Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-01-07
Life in OharlsstOn.---A Gloomy Picture of the
--t 81. Condition Of the City.

tract Of a letter to a gentleman from relative
in Charleston, s. G., under date of November
10th: -5 r
I" The isolation of our position is grievous
to be borne, and it is made more than ever
clear to us that there are no ties so strong as
those which bind Us to the kindred among
whom we were born and bred, and those
which hold our hearts to the land of our chill
dren. This exile has taught many useful les
sons, and we trust that when again we set
foot upon New England soil, we may value
the institutions which are its boast as highly
as those who sing their praises the loudest.
Last evening there were atmy house three
gentlemen, each of whom has wife and chill
dren at the North and a fourth, whose chill
dren are in Lowell I have often had dozen
visitors at once, all of whom were exiles in
our situation You may then imagine that
not all the residents Of Charleston have forgot
ten the land of their birth. Indeed, my own
opinion is that the majority of the residents
of that city at this time would not mourn to
see that old flag waving in the breeze over
the town. The fre-eaters who are too old to
be in the army, have generally retired into
the interior, where, we trust, they will remain.
When the grand crash comes, it will find US
not grieving, but glad. sieges and storms
have lost their terrors to the people Of this
city. We have had so large a share Of liber-
ty under our new government that we can
cheerfuIly submit for tine to the oppression
of the federal government. The lombard
ment of the city is not so great an evil as
some Others With flour at $3G per barrel
corn. at S25 per busheI potatoes at 81 per
oushel coffee at 81 70 per pound, common
calico at 81 per yard shoes SIG for my wife,
to say nothing of $50 for a pair Of pants, 81
30 for pound of butter, and S155 to Sl65 a
pound for yellow soap, bomb shells are not
regarded as very terrible. More people will
suffer for want Of fuel and food i'll Charleston
his winter than in all New England, unless
.he city fall into federal hands Hundreds
,annot buy. salt. 1t was sold at auction the
olher day at S468 per bushel, at wholesale.
have just paid So. per cord for poor oak
wood, and there are thousands of cords with
n a few miles Of the city, but no boats, no
.ars, no carts to haul it, no negroes to cut it
everybody, everything being used by the
government on the public works.
The efforts of the government seem like
but to any one who has common
ense, there seems very little chance of any
uccessful defence. There is a committee of
itizens now at work going around from house
0 house with the purpose of seeing who are
ltending to go away from the city in case of
n attack, and make provisions for moving
lch as cannot furnish means for theirown re-
loyal or support there, at the public expense.
'eport says that they find a very small num-
er who. propose or wish to leave. prophe-
? that when this town falls into the hands of
le federal government there will be such a
iferent state OF things here from what is
enerally anticipated, as tosuTprise many out
de of it and many in it. The leaders Of Sc
,ssion are no longer here, and they are thor
lghly killed off as far as future influence
oes, however this war ends. OF no man is
lere more thorough detestation to-day, in ]
outh Carolina, than Robert Barnwell Rhett
not even Abraham Lincoln. The news Of
le death Of his whole family would give more a
y than any other event I could name. How t
ire it is that every revolution Of such a char /
ter as this kills its own siresI - a
The northern papers talk about the alb 4
nee Of Union feeling in the South. There a
no want uflove for the old government. It c
daily growing stronger rather than weaker. t
ut the power of that government must be S
own to be strong enough to occupy and v
,ssess the territory. Once give US a chance, 4
ID the pressure of the peril of, and the well il
n will ring with joy at the downfall of the v
government. But as long as the f
onfederate government is the one which rex fl
cises exclusive power over. us-as long as b
rginia stands defantly in front Of the feder- Il
arIny-so long win all men hesitate to take h
e risk Of openly espousing the Union cause. C,
is hard now to find any man who will avow O.
at he was an original secessionist. But their n
ide is engaged in the conflict. That will h
I'D to hard blows this. winter Then let Ii
#. Davis & Co. look out for a peace party cc
the South. They have been straining their Il
eS to see one at the North; they may see O.
e in the South before they want it. There ID
no single grievance Of which the southern f
ties complained at the hands of the federal sI
vernment Except the one in connection Oh
tn slavery which has not been aggravated to
the Confederate government, and the com q
N opinion here is that, whatever the result al
the war, so far as connection with the fed gr
Il government goes, the axe mas been laid W
the root of slavery. r...-r. ..-.-. &C
i I hope our next Communication may be pa
means of the open port Of this city by tn
ited States vessels. I trust that no long W
'iod may elapse before iron ships may bid F.
lance to Forts Moultrie and Sumpter, and vi
5 town once more own the sway which an
ny fits people yet long to acknowledge"
Bangor (Naine) Wing and Courier.
An illiterate man of great natural endow- tn
nts is blind Samson, who, instead Of de
,osing his work, must be led to it.
The richest robes are often put upon the ~ ~
st diseased bodies, and the sweetest names 80