The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-13
Yankee Opinion of COnfederates'


Correspondence OF the baltimore sum-
CORNWALL PLAIN, CONN, August, 1880.
To-day for the first time ] met
with man who had been in the war OF the
so.caled rebellion. He bad been captured
during the seyen-dayS' fight around Rich
mond: knew all about Belle Isle, the Libby
prison, and "the big bIoodhounds,' as he
and his fellow-prisoners called hulking
animal. as large almost as cali, that used
to trot about the streets, frightening the
children by bis size, but harmless as an old
COW. He had been exchanged, accOmpa-
MED Hunter on his raid, suffered terribly on
the retreat from Lyncnburg, was proud OF
his war record, but not vainslorlous, and
good naturedIy described his capture some
what in these words Johnny says TO me,
Come down, you - Yank,' and L come
down quick, you bet
Here am reminded that whenever the
talk fell upon the war, which has not been
often, a remarkably correct estimate OF their
commanding officers has been made by both
parties. or course the Democrats are severe
upon Grant and tender towards Mcclellan;
but the Republicans, while blaming McCiel'
Ian for his inactivity on the Peninsula, when
with 100000 men he confronted Magruder
with barely 10000, claim for Grant nothing
but bulldog persistence, and Freely ADMIT
that Sherman's fame was the result Of acci-
dent rather than Of any great ability as a
soldier. Summing up the whole matter, an
intelligent gentleman said: "The truth is,
In the beginning you wanted to fight and
we did not; but how your men OF sense-i
don't mean your HOtspurs-could ever hope
to win when We were getting recruits from
abroad at the rate OF a thousand day Is
\ "a Ia sf
only reply could make was that the dis
parity OF strength on our side was not near
so great as that OF the colonists as against
Great Britain during the Revolution; more
than that, our finances, our cOmmissariaf,
ETC., were wretchedly mlsmanaged, and,
worst OF all, while the body OF the " rebel
lion" was strong enough, It's nead was
weak. But this did not altogether satisfy
him. He praised us for the sacrlnce we
made OF our property by Investing SO 1ree'y
in Confederate bonds, but Thought IL as
foolish Tor rather unwise, for he never
used term that might offend) as 1t was pa.
triotic. GA Yankee" said he, "would
not have acted In that way. lie would have
set aside something to fall back upon In case
the war went against him..
My letters from Cornwall cease win ms
But as the keynote continually recurs Ia
piece OF music, so the little village and what
/ there learned OF New England life and
manners will often come up hereafter. Is
Cornwall fair sample Of the social cloth OF
Connecticut Think so. Not OF the high.
est, and certainly far from the lowest, but
OF the medium quality, or what pight be
called the best midding grade, doubt mol
| il is fair specimen. am 10th TO leave II
| for even so pretty place as Lischfeld, my
next point OF observation. Nothing but
kindness did ! receive at the hands OF III
citizens-not n word, not look, that conlt
be objected to. Many asked me to come
back--to make them another and longer
visit. They knew ruy business, too, ant
did not object to the closest examination.
u.