Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-03-08

striking Picture Of the Exhausted cenai-
,fsos, OF the Troops.

striking Picture 81 the Exhausted cendi- |
tio, OF the Troops
In his book. ',Rise and FSn OF the Con- |
federate Government.n Mr.. Davis makes tue I
statement that owing to surplus OF cash |
unused from previous appropriations and on 4
hand I'm the fall Of 1854, no appropriations /
were deemed necessary 70 carry the treasury
over until the spring Of 1885. The matter Of
lack Of supplies was investigated during
the winter. and ia secret session Of con-
gress at Richmond the following exhibit
was made OF the condition OF Lees sub
sistence department: THAT there Is not
meat enough In the Southern Confederaey
for the armies in the Geld. That there
Is not in Virginia meat aud bread enough for
the armies within her limits That the sup
ply OF bread for those armies 60 be obtained
from other places depends absolutely upon
keeping open the railroad connections OF the
south.
"rhat the meat must be obtained from
abroad through q seaport That tho trans
portation is not now adequate. from what
ever cause, 20 meet the necessary demands OF
the service
THAT the supply OF meat to Lees army Is
precarious. aud II ths army fall back from
Richmond aud Petersburg there Is every
probability that it VIII cease altogether
The hard times in the Confederacy were
l known 10 every Oulon roloicI Wuo came IN
| contact with the enemy on the Petersburg
lines. There was regular communication be-
tween tho opposing pickets, aud there was an
| endemic of desertions from the Confederate
ranks, which alone would have encouraged
the Union troops to believe that the bottom
| was dropping CUT 49, Confede 49, The
-.>..s in Dixie more than confirmed the sus-
picions that were awakened by their action
- ~.
were that the whole population Of the south
had given up all hope OF success and wanted
the end to come soon; that ouiy the leaders
| who feared for their heads were holding
| out; that the friends or the soldiers in
the field encouraged them 20 desert,
! and that all of them would desert
as soon as opportunity offered. except prop
erty owners; that the property Of deserters
was confscated and their families turned
adrift; that men who remained in the ranks
would not fight any more, and that all of the
firing, or nearly ALL on the picket line was
done under the orders and direction OF the
'oflicers. and they in some cases handled the
guns themselves, that many soldiers when
| cdinpelled TO shoot were careful not TO hit the
target. They laid great stress upon the fact
| that the southerners would not fight again.
1 Circumstances might compel them to remain
in the ranks, but nothing could induce then
/ TO do battle Win their Olu TIME aruOr- Int
4 condition of the men who came into th'
Union camps as deserters attested the truth
of all that was told over the lines Of the for
lorn aspect OF things In Lees camps. A de
serter's first act on finding himself in tn
hands OF the enemy was TO appeal for food
II Occasionally they were too modest 70 throw
themselves boldly upon tho mercy Of an an
, tagon,st but their famished faces, and the
| hungry eyes, wandering wistfully to tn
I; | camp chests ard sometimes resting upon
(; | refuse bone. led their captors 10 offer foo'
3 | the moment they had secured ther prisoners
: Often these men barefoot and some c
r them had worn their trousers legs Off hal
: way up 10 the knees. Such absolute distres
q among 50 large number Of men Is seldor
witnessed. And this was not confined 20 th
men who came in ~ deserters Every nigh
| Confederates came 20 the Union camps, wac
= ing through swamps aud risi<ing their live
where tho pickess' bullets fiew, in order |
= | get bread and meat which their generoi
! foemen kindly gave out of an abundance
= George l. Kilmer.