Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-15
Supplies Abundant in Virginias--
The Richmond Stores and What
There IL I'm Them -. Dinner

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Correspondence of the New York Tribune.I
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE PoToMAC,l
June 10, 1864. (
If any one has formed picture Of
starving, foodless, fenceless, ,desolated South,
let them look for moment on the true pic
ture of the country which our army has oc-
cupied for several weeks. With the excep-
tion of o few poor families, who often make
pretense of destitution to save themselves
from robbery at the hands of our soldiers
the country is sabundantly supplied with ev-
erything. Granaries are filled with corn
until they overflow. Gardens grow all the
luxuries of the season. Flocks and herds
have not deserted the pastures and hills
Corydon and Thyrsis eat their country
messes in the shade. Fowls frequent the
barn-yard, and the dove cotes are not aban-
doned by their meek and innocent inmates.
Our horses wade through clover knee high,
and the growing wheat brushes their sides
as they pass through 1t. Immense tracts
are filled with thriving corn fields, and one
whose imagination has been filled, as mine
had, with pictures of want and desOiation,
would believe that time had run back and
brought again the former days of peace and
contentment. Even the maidens stand in
the doorways and smile on us as we pass,
in spite of their hatred of Yankees in the
gendered by our late experience, of ever
starving the Confederacy, and we look for
the end only by hard fighting, in connection
with General Grants left-flank strategy.
We have, by the way, recently tolera-
BILE substitute for visit to Richmond, in
conversation with a Southern lady of
somewhat exuberant imagination, butwith
an evident intention TO convey correct
impression. / will repeat her language as
he SsI 60
Richmond to make my Spring purchases.
took my servant with me, who carried my
money for ME in basket. went to Rich
mond, expecting to find half of the stores
closed, with nothing to sell In the rest Of
them. But how surprised / was when I
found the stores all full of goods, with
young clerks behind the counters, doing
thriving business. | could buy anything
wanted, from cooking stove to pair Of
kid gloves. bought elegant sheetings for
$40 a yard, and money is of no account, for
war have now their thousands. l purchas-
ed everything that wanted. shouldn't
have known but had been to market In
Baltimore or New York" The lady con-
tinued in this garrulous strain for some
time; but have had opportunity several
times to verify to some extent the repre-
sentation which she made of the state Of
things in Richmond.
had conversation with countryman,
who came within our lines and was arrest
ed by our pickets, on his way home from
Richmond, where he had been visiting
friend. He was brought to the headquar-
tiers of a general officer, who proceeded to
obtain what information could be abstract
ed from him. You cross (said he) such
bridge, ascend such hill, and to the left of
such house is fortifcation mounting so
many guns, bearing on such a position.
The information given was undoubtedly
trustworthy, being confirmed by what we
already knew of the locality. He was un-
doubtedly trying to tell US all he knew.
My curiosity led me beyond the bounds Of
courtesy to ask what his friend gave him
for dinner. ''Oh, green peas, roast veal,
strawberries and cream, and one or two lit
tie nick-nacks." Well, we thought, with
the memory of hard bread and camp fare,
it would be very agreeable to dine with a
friend in Richmond, and we heaved sigh
as we reflected that green peas and straw
berries would be past before Gen. Grant, in
human probability, would carry the de-
fenses of Richmond. We set ourselves to
recall the fruits which would be brought to
market later in the season, in August, Sep
tember, or October. J. b. H..