Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-02-13
fFrom the Indiana Journal.l
AfInirG In Richmond.

w eStern virginia Oh SIX mOntuS. Inc op-
portunitiss he had by SO long an association
with the rebels. living among them and
talking with them, to learn their condition
and feelings. have been SO good that more
confidence can he placed in his conclusions
than in those of most other men, even If he
were not entitled by his intelligence and
character to implicit confidence. To the
! advantages afforded by long residence in
rebeldom. and constant association with
their soldiers. he adds the even more i'm
portant ones Of unusual power of observa-
,ion AM considerable experience as sol
dier. He knows what soldiers discip-
line. duty. equipments and arms ought to
be, and has served as scout so often that
he has become familiar with the art OF see
| ing oil that can possibly be seen in the
quickest possible time. We think he COM
bines greater number Of securities against
delusion and Misrepresentation than any
man who has brought reports from the
South. and hence we trust implicitly to
what he says. OF his own capture. at
tempt to escape. wounding. sickness. impris
onment and adventures generally. we shall
say nothing now. as they will form part
of his lectures, which will be delivered in
few days for the benefit of the Volunteers
Aid Society. and it would be unjust to him
and the society to anticipate his narrative.
We only propose to state scme items of
information which he has given us. as mat
ters of public interest, and because it is,
for once, information that can be depended
on fully. Since Christmas he has been re-
leased from prison and allowed the liberty
of the city, on his parole to reveal moth
ing until released or exchanged. This
privilege enabled him to learn much that
other prisoners do not know.
He says that Richmond is undefended.
Very large and formidable earthworks have
been constructed. but not gun is mount
ed upon them. The city could be taken
without any difficulty. if an army can ever
reach il. But the roads to II are all strong
ly guarded, the defences being so arranged
as to enable one to defend the other. or, if
taken by an enemy. to assail it.. The cit
izens of Richmond, who either escaped
drafting or procured substitutes, have form
ed companies to man the entertainments.
in case they are attacked. but they would
hardly be formidable combatants against
disciplined men.
There is now much less activity in the
manufacture of arms at Richmond than
there used TO be. About $50 rifles aceek
are turning out there. and only one or two
pieces of artillery per week. The Tredegar
works are now very inactive, owing. DIR.
+. thinks, to the exhaustion OF mate
rial. t. M
The soldiers of the rebel army have been
"bone of contention" between ''reliable
gentlemen" for good while. One has
represented them as shabby, mean, and ill
disciplined beyond all conception. while
another has found them we'll dressed, well
armed. we'll fed, and in q good state al
discipline. DIR. f. is competent to pro-
no1nce on this point. He was in Lees
army for some months, and subsequently,
saw the regiments from the South passing
through Richmond or stationed there. and is
soldier himself He says the rebel army
as o general rule is not well discip-
lined, and that little attention is paid to
points of duty never omitted in our army.
They are not we'll clothed usually. and reb-
ell papers admit that they are not SO we'll
armed. He says there is no comparison
between such troops as he saw and our
} forces on the Potomac in point of drill
aud soldierly qualifications. But many OF
the men are stout, athletic, determined fel
lows, splendid material for soldiers, and
generally they are enthusiastic in their
confidence in themselves and their cause.
Fresh provisions in Richmond are
J abundant and cheap enough. But there
was great destitution of salt meats and
of salt. Medicines are almost exhausted.
Morphine is SS5 an ounce. quinine S25 an
ounce, and chloroform or ether cannot be
got at all. There is none in the city.
OF the Union feeling in Richmond the
Doctor says moro than we deem proper to
publish. All that can be safely said is
that there is q strong and organized Union
feeling there. which is ready to show itself on
the first opportunity. He speaks what he
knows in this. and not from rumor. He
knows the leaders, their places of meeting.
their preparations, and their numbers. The
rebels know that the feeling is there. but are
baflsd IN finding it. The rebel officer said
in Mr.. F.'s hearing one day that eff the
Federal army should enter Richmond there
would be ten thousand Union flags Aoisted
in an hour" eyes," said another. ''and
it is the same way in every city where these
commercial scoundrels are.'' ,s;
Beaureguard is to take the command ct
Columbus. DR.. f. says that Gen. Huger
told him dispatch had just been received
to that effect. and that General Smith
would command on the Potomac till after
the 22nd of February, when Davis was to
be inaugurated President Of the Coufedera-
cy. and after that he would take command
in person of that line of operations.
The rebels at Richmond are considerably
disheartened By the defeat at Somerset
| Gen. Huger, who commands at Norfolk,
seemed greatly depressed By it.. For the
first time they admit that they have been
beaten. In ell previous conflicts they have
claimed the victory till SO long after the
event that the effect of admitting defeat
would be lost. But now they confess it
fully. The commissary ofthe prison. Capt.
Warner. on the day the news came to
Richmond entered the prison and said to
the men: 1--WE have been whipped. We
confess it honestly. You never admit it.
when you are whipped . -. s.
The same commissary, Capt. Warner.