Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-04-14

The DEsoLAT1oN IN TENNEssEE-A correspondent
of the Boston Advertiser, who has been tour in
| Tennessee of extensive and somewhat dangerous
character his to Murfreesboro writes under
date of January 30, as follows.
In years agone, ard not long ago, Tennessee was
pa radise Peace and plenty smiled, law and order
reigned. How isl now ? After weeks journey, !
sit down to point you picture of what have
SEEN To the East and to the West, the North and
the South, the sights are saddenirg, and sickenng-
Government mules ard horses occupying the houses
aye, the paaces-n which her chivalric often
slumbered.
The monuments of her taste, the evidences of her
skill the characteristics of her people, being blot
ted from existence Her churches being turned in
to houses of prostitution, her sennares shelter the sick
and sore whose gries and groans reverberate where
the flower Of our youth were wont to breathe the
poetic passion and dance to the music of the summers
sun. Her cities, her towns, and her villages are drap.
ed in mourning Even the country, ever and always
much nearer God and Nature than these wears the
black pail Go from Memphis to Chattanooga, and
it is like the march from Moscow in olden time.
The State Capitol, like the Kremlin, alone rsmains
of her former glory and greatness Let this point Muir
freesboro) be the centre, ard then make crcumer-
ence of thirty miles with me- and We will stay week
in the womb OF desolaticn.' Whether you 20 on the
Selma, the Shelbyvile the Manchester or any other
pike, for distance of thirty miles either way what do
we behold? One wide, wild, and dreary waste so to
speak.
The fences all burned do the apple the pear,
and the plum trees burned ashes long ago the torch
appneo 10 tDOusaCds OF speno0 mansions, the walls OF
which alone remain, and even this s seldom so, aud
where it is their smooth plaster is covered with vulgar
epthets and immortal Gatrihss. John Smith and oe
Dee, Federate and Confedesate warriors, have left
jack knife sereotyping on the doors and castings,
where these, 10 their fewaess, are preserved. The
| ricketts, and the railings-whsre they?
Where are the rosebushes and the volets But
above ALL and beyond ALL and dearer and more than all
else where. oh where the happy and content
ed people fled who lived end breathed and bad their
being here? Where are the rosycheeked cherubs and
bue-eyed maidens gone Where the gallant young
men? Where are ah-Where are any of them
But where are they gone-ths once happy and con-
tented people The young men are sleeping in their
graves at Shiloh, Corntb at Fort Doneson and 9th
er fields Of so-caled glory. The young women have
died of grief broken hearted the children are
orphans. Poor little things, l pity them from my
heart as l look at them-bssek and white-for they
seem TO have shared common fate end like dying in
common destiny.
heir hves-l mean the master and slave, and their
otspring-seem to have been inseparabfy blended. In
many cases found two three white CHILDREN whose
parents were dead left 10 the merees of the faithful
slave and again have large number of little
negro children, whose parents were like, wise dead
tied in tie bosom OF white famili e. who by
miracle, we're saved from the vandalism of war;