Year: 1864

quarters in the saddle, which we published


Yesterday, certainly shows most cheerful


buoyancy of disposition in the Yankee ma


ton. Once more, as if nothing of the sort


had ever happened before, it is announced


word and reply 'Whole army again in


notion us if it bad never been in motion


before; and by night we will be within four


hours march of Richmond Why, they


have been, and are now within two hours


march of Richmond, but somehow failed to


arrive there. Lee also, the same dispatch


aftirms, lis again outgeneraled-by that


mastery movement, namely, from the Rap-


idan to the Pamunky, at cost Of seventy


thousand men which might have been ac-


complished without the loss Of one. Moth


ing could be more CHEEKY than the jolly


strategy of this saddle correspondent. He


says pIayfully. 'Once getting Lee shugly


ensconced in his works, away We 60 around


his flanks and into his rear Capital fun!


Nor is it the saddle correspondent alone


who is SO jovial. Secretary Stanton also


announces dispatch from Grant, that ev-


erything comes on finely and another dis


patch from Washington says; There are


the best possible spirits to night, in official


circles Those most mercuriul and ire


pressible official circles were in Just as high


spirits on the same night gone two years.


Then also, On to Richmond was the watch.


word and reply; and yet the unconqnered


young Napoleon had reached, without the


slaughter of seventy thousand of his troops,


a position quite close to his predestined


prey. 1t is now announced, and received,


doubtless, with jubilaton throughout all


the North, that every cannon fired the last


week has been heard in Richmond;' as if


Richmond had never heard any cannon be


fore. Marvellous indeed, is the elasticity


of that Yankee mind. Crush it to the


earth dozen times-sink it over and over


in the very depths Of despondency, still it


springs up again as merry as ever, singing
out, who's afraid? Victory is in our grasp
at last. Once this, or once their position
gained, and away we goI One would al
most begin to fancy that tho enemy is re-
ally persuaded this time that he is indeed
on the eve of the capture of Richmond, but
for the one trifing circumstance, that gold
has risen to one hundred and eighty eight!
This proves to our minds that those at the
North who know best, and have the most
interest in the matter, do not
believe the Yankee army is ever TO come on
to Richmond at all-which is also decided


ly the opinion of Richmond herself. II
those highly excited official circles of
Washington, and delighted newspaper read


ers of New York and Boston could but see
the tranquil serenity of these embowered
streets Of this day-how respectfully our
people 60 about their daily business; how
quietly they buy and sell, or even marry
and are given in marriage. as in the day when
Noe entered into the ark. 1t is true they
know that mighty power has gathered
countless hosts aronnd this place commits
stoned to rouse it utterly, and leave not one
stone upon another; true, they know that
accurate plans of the Doomed City, multi.
piled by the hundred thousand, point out
this very moment every approach to their
peaceful homes, and indicate each most ad-
vantageous method of crushing, sacking,
and burning the place, drenching these
leafy shades with blood, and strewing them
with mangled bones and spattered brains.
True, also, that they feel in their souls how
much more blessed on that day Of doom, if
it should ever dawn upon them, would be
the mangled dead than the landless. house>,
less living; they do hear every day-the
Yankee acoustics are correct-the roar Of
cannon flaming in front and flank OF that
enormous host, advancing with celerity
never known before;' they are well aware
that this very night, before the stars shine
out-if only one obstacle were removed
there might be hundred thousand brig
ands in blue, swarming in every street,
rampant in exery house, until the work of
slaughter and rapine were done, and then,
in pyramid of fire the city of their pride
and love would rush skyward, with all its
pleasant dwellings, with the hearths at
which its old people have sat, and the cra-
dies in which its children have been rocked.
It's murmuring river, REDEEMED with flame
and blood, would flow hereafter past
mounds of gore clotted cinders, which
should stand for generations a monument
of Yankee vengeance. Yes, they know all
this; yet to night they will lie down peace
fully to rest, trusting in Providence that
he morning sun will shine as serenely in
to their windows, through the whispering
trees, as on any morning Of the last hun
lred years. 1t is not that our people are
boastful or presumptuous, or unconscious Of
danger, or insensible to the unutterable |
ayilsand curses which would come in mo
ment upon them and theirs in case Of the |
enemy's success. They know well that the
fortune Of battle is doubtful and that each


instant Of time may bring on ths, great ar
bitrement. But they are not demonstrs
tive, nor by any means histrionic. The roll
Of the great artillery is in their ears; but
they only set their teeth within closed bps;
they have scot forth their brayest and their
dearest to stem that roaring tide Of fsll
foes, and can but await the AWARDS Oh a just
God in Heaven. They feel, too, in every
Il hat IN uaru