Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-09-01
THE CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
Tie Rebel Cause Fast Failing from
Exhaustion.
Tie Dairy Of the North-lhe Reinforcement Of
the Union Army-presideat Lincoln aud the
Rebel!isH-Lstter from Gen. Seymour, Late
IL Prisoner Of War.

Z
| Rebellisa-Lstter from Gen. Seymour, Late
~ Prisoner Of War.
New YORK, August 19.
! To tie Editor Of the Neag York Times
| I have just received the following most in
! teresting letter from Gen. Seymour, lately
! released from under fire" at Charleston. As
an old West Point officer, with Gen. Ander-
| son at Sumter, and stationed many years in
! the South, he knows the Southern people
! well. He is brave, true soldier, devoted to
| the Union, and, although, at the time of the
unfortunate battle in Florida, he was accused
OF Iukewarmness by those ignorant Of his
! character, he has proved, by his action on
many battlefield, as well as by his plucky
talk to the rebels at Gordonsville, when capI
tured in May last, that he was every inch 10y
al to the old flag. Yours, &c,
". E. D., Jr.
WILLIAMsTowN, Mass, Aug. Is, ga
Ny DEAR SIR:-You ask for my impressions
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 confidence begotten Of my three months
observations in the interior of the South
might be shared by every man who has the
!
this struggle And am sure that these opin-
IONS are not peculiar to myself. Every one
of the fifty officers just exchanged will ex-
press the same-every one of them, whether
from the Jalls of Charleston, or the pens of
Macon and Andersonville, will confidently
tell the same story.
THE rebel cause is fast failing from erhaoes-
ton. Their two grand armies have been re-
lnforced this summer from the last resources
of the South. From every corner Of the
land, every old man and every boy capable
of bearing rife has been impressed, willing
ly or unwilhngly, 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 it was none the less the truth Lut
me extract few prominent statements from
his proclamation of July g. addressed to the
Preserved militia Of Georgia."
"A late correspondence with the President
of the Confederate States, satisfied my mind
that Georgia is to be left to her own resourc-
es to supply the reinforcements to Gen. Johns
toms army, which are indispensable to the
protection of Atlanta, and to prevent the
State from being oVerrun by the overwhelm-
ing numbers now under command of the Fed
eral General upon our soil.
g But there is need of further reinforce
ments, as will be seen by the accompanying
letter Of Gen. Johnston. And it
becomes my duty to call forth every man in
the State able to bear arms, as fast as they
can be armed, to aid in the defence of our
homes, our affairs and the graves of our an
cestors.
eff the Confederate Government will not
send the large cavalry force (now engaged in
raidlng and repelling raids) to destroy the
IL, G Do
brings his supplies from Nashville and
thus compel him to retreat with the loss of
most Of his army, the people of Georgia,
rho hare already been dram upon more heartily
IN proportion to population than those Of any
OTHER State IN tie Contederacy, must at all haz-
ards, and at any sacrifice, rush to the front
eff Gen. Johnston's army is destroyed, the
Gulf States are thrown open to the enemy
and we are ruined"
There must, indeed, have been desperat tie
weakness when Georgia, and the Southern
cause with it, were SO neglected that Lees |
army might be made equal to the task of
holding Grant to the Potomac Or the James |
and the people Of the South are intelligent |
enough to understand, and to appreciate the |
fact, and they have lost heart accordingly.
The following is from letter written by |
one rebel to another, that accidentally fell |
and for the authenticity of which vouch:
every few persons are preparing to obey |
the late call of the Governor. His summons |
will meet with no response here. The people |
are soul-sick, and heartily tired of this hate
full, hopeless strife. They would end it if
they could; but our would-be 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 inaugu-
rated by force, by tyranny and the suppress
ion of the truth it is sustained. 1t is nearly
time that it should end, and Of sheer depletion
1t mast end before long. We have had enough |
of want and woe, enough of cruelty and earn
age, enough of cripples and corpses. There
is an abundance of bereaved parents, weep
ing widows, and orphaned children in the
land. If we can, let US rot increase the num-
Der. The men who, to ag9randize themselves,
or to crafty their own political ambition,
brought this cruel war upon a peaceful and
prosperous country will have to render afear
full account of their misdeeds to wronged,
robbed and outraged people. Earth has no
punishment sufficiently meet for their yillainy
here, and hell will be hardly hot enough to
seattle them hereafter"
There is certainly a no small proportion of
the Southern people despite the lying dec
larations of their journals, as we had good
occasion to learn,) that not only favor the
progress Of our arms, but that daily pray that
this exterminating war may soon be brought
to finality by our complete and perfect sue
cess. They have had too much of despotism
not enough of the triumph promised them.
Many intelligent gentlemen, do, indeed, ex-
press strong hopes Of their ultimate indie
pendence, but such hope is not shared by
the masses. Disappointed from the first in
not having been acknowledged by foreign
Powers-more bitterly disappointed IN their
general expectation that Northern cowardice
or dissenson would secure their ends-but
single chance remains, and that is the result Of
oar neat election for President If a Democrat
succeeds to Mr.. Lincoln, they profess to feel
sure Of negotiations, and sure of their Con-
federacy. They believe Democrat will be
elected. In Mr.. Lincons reelection they
see only subjugation, humiliation, for the
war must then continue, and continuance is
their failure and ruin.
In military affairs it is an excellent rule |
never to do what the enemy desires-is it
not equally true in politics? Certain 1t is
that the only remaining hope lies IN M. Lin
coins defeat.
Now, | am not enough of politician to |
know whether the election of a Democrat |
can result as favorably to the South as it an
ticipates. The wish alone may be the parent
of their belief. But, l assured all who ex
pressed that belief, that the North, as mass,
is as united as the South-that no Democrat
could be elected on peace platform-and
that any President who would inaugurate any
measure leading to peace on the basis OF
Southern independence, would be promptly
hung, by loyal reclamation, to the lamp posts
in front of his own presidential mansion.
1919 4