The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-28
NOTES OF THE WAR.

1t will doubtless IN terest our readers to
know what the Yankee newspapers say Of
the Southern soldiers who have been re-
Gently captured in battle a correspo udent
OF the New York Horld, writing of the Fort
Donelson affair, holds for tn as follows
THE PRIsoSKRs.
If the prisoners which have fallen in to our
hands are to be regarded AS u fair sample cf
the Southern army, they are Indeed q y tia
BILE lot OF wretches. The officers are men OF
some little refinement, but the rank and fi,e
are only like So many W nj te serts The hiatus
between the privates and officers corresponds
to the gap in social life between the negro
owning aristocraoy and the poor white trash
-benigh ted, ignorant and Uncouth far be-
yond expectation, even for the most rural OF
Inhabitants.
Their appearance SIS they even marched on
board OF the transport presented pic'ur-
esque aspect. fayorite ard comm on sub
stitute for blankets is a strip of snowy car
petipg. White blankets and the uniform,
homo made, butternut colored jeans is the
cos Tune CT the priyates and some Of the
Colonies. They have little or noEhing else
but the Confederate bonds and Tennessee
shinplasters gold and silver is all hcarded
taThey Affect great surprise when tod til a.
this currency is worthless with MS. In con-
versa ton with many Of our officers they
stragely found themselves agreeing with
them on all the main questions which brought
about the war AN d seemed but little inciin ed
to believe that the war is not being made O g
Of emancipation, These men Will fight. II is
one of the few things they have learned. Il
is Of no use to say that hey have not the
physical courage of their race, but they can
not be a match for the giant minds OF the
North and West They report the strength
OF the garrison in fhe Iort at about twenty
Thousand, seven thousand of them have
capped. About eighteen hul died cavalry got
out by land through cur liues.
The Roanoke Island core spondent OF the
New York Herald has probably Il better claim
to the title of "gentleman" than the vulgar
blackguard who penned the foregoing. De.
scribing the appearance of the prisoners, he
says:
Their uniforms are of the most miscel-
laneous character, and vary in co'or from a
dark blue, through all shades, to n dirgy
gray, like an lrishman's friezs. A dark
pepper and salt color however, is the most
prevalent one. The designation of rank is
Effected with every modification of style
from a full dress gold sleeve braid down TO Il
home emade tinselled shoulder strap, while
| the stripes on their pants are of brofd ano
narrow gold fringe, blue velvet and hlack
| cloth. A gaudy display is q lie marked
The caps are OF every pattern, from resnia
| ticn through all the degrees of slu'r esters
| slouches, sugar loaves, &c with spTink
| ling of o 'hers like those worn oy hs biz or.t
| Mississippi gambler and Texsn ranger Tt
| regiment o ca ch is indicated by brass ie'teri
| and figures on the caps. thus-"W. J..
| wise IT, gion) "46," 80 IS N. &. Il. T. -
'.3l ".Miss" " "Ha.," &c. As n gene,"l
thing they are very Intelligent and gentle
manly men. par ticalarly those of 'hs Wise
Legion an d North Carolina troops.
The rank and file of the prisoners prtsen,
a still more diversified appearance For th'
most Part they are low sized, stunted, sandy
! complexioned, hardy fellows, atnred il
| coarae but comic table uniforms of cry ri
| cloth. The Virginians, however, forla an "x
| csption. They preserve u gen temaEly efYem
| 10 acy, not disg gnised by III exposur of ca IN
| life. and affect a better style of uniform hno
dress. The accontrements We're OF the mo
/ primitive pattern aud quality. The hayer
| sacks were made OF coarse canvass Ten
| cloth, with large bone buttons, the bells and
1 straps of cowhide, kip and grain leather
| while new -boru Southern industry was evi
| denced in q number of rough y cast leader
buttons In blankets they were well pro
vided. but u wane of homos neity in siz,
| color, and texture betrayed .at they w.r
l not Of q. S. A. furnishing, but had beer
| brought from home by the mea themselves.
| THE RIGHT TALK.
| The Stauuton (Va.) Spectator thus aliudes Il
| the battle at Fort Donelson:
| This is q sad misfortu but it should 10
| discourage us on the contrary, 1t shonld ia
| crease our,determination to put forth greater
| The bold hand will from the nsttle, danger
pluck the lower, safety "Vhe darkest no "a
| is lust before day Ifthere were NJ carknes 5
| we would n OF appreciate the blessing OF light
| if we had no revsrses, we conid not appreciat 4
the blessing Of victory IL our freedom nd in
| dependence be not purch ascd at a heavy sacri
| fice of blood and treasure, we would Lot b
| able 10 valne them ae we should. Our on
| federacy, jost starting upon its career, n us
| paeS through Red Sea OF b ocd before 1t Cal
| reach the Canaan Of Freedom and Indepen
| dence. The motto Of our soldiers shoul'
| be, "Liberty or Death,' aud their watch
/ h0t ~ favy ard Of
| leon''-"Ths Old 4uard may die, but sur
| render never" II we fight With this spiri,
| II we do not command success, we will d
| moro, We will ds'e-1e 1t
/ "Ihe hour has coma for manly deeds
And not for pulling words
NEW rORK PAPER ON THs EUROPEAN ERws.
| news by the Niagara, (Which we publishe
yesterday thus relieves itself
The Palmerston Cabinet lad submitted t
| Parliament vol umin ous Stats papers on tn
| subject Of glands diplomatic course, dow
| to December las, during the American wa
crisis. Judging from the portions of thes
| documents NJ W printed, we must arrive AZ th
conclu usion that the Government had all IN
| time a salutary dread OF being involved /
| war with the United States, in conss
quence Of the commissi OF some act
underhand or ovsSt-of active sympath
| rlish ministers had determined to wheedl,
] 70 prevaricate, and even end .avor to intimi
date, MIR. Liucoln from time TO time, hopin
that eventually the fortune Of arms woui
be with the rebels, and then the Queen eoai
and would recognize them. Indeed, Ea
Russell used the above very remarkab
| words In conversation which he had wi
Messrs. Yancey, Mann aud Rost on the su
jset
Lord Lyons was Instructed 70 inform III
Lincoln that, In case OF war with the uni's
| States, England would consent 70 eboIis
| privAteeriDE, a. befresn hs 800 eoGntrtes dErin
! III UaS, II the President would do the same
q modest proposition, truly, coming fr"m
| Power boastins even then OF hnvsng TWEEN
| thousand guus on her war ships, 10 a Pow
I engsged In queliing the most formidable r
bellion ever before known.
The observations Of Messrs. Gregory Al
Bsntlnck Ia the tom mons, reiatty. TO q
. 6lOekAde, are merely ths tag snas of sre b
] / prepared for e1toy 10 tAe rsB-l eaass, mad 10
| 2eassye boep feally tas1ncl NJ bus rsn der
ux1teeo ~ sAe euerty AUD osseYnhiaati5h
. oes 0ovSFtmsat tnd IL ulResrs Oh the sout
/ Ad2at