The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-01-20
CONTINUATION

Y our stores have been expended.
Every kind Of military discipline de-
stroyed by them. Your numbers al
ways fuctuating uncertain, and forever,
far short of report. At no time | be-
lieve, equal to 90 600 men fit for duty.
At present our numbers fit for duty (by
this DAYS report amounts to 1i759 be-
sides 3427 unarmed and the enemy
within stones throw of us. Il is true a
body of militia are again ordered in, but
they come without any conveniences, 6
coon return. l discharged Regiment
the other day that had in it IA Rank &
file lit for duty only, & several that had
less than fifty. In short, such is my
Situation, that if | was to wish the bit
terest curse to an Enemy on this side
the Grave, [ should put him in my
stead with my feelings and yet do not
know what plan OF conduct to pursue.
| see the Imposes biity o. serving with
reputation < yet | am told that if
quit the Command, inevitable Ruin will
follow from the distractions that will
ensue. In confidence tell you, that [
never was in such an unhappy divided
state since | was born. To loose all the
comfort and happiness on the one hand,
whilst | am fully persuaded that under
such a system of management as has
been adopted, | cannot have the least
chance for Reputation nor those allow
anres made, which the nature Of the
case requires; and to be told on the
other, that if leave the Service all will
be lost, is at the sametlme. that | an
bereft OF every peaceful moment, dis
tressing to degree, but | will be done
with the Subject, with the precaution
to you, that it is not fit one to be pub
lickly known, or discussed. If [ fall it
may not be amiss that these circum
stances be known & declaration made in
order to do justice to my character; and
if the men will stand by me (which by
the by | despair of | am resolved not
to be forced from this ground while |
have life; & few days will determine
the point, if the Enemy should not
change their Plan of operations for they
certainly will not-I am sure they
ought not. to waste the Seeson that is
now fast advancing 4 must be precious
to them.
l thought to have given you more
explicit acct. of my situation, expecta-
ton, and feelings but have not time
Il am wearied to death ali day with a
variety of perplexing circumstances =
disturbed at the Conduct of the Militia,
whose i'll behaviour, and want of discip
line, has done great injury to the other
Troops, who never had officers except
in few instances, worth the Bread
they Eat.
With re- pect to the Chimney I would
not have you for the sake of little
work spoil the look of the Firep!aces,
tho that in the Parlour must, | should
think, stand as it does; rot SO much on
acct. Of the wainscotting. which | think
must be altered lon acct. OF the Door
leading into the New BuiIding) as on
acct Of the Chimney Piece. x the
manner of its fronting into the Room.
The Chimney in the Room above ought,
if it could be SO contrived, to be an
angle Chimney as the others are; but |
would not have this attempted at the
expence of pulling down the Partition.
the Chimney in the New Room should
be exactly In the middle of 1.-THE doors
and every thing else to be exactly an
swerable, and uniform-in short would
HdNC iuC NnOAC IASCutOu III d I4dSIClIN
manner
You ought surely to have Windows
in the gable end of the New Cellar
(either under the Venitian Window, or
one on each side of it
Let Mr.. Herbert know that | shall
be very happy in getting his Brother
exchanged as soon as possible, but as
the Enemy have more Of our officers
than we OF theirs, and some Of ours
have been long confined f& claim ye
right of being first exchanged; | do not
know how far it may be in my power,
at this time, to comply with his desires.
| am with truth and sincerity
Dear Lupd, Yr. affect. friend
Go WASHINGTON
| have quoted these letters in full,
notwit hstardirg the cxtraneous matter,
because their whole tenor illustrates the
feeling among the leading classes oftre
South even amid he Revolution it el
Wa hington ani Lee in Il e field weie
no le .So,rhcrp not Nationally than
Jefferson and Madison in the forum.
We have seen how prominent a rart
these Southerners bore throughout the
struggle for independence. A few