Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-09-03

the lElOn Afmi-fTeSlatnt LiuCOiu auu tue
RebelliOn-Letter from Gen. Seymour, Late
" Prisoner Of War. -
NEW YoRK, August le.
To The Editor of The Neso York Times
/ have Just received the following most in
teresting letter from Gen. Seymour, lately
released from ''under fire" at Charleston. As
an old West Point officer, with Gen. Ander-
son at Sumter, and stationed many years IL
the South, he knows the Southern people
well. He is a brave, true soldier, devoted to
the Union and, although, at the time of the
unfortunate battle in Florida, he was accused
of lukewarmness by those ignorant OF his
character, he has proved, by his action on
many battlefield, as well as by his plucky
talk to the rebels at GordOnsyille, when cap
tured in. May last, that he was every inch 10y
al to the old flag. Yours, &c,
w. E. d., Jr.
WMLIAMsTowN, Mass, Aug. Is, ga.
Ny DEAR SIR:-You ask for my impressions
of the present condition of the Southern
Confederacy, and you shall have them. For
the benefit of our cause / wish they might be
impre ssed upon every soul in the land, that
the confidence begotten of my three months
observations in the interior of the South
might be shared by every man who has the
least connection with the responsibilities OF
this struggle. And am sure that these epin-
ions are not peculiar to myself. Every one
of the fifty officers just exchanged will ex-
press the same-every one of them, whether
from the jails of Charleston, or the pens of
Macon and Andersonville. will confidently
tell the same story.
= Tie re6eL cause is fast failing from erhauS-
ton. Their two grand armies have been re-
inforced this summer from the last resources
of the South. From every corner of the
land, every old man and every boy capable
of bearing a rifle has been impressed, willing
ly or unwillingly, and hurried to the front.
Lees army was the first so strengthened. 1t
was at the expense of Hoods. Gov. Brown
told the truth with plainness that was very
bitter, but it was none the less the truth. Let
me extract a few prominent statements from
his proclamation of July 9, addressed to the
Reserved militia of Georgia."
"A late correspondence with the President
of the Confederate States, satisfied my mind
that Georgia is to be left to her own resourc-
es to supply the reinforcements to Gen. Johns
tons army, which are indispensable to the
protection of Atlanta, and to prevent the
State from being overrun by the overwhelm-
ing numbers now under command of the Fed
eral General upon our soil fs
But there is need of further reinforce
ments, as will be seen by the accompanying
letter of Gen. Johnston. And 1T
becomes my duty to call forth every man in
the State able TO bear arms, as fast as they
can be armed, to aid in the defence of our
homes, our affairs and the graves OF our an
cestors.
elf the Confederate Governments will not
send the large cavalry force (now engaged in
raidlng and repelling raids) to destroy the
long line of railroads over which Gen. Sher-
man brings his supplies from Nashville, and
thus compel him to retreat with the loss of
most of his army, the people OF Georgia,
rho hare already been dra,c1a upon more hedOily
IL, proportion to population than those Of any
Other State in tie COnfe1eracy, must at all haz
ards, and at any sacrifice, rush to the front.
eff Gen. Johnston's army is destroyed, the
Gulf States are thrown open to the enemy
and we are ruined"
There must, indeed, have been desperate
weakness when Georgia, and the Southern
cause with it, were so neglected that Lees
army might be made equal to the task of
holding Grant to the Potomac or the James
and the people of the South are intelligent
enough to understand, and to appreciate the
fact, and they have lost heart accordingly.
The following is from a letter written by
one rebel to another, that accidentally fell
into the hands of one of my fellow prisoners,
and for the authenticity of which | vouch;
Every few persons are preparing to obey
the late call of the Governor. His summons
will meet with no response here. The people
are soul-sick, and heartily tired of this hate
full, hopeless strife. They would end it if
they could; but our would-be rulers will take
good care that no opportunity be given the
people to vote against it. BY lies, by fraud,
and by chicanery this revolution was inaugu
rated by force, by tyranny and the suppress
ion of the truth il is sustained. 1t is nearly
time that it should end, and Of sheer depletion
IL must end before long. We have had enough
of want and woe, enough of cruelty and earn
age, enough of cripples and cOrpses. There
is an abundance of bereaved parents, weep
ing widows, and orphaned children in the
land. If we can, let us rot increase the num-
Der. The men who, to aggrandize themselves,
or to crafty their own political ambition,
brought this cruel war upon peaceful and |
country, will have to render a fear |
full account of their msdeeds to a wronged, |
robbed and outraged people. Earth has no
punishment sufficiently meet for their villainy |
here, and hell will be hardly hot enough to |
seattle them hereafter"
There is certainly no small proportion of
the Southern people despite the lying dec
larations of their journals, as we had good |
occasion to learn that not only favor the |
of our arms, but that daily pray that |
this exterminating war may soon be brought |
to finality by our complete and perfect sue |
cess They have had too much of despotism |
not enough of the triumph promised them. |
Many intelligent gentlemen, do, indeed, ex
press strong hopes of their ultimate indie
pendence, but such hope is not shared by
the masses. Disappointed from the first in
not having been acknowledged by foreign |
bitterly disappointed in their
general expectation that Northern cowardice |
or dissension would secure their ends-but a
single chance remains, and that is H.eresuH Of
oar merit election for President If a Democrat
succeeds to Mr.. Lincoln, they profess to feel
sure of negotiations, and sure of their Con-
They believe a Democrat will be
elected. In Mr.. Lineoln's reelection they
see only subjugation, humiliation, for the
war must then continue, and continuance is
their failure and ruin.
In military affairs it is an excellent rule
never to do what the enemy desires-is it
not equally true in politics? Certain it is
that tie only remaining hope lies IN Mr. Lin
eols's defeat.
Now, / am not enough of a politician to
know whether the election of Democrat
can result as favorably to the South as it an
ticipates. The wish alone may be the parent
OF their belief But, | assured all who ex-
pressed that belief, that the North, as mass,
is as united as the South-that no Democrat
could be elected on a peace platform-and
that any President who would inaugurate any
measure leading to peace on the basis of
Southern independence, would be promptly
A. A. L. ~o.-k~