The National tribune., 1898-04-14

Nav 24.-We reached Meridian at 100
q m with sound limbs, and only five
hours late We left for Mobile, and arrived
there at 715 p. m. This part of the line
was in very good order. We were delayed
"A short time, owing to difficulty which
had occurred in the uptrain. The dlfll-
Guilty was this. The engineer had shot
passenger and then unhitched his engine,
cut the telegraph and bolted up the line,
leaving his train planted on single track
He had allowed our train TO pass by Shunt-
inc himself until we had done so without
any susDicion The news of this occur
renee caused really hardly any excitement
amongst nv fellow-traVelerS; but hearu
one man remark that 1T was mhGnty
mean to leave a train to be run INTO nke
that" We avoided this catastrophe ny
singular good fortune.
The universal practice of carrying arms
In the South is undoubtedly the cause Oh
occasional loss of life, ana is Inucli 10 nc
regretted; but. on the other mana, thiS
custom renders alterations ana qudiie lo
naturally careful what they say wheh a
bullet may be the probable reply
By the interceSSion of Capt. Brown,
was allowed 10 travel in the LADIES' car.
If was cleaner and more convenient par
rinc the souallinC of the numerous children,
T-bo wore terrified into good behavior by
threats from their negro nurses oil Eelng
piven TO the Yankees.
mt IN at the principal hotel at Mobile
viz the "BattlehOuse." Inc living ap,
peared to be very good by comparison Gnu
cost SIS q dav. In consequence o! lhe
fabulous value Of boots, they mist not Ae
lcft outside the door of ones room, from
d;,nrer of annexation by needy ana I'M
scrupul0uS warrior.
Nav 25.-I was disappointed in the as
pect of Mobile. 1t is a regular IectaiIsCId eL1
American city built on a sandy nat, ana
oo,-or;,,o daaT of Ground 1Or Its pOpuldllOiiy
which Is about % UO0
/ called on Gen. Maury, for WHOM
brought a letter Of Introduction rom GSh.
Johnston. He is a very gentiefhailhiNe
and intelligent but dlmnutlTe NllelIii.ni,
and had only Just assumed the cofllilaiiu
He was very civil. and took me in
steamer TO see the sea detenceS. we were
accompanied by Gen. Ledbetter, the ehFih-
eer. and we were SIX hours FlSltiils 'iie
forts.
Mobile is situated at the head of a bay
30 miles long. The bockading squadron,
eight 10 10 in number, IS stationed oulsiuS
the bay. the entrance TO which Is detended
by Forts Morgan and Gaines; but as the
channel between these two forts Is mile
wide, they might probably be passed
Within two miles of the city, however,
the bay becomes very shallow, and the
ship channel is both dangerous ana tof-
tuous 1t is, moreover, obSruc'eo ny
double rows Of pine piles, ana al SoilS ol
ingenious torpedoes, besides beng COM
manded by carefully constructed tortS,
armed with heavy guns, and built elther
on islands or on piles.
Their names are Fort Pinto, Fort Span
ish River. ApaIache, and Blakeley
The garrisons of these forts complained
of their being unhealthy, and did not
doubt the assertion. Before landing, We
boarded two iron-clad floating batteries.
The Confederate feet at Mobile is consid-
cradle. and reflects great credit upon the
energy of the Mobilians, as 1t has been
constructed since the commencement OF
the war.
During the trip. overheard Gen. Maury
soIiloduizing over q Yankee flag, and say
ing, "Wcll, | never should have believed
that | could have lived TO see the day IN
which | should detest that old flag" He |
is cousin to Lieut. Maury, who has dis |
tinguished himself so much by his writ |
incS on physical geography especially.
The family seems 20 be very military one |
His brother is Captain OF the Confederate |
steamer Georgia. |
After landing ! partook Of a hasty din |
ner with Gen. Maury and Mai. Cummins. |
] was then mounted on the Generals |
horse. and was sent to gallop round the |
land d fences with Brig.-Gcn. Slaughter |
and his staff
By great good fortune this was the even |
ing of Gen. SIaughter's weekly inspection, |
and all the redoubts were manned by |
their respective gauisonS, consisting hall |
of soldiers and half Of armed citizens who |
had been exempted from the conscription |
either by their are or nationality, or had |
purchased substitutes. One OF the forts |
was defended By burly British guard |
commanded by venerable Capt Wheeler. |
Its members were British subjects ex-
emptcd from the CONSUMPTION, but they |
had volunteered TO fight in defense of the |
city.
After visiting the notifications, | had |
supper at Gen. Slaughter's house, and |
met there some of the refugees from New |
Orleans-thesc are now being huddlcd neck |
and crop out of that city for refusing to |
take the oath Of allegiance TO the United |
States. Great numbers of women and chill |
dTcn are arriving at Mobile every day; |
they are in destitute condition, and they |
add TO the universal feeling of exaspera- |
ton. The propricty of raising the black |
flag, and giving no quarter was again !
freely discussed at Gen. Slaughter's, and |
was evidently the popular idea.
heard many anecdotes OF the late Stone ;