, 1864-01-29

LATEST FROM RICHMOND.
JEFF. DAVIS: noDY SEEsF'
AMI IN WASHINGTON.
WHAT EE HAS SEEN nrDHEARD
IFrom the N. Y. Tribune.]
WASHINGTON, Noday Jan. a5, "ed'.
Itat feature Of the war, Tie intelligent anG
t1nstW urthy contraband, who has disappear
cd trcm public view, for tie last few months
rtaIpea1td in tie city, this morning, and hIs
information Las been considered OF 30 muct
Importance as TO layc occupied many hours
Of tie attention both Of Gen, HallecS and the
6eergtary Of Wnr. BE is full negro, named
Jim Otnn,son, otherwise pembeFtoa, who
has been Tor nearly twenty years personal
body servant Of Jefferson Davis, md Is well
known 90 such By tue old residents Of this
city. He. only arrived this morning, and
brings news Of q most important character.
tloueh 1t all comes in the form of strong in
cldtnte, such as a servant waiting ut table
would naturally pick up. Of the domestic
mcnagc ofMr: Davis, his pictures are very
full. Bnt first to give tho points which appear
Of; great public inttrest-
he says that Jefferson Davis, In private
conversation, is nnreserrcd in urging the
abandonment Of Virginia, rs line Of dc
fence no longer tenable Tint ho has heard
Mr.. Davis, IL conversation with confidential
members of The so-called Government, de-
clare frequently that Virginia had been used
fer oil 1t was WORTH that it had proved q
shield Of immense ve1ue, in Tending OF the
deEastatfons of war from the rice and cotton
Etatcs-Wlich wcrc the natural heart and
body polite OF tho new Government. Stops
have been already taken on various pretcxts
Of their labor being needed on the public
works to send Ill the valuable able bodied
negroes and breeding negro women from
Richmond along the railroad to Lynchburg,
md also south into GcoTgia. which A1r. Davis
declares to be the next base Of defensive op-
erations. But Gen. Lee, whom Jim describes
Is Eere1nptorily opposed 10 the abandonment
Of Virginia, md declares that Virginia SOL
diers will lay down their arms If their State
be given up to TIE Tankec despotisln. Jim
does not girc these points as they arc here
stated: The following being about fair
specimen Of his style Of Information:
Tic cupola roof Of the Presidents house
leaks very badly, be says, so that during the
recent rain-storm Ill the tubs from the kitcl,-
eu had to be taken up to savc the ceiling OF
the lower floors. Mrs. Davis, who often Says
that if they had known how it was going
they would never have left Washington with
her consent, was calling Mnssa Daiis' atten-
to send to the Quartcrmaster's Department
and have It repaired. Mnssa Davis, who has
grown vcry Pctulant and irritable Of late, rc.
FLIED: - reckon We will be out of this be-
fore another r:1fn-storm. Don't fuss yourself
and fret nc about these tri1cs."
:, The talk is not about going to Columbia,
$. c., but to some city in Georgia. JIM
heard gentlemen ask Mr- Davis at the table,
where Alexander Stephens was, WHO has not
attended Congress this eession, and who Is
enid In f,1S r,$e Ix.A r 1,r.
or office Tor over yt4r. Davis replied that
he had heard that Stephens had gone to Eu-
rope, bnt had not thought it worth while to
Inquire whit had become of him.
Jim accompanied Davis in his recent tour
around the Contedcracy, and describes tho
following scene as having occurred on tho
summit Of Lookout Meuntain. Looking
commanding clear view into four States,
and q very distant view into fifth, Davis
raw the Yankees almost beneath his feet,
across the valley, working like beavers on
their Notifications. II hnye them now,"
said he, ain just the trap set for thcm.n
To- whici. Lisnt. Gen: Psmoerton, who was
sitting on horseback beside him, replied,
"1ir. Davis, you urc Commnnacr-in-thief,
ard you are here. You think the enemy are
In trap, and can be captured by vigorous
assault. Il have been blamed for not having
ordered general attack on the enemy when
they were drawing around me their lines Of
decentralization at Vicksburg. Do you now
order IN attack upon those troops down
there below us, and will set you my life
that not one Cd d--n man Of the attacking
column will ever como back across that val
ley. except US prisoner"
When Davis was passing through North
carolinn, he only stepped at Wilmington to
F.. was preesed ly numerous delegation Of
confederate oftice-holders to stop IN Raleigh
for consultation with Gov. Vance. This be
ang1ily declined. It appears that the health
Of Mr: Davis is rapidly breaking down under
his neuralgia attacks, in 50 much that lie can
light He continues his Old habit after din
ner Of stretching himself on the carpet be-
fore the fire in room otherwise unlighted,
md is fast becoming dangerous for any one
to AZ proach him.
