The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-10-31

THE WAR FROM A REREL WoMAN'S
POINT OF VIEw.-A copy of letter writ
ten "by the wife of high rebel officer, to a
friend in Europe" makes its appearance
in the Eastern papers. 1t is dated Rich
mond fully %, 1868. She says:
We are very uneasy about Charleston
Most people think now it is bound to fall.
We want guns oflOng range ours can not
compare with those of the enemy.
Almost every man we lose now, tells
Being a man of family his loss is deeply
felt; but the poor creatures they bring
against US are the scum of the earth, and
in many cases no loss to any one. The
bombardment has gone on now for days,
without much injury, but we are very un-
dreadful loss to the Southern Confederacy.
= I blush for the North, and
ask myself can it be the same race once
knew, so quiet, peaceable and civilized {!
No, the demon Of wickedness has been let
loose, and they must all he crazy. do
not suppose you have the slightest idea of
our sutterings-of the thousands on thou
sands of poor beuseless families, sufferers,
refugees from places in the hands Of our
enemies.
Many of our wealthiest ladies are forced
to do their own work entirely, washing,
cooking, &C., and often for Federal SOL
diers. The gentlemen-old men, too old
to go in the army, are chopping wood, &c.
Then their treatment ofthe poor negroes,
after they get them is cruel in the extreme
leaving them to starve or die in their
dirt. My opinion of slavery is, and al
ways has been, that it is excellent for
slaves, but bad for white people. We have
never owned one, and never will. They
are poor miserable, half-witted race, that
require control and management, like bad
children. They always were bad servants,
but now they have become so demoralized
by this war that they are intolerable.
The fall Of Vicksburg has been u heart
rending blow to US, and then to think what
the poor citizens suffered. They dug holes
in the ground, where women and children
slept, and, indeed, lived, or rather starved.
are in Texas, and now, by the
fall of Vicksburg, Jackson, &C., we are cut
off from them. This is hard to bear. We
have all been deeply distressed by the re-
suit Of Lees advance into Pennsylvania.
Lee made a great mistake in attacking
Meade at Gettysburg. He had noidea of
the immense Notifications, breastwOrks
and strength of Meade. 1t was an awful
position to attack, and few more such
victories gained, would kill all the men in
the Southern Confederacy. We had to
attack them in face Of their most awful
fire, across plain, up one mountain, down
another; across fields, and up another
height, and as fast as we gained one breat-
work, to our horror we would find another
behind it. and at last when we had gained
possession of any ground, of what avail?
Alas! none.
Meade has crossed into Virginia, and we
are now hourly expecting another fight
Lee has been reinforced. We have no
doubt but we will win. But oh, the loss of
life! One brigade-Pickett's-w into
the battle of Gettysburg 5000 strong, and
came back 200. One regiment went in
800 and but seven returned. One went in
200 and came out but thirty-five. The Ma
jor of this regiment says when the Colonel
was told to charge, he said 'Good by to
his friends, sit is certain DEATH" and in
five minutes hewas dead. The Major took
command, and was killed instantly. Then
= - y 81 took command as Major, and in
two minutes was shot through the body,
but was luckily carried off the field and is
here to tell it.
MANY and many q time / have felt as if
nv heart would break, and that l could
not live through this war-that it was I'M
l.endurable. But when with the soldiers we
are always cheerful and doing things to
cheer them.
Richmond has, as you may be aware,
been threatened several times, and so far
has escaped. 1t is not pleasant to pass
through these rights. Many think it is
hound to fall, ana that it is only a matter
Of time. hope may be dead ere it does,
for the experience of the other cities under
Federal rule is horrible. You can form no
idea of the tyranny exercised over the in
habitants. We hear great preparations are
being made for another attack upon Rich
mond. Grant, with his hundred thousand
men, is advancing from vicksburg, Dix
from Norfolk-and what have we? Gen.
Johnston in Bragg rear, with not half so
many men as are left there to detain him,
and Lee with Meade to detain him,