The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-29

| ABOUT SOUTHERN CHIvALRY.-DE-
CHARD, Tenn, Aug. u.-Dedr Coa.sin:-
You wish me to write to you. / am very
willing, but letters from the army desert
| bling army scenes, and army life, are fur
nished from 80 many sources and in such
home, and the ''enterprising correspon-
dents" epistles to the daily press; all so
| fully covering our history that it would
| seem there was nothing of history left I'M
| written. But subject occurs to me, or
| rather text; it is Southern Chivalry."-
That especial attribute claimed by the
Southern papers, household word With
| them. do not pretend to deny that it ex-
lists or that they are not thoroughly imbued
with it, but as yet have failed to discover
| that what have supposed chivalry to be,
prevails to any great extent in the regions
that have traversed, and that you know
| covers deal Of Cottonaom. If it means
avarice, trickery, assembling for the pur-
pose of grain, an assumed possession of
superiority when in power, or humble
bringing when they feel the absence Of it,
in fact what we call at the North "meau-
ness" l will admit they possess it to an
abundant extent, for all these charac-
teristics they have. ] have been led
| to these remarks by recent occur
rences transporting here, which / will
recite. They are not singular; almost any
officer of observation can tell you Of many
such; but those being recently placed be-
| fore me, gives present subject for a letter.
A few days since lady from near Co.
lumbia arrived in our camp for the pur-
pose of recovering a horse that had been
seized by Col. Wilder's foraging expedi-
ton to that place. She is the daughter OF
a wealthy planter, who is, or recently has
been, in the rebel service, and is now in
the rebel lines, an acknowledged traitor; she
or her family make no claims Of loyalty to
| the Union; they are of the ultra-Southern
Aristocracy, the creme de la creme. You
would think the chivalric blood would
forbid her coming to our camp, the camp
of the invader, to beg for her horse; but
she not only came among us, but asked for
and obtained hospitality from the wife OF
one Of our officers. She remained three
DAYS, and by the most unblushing per-
tinacity finally worried the officers out OF
the animal, much to the discredit Of said
officers. What lady among you would
have followed Gen. Early or John Morgan
sixty miles, and humbly begged of him a
return Of property seized by their forces?-
But her conduct while here was the most
striking; she whiningly said she did not
think we ought TO take their horses as her
father had only served year in the Con-
federate army, and she wasn't in the army
and this was her favorite pony. III fact
she was determined TO have him, even il
!
get him. These and like chivalric express
sions were made. And all this while ad-
uniting to the fullest her sympathy in the
! rebel cause. But u more glaring case o.
cusred to-day, which viii have to give u
! little preface to.
At our first halt after crossing Elk River
we rested at II planters house, near " he re
a cavalry fight had taken place the day
before. The rebels had been defeated, and
our trOops had swept ON after them. The
! works OF the devastation of war was plain
lly visible, and among them was the scar
city of eatables. The troops Of both sides
had subsisted off the country. We found
q lady at the house, with her children and
women servants, but no master or man.
The latter were in the rebel service. She
was an educated lady, pretty, and agreea-
BILE, but most wilful rebel, and in an
hours conversation had with her she
!. abused US most soundly, stating at the
| sameitime her unbounded faith in the final
/ success of the rebel cause. We had TO sup
lply her with food for her present necessl-
ties which she received with saucy re
marks, as to wondering where we stoie II.
! In fact, her being woman, u pie.ty tt,at :
Egent one at that, gave her hceiihe 'iiu' q
r man would not have had. our troops eii,
camped on the plantation anu forage aiiu
: meat were procurea therefrom as usual
. Ouartermasters and COmmissarles were
} prepared to give vouchers in the usual
= form. sto be paid on the proof OF loyalty
!, We left next day; SO ends the preface To
J day she came into our camp accompanied
' by her uncle, to get payment for what We
. had taken. She did not wish to take thu
: vouchers rs described above, out oifimec
: that her husband had been conscripted, ane