, 1864-03-16
THE SHERMAN EXPEDITION.

OF tae treasury UepafLme0t. Its 8e561onB
are consumed chiefly in useless gabb1e and
bunkum harangues, which nobody reads.
THE SHERMAN EXPEDITION.
The Resources Of tho Rebels as Re-
misadx.ippi-Thc Social Condition Of
the People-DelfCht OF the Contra
bands at the Approach Of Our Army.
CFrom Our Own Correspondent
STEAMER G, ". GRAHAM, March 9, 1861
Since the war commenced 1t has been
prevailing fault among the people at the
North 10 underestimate the resources Of the
Confederates. Three years Of war, however,
have not passed without its effect upon
them. While the North has been growing
stronger each succeeding month, 1t is very
evident that, in Bome respects ut least, the
Coufederates have been gradually growing
weaker. One great cause Of this Is their In
on tho route regarded It as, in reality, worth
nothing. At lcast, they so expressed them
selves. Reputation is What they expect,
md thas at no distant day. Ono can imag-
inc what effect such want Of confidence
will have on community. There is dis
position among many to raise only enough
provisions for their own families, and eren
this Is by no mems sure thing with
them. What with the Confedcrates on the
one hand and the Federsls on the other, there
is ever good prospect that whatever they do
raise, be it mucf or little, will be taken from
them. Whatever is taken from them by the
Confedcrates is not paid for all. or II paid
Tor, no adequate Eecompense is given, as the
price is only nominal, and the remuneration
Confederate money, which will soon be sold
By the bushel This state Of affairs tells
hard On the patriotism Of the people, and the
large majority Of them find themselves in the
situation Of the man who commenced
to build house without sitting down
and counting the q costs. + do not
mean By this that the Confederate
troops will be Starved into submissi 4for il
there is anything at all in the country, the
army has the power and the disposition to
obtain it; but such state Of things is not
Without its effect on the people at large,
This Keeling is universal among Ill the people
with whom conyersed. and had good eyi-
dence TINT the same sentiment is gaining
ground among the soldiers. The Confedef-
ates appeared to be very well supplied with
a1ms but the use Rss Of pixies instead + OF
shows that there Is disposition fo
make the best use possible OF what arms they
hare. These pixies consist Of handle Of
wood about seven OF eight feet long, sur+
mounted with sharp blade Of steel, atfoot
appearance Of being quite Formidable, and
does very well for what it is used, bat would
be worth nothing In the field.
At the -Armory in Meridian where guns
were altered over from the old patterns, was
found, perhaps six hundred, in yarious stages
to he sp1sngheId 1ide Which % Is tie 70 uaive1. s
sal fayorite among the Federal soldiers.
In the matter Of clothing there il great
destitutioH anong both soldiers And people.
Nothing but bntternut is worn, even by
those who were once wealthy, and 1.dld not
see bnt one really we'll dressed lady on the
expedition. They may have better clothing
in store Tor better times, but the universal
fashion, If fashion 1t can be called, is to Wear
homemade clothing.
Il is impossible 10 describe the social state
up. Every man 1T for duty L. In the Confcd-
crate army. leaving at home only the aged
men and the women and children. Occasion
ally might be found en- individual who, by po.
ftica1 influence or come other means, had es-
capped the general consc15ptlon. The famous
koctapluIy anu 1uepl14It} u LIE oou%1t&n
people Is scarcely visible at present. Yet,
poor Us the country il, and much rs they
have been called on to endure, the hearts Of
the people cling to the old homestead where
they were bo1n-or straised,n to use their
own expression. was particularly struck
with the remark Of one old lady, who said
she expected that her house would be burned.
/ endeavored to quiet her fears By telling her
it was no part OF our object to burn
the houses Of such old Indies; but, like
Jacob Of old she refused to be comtorted.
Finally she exclaimed, " Let them burn the
house, they can't burn the land up, and
eha1l stay on the land as long as I've" I
gave another glance around ut the barren,
sandy country. and could not forbcar making
he remark that 1t would be great blessing
to the people It we could destroy the land.
Nothing could exceed the delight Of the
| have been waiting tor so long, had ut last
come. No hoTrid stories, told them By their
| masters, Of the cruelty Of the Yankees,
| could influence them to stay at home. The
| fayorite boasts Of the shareholders, that their
elayes hare no desire to 1eare their masters,
proved fa1se. Even the facts Of the priyn-
tions and suffering they wou1d be likely to
endure, told them BY the Federals them
selves, had no effect In deter1ing them from
following The army. Who can say that the
idea Of liberty is not deeply impressed on the
.heart Of every slave? True, 1t was some
err cross~road and through the fields, with
their white teeth and eyes gltsten-
ing in contrast with their sable
| compilations, and to hear their remarks
at the prospect Of freedom-but after all
there is glorious reality In it to them and
the country: which is anything but laugha-
bic The NEGROES are not only gaining their
liberty, but their departure is really weaken
Ing the South. Five thousand producers ta-
ken from the Conicdezacy is no small item
when taken in all its bearings. Every able
bodied negro taken from the South is nearly
| as much loss 10 them as IN able bodied white
would be to the North, for there must be q
certain ratio existing between the PRO
duccrs and consumers, otherwise the op-
rations Of war could not be carried
on: The negroes seemed to be impressed
take from their masters enough to last then
on their journey. This they called conhsca
ting, bnt where they got the word am una
| bic to SAY. By the way, the cook Of our mesa
who Was negro Of the darkest hue, made
little addition to the word. When he wa
asked By one Of the mess why he did no
have more onions on the table, he answered
That tlley had only y hat they had stolen from
the other messes on the trip. he was asket
why he did not steal more, but replied tha
he not like to recos fseate- - 1t is impossi
bic to give correct statement Of the numbe
| of slaves who hare left their masters durin:
the war. Everywhere the Union lines hav
been extended, they have come flock1ng II
by thousands. To such an extent has 1t bee1
carried on that some Of the Southern PeoPl
! were forced to acknowledge that, If the wa
was to end to-day, and the Southern State
placed on the eamc footing that they wer
before the war, slavery has received bloV
| from which 1t can neyer recover. Il
1