Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-03-11
Important from Rebellion.

= Important from Rebellion.
From the New York Herald.
e The annexed intercepted letter from South
Il ern lady in Richmond to her sister in Ken
: tucky, gives an unusually interesting picture O
e affairs as they now exist ia rebeldom Th,
Communication evidently cmanates from al
; intelligent and reliable source, and should bc
: perused with care:
RICHMOND, Feb. 10.
"My Dear Sister: As our mutual friend
i Mr. BIS, is about to undertake the per
ilous journey to Kentucky, l avail myself Of
the opportunity to write you good long let
ter. We have heard nothing of you in nearly
two years, and can well appreciate your anx-
iety concerning us. Our brave boy is dead
killed at Gettysburg. Oh how we miss him;
but the thought that be fell 10 noble cause
takes away much of the bitterness, though it
seems as If the sacrifice had been made for
nothing. 1t is impossible to describe the
gloom that prevades all society, and with all
the Affections and doubts that oppress US,
there is not one comforting gleam, except the
hope of a speedy end of the war. must con-
fess that we have lost much of that assurance
of success which once buoyed US up, and pic
tured such bright visions of the future; but
our determination to fight to the last is unaba.
ted, and we comfort ourselves with the faith
that Prov idence will eventually rewardour sac
rifces, and bring us safely out ofthe furnace
that is consuming US. The rest of the family are
all we'll. William is in the War Department;
but we fear that the conscription will take
him too. He might get a commission, sup
pose; but we trust the necessity for doing so
| will not come upon US. Cousin j Ohm has left
| Charleston and gone to Savannah, though he
writes me that the military authorities expect
an attack upon the city, and that most of the
people have removed nearly all of their effects
/ to the interior. Henry has taken his family
to North Carolina. Cousin Mary has been
unfortunate. She became attached to an Of
fcer of General Lees staff, who cruelty de-
ceived her, and at one time we thought she
wouldn't live. The poor little thing died. and
| think it was blessing to it, as well as to
its mother, that it was so.
Society here is utterly broken up. All
fondness for fashion and pleasure seems to
have been lost, and day after day passes with
nothing to relieve the prevailing dullness-
We see nothing but soldiers and the para pher-
MALTA of war. The whole city is converted in
to hospitals and barracks, and our eyes have
grown weary with the signs of strife. Presi-
dent Davis seems discouraged, and, fear, is
failing rapidly. The responsibilities, disap-
pointments and faultfndings of his friends
haYe broken him down. aud it is hardly prob
able that be will live to see the end of the
war. We had a great scare here when But
Ter attempted to capture Richmond and am
surprised that so few precautions are taken
against raid upon the city. We have very
small force here, and much Of that unreliable. |
Two companies of heavy artillery, five light
batteries, two companies of cavalry, and about |
1000 citizen soldiers, are all we have to defend
US. There is part ola North Carolina reg
ment guarding the Chickahominy, and seven
hundred and fifty men in Fort Darling; but
these could not do much service, and l should /
not be surprised if the Yankee cavalry got in
to the city, released the prisoners, and destroy
ed the Capitol. The Notifications towards the
peninsula are very strong; but toward Hano /
yer Court House and west of the city, we have
10 guns or Notifications of any consequence.
The citizen soldiers are not to be relied on in
an emergency, and it is believed that the ap-
pearance of any considerable force of Yankees
would be the signal for a general stampede
The Meadow Ridge and Bottom Bridge roads,
of which you have heard so much, are entire
Iy exposed, and sometimes I think the author
tiles are willfuIly blind to danger. The gun
boats here, of which so much was expected,
amount to nothing. Only one is completed,
and that is slow as tortoise. Two others
nearly done but their guns have been sent to
Charleston, ard I don't believe they intend
to finish them The city is full Of dsloyal
people, aud We can only trust our most inti-
mate friends What could we do if the Yam
KEGS should suddenly come upoa US? l trem-
bic when I think Of what may happen. All
the old Soldiers bave been sent to North Car
olina. Gen. Pickett's division, which had
been here so long, was hurried off, it was said
for the purpose Of capturing Newbern, but
the real object was to prevent disturbance
amongst the people. We never had much
confidence in North Carolina, and I believe
one half of the State would welcome the Yam
KEGS to-day. William says our authorities
dare not be too rigid with them: but think
if few examples were made of the disloya
leaders we should have much less trouble and
apprehension Charleston still stands, not
withstanding the braggadocia, of the Yankees.
The city is almost deserted, though, and the
grass is actually growing in all the streets
L wonder sometimes why they don't take some
of Beauregards troops and re-euforce Gen.
Lee. Nineteen thousand men, should think
were more than is required to hold that place,
though it is thought that the enemy had left
Morris Island only to attack the city from an
other direction. Uncle James writes from
Mobile that they fear raid in that direction,
and that every one is ready to leave. So it
is almost everywhere. One does not know
where to go for safety, and the whole country
seems in constant fear OF ofinvasion. .s Ii
We hear very little from the West; from
beyond the Missippi nothing. All that coun-
try / fear, is lost to us. Do not believe the
Yankee stories about the smallness oil our
Western army. LOngstreet has twenty thou
sand, and johnson thirty-iive thousand men,
besides the smaller commands scattered
through the country that might be added tc
their forces in case of an emergency, Grant
seems 10 be the only Gen. the Yankees have
had since Mcclellan, and if they will only
give him the army of the Potomac, or put