The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-08-14
[coaRrsposDEscE OF ,iIx RICHMOND nrssA1cH ]
AuersIA. August g. 1862.

Httenhhnts OF CROWDED cars, uust neatr suokS ana
sparks, with nothing but warm water to drink, is
anything bus c<usssable, aad yst il q not by sny
means devoid Of interest Leaving Richmond at
The most viilsincus hour Of AIS A. N the passen-
ger Is tn comatose state until he has passed the
Apporaattox and been io!,ed the rough streets
Of Petersburg and put down q, O hotel, where-
whatever may be his pleasant "reminiscences Of =
good breakfast q: the same place in by gone days.
he win wake up to a painful conviction tina. tbs
quality of tho fare has been reduced in the same
that the price for tho same bss bean
raised. The limited accommodations Of the Pc
tersDurg and Weldon Road insures close packing
Of the passengers, and they compoFe themselves 20
gather the best they can with d suilen disposition,
to put up with what cannot be helped and hone
TO get better seat when they change cary at Wei
don. The morning papers and an occasional look
out pine barreDs stunted corn. and new water sta
tions, fll up the Tins until about 1880, when the
luekiess town of Weldon from which four railroads
and everything else except tavern keepers and
their appendages run, is reached and the passen
gers then dividing between the. Raleigh and CASTOR
and the Wilmington and Weldon roads more room
cSn be had and more comfortable quarters obtain.
ed We cannot leave Weldon without mentioning
that sincs it hss been under martial law very
brisk trade has sprung up In eggs, and although
the price has risen to twenty five cents apiece,
eager ths purchasers to obtain them thst,
room as bought, they sucked dry without COOK
Ing. suspicious friend who was a witness OF
soma OF these transactions. suggested that they
were not Allied with the same nutritious subs tancez
which were in them when laid.
After leaving Weldon, you will be sure to dis
cover that large proportion Of the passengers are
wounded and sick soldiers going home," and the
wan cheek aud hollow cough OF some but too plain
ly add, ''to die. Many are too feeble to walk, and
zfox $hnrr h.pA yh
out any disposition to complaint; while others, who
are stronger, seem to make the best of everything
aud talk ard augh as checrinly as though return
ing from ffoc, and only look sad when you get
the III TO ak, and in describing battle skir
nish, they tell how loved friend fell at their
size, and how distressed his poor mother will be to
be ar it. Some are wouuded badly, JUS, recovering
enough 20 get sick leave, and mother, wife, Sis
ter j. with them TO dress their wounds often as Ia
needed One poor fellow who was with rs had a
large hole Oh h,s back and left shoulder either from
u sabre stroke or ifagulens OF shell. aud the sup
pufation For so large surface caased IL TO reqnrs
frequent attention. his mother with him, and
although her heart scSened at TIC gG. OF the ugiy
ant. oti-ngivs wound, yet with won an nerve and
& mother love she removed tie cid dressing and
replaced it with clean iiaea, carefully InoiStenea
gad teadarly applied with ski!l which no surgeon
can ever expect acquire. About forty miles be-
low Weldon, the tiain stops 81 station 20 I'll the
water cookers in tie cat5. ALI who have travelled
tie road before gtt cut aao take ID , draught at
this W6&i EniCI kuOWA G3 tLe coolest water on
the ROAD, and we may add, ACCORDING 70 Our espss
riencs the only sao! acatsr between Richmond ard
Augusta. Very soon fruits make their Appearance
and EEs peaches pears, and apples axe offered for
sale. Towards nightfall, tbs cars stop at q neat
looking, ol1fashioned cottage, aud poriy booking
gentleman who has attracted atteutlan during the
day by his genial numor and social disposition
seeming I" know everybody. and to have plea
SAINT smile and cheerful word for ali. gets Ont of
The cars and uleeting mis- lively little children who
eagerly SEIZE his hands, lie disappears under a
bower OF vines which covers the entrance to the
yard. Upon inquiry you ara told the gentleman IL
Major Ashe, President o. the Wilmington and Vel
don sj AID that his place ia called by the oure
is yersed ia local historic lore, tells you tnst the
name is derived from tradition, in which we learn
that when the place was settled, more than hun.
dred years ago, the owner was hard task master
and having given his negroes task tie cutting
Of very long and deep ditch 20 drain this piece Of
land, they worked at it all day and it was not half
done. He sIore that they should finish il without
stopping TO sleep, under penalty Of some punish
nieUt, and when morning came the work ras done.
