The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-14


misery on almost every human heart.
The fall of Savannah greatly in
creased the dependency in the C0ntederacy.
Calculations of failure now took the place of
calculations of success in the minds of many.
The morale of the Georgia troops of the Army
of Northern Virginia was unhappily affected
by it, and desertions became frequent among
them. They seemed unable 10 endure sepa-
ration from their families, placed in such cruel
distress by the devastations of the enemy that
ravaged the territory of Georgia. The people
began to count the cost Of the sacrifices of the
war and to estimate the terrible depletion
that had taken place in the armies of the Con
noI'nay louoa"oy eurlDs the campaign of 1864. The
VI this extraordinary depletion can
easily be made apparent During the year
that was fast drawing to a close the prosecu-
ton of the war against us had been more
vigorous, greater number of severe battles
had been fought; and consequently the casual
ties had been more numerous. There Were in
our armies, as in all large armies, great
number Of stragglers; and as our situation
grew more unhappy, and provisions for the
sustenance of soldiers more scarce desertion
was most unworthily encouraged by our
enemies.
The most striking passages of the book are
those which tell the story of the suffering in
Richmond during the war. We copy few
paragraphs
BARE MARKETS IN RICHMOND.
The markets were so ill supplied Tin 1S62l
that they had almost as well been closed. The
meats were so Indifferent as scarcely to be fit
for food, and fish became the staple article.
To secure these it was necessary to send to
market for them before the break of day, and
frequently then the crowd that pressed around
the fish market was so dense that many were
compelled to leave without anything for a
dinner except potatoes and poor beef, and
the marketmen declared the people might
''starve !''-they would bring in no more sup
plies until the tariff was withdrawn, or the
sale of imported articles regulated in a man.
ner to protect them likewise from imposition.
They argued, if they were forced to pay
the exorbitant demands for sugar, tea,
brandy, and other articles from abroad, they
had right to charge similar prices for their
meats, poultry, butter, and vegetables, or
they would not sell them. The greatest in
convenience arose from the want of such
articles of food as were in the power of huck-
sters to control. Butter and eggs were never
seen, and the fshmongers grew tired of the
annoyances to which they were continually
subjected by their hungry patrons, and re-
fused to keep up a supply. Finding our
situation so deplorable, and soliciting relief
through committee of citizens appointed to
wait upon the Provost Marshal, the tariff was
raised, and the merchandise of the hucksters
again flowed into our markets. From that
time until the end of the war we were entirely
at their mercy. Being wholly dependent upon
them for so much that was essential to exist
ence, they charged what prices they pleased
for their merchandise, and we were forced to
pay them or abstain from many necessary
articles of food altogether. AS if to recon-
pense themselves for time and money lost to
them while the tariff was enforced by military
a. 1,nf,,
merchandise, and where the people groaned
under the extortion before, they found the
| burden so much increased that the groaning
was doubled in proportion. Fishmongers ran
up the prices of the piscatorial tribe to such
| degree, that it became no longer need
| ful to send a servant to market before the
| dawn of day for a pair of shad or a rocllfish
| for dinner, for so few could afford the luxury
| that the supply was greater than the demand
| Butter dealers tempted the appetites OF their
customers with huge rolls of golden, fragrant
| butter, at the moderate price of one dollar per
| pound, increased from forty cents before the
| tariff existed. We were amused to see a
| sagacious-loolling old gentleman put on his
spectacles and peer Curiously at a beautiful
print of butter, as it stood on the table of a
dealer. After a satisfactory investigation of
| the choice article, when asked by the polite
merchant:-"WiIl you take this, sir ~ he re-
piled, "Oh, no, no l only wished to see what
kind OF butter II could be to be worth one
| dollar per pound" Two and a half years
later the delicious article would have readily
commanded twenty-five dollars per pound
EFFECT OF THE FALL OF NEW ORLEANS UPON
PRICES.
The effect of the fall of New Orleans was
felt Immediately in Richmond in the increased
prices charged for such articles of food as
were brought from that section of our country.
| At once the price Of sugar was enormously
| increased, and other groceries were made to
| share in the eXorbitant charge upon that
| article. We were helpless victims of extor-
tion. A fortunate speculator, having in store
vast quantity of salt when our troubles COM
| menced, grew rich from the sale of this article
alone, and was afterwards facetiously styled
"Lot's wife"
Other incidents of the war are told as fol-
| lows:-
| SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES DESERTED.
| Only boys under the conscript age were
found in the schools; all older were made
necessary in the field or in some department
of Government service, unless physical ina
bility prevented them from falling under the
requirements of the law. Many of our colleges
for males suspended operation, and at the
most important period in the course of Their
education our youths were instructed in the
sterner lessons of military service.
The operations of the Richmond Female
College were suspended, or rather the build,
ing was given up for hospital purposes, and
the excellent institution OF Mr.. Letebvre was
entirely broken up.
There was also a sad want of school-boozs
The stock on hand when the war commenced
soon became exhausted, and there Were nc