The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1864-04-12
From the New York Heraled.
Important from Rebeldom.

d The annexed intercepted letter from
Southern lady in Richmond to her siste
|, in Kentucky, gives an unusually interest
ing picture Of affairs as they now exls
g in rebeldom. The communication evi
IDENTIFY emanates from an intelligent anC
reliable source, and should be perused
with care
RICHMOND, February 10, 1864.
My DEAR SISTER As our mutual
friend, Mr.. BIS, is about to under.
take the serious journey to Kentucky, !
avail myself of the opportunity to write
you good letter. We have heard roth
ing from you in nearly two years, and
can well appreciate your anxiety con-
cerning us. Our brave boy is dead
killed at Gettysburg. Oh how we miss
him, but the thought that he fell in a
noble cause takes away much of the bit
terness, though it seems as if the sacri
fee had been made for nothing. 1t is
impossible 10 describe the gloom that
pervades all society, the Affections and
doubts that oppress US, there is not one
comforting CLEAN, except the hope of a
speedy end of the war. l must confess
that we have lost much of that assurance
OF success which once buoyed us up and
pictured such bright visions OF the future;
but our determination 10 hold out to the
last is unabated. and we comfort ourselv.
es with the faith that Providence will
eventually reward our sacrifices and
| bring us safely out Of the furnace that is
consuming us The rest of the family
are all well. William is in the War De-
partment but we fear that the conscrip.
ton will take him, too. He might get a
commission, | suppose but we trust the
necessity for doing so will not come up
on us. Cousin John has left Charleston
and gone to Savannah, though he writes
me that the military authorities expect
an attack upon the cry, and that most Of
the people have removed nearly all their
effects 10 the interior. Henry has taken
his family to North Carolina. Cousin
Mary has been unfortunate. She became
| attached to an officer OF General Dee's
staff, who cruelty deceived her, and at
one time We thought she wouldn't live.
The poor little thing died, and | think il
was blessing to il, as we'll as its mother,
that it was so.
Society here is entirely broken up.
All fondness for fashion and pleasure
seems 10 have been lost, and day after
day passes with nothing to relieve the
prevailing dullness We see nothing
but soldiers and the paraphernalia of war.
The whole city is converted into hospt-
ais, prisons and barracks, and our ewes
have grown weary with the signs Of
strife. President Davis seems discour.
aged, and, fear, is failing rapidly. The
responsibilities, disappointments and
fsullfindings of his friends have broken
him down. and ii is hardly probable that
he will live TO see the end of the war.
We had great scare here when But
Ter attempted TO capture Richmond, and
| am surprised that so few precautions
are taken against raid upon the city.
! We have very small force here, and
much of that unreliable. Two compau-
les of heavy artillery, five light batteries,
two companies of cavalry and about four
thousand citizen soldiers are all we have
to defend Us. There is a part of North
Carolina regiment guarding the Chicka-
homiuy River, and seven hundred and
fifty men in Fort Darling but these
could not be of much service, and ]
should not be surprised il the Yankee
cavalry got into the city. released the
prisoners and destroyed the capital The
Notifications toward the Peninsula are
very strong ; but toward Hanover Court
house, and west of the city, we have no
guns or Notifications OF any consequence.
The citizen soldiers are not TO be relied
on in any emergency, and ii is believed
that the appearance of any considerable
force of Yankees would be the signal ior
general stampede The Meadow
Bridge and Bottom Bridge Roads. OF
which YOU have heard so much, are en-,
Iirely exposed. and sometimes | think
the authorities are wllully blind to
danger. The gunboats here, of which
so much was expected, amount to moth
) ing Only one is completed, and ,ha
is as slow AS a tortoise. Two others ar,
!. nearly done, but their guns have beef
:, sent TO Charleston, and | don't beiev,
they intend 10 finish them. The city j
iull of disloysl people, aud we can onl,
trust our most intimate friends. Wha
could we DO ii the Yankees should sud