Newbern progress. [volume] (Newbern, N.C.) 1863-186?, 1863-01-21
The Rebel Women of Nashville.

L 1nc ASeDeI women Oh NaSnVllc.
The Nashville correspondent of the New
York Tribune gives the following descrip-
tion of the present appearance of Nashville,
and the manner in which the rebel women
conduct themselves. He says:
There is scarcely dwelling in the su-
burbs unscarthed. Their beautiful! gardens
are deAowered; the boughs of stately mag
nolias broken, their smooth bark rudely
rasped from their graceful trunks; fences
swept into ashes, beautiful parks converted
into unseemly commons and sprinkled with
the debris of camps and transportation
trains. Evidence of culture and refine
ment remain-but in ruins. You say of
such dwelling &c The proprietor was
wealthy and liberal.' / so conclude from
view of the dreary exterior of the structure
and the dim tracings of the premises. A
monastery is not more cherries than the
deserted mansions of fugitive rebels.
"A few are not deserted, but they are
more gloomy than the grand edifice whose
shattered shutters and broken windows stare
coldly at you. The fronts are securely
closed. Scarce ray of light, save the
Pickering beams that steal through the lat
tced shutters penetrate to the shaded cham
ber Of the somber occupants. The tenants
of those cloister-like hahitations were once
gay and airy women, who shed lustre on
brilliant society, but who sit there now in
globny solitude through the weary months,
- ssesas uslenellcBable tears bver the
unHmely fall of those held most dear. !" AS
they'tnade their bed. so must they iie.
Ehe Nashville police early adopted
principle Of rigor to the rich, leniency to
the poor. The women, understanding their
influence over men, at first appeared IN gay
phalanx to solicit passes for their male
friends but that artifice failed. Excepting
n1er extraordinary circumstances, each in
dividual desiring to 60 through our lines
was required to appeared personally. The
cream of ton were too wise to. apply. Iheir
followers were successful only in upon CIV
ing such guarantees as were believed TO be
thoroughly binding upon them. But very
few permits were granted to this class un-
der any circumstances. Fifteen or twenty
were removed southwark at their own re-
quest, under flags of truce, promising to re-
turn no more. Poor market men and WOO
men, humble fuel dealers, and hucksters,
were and are INDUCED under restric-
tions which bind them thoroughly. Fear
of consequences affects them more power
fully than it dees the fashionable castles.
Notwithstanding the rigor of the police
system, we are yet liable to deception
Some women, for mere love of adventure,
or else from ineradlcable depraviy, have at
tempted to smuggte both merchandise and
letters. No severe examples have been
made of any yet, but these people are In
lot1r corIpuS haZardS
Saturday, woman standing high in So
ciety, pledged herself by most solemn oaths
to refuse to carry letters, or to smuggle con-
traband goods. Before she got through
our lines she was arrested and searched.
A woman in police service handled her
tenderly but firmly. After the lady smug-
gler was stripped to the buff, parcel OF
letters were found concealed under the che
mise. She resisted furiously at first, and
was shockingly abusive, but it was unavail-
Ing.
Not long since another, who pledged her,
self with equal solemnity, received pass
to go to Gallatin. She was suspected, fol-
lowed, and was arrested at Gallatin. Her
trunk contained large quantity of qhinine,
morphia, and other contrabai1d articles OF
rebel consumption-valued at $500.