Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1863-05-30
THROUGH TIE South. MIR,

III
World, recently taken prisoner, has been re-
]oased. and Is Just returned from the South
re publishes his opinions and observations,
which attract considerable attention at the
North The following is an extract from his
sGatenlent -
:iThe Confederates believe and affirm that
thew have the best army and the bravest So
Hers in the world There is enough OF truth
and enough Of falsehood about the remark Dot
~ treat it as a jest The military spirit and
mower and organization Of the South are to my
mind something marvellous. Officers pay more
sr11dv to the professions the men are like the
Franch either more easily inspired with mar
tia] zeal, Or like the Cossacks less capable OF
cboice or Judgment. The officers, however, are
more thoroughly welded to the business OF
arms L has become tbs work OF their lives.
Mis- NAV be by the force of circumstances,
and the onlv work in which their whole ener-
pias we're hent OF this necessity they make
> virtue. There Is an intense and never weary
ING talk OF war, warriors, plans, battles; move"
1oents. Notifications, &c. The chief officers
manifest more intimate ACQUAINTANCE with
fhe nomenclature and ternllnoLogy OF the art
fhnn do the same ranks in the Federal army
The men have blinder it may be, but more
enthusiastic attachment to their leaders ana
the corps: ~.
erv man of sound limb it IS one privilege to
say what reg ment DO you belo1g 70
o7rorr male between the ages of fifteen and If
~ (excentions noted) soldier OF the State,
and to drive into the ranl.s nearly the whole
able bodied population, is remarkable stretch
Of mower in the history Of republics, and po-
tent engine Of war.
s'The mass of these men love fighting more
than do we. The people, their provisions,
their roads, their houses, newspapers are
At The call of the State What sympathies
could not be enlisted were few enough to be
ignored. All things the law itself, bend to the
;mnero11s military necessity. In material
1nev comnel ced with little, but have, by one
exnedient and another, gotten larger stock.
Cotbing they still lack, but one cannot but sc
4hat neither In the field Of war nor IN society,
40 the clothes make the men. In equipments
tbey are Short but here again they have hit
upon a wonderful expedlent-to use less. Med
;cines they are scant ot-so much the better,
;aThe whole South is living in the plainest
vay. in many things having reverted to the
necessities and practices OF the earliest pioneer
settlers, Some commodities there are III maui
factures which rank as necessaries. A spool
Of thread, for example, costs dollar III some
carts Of the South. Although they approprl=
ared all the rolling stock Of the Border States,
and drew it back as they retreated the roads
South are in shabby order All along the road
sides. and at the termini, can be seen The wreck
Of cars and locomotives. :,
s'Whisky is scarce article in the Southern
cau1r We saw little or no drunkenness among
soldiers or officers The usual price is a dollar
: dram for whisky, 50 that to have moderate
spree a private nj GIT spend three month "a :: 5
wages The pay OF the nen ana omceLS - 3
about the same as the Federals, the COST OF