Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-12

Adiutan General aud rght.hand man to the celebrated
John Morgan for eight months. Even in this army,
which abounds with foo-hardy and desperate charac-
ters he has acquired the admiration Of all ranks by bis
reckless daring and gallaniry in the field Both Gene.
Polk and Bragg spoke to me of him as most excellent
ard useful officer besides being who never lost
an opportunity Of trying to throw bis life away He is
Just the to succeed in this army, and among the
soldiers his fame for bravery has outweghed his un-
popularity as a rigid discipinarian. He is the ter
ror Of all absentees, straggers and deserters, and
of al commanding officers who are unable to
produce for It's inspection the number Of horses they
have been drawing fJrsgs for. He looks about forty
five, but in reality he is ffty-six. He is rather
tall thin, very wiry and active, with jovial English
expression Of oountenance; but his eyes have wild,
loVng look, which is common among the Arabs. Wien
he came TO me he was dressed in On English staff blue
coat, and he had on red cavalry forage cap which
latter Gen. Polk told me, be always wore in action 80
making himself conspicuous. he talked much to
me about John Morgan, Whole marriage he tiled to
avert and Of which he spoke with much sorrow. He
declared that Morgan was enervated by matrmony and
would never be the same man that he was. He said
that in one of the celebrated telegraph tappngs in
Kentucky, Morgan, the operator and himself, were
seated for twelve hours clay bank during violent
storm but the interest intense that the time
passed like three hours.
MAJOR GEN. PATRICK CLEBURsE
was entertained by Major General Cleburne, who
gave me hs history. He is the son of doctor at or
near Ballincolig. He ran away from homo ct II and
enlisted in Her Msjesty's 4lst Regiment OF foot, in
which he served three years as private and corporal
Buyirg his discharge, be emigrsted to Arkansas. A!
the outbreak II the he elected captain OF his
company then colonel of bis regiment and has since,
by his distinguished services in all the Western cam
psigns, been appointed to the command of division
The highest military rank attained oy foreigner IN
tho Confederate service He told ne aeerioed Bis
Advancement mainly to the useful lessons he had
Iaa,ned in the ranks of the British army. He is now
SO year. old but hs hair havrg turned gray, he looks
older. Generals Bragg and Hadee both spoke OF him
10 me in terms of the highest praise and said he had
risen entirely on his own merits"
esSERAL BEAUREoARD,
IL man OF middle height about Al years of age. He
would be very youthful in appearance were it not for
the color of his hair which is much grayer than his
earlier photographs represent. Some persons account
for the sudden in which his hair turned gray
nv au,on to bis cares and anXelies during the past
two yesrs but the real and e's romantic is to
be found in the rgdty Of the Yankee blockade, which
interrupts the arrival of articles of toilet. He has
long, Straight nose, handsome brown eyes, and dark
mostache without whiskers, and he is remarkably po
lite. He is New Orleans Creole, aud French is bis
native language. He spoke to me Of the inevitable
necessity sooner later Of war between the North
srn States and Great Britain and he remarked that II
England would join the South at once, the Southern
armies relieved Of the present blockade and enormous
Yankee pre- sure would be able to march right into the
Northern States and by occupying their principal cities
would give the Yankees so much employ that they
vculd be unable to spare many men for Canada. He
acknowledged that in Mississippi General Grant had
dispaytd uncommon vgor, and met with considerable
success considering that he had no great military CO.
pacity.
settl,d especally when tho fire from the latter il
nlnnpipg. II the other monitors had approached "a
cIose az the Keokuk they would have met the same
Ste He said his official orders both from the Gov
eminent and the City Council were that he to allow
CHARLESTON to be laid in ashes than surrender it,
the Confedeates being unanimous in their determine
tom that whatever happened the capital of South Caro-
Ina should never have 10 submit to TIE fate of New
Orleans But he did not however, anticipate any such
alternative.
HON. J. P. BENJAMIN.
He "a stout, dapper little man, evidently Of Hebrew
FRACTION. and n undoubted talent. He IL Louis
nan and was Senator for that State in the old United
States Congress- and believe he is accounted q very
clever LAWYER and brilliant orator He told me that
no had filed the onerous post Of Secretary of War
during the frat seven months Of the Secession, aud
can easily believe that he found 1t snecure. We
oonvarsed for long time about the origin OF Seces-
sion which be Indignantly denied was brought about
AZ the Yankees assert by the interested machiUalons
of individuals. He declared that, for the last ten
congress What would take place but the Northerneis
never would believe they In earnest, and had Oh
ten repIi. by the taunt Tbe South so bound to,
and dependent on the North, that she id b Kick
ed out of the Union"
He said that the Southern armies had always been
Immensely outnumbsfed 10 all their battles, and that
until rfcently Gen. Lee could never muster more than
go 900 effective men,
Mr.. B,psmin told me tba. his property had lately
been consc ated in New leans aud tnaI his two
ters had been turned neck and crop, Ito the STREETS
there VITA only one trunk which they had been forced
to carry themselves. Every one was AFRAID TO give
them shelter except an Engishwoman, who protectoa
them until they coud get out OF the city.
Talking OF the jus. admiration which the English
newspapers accorded to SsonewaI Jackson, lie cx-
pressed however his astonishment that they should
nave praised highly bis strategic skill in out mar
verng Pope at Manassas, and Hooker at ChAneeAors-
vie totally ignorant that in boIh cases tbs movements
we're panled aud ordered by General Lee, Tor whom
(Mr Bsr Imin sa.d) Jackson had the most "childk,
reverence"
Mr. Bapjamin complained OF Mr.. Russell, of "Thi
Tines, fer hold.pg hm up TO fame 'gambIer"-i
story which he uauerstoCd Mr. Russell had learned from
Mr.. Charles Sumner az Wa. hi6gtop. But even sup
posi- this really the case, Mr.. Benjamin was
opnien thai such revelation Of his privae life
extremely bad G, after Mr.. Russell had pirtakeu
his (Nr. Bepjamins) hospitality at Montgomery.
President DAVIS.
Mr.. Jefferson Davis struck me as looking older thar
expected. He is only hity-sI, bu. bis face is enact
ated snd much wrinkled He Is nearly Elk feet high
but is extremely thin, and SCOOPS Et!le. His features
are good especially his eye, which ia very bright,
full Of life and humor afterWard told he had 10
the sight of his left eye rom recent illness Hswo'
linen coat and gray trousers, and be looked what h
evidently il, a weIl.bred gentleman. Nothing ex
coed the charm of his manner which Il npe, easy
most fascir ng. HeoJnverSed with for long time
and agreed With Benjamin that the Yankees did not re
ally intend 10 go with gland II she recognize
the South; aud he said that, when the inevitable crssi
oame-and that separation was accomplished fact
the State of Maine would probably Try TO join Canada
most OF the intel iseat people in that ate have
horror of being "under the thumb of AasSdchsetts'
He added, that Maine inhabited by hardy thrifty
seaarng population with fsrent ideas to the people
IN the other New England States. Whel spoke to hin
of the wretched had witnessed in his own State
(Mssi sppi, and OF the miserable, almost desperate
n r