The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-06-18
A Peep into a Rebel Mailbag.

Peep into Rebel Mailbag.
Among the various captures made by Gen.
Banks army during the occupation of the Te-
che country, not the least interesting in some
respects was the seizure of some twenty bags
of rebel mails. The most important of the let
tiers thus seized were of course retained by the
military authorities; but very many of minor
interest have found their way north, and Of
these we have received several for publication.
Here is one from nephew of Mr.. Jefferson
Davis, an officerin General S. ID. Lees brigade
at Vicksburg, who writes to his aunt in De So
to parish, on the upper waters of the Red riv-
er, Ms follows:
DEAR AUNT,-Your truly welcome letter of tho
25th ult. per c. X. Prince received with much
pleasure and satisfaction day or two since. wrote
Uncle Jacob letter some four weeks since and
knowledged the receipt of the many good things you
sent me. Tho cakes had not moulded particle.
presume the letter has been received before this
am very anxious 10 learn the result of the draw
ing for the mtia-am in hopes Uncle Jacob will not
have to leave home II he does not go into the State
service, would like to him here lie
can find leisure.
think your fears arc groundess about the enemy
attempting TO march on Shreveport, as they would
not attempt SO hazardous enterprise without tho
assistance of their gunboafs to cooperate ON Red
u hass p.enty and 10 seH ere erers man M 70
b. leaves home as the negroes can ctfirdfe the SOIL
have only received one letter from Mr.. Thatcher,
two or three times. Maj. Ii. Is. Graves here ten
days ago, on his way to Virginia to join the 6 La.
regiment. He said Jacob and family were all well.
and Miss Hattie was as fascinating as ever but was
not looking as rosy as Of yore, &C., &c. know this
Uncle JEFF sent me his picture, also Confederate
nag and photograph of of his favorife generals
all Of which enclose-the first for Ollie. the second
for Bnrfie, and last for Jakey; also send two-dol-
lar bill, which is not current here.
The enemy have pretty much left their old camp
ag grounds in sight Of this place. and zoe erpecf
Sng an attack on our right on the Ydzoo rirer. Two
weeks ago our regiment went to Haines' bluff on the
Yazoo, IA miles north of this place, expecting get
into fight, but the enemy had retreafed before We
got near them, and we returned TO yicksburg. Our
bIigadier general g. d. Lee) is fighting man. and
where there i anything to be done there Is where he
wants his brigade and wants to be himself.
Everything commands war prices here. Butter
sells for 81 per lb. eggs. s2Oo per doz chickens,
$3.50 each beef per b.; bacon, per lb. flour,
$780, 90 lsie per BIZ and everything else in proper
ton. eefE
Judge Creswelrs Be ' Edward cooks for me and he
says tell you all "aowdy'' and "particar rally Aunt
Dorcas and TILL" Many thanks for your Kind offer
TO send me anything, &C. do not need anything at
present. Afectionately,
T. L. wENPLE.
The Enclosures were two small badges print
ed on ribbon and tolerable photograph of
''Stonewall" jackson. Officers in our army,
well acquainted with jackson, pronounce the
likeness very good. 1t is pleasant to observe
that through April the Vicksburg garrison
was expecting an attack on the Yazoo. 1t
was twenty days after the writing of this let
ter, before the roar Of Grants cannon unde-
ceived them, and the fall of Grand Gulf left
Porter at liberty to cooperate with Banks Oh
the Red river, greatly to the terror no doubt of
Mr.. Wemple's good aunt in DE Soto.
1t seems that the women at home are not so
well persuaded of the trustworthiness of the
negroes, in an agricultural point of view, as
their sons and brothers in the field would have
them. Otherwise Mr.. Wemple would not
have been obliged to enforce this point in his
letter. But here is another Vicksburg letter.
from the ranks, this. "Times is hard and git
ing wors," writes this honest fellow, without
benefit of grammar or circumlocution. This
is what he wrote two weeks before the be-
ginning Of Grants operations below Vicks-
burg:
Thursday Aprile the 10th 1868
Dear Brother seat myself to drop you few lines
In answer to yours that came TO hand the of this
instant it found me wei Twas glad to her from You
and to here that you all well these lines levcs
me well hope il these ever reches you tina vii find
you wei and doing wei Wei Philip have nothing
home the other day tina was all wei and doing as
well as they can times is hard thar and Citing ,cors
Philip thare is no war news her times quiet her
the report is that the yanks is tearing this place
thare ant many thare was awhile tina are leay-
ing Icant tell where tina are going tina are going
fte at murfres Burrow cant tell how that is we
are expecting orders evry day to go thar tho we may
~ps er d stsrpr ber WI rtipr too p hot down
her in May IL is Citing vary warm here
Wei Philip was glad to her that you was all dixey
that s my stripe TO day tomorrow and forever Twas
also glad to her that the Boys out fling for thare
homes and fire sids tina the pluck of my self
about hun Being at home Il be had Bin thar wood
aherd IT think he is in the Northern army he is
Pnek 0 s e re- you roe to me That Br9thes
Rock Want you to Rite TO me what Derveison
he is in and the Nomber of his rdgment l mite
stand chans to see him If node the number of his
Rigt tell sister Mary that want hur to rite to me
and gave me the tthel news of the country tell all
burg want Won ali 70 rite home TO Margaret and
she will answer your letters Philip GOOD like 10
you all rary ,cei and hare CONDENSATION about ths
thing ] must close rite gave me the
no more Remanes your Brother S. l.. Cole
Cole must have found it ''yary warm" since
that letter was written. A brave enough, dull
witted fellow apparently. caring little which
side his brothers take, If SO be they only man
ifest "piuck enough TO fite." 1t may be too
that he has his own views "about this thing"
cautiously reserved for friendly ears and
yelled in rodomontade about "Dixie" and the
like. But here is man who is clearly in
earnest:
saw man from the upper part of Calcasieu the
other day and he told that about half Of the peo-
pie there ,cere union men and cere igng out % keep
from Going 10 the Gar and was very much sur
priscd asd very sorry to think that there any