The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-03-03
Correspondent. Of the Fayet,e,iIle observer.
RICHMOND, February ls.

bout iecelVeo them with due respect aud took
cess Of few minutes. Gen. Hill is small but
aud graduated No. Is in class with Burnside, who
was No. IL. He has a keen eye, well formed
forehead and full long whiskers like most other
miihary men. He is very pleasant and afable,
though apparently silent and reserved, and shows
IN every movement courtesy and sincerity-I
strange to say, he and old "Stonewalr' do not
agree very yell. This has probably resulted from
some accidental difference prejudice, and each
mas spirit too Independent to condescend yolun-
tarIsy to remove the misunderstanding.
I1 the lower house of the Confederate Congress
the man who makes the most fuss and show next
to the Speaker and Reading Clerk, is Henry s.
foote, OF Tenn. Although he has "played OUT
several times, be has again turned up anew aud
Is one OF the most fluent takers ever heard, not
even excepting VenabIe and ns Western rival
There is an old "legend" that once upon time
a bet was made in Washington that Venable was
the greatest talker in Congress. 1t was imme-
dlateiy taken up by the friends of celebrated
western campaigner, and arrangements were made
for the snatch" and whichever battery would be
silenced first should lose and not be considered
'game." They "set to" after dinner, and at bed
time neither had much the advantage of the other,
when the spectators all retired, leaving the COM
batans alone. Next day after breakfast the judges
went IN to note the stage Of the race when they
found the Western man exhausted and swooned
away, bis head on the back of his chair and his
arms hanging by his side, while Venable had
closed in upon his antagonist with his mouth close
to the unfortunate mans ear, stating argument
after argument, and illustration on illustration,
while his right forefnger vibrated up and down
upon his open left palm, keeping time with the
ceaseless roll of his tongue. But [ believe Foote
could have worn both out in detail Mr. Foote is
a remarkable man aud was described in the
old Congress "great humbug, perfect gentle
man, entire horse, and part alligator"
Among the most leading and prepossessing
members Of the House are Speaker Bocock, OF
Va, W. P. Miles of S. c.. Chiffon of Ala, Banks
dale of Miss, Smith of n c., Jones of Tenn,
and Perkins of La. Thos. S. Bocock, Speaker of
the House. and who would in certain contingencies
have to perform the duties of President, was boru
in Buckingham county, Va, and is some 40 or 45
years of age. He was poor boy, was educated
by friends and is self made man Mr. Bocock is
a man of superior talent, pleasant manner, and
dispatches business with great energy, promptness
and ability He served few terms in Congress
at Washington and was once nominated and sup
ported for Speaker on some of the balloting pre-
vious to the election of Pennington Of n. j.
VIM Porcher Miles is also self-made man and
raised in Charleston, educated at the Charles
ton College, and was for some years Professor in
that Institution. He was elected to some local
city Office and Immediately afterwards elected to
the United States Congress in place of Hon. Mr.
Aiken.
In the Senate ones attention is first attracted
to Hon. R NJ. T. Hunter, Senator from Va, and
at present performing the duties of President of
the Senate 10 Mr. Stephens absence. Mr. Hunter
Cor Run Mad Tom as he was called by his con-
treres at Washington is As or so years of age,
was born in Essex county, Va, and educated at
the University of Virginia. He became lawyer
and was several times member of the Virginia
Legislature, and was elected to Congress in 1887
and once or twice afterwards, and ohiciated az
Speaker one term. In lS47 he was sent to the
q. S. Senate and was continued there till Vir-
ginia seeded. He is large, indoent looking
man, weighs over 200, and makes an efficient pre-
siding officer. When he rises to put a question
or decide a point of parliamentary usage, he
talks very loud and fast, seeming in great hurry
to get through so that he can sit down again. He
is a man of good order of talent, sound judgment
and strong intellect, but not thought to possess
superior original powers of mind or versatile genius
Prominent in the Senate are Hill of Ga, Yancey
and Clay of Ala, Phelan of Miss johnson of Ca,
Semmes of La, Davis of N. G. and Burnett of
XIV x
The army is on the move rather on the
scatter some way; but nobody knows anything
about it. President Davis and General Lee, when
questioned on the matter, always express entire
ignorance of the whole affair. Gen. Lee keeps
secret well, but | cannot say as to old jeff.
There are more romantic and historical remin-
isences connected with Richmond than man
could study in year; and it would be impossible
to relate many of them only when appropriate to
the subject matter. The old building-St Johns
Church-in which Patrick Henry delivered his
celebrated speech of "givs me liberty or give me
DEATH" to the Virginia Legislature, still stands in
the lower part of the city. There are some old
tomb stones pointing away back to the time of
John Smith and Pocahortas, and many old
buildings reared by the hands of the old colonial
fathers. But Richmond has not much extraord-
mary history-that is reserved for the future.
What the present bloody page, that is being added
to the annals of the world may relate of Richmond,
cannot now be known; but it has already awarded
it fame co-extensive with that of Troy.
In have recently mingled with officers and men
in nearly all the N. G. Regiments in Virginia, and
I find the almost universal sentiment against the
Ten Regiment Bill recently under consideration
in the Legislature. LONG GRABS.
THE INDIAN LEGIoN.-Major Thomas, COM
handing the Legion of Chero kee Indians, who
have rendered much service to the Confederate
cause in East Tennessee in our city yesterday.
The Major is now with his aboriginal allies in the
mountains on the border between this State and
Nortb Corol,. uba-a bo 10 in ro,litu atiu1