, 1863-04-14
A PEEP INTO DIXIE.
Mississippi in a War Tine.

The current seems to set in only one dircc-
tion. We DO not hear Of any refugees into
Dixie Nobody is running that way but quf-
uinc peddlcrs and adventurous females with
contraband baggage in charge. The pressure
on our army lines is from below upward, sayc
where greed furnishes the melting motive.
The South, Judged by these signs, seems a
great prison house, pent and compassed By
iron bands and pinned fast with bayoncts.
Time was when It held only Cci1ec aud his
borrowing kinsmen, now The Nemesis has
ovcrtaken the taskmastcr, and the black slave
and his white driver are grinding together in
the prison house aud On prison fare.
The stories Of refugees arc somewhat old
and t1readbare, and bearing very nearly the
same burden in all cases, /. seems to make
little difference whether the ''rcliable gentle
man. is opening Lis budget in IIooker's
Camp, or swims a bayou to reach South
western Federal camp fires. Let us avoid
the ordinary routine OF refugees stories, and
take up the clue in our own fashion.
And first Of the man. Of course VIC begin
by suspeciing him violently. Perhaps he has
come up to buy quinine, or boots, or to OBJ
| tain information, to SPY ont our land. We
begin to believe the best errand {for the
Uuion) on which rebel spies could bc sent,
would be to sec how the North goes on car
! rying tho war is j stalwart man carries 4
transient rheumatism, but pursuing his aso-
cation the while. Let the scamps 80 back to
the lean trenches Of the South with tales OF
our fatncss, and tell them On tho evidence Of
their OVID stnscs that wc hare only begun the
wal, aud our word for it, such spying will be
Of benefit.
Our refugee Of course has to face the qucs.
tfon, How did you escape the rebel service
Invite him to run twice round the room, and
it will be five plump minutes before he can
answer you, md the story will have been told
you without q word, as he wheezingly catches
his trcachcrous breath. A gun and cot!o.
jean uniform trusted to man with the asth
ma, is 60 much material wasted. Our refugee
as lie sits labo1iously restoring bis respiratory
apparatus to Its equilibrium, might give
valuable hint to timid gentlemen who dreat
!; the coming DRIFT, and gire lessons in the asth
1na to gentlemen who would rathsr pant TO-
; exemption than tor military distinction. Thu
much of explanation Is necessary to show wh..
our 1f1eUQ 14AlI 4AA1 ~ NJ *N7 - A<AA~
and undisturbed clcerone and travelling com
paniop In troubled D1xie-he an exempt an
| VIC Invisible.
> He lived at jackson, the capital Of aiissis
= sippi. Was a merchants clerk, and wen
South in search Of the main chance, wh}cl
s none seek more eagerly and widely than thos
Il born IN the State Of Maine. Jackson is forty
ct i've miles east Of tho beleagured city Of Vicks
G. burg. In the ra'my days OF the old regime
D. Jaekeon was luxurious, wc1l-to-do place o.
ID the soa'nesn fcale' which meant something
e Scfs hanosome' and bread always sugared, a
- well as buttcrcd, Tor thoFe who owned vel
stocked plantations and liberal list of nto
~ gers: It is surrounded by rich cotton ~
O. gon, now vast breadth Of corn. Jackao
he rnder the war IS unhappy and shabby. I'll
II. iIst thing that strikes W il tAp Gci that the