The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-09-12
Confessions of . Charleston Let.
ter Writer.

Confessions Of Q Charleston Let.
ter Writer.
The Philadelphia Inquirer publishes
letter received by gentleman in that city
by way of Wilmington and Nassau, froma
a friend in Charleston. The writer sayss
under date Of the Sd instant:
Our poor afflicted city is at present the
center Of attraction of the whole Confeder-
acy. The great struggle has come at last,
and fear the most disastrous results will
follow. Yet our people have determined
on vigorous resistance, and will fight to
the last. Most of the guns at Fort Sum-
ter are removing to James Island and the
other works in course of construction, to
harass.the Federal operations. The fort is
strengthening in all conceivable ways by
sand bags, cotton bales, &C., and every
precaution has been taken to enable it to
how fight, yet fear that it will be COM
PEELED to succomb to the monster guns OF
Gilmore.
Fort Moultrie, you well know, cannot
hold out for any length of time, and good
old Pinckney would crumble as an egg
shell at the first attack. Our main depen-
dence will be on our earthworks, which
have been clearly demonstrated to be the
only works capable Of effectually resisting
heavy ordnance, Notwithstanding "Bom-
bastic" Beauregard's skillful engineering.
The people are very much incensed at
Beauregard. The Mercury is particularly
severe on him. He has shamefully de-
celVed us with his everlasting braggadocia'
which, alas, will cost US dearly. l would
that the authorities at Richmond had sent
US a leader with more brains and less talk.
The reduction of our city is, in my Opin-
ion, mere question of time; though
should even Sumter fall the enemy have
heavy work yet before them to reach the
city.
Still the federals have obtained foot
hold on Morris Island uhanks to Beaure-
CARDS engineering skill,) from which
doubt his ability to dislodge them.
The general impression prevailing here
is that with the reduction of Forts Sumter
and MOultrie, the Instructions will be re-
moved, and the New Orleans game played
upon us. Should such be the case, fear
the rash counsel of the hot-headed men
in our midst will prevail, and our beautiful
city fall a victim to the torch.
Dahlgren is not much thought of here.
He has by no means the ability of Dupont.
but is simply working out the structure of
which Dupont laid the foundation, yet he
will no doubt take all the honors which of
right belong to another. 1t provokes me
to see your northern papers giving him so
J much much credit for what he does not de.
serve.
, Dupont was much admired and feared
here, and 1t was relief to us to learn of
his removal. He had great genius not
Withstanding his reckless attack with his
iron-clads,) and that is more than can be
said of his successor.
The loss of Vicksburg and Port Hudson
was indeed a fearful blow to our hopes, as
it cuts us off entirely from the country
west of the Mississippi. Already we are
beginning to feel its effects in the general
rise of the necessaries of life, for through
Texas we obtained enormous supplies.
Should Charleston fall, Mobile and Will
mington will be our only remaining ports
J OF entry, and they you may be sure, will
not be left us quietly long.
Our race is nearly run. l tremble at the
T coming OF the winter; the suffering will be
terrible. Business is and has been at a
stand still for some time. Haines street is
} completely deserted. 1t is indeed, q
, doomed city. Would to God we could
have peace once more. l anne are all
sick of war.
i = Provisions are very scarce and
high, yet we continue to get from - all
the luxuries; and luxuries being no more
} than what the poorest of your Northern
men have daily, yet our richest families
can get no better.
Bragg is an imbecile; he will be SUI
perseded by Johnston, who, by the way,
has not too many friends on account of his
not showing fight at Vicksburg. The
Southwest is lost to us beyond redemption.
: edly; neither wishes to shoulder the Get
tysburg failure. We are neck deep in
mire, and / fear our end is not far off. =
The heat with us is intense, and without
ice we all but sutfOcate; water does not
seem to quench our thirst; but We're that
, our only suffering we would indeed have
reason to thank Cod