The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-07-14
The Late REBEL LEADERS.
Glimpses Into JEFF. Davis Desk
Interesting Correspondence.

II was announced some time ago by
telegraph that some of the personal bag.
GAGE of jefferson Davis had been captured
by our troops under General Vogdss IN
Florida. and that in the trunks taken were
many letters and papers which nigh.
prove of value to our government ana 9,
interest to the public. We have received
copies of several of those captured letters,
the authenticity of which cannot be doubt
ed. and find in them much readable mat
ter. The letters are all confdential, and
much of the contents is matter of pri-
yate and domestic character, which Is en-
tirely out of place in print and the publ
cation of which, whether the rebel chiefor
any one else be the owner OF the cores
pondence, would be IN exceedingly bad
taste. ~
There are other passages in the epistles,
however, the publication of which violates
no private rights, and which the public will
be interestedin reading.
The first Of the letters in our hands is
dated at Jackson, Miss, on the 14th of
February, 1861, and addressed by Mr..
Davisto his wife. Just three days before
he bad been elected President of the in
FAINT Confederacy. by the convention at
Montgomery, and, as might be imagined,
he was full of business, and he wrote brief
ly. He says his reception at Vicksburg
and jackson was most enthusiastic, and
that he is constantly "in crowd Of peO-
pie and events" he had been summarized
by telegraph to Montgomery, and was to-
leave on the day of writing. In the
course of the letter occurs the following:
When the military came out on the route, in.
GLIDING company of boys, how / wished the
children could haYe seen it, to be remembered
in after years. .s j. J1romr u ~ 4 81 d.
The children have seen military enough
since that letter was written to remember,
however, companies Of boys, and Of old
men as well, shedding their blood like wa
ter for the infamous cause of which the
writer of those lines was the chosen lead
er. Even then, just one month before by
bis order the guns of Charleston were
opened on the national AAs, he saw so lit
tie of what was in the future that he only
looked upon the gatheri1k soldiers with
curiosity, and wish that bis children
could see the parade, to remember and
speak of in the peaceful times to come.
We have letter to Davis from Major
General Earl Van Dorm, 3 leader who at
tanned some prominence in the outset of
the war, but has now been almost forgot
ten. Much of the letter, which is dated
in June, 1852, relates to q proclamation of
Gov. Rector, of Arkansas, denouncing the
rebel government for sacrificing the States
west Of the Mississippi in concentrating
all the troops at Oorinth. Van Dorm says
that the people repudiate the Governors
pernicious opinions" and that he stands
almost alone in the State. Gen. Van Dorm
protests against the appointment Of Ma
gruder to western command, and closes
bis letter with the following eulogistic ref
erence to General Sterling Price: a. .a.
The love of the people of Missouri for Gen.
Price Is SO strong and his prestige as COM
mander there 80 great that wisdom would
seem to dictate that be be put at the head of
my ambition, the fall of st. Louis, the reclaim
alton of rich segment Of our beloved South
from the grip of the enemy, and the glory that
might be mine; butI shut all this out from
me because think 1t is the best interest of
the country to do so. l drop whatever glory
there may be on the brow of Gen. Price, than
whom there Is no one more worthy to wear 1t,
and by whom would rather see it worn.
Mrs: jefferson Davis, ina letter to her
husband dated March, 1868, at Montgom-
cry, gives an odd glimpse at an incident
commonplace enough in q slaveholding
community, and reproves herself very
naively, for bit of inconsistent humanity:
The poor girl thought of buying appealed
to me as the wife of the President to take her
out of the tavern, and looking so weary, said,
" am so tired of being bought by first one
negro trader and then another. If you have q
little girl, as they say you have, / will wait
upon her till I die if she will only be good to
me-" 1t was an extravaganza kind of sympa.
thy, which felt self reproved for afterwards,
though upon inquiry her character proved IN
excephonable. have found Jeffie D. very
good boy, &c. .HioT e 6E -.
In the same letter Mrs. Davis photo
graphs with feminine accuracy and femi-
nine impotence the state of Southern feel
ing in Central Alabama. She is writing,
1t must be remembered, of the /" first fam
lilies" of Montgomery: @.s
i never saw such stupefied people as they
seem OUT mere They never seem to think Of
any army but that of the West, and not to feel
much interest in that. asked the news the
other DAY, and was answered g nothing" and
upon seeing the paper found there had been nm
engagement and victory at Vicksburp. They
feel the war but little here, and everybody
seems to be specializing. Colonel Powell il in
trouble here, and fear his having. from q verv
moderate means, raised the money for three
plantations since he took contracts for the oov.
eminent, looks very bad. have felt So nnhsn.
Ply about the reported attack on Richmond
and every time paper comes feel faint at the
first note of danger. From your letter tb;n%
you feel depressed. Is it SO?
The two letters from General Lee, bear
ing date last December, are rather stifly
worded, as soldiers military missives are
permitted to be. He writes anxiously
about the troops to be sent to Bragg to
stop Sherman's march for the coast, and
does not think any men can be prudently
withdrawn from the army defending Rich
mond. He has sent eight hundred caval.
rymen, without horses, to Wade Hampton,
and thinks they will strengthen his force
very much, and that under present circum.
stances nothing more can be done Gen.
Lee says he thinks Grant is preparing to
make movement against his lines, and