Surprised at the amount of work done. he demand
ed 10 know how il was posSible they could do SO
nluch more work al night than during the day -
They replied that after dark the devil ,nads
his appearance with q large number OF bis imps,
and putting tbs negroes aside had the ditch done
in short While ana from that time to this the ditch
has been very properly called by tae name Of the
principal contractor.
Wilmington and after scuffie for baggage and a
curse ut the apology for supper, we got on the
ferry boat and crossed the river Eere you find the
ears of the Wilmington and Msnc chester road guard
ed 6y soldiers, who insist ON seeing your pass; after
showing which seat il selected with view to
spending the night AZ well you can, and, after
the cars start the dim lights reveal 10 you the forms
OF your fellow sufferers in all imaginable positions
sad poStures, while the smoke and cinders from the
engine, and the of mosquitoes render the night
avos
Ia tho morning, with vague idea that yon have
been buried alive, and were glad to find yourself
above ground again. Soon after sunrise the train
stops st sumter and here Is seen the beginning OF
tribute to the patriotism of soldiers which Is
~ praseworthy in those who perform it as 1t is
ceptabe to the recipients Hearing sweet voice
ask, Are there any sick or wounded soldiers in
this car y looked cut, and found several ladies',
(many Of them quite young3 with servants, bearing
the finest fruits and melons, which they press
Ing upon oil who wore the gsrb Of soldier, and
asking, IN the kindast manner, II there were no
Others vino needed their assistance similar scene
was witnessed at every station on the South Caro-
line road At Orangsbnrg, where there is female
seminary, there was quite galaxy Of beauty, and,
besides those who had fruits and melons, we're
others, who, without these, moved about from one
car To another, without parasol to shield them
from ths burning SUM- asking every colder If he did
not wish to have his canteen filed with water, aud
eagerly seixing and iiling each that was offered
At many places those most conspicuous In these
8tfeutlOEb wore tue WSeQB OF mourning, ana Wo
thought their sympathies for the soldier pro.
badly srengthed by the tear that had been shed for
q loved one, whose bones now rested uncofhned
on the fields of Manassas Shiloh or Chiekahon,i.
ny. Some Of the elderly ladies get In the cars ct
on> station and ride to the next, returning by an
other train. In this way they have more time TO
look after the soldiers than they can have during
the short stoppage. One of these ladies sat by
short while, and eagerly inquired about the con-
diton Of the army in Virginia told me of the let
fsPr frnl htr aad lain far
want of fruts and vegetables, and Of the extortton
Of the people OF Richmond, who asked such high
prices for everything. When she was told that our
own and the eneny's armies had entirely destroyed
large portion Of state, from which We rece.y.
ed supplies Of this Sort her ideas Of the people Of
our city were somew hat softened, aud xpyeased
deep regret thakhere were facliiies for sending
such articles from the superabundanoe Of this section
TO the poor fellows in the array.
About r. H.. We reached Augusta, and hence
forth and forever, when We tear people say il Ia
hotter In Richmond than 1t Is in 0sorsia. ws shall
ba prepared to contradict It. The thermometer In
cool place was q 1892 people walked the strcsts ~
II they were scared Merchants were indisposeo
70 get mp TO wait on you, ii you go In store, and
everything Indicates iegteeos inactivity aud ndo
lsnce, that Ia truly oriental The fare III the beat
hotels 10 about the same ~ In Richmond, with the
exception that here there Il ahundxGce Of melos
cant eiopss, snd peaches Msrtisl law haa NOT been
established here but the supply Of liquors II iial
he'd and for Wank of leo bAr-rvosns ass duil. All
the hotels and boarding .houses are ful 70 OSSgAow
ing. with refugees fro1a New Orleans, Savannah.
ma cthsr p,sssA eifhsr oecepied e shrssasasd ~
play 81 beauty n the perlaes ana ptsssas. a ~
eyeninet <sriha NjfA1re1Af es~ne en1st says ~
reudeesd sxfatauce AuDpcFtsele. ~ ~ Seo4I
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= tapaA oeelhg.