-he would find his nerves, so sensi-
tive on the subject of the tt delicate creatures"
shocked in an hundred ways by the treatment
Of the female slaves held In bondage here.
While have seen great, fat negro men, gross
as FalEtaff, officiating in the kitchen, it Is
very common sight to see the women ploW-
ing" common" does not express it, for it is
the rule and not the exception I have seen
Is many rs ten women ploTing In the same
field. They are compelled to work at heavy
lifting, and with spade and pick and axe. 1saw
three yesterday at work repairing mud road.
Such work is too great for the female consti-
tuition, and were white woman compelled to
do it, it would be called cruelty. We call the
Indians, who compelled their women to do
similar duty, barbarians and sayage6." But
when the "uoble and enlightened Southrons'
compel their slaves to do it, there are men
who call it justifiable, and bring you proofs Of
it--quoting the Bible, and DeBow's Review,
and Burnett and Prentice and Yancey and the
other pro-slaSery Eaints, to sustain the view.
The people who reside about here are very
much troubled about their negroes. They
make earnest inquiries as to what is intended
to do'Hith them, and try to impress upon the
slaTes the idea that they are better of now
than they lave been. But the negroes seem
to understand the thing pretty well, and have
as just IN appreciation Of the position Of
affairs and the prospects Of the Union army
as the whites. do not know but they under
sand their oTn positions better than the
twenty-five or thirty work at tue depot,
refugees in camp. I an told that Gen. Mitch
el has expressed the opinion that the war
must finally be accomplished BY the destruc-
tion OF abolition Of elaveEy-that he started
out in the war with other opinions, antago-
been compelled, By what he has seen and ex-
perienced, 10 change his views. This is but
the repetition Of remark made by friend who
epokE, IN all probability, knowingly on the
subject.
The country about Decatur is fur from be-
ing beautiful The river is the only feature
Which would in an artists eye appear redeema-
bic. The country is two muddy ndsTampy,
ard after the heavy rains Of the last few days
you can imagine the condition Of the tOWn-
The river Is q beautiful wide, clear and placid
stream, its banks blooming with willows and
map4es, and at times the white lowered dog
wood At this point o very beautiful bridge
| nearly half 3 mile long, spans the river aud
| affords the only crossing at tho present time.
| 4 second bridge, half d mile further north,
| crosses the ''Lake,' as q deep swamp is call
ed. Two cotton-bale batteries remain at the
| ot,F{f AYn fy9tf fharv1
lcss for defensive purposes. Indeed it was
found by the rebels, that though Jackson
made good rifle pits of cotton-baies, it won t
do 10 attempt to build casemated forts out OF
them. They were abandoned at an early date
| By the rebels. There are over GOO bales ot
| cotton in the two batteries.
Gen Turchin holds Tuscumbia and Flor
| encc, and has formed connection By river
With Gen. Buell.. The General was here last
evening and this morning, returning at moor
to Tuscrmbia. The 19th Illinois Is In the I'D
vance, as ever. 1 cannot now speak at length
OF the movements here.
The soldiers arc plentifully supplied Wit!
scceeh letters, but as most Of them have &c
tanned the love letters, and thrown the goot
ont6 away, interesting ones are hurd to obtain
send you extracts from few OF them.
The following letter contains news iron
Arkansas. Some of it is not news to Us, bu
all Of it is quite interesting:
DAEynLE, Ark, March II. 1864
DEAR BROTHER: + We 1ay
| quite sad Dews here now. We learn that VI
are badly Whipped at Cross Hollows in th
north OF this State, that our Benz. McCulloc
is killed with Generals Mcintosh and McRce
! and that Price Was wounded; that our arm
is retreating and is badly cut to pieces. Va
Dom is nov in command aud says he is no
whipped, but is orerpowcrcd. We are with
. out arms. I am afraid We arc in dark plaec
. The militia of Arkansas was ordered out 1as
~f+ n1r ff1* tt+1
dsbanded again. learn that wo lost 200
!: ard the Ya1kees 5000. That is good, bu
still lad to retreat. I am one Of the man
that are getting very restless about tho cor
} dition Of our country Our men arc out facio
} the enemy With their little squill guns an
counties sent out regiment and they ge
1 their arms an sunk in White river, and no
) they are without arms aud facing the enem,
. If VIC had arms I would not have q doubt
: every man in Arkansas would go-bnt VIC al
c without them. They are sending Us lances {
l end Of ii. They tell u to fight with then
that they are better to meet ShaTpe's ri
:, than anything else. had as soon take Z
+ fist to them IS to think of taking pike 81
l. starting towards . man with gun !; he c:
;, load and shoot perhaps twenty times before
: could gstt st theEe. III prepposte5Eous- +
l. We hear bad tales here on old South Car
u lima a-that pork is worth 18c gross, salt !:
d rcr sack, &c. This county sent eight co.
G I,anics to the war, and only votes 1,100. y
C have about 500 militia men.
II TIE CoITON-BURSlAG MANIA.
= ssLizzie," writing from Columbia, TEN
10 March 2'th, to her husband in the army, me
+ lions tveral items, which quote Speak
- OF Scott's rebel cayalry. she says: "Fhey ha
- turned ali Of our cotton up, aud don't knf
L. whether they have as much as saved enou
= for spring cotton. Your pa put his ont Of t
way and saved some that way. They have n
found any Of pals yet, here or in Giles eth
h. ard they had left. Every body hid thei
=, that Ind time after they heard that they I'll
-: burning it,
u On another subject she says: "Heury, i
could reign any way in the world wou
u and come home, for they are not fighting
Polk IS tryiUg to get the prisoners out
Il prison, and they will be at home in a +
II. tlaye The Yankees arc camped near 4
- Brown, over the river, and be says q Gene
u Nj Cock had four Of his negroes whipl
Il ns arly to death, jnst for coming in his can
CO They will hardly get over it."
Nm. H. T. writes from Memphis, March
= to some nameless Individual: III have
~ been able to send your trunks. The e1pr
nc agent refuses to receive anything for Colt
lie ! bia- think they will be safe In s'Gayt
ro Block" as the house burning fever is owe
80 done play ed out Fet there is much dan
he Of destroying all the sugar, mo1asses aud {
at ton. The fools are not all dead, and if
~ 80 and commanders will be in great dsng
Is Some Of our people hare left here; mi
1t, | however, will remain." SPECIAL