, 1862-03-07


A. E. Kent, Esq, a well known Commission
Merchant Of Chicago, gives an interesting
detail Of experiences in Nashville. It will be
found full Of suggestive and excellent points.
NASHVILLE. Feb. q, 1862
I take the first opportunity offered since ar-
Eiviug here to communicate to you and nv
other friends matters Of interest from the
seat Of war. find myself in room but q
ersl Pillow. It is ut the St. Cloud, the
best house in tho fine city Of Nash
vile. Still We have to use our hats
aud ehawls to exclude the cool night air.
as there is no glass 10 restore the pa1es that
hare been broken out. I came up the Cum
bcrland from Fort Donelson, and arrived here
the first day Of the occupation, and the very
day Of the departure Of the rebel hoard. It
vas strange and magnificent sight as we
steamed that beautiful day up the swollen
Fi7sI to thc tunes of COLUMBIA, Dixie, &c.
Stripes from the Capitol noble structure.
The shores were blocked with people. and
strange to say, scarcely cheer answered to
ours. The men stood listlcssly upon the shore,
with their hands in their pockets; an occa-
sional woman waived white handkerchief,
and few darkeys jumped..up andidown. Aside
from this the mass Of humanity Was like statu-
ary-as silent and as sud. Above the landing
rose the piers Of the two fine bridges burned
by the enemy, against the protest Of the
citizens. Thousands Of people were On the
opposite shore Of the river without the means
OF crossing. Ipassed from the boat with ten
frst three civilians from the North that had
trod that soil for months. Although the
sidewalks were lined with people,
and tho streets with soldiers, ret the
scene was like that Of funesa1-a military
funeral. The soldiers with fixed bayonets
3NArp1 fhair %,.4n
The citizens looked cu1iously upon them,
more in sadness than in anger The officers
quietly rode along the extended lines. Sucha
sCene-so 6trange-1 cannot describe and sh:,,; sh,;,;;
never forget. It is really sad II & Northerner
to look upon this humiliation Of Southern
pride.
1he secession element has 80 long Ind the
ground into It. casual Observer Might i tIen Iau
fer from this cold reception Of our army that
the people are irrcconcilable, but I think there
is back ground Of sentiment that will come
out before many days. No Southern man that
consu1ts lis interests can doubt that it is better
to support an army and Government which
brings security and restores in preference to
one that destroys. Interest Wilisoon think, be-
gin to speak louder than prejudice. Pride sus-
talns wrong; forit ia hard for proud ID IN land
Euch they are hese) to cat his own words 30
Eocn- There is another class that rejoice at
the approach Of our army, but are waiting to
see if it is 4 permanent thing. Occasionally
I meet an outsrokeu Unionist. have Just
left of conversation with two or three south
er1 gentlemen. The last sentence one Of these
uttered was this: "0nr negroes are slaves
but we arc now worse slaves than they"
There is no mlstake, there has got to be
Zig revolution in public opinion in the south
before VIC can have peace; but such believe
will come in due time. Finances are in ter
rible fix, and 1t will be long before commercial
relations between the two sections will be
opened to any extent. The State Bank Of
Tennessee is the status. Gold can be had
with it at fittF per cent Confederate money
any. There is no valuation to property Of
any kind Multiply the last springs stump
tail embarrassment Of Illinois by ten, and you
can imagine the state Of things here.