The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-02-06
New Publications.

ard Russell. New York: Harper q Brothers
For sale in this city by A. Robinson, 81 Ex-
change street.
The Special Correspondent of the London
Times, herladed by well earned reputa ton
such as no reporter for the press ever enjoyed
before, landed in New York on the 10th March,
1861. On the 18th, after pleasant breakfast
with several representatives of the New York
press, he left by rail for Washington. On the
18th of April he set out for the Southern States,
proceeding by Baltimore to Norfolk, and thence
southwark to Charleston, where he arrived on
the 10th April, three days after the surrender of
Fort Sumter. Alter four days in South CARROLL
ma, Mr.. Russell took his departure for Savannah,
pursuing his journey by easy stages to Mont
gomery Mobile, Pensacola, New Orleans, Weeks
burg, Jackson, Memphis, and SO up the Missis-
sippi river, arriving at Cairo on the 10Th June.
His route thence lay easterly toward Washing
ton, in and near which city he remained till the
next April.
This is book entirely distinct from the letters
prepared by Mr.. Russell for the Times. These
are memoranda touching places and persons of
note, but of character too minute to admit of
publication when written. II is not to Mr. Rus
sells credit, that he should have perverted the
opportunities afforded him by hospitality to the
exercise of his profession as writer. Since he
has done SO however, let US cheerfully admit
that he is a man of terrible veracity What he
sees, (and the eyes in the heavy British face
prehxed to this volume are very observant) he
records with scrupulous fidelity. While he
wrote from the South, we were delighted;
when he named our own faults we were an
CRY. Let us at any rate acknowledge his entire
impariiality, the excellent service he has done
the future historian, and his admirable equa-
nimity since leaving this continent under circum-
stances, to say the least, vexatious. In the pre-
face to this Diary he says, at has been my
fate to see the Americans under their most I'M
favorable aspect" Let us no longer blame him
for this unlucky fact. Nothing has been able to
shake his belief in our country's GLORIOUS ca
reer, which misfortune and folly may arrest but
for time.''
Here are some sketches from Mr.. Russell's
gallery of pen and ink portraits At Charles
ton, on visit to Fort Sumter, he first met
SENATOR wIGFALL
As the boat touched the quay of the fort, a
tall, powerful-looking man came through the
shattered gateway, and with uneven steps strobe
over the rubbish toward skiff which was wait
ing to receive him, and into which he jumped
and rowed OIL Recognizing one of my com
panions as he passed our boat, he suddenly stood
up, and with leap and scramble tumbled in
amongst US, to the imminent danger of upset.
ting the party. Our new friend was dressed in
the blue frock coat of the civilian, round which
he had tied red silk sash-his waist-beit sup
porting a straight sword, something like those
SURROUNDED with loosely fastened silk handker-
chief, and wild masses of black hair, tnged with
gray. fell from uuiisr . civilians hat over his
collar; his unstrapped trousers were gathered
up high on his legs, displaying ample boots, gar
nshed with formidable brass spurs. But his
face was not one to be forgotteD--a straight,
broad brow, from which the hair rose up like
the vegetation on river bank-beetlng black
eyebrows mouth coarse and grim, yet full of
power; square jaw; thick argumentatiye
nose; new growth of scrubby beard and nous
tache-these were relieved byeyes of wonderful
depth and light, such as ] never saw before but
in the head of a wild beast. If you look some
day when the sun is not too bright into the eye
of the Bengal tiger, in the Regent Park, as the
keeper is coming round, you will form some
notion of the expression mean. II was fash
ing, fierce, yet calm-with well of fire burning
behind and spouting through it, an eye pitless
in anger, which now and then sought to con-
ceal its expression beneath half-clo ,ed lids and
then burst out with angry glare, as if dis
dalning concealment.
This none other than Louis L. Wigfall
colonel (then of his own creation) in the con-
federate army, and senator from Texas in the
United States-a good type of the men whom
the institutions of the country produce or throw
OLA remarkable man, noted for his ready, nat
ural eloquence, his exceeding ability as a quick
bitter debater; the acerbity Of his taunts, and
his readiness for personal encounter.
The other day, when the fire against Sumter was
at Its height, and the fort, in flames, was
duced almost to silence. small boat put off
from the shore and steered through the shot and
splashing waters right for the walls. Ii bore the
colonel and a negro oarsman. Holding up a
white handkerchief ON the end of his sword,
Wigfall landed on the quay, clambered through
an embrasure, and presented himself before the
astonished federals with proposal 10 surren-
der, quite unauthorized and son his own hook
which led to the final capitulaton of Major
Anderson.
| am sorry to say, our distinguished friend
had just been paying his respects sans 6ornes to
Bacchus or Bourbon. for he was decidedly I'M
steady in his Gait and thick in speech; but his
head was quite clear, and he was determined
should know all about his exploit.
At Montgomery Mr. Russell saw George N.
Sanders, once United States consul at Liver
"pool, now doubtful man here, seeking some
''offce from the government, and accused by
''porton of the press as being Confederate spy
porous de gregg Epieuri-but learned pig
'withal, and weatherwise. and mindful of the
"signs of the times, catching straws and whisk-
Sing them upwards to detect the currents, "and
was introduced by his FRIEND Mr.. wigfall, to
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
| had an opportunity of observing the Pres-
dent very closely; he did not impress me as fav-
orably as had expected, though he is certainly
He is like gentleman-has a slight, light fig
ure, little exceeding middle height, and holds
himself erect and straight. He was dressed in
rustic suit of slate-colored stuff, with a black
silk handkerchief round his neck; his manner is
plain, and rather reserved and drastic his head
is well formed, with fine full forehead, square
and high. covered with innumerable fine lines
and wrinkles, features regular, though the cheek
bones are too high and the jaws too hollow to
be handsome; the lips, are thin, flexible, and
curved, the chin square, well-defned; the nose
very regular, with wide nostrils; and the eyes
deep-set, large, and full-one seems nearly blind,
and is partly covered with film, owing to ex-
cruciating attacks of neuralgia and tic. Won
derful to relate, he does not chew, and is neat
and elean-looking, with hair trimmed and boots
brushed. The expression of his face is anxious;
he has very haggard, care-worn and pain
drawn look, though no trace of nything but
the utmost confidence and the greatest decision |
could he detected in his conversation.
At Montgomery also, our writer dined with,
and of course sketched,
MR.. BENJAMIN.
The Attorney General of the Confederate
States is the most brilliant perhaps of the IA