Washington telegraph., 1864-05-25
The SedeI ais at Camden.
Extracts from ii Private Letter
CAMDEN, Goth April, 1864.
iJcdrSIr

lD------ -D Dcdr SEr
The Federal army la. Leeu here aud gone.
Went last night after stay ot eieven
days. 1t seem. to us like drram Of d
year long | seud you bunuc OF such
new >yni crs as the fedrril army l. 1liuwu4
TO Ieao; aud a lew, as you with q, uf
more Important charac;e,. In spite of the
su plus VI religious plpc's, tueIr amy
''ssorr terribly ia" Cau.uer; nt d 1v
nic- about il, thcy were tl,spEc.Luu,.
Co the evening of Frdry, rh- H. in.
s,au', the Federal army unuor Cen. Steele
ia p,r,on, euterci Camden, after 4 run
Mug fight ali day, beginning al the Lrvs,
roads bout fifteen miles IVES Un tile
Washington rodd, and endiu. in the
streets of the city. The heaviest ii.Ing ap
pesred TO be around the grave-y ard, indI-
eating that Gen. ) eele knew tile weak
point IN these works, which IS back u the
graveyard, and ought to be streugthene
They were puZz I'll at not hndiug artillery
in the forts. Said they expected a solemn
time carrying the batteries, aud yet they
were not hall au ho II dIsp slng tAeir forces
tor the assault. They must have known
all about the premises. OILY IIpwlhers :
commind was III the town, ami retired
handsomely. The first inquiry was iOr
Marmaduke' a, iliery, which had engaged
them in the morning, aud then vanished
mysterious y, they SAID, aud they we're d.
gustei at not capturing IL in G smieu Tue
priyates SAID they We're furnishing, aud tne
u!hcers unanimously declared II was lie;
aud that question of yerocity a. d voyacity
continued - lyng Is they rem ,inei Inc
privates swarmei into our kitchens aui
negro houses. sna'c Iiug the food from the
very negro children. Servants were tam
peroj whh to be'ray hiding places, aud
alniost every one was rlunieryd more or
less Some were ruined. | cllEe in fir
MY s!ure. Little coui ieuce i 10 BE-
placed IN servants. They benay their
ha-- els la aimust every case Mich COWS
aud caves were kllci Ia common with beef
cattle. OF cour-- pigs aud hen roJ>ts were
contraband The clolhing of women aud
children were taken by the men, aud e,th+r
best Jwcd upon negro weuches or tDrn into
rays. Citizens aud negroes were bcset by
groups of com non soldiers, aud Engaged
10 debate, uptn the CAUSES aud cunsc-
queuces OF the war The epthet rebel" !"
seemed TO be a ''sweet morsul under their
tongues" aud the lJgic vas, that beng "a
rebel. all you have Is theirs il they eau
iud it, aud 1t your life is spared Il II i
avor, md grsc thing on rbe part f
Mr.. Liucol;. AT first was Interested,
aud s'oJd TO talk win them was learn
ing something. / was nt:reS,ed At the
forensic display. drew them rrf by
questions aud suggestions; bit il soon bc
csme very tIre>unc. lt was the >uiue
.rand r.und of brave assertions. always
assuming as past dispu'e the Question IN
dispute. ! am satisfied heir army j. kept
IN shsueiui ignur,nte. Officers as wn!i g.
men seen to be honest ia a>se lions the
most mend rcious | ever iis;eucI o.. Tney
have never had draft for men in an,
Northern State, they saj! Tney clnnot
hud use for the millions who vuiuntrei.
They are only just coming down t. their
work, Their currency Is AZ good a. gold!
The South began the work of enlis,lng
negro soldiers. All their enrerpriE are
successful Sherman went 20 Selma
They have had no check II Florida The
s'erc of Charleston Is a succ SIS. Slireye.
por, is in the hands of Banks They nave
l20 600 meh on foot in the Trans,Mls
sippi Department, anl Camden BY the way
Of Prairie d. Am Is the direct ruute from
Little Rock to Shreveport. AM much
more that was news TO me. Eu. the
grandest CT all was the glorifcirion of
the rrdwess; no one daring to give them
fight on this side-.aid they had a
reserve of 1000 900 mcn They hate
re law for impressinz negroes, bns entsr.