A{Enys Of violent and fretfnl temper, this
tunes, and Jim describes him On one occasion
as dingiDg about the chairs and furniture
when 20 disturbed. About tour weeks ago a
pistol exploded In his room when he was
loading II, md the whole family rushed up,
feeling confident that, as they had long de-
ciGed, be Ind committed suicide.
Jim says That Mrs. Davis, in conversation
with female friends, frequently talks Of the
Coneederacy as hopeless, and Is loud In rc-
grets for the lost pleasures Of Washington.
There is no foragc except In the Mississippi
Department, and the allowance for Mr.
Davis two horses is two quarts Of corn each
irg thir. Not long ago Nj: Davis received a
present Of twenty turkeys, the. food for
which now comes from the corn rat1ons Of
the quadrupeds, making them still thinner.
4 turkey Jim says, lists the family three
days-roastcd or brolled the first day, cold
the next, and ha6hed the third.
Nv -Ena
wine in his cellar, but has several kegs OF
brandy sent from blockade rnnners at VII
uaiDgton. Jim says that Mt. Davis told him
that the Yankees had killed al1 the people
wtom they found on his mississippi planta.
ton, and that they were all found lying pig
glety tiEglety In hole, their legs and arms
cut OF, and, nsome cases, their heads bloody
and beaten, protrnding from the groand.
Jim says lc believed this story, until one ol
his fclloW-serSants, who could read, told him
It was lie to deceive them. Then Jim de-
termined to leave.
When he did leave he was hidden in q hole
in the earth at Charles City for three days
before he was found BY his wife, the last
female. slave owned By Mr.. Davis In The
Presidential Mansion. Jim wore an over.
coat. ana in It the autograph name Of Alr.
Davis, and the date 1sG6. "How do you
He answered, "oh, golly, Massa Davis gave
it to me year ago, and I knew might
ncTer get another, SO took cure OF IT.
He had On his feet new but very coarse bro
gapB OF. nntanned leather, which "Masss
Davis got from the quartermaster, and he
ted me to take care OF them for they cos1
The utmost Distress prevails In Richmond
for food, there not being more than two o.
/ three beeves Killed In the city per day fo
private consumption Fresh beef was abou'
81 a pound when he left. For string Q
three perch, weighing, less than = ponut
each, lie paid SIS. Oysters were sa5 quar-
on account Of the Yankee occupation of th
| James River with gunboats.
| The negroes are forbidden to 60 near the
| Libby Prieon, and he believes there arc hlacI
| soldiers confined there, as he has seen then
| ut a distance. y
oners at Charleston, who are reported to b
| subsisted on the minimum ration that vii
support life. He says the lower tWo-thirds 0
t Charleston is now nninlobitable and II
ruins Jim says be has not get heard any
thing about armlng the negroes, aud re
marked: II they only armed u the
would soon see on which side these poo
I negroes would be-"
Jim says that, at the time Of Meade's I'D
vance across the Rappahannock and fight a
Mine Run, Lee had made every preparation
to fall back, having only Sc, 600 ragyed an
disheartened troops with him. Davis sen
cut all the clerks and employees Of the Qual
te1master's Depart tment With axes and spade
to block up the Mechanicsvll1e md Peter
burg roads leading to Richmond, 1eavin
open only one road By which Lee was c.
pccted to mike his retreat, he having sen
word to Davis that he was making all the fus
and disturbance he could to dctafn Meade
but that he could not hold out long. -.
The negro appears Intelligent, and evident
II knows whereof be af1lTms.
Dnu N Of Civilization Mt the Capital.