Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-10-18
CONDITION. OF THE SOUTH.
The Waste Of War less than Is Supposed
Observations in Virginia and North Oar
Oiina-Generaz State of Affairs.

Inc lOlOWlllS letlef from Il special correspondent
of the NeIo York Times, dated at Washington and
published in yesterdays edition of that journal gives
straight forward view of the condition of affairs in
Virginia and North Carolina:
A recent tour through Virginia, and into North
Carolina as far as Raleigh has satisfied me that the
waste OF war has been by any means so great rs is
generally imagined and that II is far from being ire
parable The traveller who sees for the first time the
perforated roofs and walls of Fredericksburg, the
burnt district in Richmond, or the wide wastes made
in the vicinity of Petersburg and the line of the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad, is apt to conclude
that the State utterly ruined and that nothing can
reclaim it short Of Il wholesale Northern immigration
with millions of capital. This was my own first i'm
pression but on returning took quite different view
of things. The scenes of deSOlatiOn seemed dwaricd
They longer spread before me as ntermnable
wastes. | began to reflect that they merely the
battle fields and encampmentS, and that III comparison
with the territory OF the great state OF lrgnla they
Were more than the spots on the suns disk. All
the State doubtless, the people stripped by
Confederate taX-gatherCrs and military purVcvors
or by Union oragerS of their horses cattle and uou-
try, their and bacon; but for the most part the
houses and fences left untouched, except where
| was pleased to observe that even on the lines of
railroad the destruction of houses and fences was
towns which have been the scenes Of long seges and
great battles while the intervening country appears
to have been almost unharmed except that south of
Petersburg, for forty miles, the depO.s were de-
stroyed well as some Of those between Fredericks-
burg and Richmond.
Along much the greater portion of these long con
tested highways it is difficult to recognize the hand
of war except in the neglected farms. On the line
of the Virginia Central one scarcely trace any
yestlSc OF the terrific and protractcd struggle in the
whole distance OF eighty miles between Richmond
and G0rdonsvile. The houses and fences remain
unnjured and the ripe fields Of greet the eye
giOn between GOrdOnSville and CulpeDpcr Court
house, in full view of the Blue Ridge which bounds
the northern and western horizons like wall made
by giants seems to have suffered no permanent
injury.
There were, doubtless, many exceptional instances
nj thp tfna
traveller in the cars is that Which would have been
made before the war. From near Culpepper Court
house, to the vicinity of Alexandria, there is one
wide waste spreading each side Of the koad to the
distance of one OF two miles. Houses, fences and
trees are all swept away; and the impression made
upon the mind Is not unlike that OF the estcrn
prairieS. The waste is. however, bounded on each
side by evidences of civilization Houses fences and
trees are seen On the verge OF the near horizon and
the railroad the track OF the c0ntending hosts would
be scarcely visible.
In passing through Richmond and Petersburg |
saw many evidences Of returning thrift and enter
prise The burnt district in the former is rapidly
being rebuilt and doubt if any yestigc of it will be
seen live years from this time. The buildings going
up are, for the most part, coed. Some of them are
very large. The old materials are made use OF, and
the new structures, OF course have rough appear
ance: But they will probably be succeed in front,
by which the present grim and unsghty aspect will
pc improved. strange as 1t may seem, Petersburg
has suffered very little from the war. | witnessed a
few marks Of cannon balls shells and fire on the
north sidc of the city, but none on thc s"uth side.
far o Il to admit of effective sheng; it may be
that he spared the place as matter of humanity.
AT each of these Virginia cities evidence Ot an
active trade; and learned that more business was
done in Petersburg during August and up to date,
September II, than in any ormcl sea. for the core
spending period
As returned in the early part of this week, wit
messed the same evidences Of commercial activity
which were visible in Scptcmbcr. An immense trade
has been carried on with the interior of the State
and with North Carolina; and | cannot doubt that
much more business would be done but for the eXor
nf tnnrT,
paid them ~ per hundred on seven hundred pounds
of freight, sent only hundred miles This amounts
to four cents per pound per mile, which is about fifty
per cent higher than rst-class passenger fare nom
Washington TO New York.
visited that portion es NCeth Carolina which
hau never been the scene OF contGndlng armies, ami
which had never seen any considerable force until
Gen. sherman army passed through after the sur
render of Joe Johnston. The people give unanimous
testimony to the good conduct of the Union troops
after the surrender that this northern portion of
the State never experienced the horrors of civil
although II was perhaps the most addicted to seccS
sion theoricS. lhere iS, hoWcNer an appearance OF
dilipidated houses, and neglected lrmS and a stag
nation OF industry greater than witnessed in Nir-
gna The destruction of the railroad bridges across
the Roanoke, rs well as the roads themselves lor n
time Isolated the people in this portion of North Ca
rOllna. They were unable 10 procure everything Cs-
sential TO beginning life again. They could send
nothing to market, procure anything in return.
The result was sort of paralysis. But these OBJ
struci0ns are now removed and the trade with the
Virginia cities, and those of the North begins to be
very active. never saw goods sold with so much
The sa les all for cash, upon the pledge of cot
ton, tobacco or other produce. The cotton and to-
bacco on hand for the most part three or touryers
Old and this fact accounts for the frequent fires The
bags arc ragged, and during the great drouth which
has prevailed for eight weeks, each bale has
become as inilamnablc u Il tindcr-bOX. ct, in
spite Of this fact, the platform ears without sides
covering, are loaded with this cotton, and wh1Zcd
away after The tire-spitting engine.
One would suppose that no sensible man would risk
so valuable commodity without AT least the pTocc-
tlon OF canvas covering; but no amount OF expert