Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-09-28
FRoMMoBILE.
Interssttag Statement 6gG Citizen lShO left
the City since Farrogut Captured the Forts.
From the Boston traveller.

the City EiHes FdrragUt Captured the FoTtE.
From the Boston Traveller.
Mobile to-day is one great camp. Nom
ipallv only those between the ages of six
teen and sixty are in the FIELD in fact
every one, without regard TO age, out of
! whose body il Is possible to squeeze few
weeks service The CONSUMPTION has been
carried on in aremorseless manner For
tunstely for a few, gold has the same ppE@
| there IS elsewh-re to secure allevistlon.-
Corruption among officials is puiEersal and
patent To all, but regarded leniently, as a
matter of course, rendered necessary By
miserable salaries which cannot keep body
and soul together. One hundred or one
hundred snd 6feeen doIlAFs szmonthEis- q
beggar's fee, where three hundred of them
can purchase but enc barrel Pf -four or a
ceat of the cheapest cloth. The authorities
themselves are so we'll aware of this that
no exemption issued by one examining
board is respected by its successor but
with each change of eIsmiuers every man
not in the service has 70 undergo another
investigation as TO sonuduess, though no
certificate can at any time be issued Tor
anything short of extreme physical disabilH
ity. In the long run no man was safe who
had not one foot already in tbs grave.
The land and water defences around the
CITY are elaborste-tbe' latter, however,
moi as strong as generally supposed The
| fortg and the two hundred IorpedOes in the
lower bay were thought TO be q Sufficient
protection in that direction. No one be-
! iieEed that the passing these was within
the limits of possibility, and, therefore, less
| importance was attached to the immediate
defenees. 57aa
riThe passage of the forts was followed
by the most intense excitement -Bells we're
r1np, stores were closed, all persons or
dered to their respective orgRDizs zstions,
and 8 steamer.Ess dispatched to bring back
The hundreds sojourning at the summer re-
| sorts on the eastern shore. Tue garrison
then consisted almost entirely of "Stste
reserves, composed of foreigners and men
I between the ages of fifty and sixty Non
combstants we're. ordered out OF the city.
/ The order met with Htte obedience, how
ever, because there was 10 place TO retreat
to. Refugees cease TO meet with favor
Their numbers are SO great ia the Confed-
eracy that they have become nuisance,
and planters close their doors against them
lila addition TO the inbsbitRats proper, the
military aUtborities are now also hamper
ed by hundreds of this class, who have re-
lsolved to end their wanderings and accept
whatever lot befalls the city. E lu,
1 The general sentiment is one of the COM
plete WEAKNESS of aha HRr. Il Two years of
| a military despotism which have stripped
the people of every sembiance of liberty
have cooled theyardoF of the most violent
original secessionists, and made them, not
fUniouists, but Indifferent to everything but
! pssce. No white man in that time has
lEE4ked the streets without pass At
Ieyery few blocks guards aceosted him. and
| Eitheut the proper paper, be was marched
20 the conseripting Office, whose door only
opened again to let bin out as soldier.
The theory has been that every men was
! 10 the military service and must hare, IT at
large, pass from the Provost Marshal or
| lsomeeffcer commanding 9 camp. Foreign
{ers we're not exempt from this requirement,
I hut were forced 70 join some Organiz alton
l for local defence. This lsborious provost
| dutT was effected without drawing upon
1.-THE resources of the army, by being en-
i trusted to the Pelham Cadets, battalion oi
bows, fifteen TO seventeen years of age, one
company of which WRsaamong the prison
ers at Fort Gaines. They executed theiI
work With relentless thoroughness, watch
ing night and day, and even rsnsaekfng
| houses for their victim, in many cases some
poor man striving to remain BY the side Of
q needy family. .-s -B-
The measures which converted every
Imam into q soldier succeeded each other
trapidIy. First came the CONSUMPTION o.
1 aii bAiween the ages of lS and 35, soon
1 exEended to Is, with the privilege of fur
nishing substitutes; thenfolloWed repeal
4 of the substitute clause, and eopscriptior
of principals who had furnished such, to-
IRether with all up to fifty years, excepting
the Ere departments of the principal mari,
time cities. These measures emapsteC
from the Richmond Government. Ther
came the State coIsCription Of the balance
between 16 and so. The militia compris
ing all between so and, so years of age
though called state Reserves 2 is' II
reality, as much q part of the regula
forces aslthe. rest, being eommanded7 b
{ officers appointed by the Richmond gov
q sEiment, and -liablh hfn be ssnf ont of thl