Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-23
@Grtester @aiIp spy,
THE DAILY SPY.
NEWS FROM THE WAR, &c.
THE RIVER GUERRILLAs, sc.

THE RIVER GUERRILLAS, &c.
A letter from the squadron above Vicksburg
says "a new style of fighting and of trans
portation on these waters is about to be adopt-
ed for the purpose Of promptly meeting the
river guerrillas, who fire upon passing boats.
Government has accordingly organized the
Mississippi Marine Brigade consisting of
the following first class steamers: Autocrat
alag ship Fairchild, Baltic and Woodford,
= (hospltal). Our river steamers have little or
no protection against rifle shot, the sides of
the upper works being thin pine stuff, while
the lower deck is entirely open. The boats
above named have been enclosed with two
walls OF solid oak plank, two inches thick and
four inches apart, while the boiler and engines
are enclosed with solid oak walls of plank six
inches thick. Around the lower decks are
well arranged stalls for horses, and above are
berths for officers and men. An ingeniously
cohtrlFed staging is so constructed that when
the BOAT lands the cavarymen, fully mounted
and armed, can rush Immediately up the bank,
1t is according to orders now that all such
guerrlllas, when caught, are to be hung
These boats are also used for transporting
every description of army stores, and MS
Their carrying capacity is immense, they will
De OF immense service to the army. In add-
ton each boat carries two brass cannon. 1t
would be difficult to imagine anything more
complete for the service required.
''By all accounts from below, we learn that
the common people suffer greatly by the
blockade, and in nothing more than from the
scarcity OF salt The following shows how
some get supply. Through the south, a
smoke house, eight or twelve feet square, or
Whereabouts, belongs to every farm; the meat
Is kept in this house, hung up, where it
smokes, dries and drips for several months.
The people have found out that there is salt
in the ground floor. hopper, such as we
see made for teaching ashes, is constructed.
the ground in the smoke-house is dug up and
thrown into the hopper, water is poured in, as
III a leach, and when barrel or so rms
through, it is boiled down. As for tea, sugar
and coffee, they disappeared long ago. In
fact, coffee has mostly disappeared in the
west, though what is called coffee is made,
which for the most part is Rye o. and some
kinds Of compounds tasting like extract of log
wood.
LATE REPORTS FROM RICHMOND.
WASHINGTON, March 20.-Three hundred
and seventy released prisoners arrived from
Richmond to-day. One of them, very intel
igent-Mr. Seeds of Cincinnati, and New
Orleans pilos-mentions the steady and sig
nificant removal of machinery for manufac-
turing ordnance and small arms from Rich
mond to northern Georgia. The removal of
ordnance stores in large quantities has also
been going on for some time The possibility
of the transfer of the seat of war below Vir.
ginia Is recognized by the authorities at Rich
mond. He mentions, as an evidence of the
gsneral distress, the extraordinary numbers
Of poor women and cyprians which surround
the armies and invest the towns all
through the south. These are mostly SOL
diers' wives. He cav among his guard at
Salisbury, frequently, men with cloth shoes,
burst open. walking their beats in the snow.
For the well-worn brogans on his feet he was
repeatedly offered fourteen dollars. One
of his friends present, pointing to the
suit he had on made by himself, of blankets,
in prison, said he had been offered one hun
dred and fifty dollars for it often.
Upon the interesting point of the du-
ration of the war, Mr. Seeds said that it
might last six months after the next crop, but
he thought it would be ended with that crop.
If Vicksburg should be taken, it would end
almost Immediately, for the armies would be
cut off from their supply of meat, which is in
Texas. lie said every pound of meat eaten in
the Richmond prisons came from there. He
mentioned conversation between Gen. Win
der and another officer, well authenticated in
which Winder said it would be ended by Au-
gust. Mr.. Seeds declares that there is a gem
eral feeling among the soldiers from all the
southern states, favorable to ending the war
and returning to the Union. They say they
made mistake in going into the war, and
would never have done so if it had not been
for South Carolina. When the news of our
enrolment law reached them, they said the
fate of the south was sealed, for under that
law we would raise men enough to smash
them, and close the contest Immediately. He
frequently heard soldiers say that they were
willing to be whipped back into the Union,
they had suffered so much out of it.-N. Y
Times.
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
The Asheville On. c. News has the follow
ing: ''In another column re have referred to the
forcible rescue of the prisoner, Franklin, from
the Jail OF Haywood county. Since that arti-
Gle was written, courier has arrived here in
quest OF powder, who states that an army of
several hundred men from east Tennessee is
regularly fortified at the line between Hay
wood county and Tennessee. Some reports
put the number at eleven hundred, but we
suppose it is hardly so large. The militia of
Haywood, to the number of two hundred and
fifty, with sixty Cherokee Indians, were hold
ing them in check. Runners had been sent
to Gen. Kirby Smith, informing him of the
condition of affairs, and asking for assistance.
We await further information with anxiety.
The locality is about forty-five miles west of
this place, and bordering upon the most dis
loyal portion of east Tennessee; and the force
gathered there is composed probably of disaf-
fected men who have fled from their homes
to avoid the conscript law.
CoPPERHEAD APPRECIATED.
A New Orleans correspondent of the Phila-
.depha Inquirer sends the following, which
was clipped from the Planters Banner, pub
lished at Franklin, La
.Vallandigham's great speech will be is
sued frcm the Banner office in a few
DAYS, in the form of an extra, at fifty cents
each. Those at a distance can obtain il
by forwarding the price by mail. 1t is ire
mendous thunderbolt thrown into Lincoln's
camp. TWAS delivered in the lower house Of
the United States congress last month, and is
by far the greatest speech of the war. 1t has
mt the whole northwest in blaze, and has
electrified the south. 1t is lengthy, there be-
ing enough of it to fill the Banner full, and
two columns besides. Copies of it can be OBJ
tvined at this office any time after "Wednesday
next"
Apropos. friend sends us slip from q
California Journal, containg the following pas
sage from a late speech by the Hon. VIM. II
Weeks, formerly of Maine, now secretary o
state in California =
God Almighty! Mr.. President-now I'm
not swearing-but of all that Is low, mean
1;..,. ,torroJad conference.-the and ttprl