Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-03-17
ACCOUNTS or AMERICAN AFFAIRS RY BRIT
ISH OFFICERS.


Some weeks ago, an article appeared in the Jan
uary number of Blackwood's Magazine entitled
"a visit to the cities and camps Of the Confederate
States lS6S-e4, and which referred especially to
the battle of Chickamauga. We find in the Feb
ruary number Of Blackwood, continuation Of this
article. The writer returning from Chickamauga
called at Wilmington. Hesays Of it
Wilmington is, at present, the most important
port of entry in the South and the custom house
receipts both here and at Charleston last year. far
exceeded anything they had been during aslnl-
liar period before the war. There we're about a
dozen bloekade-running steamers lying at the
wharves loading cotton, and unloading all manner
of stores brought from Bermuda and Nassau. Be
sides cotton, the chief exports tobacco andros
ir.s One great treat we had here was to find En-
glish newspapers IN abundance, and of dates little
more than month old.
a day or two after our arrival We went down to
Forth Fisher, at the mouth OF Baps Fear River,
the commandant, Col Lamb taking us down in
his boat. Going down We met three steamers COM
ing up the river having successfully run the block
adel the Hansa, the Lucy, and the Bendigo. We
exchanged cheers as they passed us but the great
sight is when they come up to the Wharyes They
all t:ress up with flags as if for victory and as
the ships which belong to the same company do
the same, the spectacle Is very gay. The cheering
toe, is vocferous, andal those who have any inter-
est in the vessel must, no doubt, feel extremely
comfortable as every successful trip brings e.
norInouB profit.
The moon is the blockade runner s greatest
enemy bat these vessels to-day had come in, not
withstanding the moon did not set till three o. clock
in the morning Fort Fisher consists of a long
line Of forts and batteries of all sorts and sizes
The most peculiar one Is an artificial hlll mounted
with two guns in order to give plunging fire up
IL 4rNTa a f4anf
trying to get into the river would have to the
gauntlet of these batteries for more than mile,
and would most assuredly suffer very severely In
the attempt. There are two inlets to Cape Fear
River. Fort Fisher is the chief defense of the
northern and Fort Caswell of the southern one.
Although very formidable, the fortihcatlons were
we're still being strengthened, and large numbers
OF negroes were at work.
From Wilmington the officer proceeded to Lee $
army, then about Orange Court House, and saw
the General, who, of course twas just returning
from church, and conyersed with him for some
time He says;
General Lee lamented the suffering caused by
the war, especially to the poor country people IN
this neighborhood They have been stripped OF
everything. he told us, by the Yankees, and their
houses often burnt down, for no practical purpose
as this part of the country was far too much ex-
hausted to extract any supplies from. But 1t ap-
peared to be part of the war policy OF enemy to
derastate the whole country wherever they occu-
pied it.
'sWhen began to mention the way his own
property had been treated at Arlington, he inter
rupted me at once, saying That / can easily un.
derstand, and for that don care, but do feel
sorry for the poor creatures see here starved and
driven from their homes for no reason whatever
The time of this visit was about Christmas and
it seems the rebel soldiers were not starved just
tlsess 81 ssgriteB sags
up to the army this Christmas by their friends at
home is something wonderful. One North Caro-
lima regiment is said to have received two hundred
turke6s