The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
A CONFEDERATE MAJORS
DIARY.
Continued from page SIX

in my
November 22.-The "Philadelphis
Enquirer" an ultra Administrator
and Abolition Journal, is the only pa
per we are aaloWed to receive mere
regularly. 1t requires a certain de
gree Of art to read this paper Alright
an art which We have fully mastered
and reduced to a species OF maine
NAUTICAL demonstration. Set down Is
~braggadOciO and e~XtraVagant count
Of Yankee successes, and divide by ~
and the truth, we find, is
apprOXimated.
November 2i.-Sought, n had ar
interview today with Capt. Ali. A. A
G., with reference to the practicablllty
OF a special exchange. | desired &C
know the policy Of the Federal Gov
upon the subject, linking
that, if such exchanges were admlssi-
BILE, | could bring sufficient influence
to bear to obtain one. / was informed
that they were inadmissible. The tenn
porary liberation from the barracks
however, and the walk to the Fort
did me positive good. 1t is
ing, but, SO precious is freedom, l re
yelled in that momentary emanclpa-
ton like a newly ENGAGED bird.
November 27.-Mr. kinsolVln being
sick, we had lay services.
Two months today ave | been ar
inmate of this prison, and but one
snort letter nave L mao from IloifS
And as there is no fiag-of-truce boat al
present plying between this point and
City Point, there is no telling when il
will be my happy privilege to receive
another. This deprivation IS hard &c
bear-ycry hard. With a certain de-
gree of resignation | an endure every
thing else-the discomfort, the i'll
fare, the cOid,-but to be debaTreC
even epistolary communion with my
loved one almost suTpasses my pow
ers of tolerance. l can only pray
for, and invoke Heavens benisonS
upon them.
Sweet be thy nightly slumbers.
From the gloomy walls where l no"
respire,
Gain would l watt such blessing upon
thee
AS, with deep JOY, I feel, ye all have
been to mel"
Speaking of letters,-my most pune
tual correspondent is Mrs. Gen. Geo
b. Anderson. Of Louisville, Ky
and 1amented husband l received
originally, my present appointment
Her letters are, q source of rar com
fort and pleasure to me,-evincing ar
affectionate interest in my welfare
that touches me deeply. [ have re
her hands,-for all of which I enjoir
it upon those who are dear to me &c
hold lei in grateful recollection.
December 5.-Numerous rumors rel
atjve to the prospects OF exchange and
the resumption of the cartel of 1862
have been rife for several days past,
but I attach little credence to them.
I had rathe not hear these rumors,
because, despite my incredulity, they
Will sometimes awaken a spark OF
hope,-only TO be soon extinguished
All, me,-when Will this tyranny be
O'er-past?"
December t0.-Heavy fall of snow
AS / look out from the grating OF
my window. what a prospect presents
itself to the eye! On every side, a
gloomy wall; overhead, a dull and
leaden sky; under foot, an unbroker
sheet Of white. Imagine one in 9
di1nly lighted roOm on a Sombre day
endeavring to extract diversion from
a volume of blank leaves, and the por-
traiture of my condition and feelings
is faithful and complete.
December 12.-I do not remember
ever to have passed a night of greater
suffering than the past. The cold was
intense beyond conception, and, un-
bile to sleep by reason Of it, I wa.
compelled to get up and shiver neal
the stove,-to which it was almos'
SO many others in the same category
with myself. Others, too, were act.
ually compelled to double-quick w
and down the room for the greater
part Of the night in order to keep tn
blood warm.
December I5.-The weather ha!
considerably moderated and rain il
falling. l believe, however, hat
am becoming gradually enured to tn.
cold, and, probably, after a while, will
be we'll qualified for an Arctic exp1ora.
tor. Amid all the suffering, my healtt
has hnnn unn6orfrl1v nracoryol onc
is, at present, as good almost as
have eve known it.
December 16.-Have just finished
reading a very interesting volume. en-.
titled The Schonberg-Cotta Family
1t is in the nature of a fictitiou.
diary, but gives an accurate and pleas
ing insight INTO the interior life O
Martin Luther and some of the more
striking incidents connected with tn,
career of his great contemporary re.