Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-05-24
MEDIC
Correspondence Of the New York Herald.
Che Late ''Echei'' soldiers-Eshat Ar ex-
Confederate Colonel Does-Sensis,Ic Com
duct. t~C
RALEIGH, n. G.. May 8, 1867.

duct. t~C.
RALEIGH, n. c., May 8, 1867.
The pleasantest men to meet in the South
ern States are the absolute rebels-Jhe men
who did their utmost, putting life, proper
ty and all in the scale to secure the success
Of the Confederacy. 1t is q qualification to
see how far superior such men are in all
circumstances to the tWaddlers and sore
heatls~the pcdlers OF political theories on
either side and TO see the firm hold that
bold manly minds have already taken of
tho pursuits Of peace, and the positive way
III which, looking only ut the realities of
life, they have given up a hopeless cause.
On his farm, Just out CT Goidsboro
talked with such an out and out rebel. He
is reconstructed better than any man [ have
met He had been with the army under
Lee from the commencement, and fought
with it throughout until sent to assist in
the defence OF Fort Fisher, and was sur
rendered with JOhnson's army. He COM
manded q regiment at the time of the col
lapse. He consequently knows there has
been Il war, and knows tho result Of it
Indeed this is the point of distinction, and
accounts for the better disposition of the
men who supported the Confederacy in
arms. They know there has been q war
while only d faint suspicion of that fact ex-
| l.,
that not less noisy class Of antediIuvian
Confedcrates who spent the terrible four
Years i'll the pleasant places of Europe, and
| have now come home full Of bitterness and
curses. My veteran had adhered to his
Confederate gray--the same old standard
weathern-worn jean that has been seen on
SO many fields with its array OF North Car
Dina brass misunderstanding, doubtless, a
pardonable pride in the garb associated
with SO many days OF magnificent battle
days that he must inevitably always regard
as the brilliant, splendid points i'll his ca
reer, the more and more rs he dWindles
into the qaiet monotomy Of rural life.
But though thus keeping up the old SEN
tlnent IN II little outward semblance, be
keeps it up in no other way. He saw clearly
enough that the South had made all its
rights the stake in Il great contest, apd the
contest going against it, it had lost the
stakes. All had gone with the lost battle,
and the North had the authority as it had
the power to reconstruct society and re-
establish governmental the South upon any
plan it might consider satisfactory Acting
upon these thoughts he had gone home to
his farm when paroled, with q full determi-
nation to leave all public matters with the
conqueror, and to address himself solely to
the business OF supporting his family and
uytIS 10 memo Ills TulneQ fortunes. lie
owned a farm of six hundred acres, aud
though labor was disorganized and stock
scarce, he had managed to put in a tolerable
crop Of cotton. He sold his cotton in
Goldsboro ten miles away, for thirty -four
cents pound. At single stroke he was
OH his feet again. The money realized
from that first fortunate crop was the CAPT
tai invested in the attempt to secure anoth
Ell and larger one, and he has now four
hundred acres planted in cotton, and will
make bale to the acre.