Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-11-05
From Vieksburg.

Companies and G did not suffer any loss.
Yours &C.,
From Vieksburg.
A,7irdl of Exchanged Union Priso1eers--An.
other Story of Rebd BdrJarity-7He Union
Prisoners at Cahaarba-Relief sent than By
Gen. Mathematician Of prominent
Rebel Politicia,a-HU says tie Policy of TIE
Rebellion Is TO secure a Democratic Triumph
at tie North.
Corresp ondeuce OF the state Journal.
VIcKsBURG Oct IS, 1864.
Editors State Journal To-day there arriv-
ed at the Soldiers Home in this place, 20
prisoners of war, exchanged with the rebel
authorities. They have been staying at Ca
hawba, Alabama, for a long time in a prison
enclosure in which the only shelter was a
large building in the centre, of which 90 feet
of the roof was gone. They were not all
soldiers, but some were citizens and were Ia
ken on a train of cars captured by the rebels,
and the soldiers were from those lost by
Sturgis at Germantown. Some of the citi-
zens were EMPLOYEES of the rail road. Their
sufferings have been very great as 10 clothing,
food and sleeping all OF them were bare
footed, or virtually so. They report that at
least so of our prisoners at Cahawba are
without pants, as many as 600 without coats
and an equal number without shoes. All
have to sleep on the ground and have about
one blanket to six men. Provision has been
made by Gen. Washburne, through flag of
truce, to send them supply of those articles.
Mrs. Gov. Harvey made application to go
out with the goods and see to their proper
distribution, and that our men got Them but
Gen. Gardner, of the Confederacy, would not
IL. 4. HI h..
to-day, by Mrs. Mann, Supt, of the Soldiers
Home, to Gen. Dana, for clothing for the
destitute soldiers, but Gen. Dana would not
give an order for it as at was Gen. Wash
burns affair and they must go to Memphis,
and find their regiments, and then they
could get clothing" Oh red tape, you will
have to give an account some of these DAYS
and what vast amount of meanness and in
competency you will have to shoulder.
have seen several very prompt and dignifed
officers whose shoulder straps are now off,
and they make very quiet and rather ordinary
citizens.
But to the prisoners. They say they need
axes very much to cut wood for cooking,
Their fare consisted of about two ounces of
bacon, cured in charcoal without any salt.
with small allowance of hard tack per dav.
made of COW peas and horsefeed ground to-
gether. They report at least one thousand
of our men there in prison. All of them are
full of vermin, and with their accommoda-
tions it is impossible to get clear of them.
They bring in the Selma Morning Reporter
of October 18th, containing a letter from
VIM. w. Boyce, addressed to Jeff. Davis and
bearing on the election of President. wish
could send you the paper containing the
whole letter, but cannot, and so will give YOU
some extracts, which go to show the interest
taken by the rebels in the success of McClel-
Ian, and the means to be adopted to accom-
plish his election. You need therefore not
not be surprised to hear that jeff Davis Of
fers to "meet in convention as States in their
sovereign capacity" After treating in gen
eral terms on the theory of Republican
form Of government and the tendency of
state of war to create military despotism,
he, In alluding to the Democratic party, says,
Il think our only hope of a satisfactory
peace, one consistent with preservation of
the free institutions, is in the supremacy of
this party at some time or other. Our policy,
therefore, is to give this party all the capital
we can" "When we know what
Mr.. Lincoln wants to do, then we know very
certainly what we ought to do" Before this
he says, Z" l admit in the first place, that a
successful military defence is indispensable.
without that nothing can be anticigated, but
utter ruin. But is this all? l think not.
There is something over and above success in
war. That is political policy. If Mr.. Lin
coin remains in power there is no hope of ac-
complishing anything by political policy"
Mr.. Boyce appears to think that there is no
hope of beating Mr. Lincoln by diplomacy
any more than by war, and so emphatically
goes in for "making capital" for the Demo
cratic party, and feels confident of outgen-
eraling them in that line, and as they do not
even talk fight, it is the easy way "and only
hope of satisfactory peace" Well, it would
not be the first time they had ''outgeneraled"
Mcclellan. He would doubtless first sex
haust all his craftsmanship" before retiring to
"gunboat of peace and safety.
Mr.. Boyce closes his able and confidential
letter to President Davis as follows: "You
may traverse indefinitely the same bloody
circle you have been moving in for the last
four years but you will approach no nearer
than you now are. Your only hope of peace
is in the ascendeney of the conservative par
ty north. Fortify that party if you can by
victories but do not neglect diplomacy. 1t
was the boast of Philip the Great King. that
he gained more cities by his policy than by
his arms. A weak power engaged with a
stronger, must make up in sagacity for what
1t lacks in physical forces, otherwise the mon
uments of its glory became the tombs of its
nationality"
From the harmony which appears to pre-
vail between the ( Conservative party north"
and the rebels south, | should Judge that the
"ConventiOn of sovereign States - would be
perfectly harmonious and would rival the
Charleston Convention of 1860, and equal
the Chicago gathering, IL not in harmbuy, at
least in ignoring every sentiment of fealty
to the government or the Union. If not en-
tirely lost to shame, should hope the peace
sneaks north would, after reading such epis-
ties of southern rebel statesmen, hide them
selves till after the election. But the time
will come when the loyal men shall have SUBJ
dued the rebels and peace again prevail
throughout the land, when the just indignation
of an injured people will crush all traitors, as
it were, into the very earth. Then no longer
will " shoulder straps" protect tyranny and
incompetency. I" So mote it be-
The Esd and S5th Wisconsin regiments
passed up the river on Saturday, leaving sew
eral of their sick in hospital here, detailed
list of whom will try and send you to-mor-
Low.
The 72d Illinois regiment voted Thursday
on the Presidential question, and stood, Lin
coin 643 to Mcclellan 80. Rather strong for
Democratic regiment. There were no
Wisconsin men among the prisoners arriving
here to-day. Yours, &C.,
GEo. G.. SMITH.
ONE OF LANES BEsT.-Lamb once convuls.
ed company with an anecdote of Coleridge,