Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-08-25
RUTLAND HERALD.
TUESDAY, AUGUST %, 1864.
Condition of the south and Duty of
the NOrsh..-Letter Of Gen. Sey.
InOur.


Among the Union officers lately re-
leased fror, Charleston was Gen. Tru-
man Seymour Ca. Seymour Is grad
uate of We Point, appointed from Yer
mont and during some years before the
outbr, 2 the rebellion was stationed
at the Y" has thus had oppor-
tunities re southern people,
and his opi..-.. Nth reference TO their
present condition and military resources
is not the less valuable for that rea-
son. He was taken prisoner in May
last, and has been at the South until
the officers placed under fire at Charles
ton were recently exchanged. He now
writes letter in reply to one from
friend asking his impressions of the
condition Of the South. We regard the
letter so important that we make room
below for it entire. 1t will be read with
great interest by all who care to be in
formed as to the remaining strength of
the Confederacy," and to learn the
opinion of loyal soldier as to what
should be done at the North to secure
its speediest downfall, and the restora-
ton OF peace and Union.
WILLIAMsrowN, Mass. Aug. Is, ga.
MY DEAR SIR You ask for my i'm
pressions OF the present condition of the
Southern Confederacy, and you shall
have them. For the benefit of our cause
wish they might be impressed upon
every soul in the land, that the conf
dence begotten of my three months oh
servations in the interior of the South
might be shared by every man who has
the least connection with the response
bilities of this struggle. And am sure
these opinions are not peculiar TO N.Y.
self. Every one of the fifty officers just
exchanged will express the same-every
one of Them whether from the jails Of
Charleston or the pens of Macon and
Andersonvlle will confidently tell the
same story.
The rebel cause is fast failing from exhaus-
tioa. Their two grand armies have been
reinforced this Summer from the last re-
sources of the South. From every cor
ner of the land, every old man and every
boy capable OF carrying rifle has been
impressed, willingly or unwillingly, and
hurried to the front. Lees army was
the first so strengthened 1t was at the
expense of Hoods. Gov. Brown told
the truth with plainness that was
very bitter, but 1t was none the less the
truth. Let me extract few prominent
statements from his proclamation of Ju-
ly 8, addressed to the Reserved Militia
of Georgia :"
"a late correspondence with the Pres
ident of the Confederate States, satisfied
my mind that Georgia is to be left to
her own resources to supply the rien-
forcements to Gen. Johnston's army
which are indispensable to the protec-
ton OF Atlanta, and to prevent the state |
from being overrun by the overwhelm-
ing number now under command of the
Federal government upon our soil
Bat there is need of further reinforce
ments, as will be seen by the accompa-
ing letter of Gen. Johnston. r
And it becomes my duty to call forth
ece'y man in the state able to bear arms.
as fast as they can be armed, to aid in |
81.
the graves of our ancestors.
II the Confederate government will
not send the large cavalry force (now en-
gagged in raiding and repelling raids) to
destroy the long line of railroads over
which Gen. Sherman brings his supplies
from Nashville, and thus compel him to
retreat with the loss of most of his army,
the people of Georgia Who haze Already bee,,
draWn upon more heartily Incorporation TO popu-
eltsoa than those Of any other State in the Con-
must at all hazards, and at any
sacrifice rush to the front.
Ii Gen. Johnston's army is DESTROYED,
the Gulf States are thrown open to the
enemy and we are ruined"
There must indeed have been desperate
weakness when Georgia and the South
ern cause with it, were so neglected that
Lees army might be made equal to the
task OF holding Grant to the Potomac or
James and the people of the South are
enough to understand and
to appreciate the fact, aud they have lost
heart accordingly.
The following is from q letter written
from one rebel to another, that acct
dentally fell into the hands of one of
my fellow prisoners, and for the authen-
ITCHY of which | vouch:
Very few persons are preparing to
obey the late call of the governor His
will meet with no response
here. The people are soul-sick, and
heartily tired of this hateful, hopeless
strife. They would end it if they could;
but our wouldbe rulers will take good
care that no opportunity be given the
people to vote against it. By lies, by
fraud and by chicanery this revolution
was inaugurated by force, by tyranny
and the suppression of truth it is sus-
sained. 1t is nearly time that it should
End, and Of sheer depletion ii must end before
1ng. We have had enough of want and
Of woe, enough of cruelty and carnage
enough of cripples and corpses There
s an abundance of bereaved parents,
weeping widows, and orphaned children
n the land. If we can, let us not in
crease the number. The men who, to
lggrandize themselves, or to crafty their {
,wn political ambition, brought this