Year: 1864

Mr. EDITOR will you allow q subscriber
small space in your paper9 do not propose to ed.
fy yourself numerous readers on the all absorb


ing topic of War, that much more desirable object
Peace. That leave to abler and better men, such
as Messrs Stephens and Boyce, and the sentiments
announced through and by the Standard and Pro-
gress most heartily endorse the utteTances of
such journals and such men, and l do not exagge
rate in saying that threeourths cf the thinking and
voting men Of this County concur with me. 1t
would be sad disappointment to many very many,
should you or they ever be driyea from -: d: fence
of the great truths you have put forth s2 The world
And, Mr.. Editor agree with you that .le letter OF
Mr. Boyce to President DAVIS Is decidedly the ablest
paper that has appeared in print 5i:ce the war be
gan.
But propose to confne myself mainly to local
matters-matters of very great Importance to the
people, and am sorry to say, ofbut small import to
those who govern them desire to call the attention
of all those whom it concern to the status OF Al
fairs IN this section of North Carolina


In the first place. the crop of corn, nearly all OF
which is ungathered, is consequently exposed to
heavy loss and depredations from many causes, and
will therefore, in my opinion be much hghter than
was at first supposed. This country is deprived of
nearly all the white labor in it. the males being al
most constantly performing some species OF militia


y Duty and obeying apparently senseiess orders OF
some modern military Napoleon-l mean the Home
Guard commanders


1t is certain that tho crops of small grain have
barely averaged half; wheat in particular, which
owing to the great scarcity of bread last summer Is
now nearly consumed. Besides not more than half
crop has again been sown this fall. Owing to
the same scarcity the vegetable crops are nearly ex-
hausted also. Stock OF all kinds IS exceedingly
scarce, such as hogs and beef cattle and venture
the assertion that one half the white population will
have to live without meat next year, and hundreds
of the poorer classes will have 10 60 without shoes


Winter, long, dreary winter Is fast approaching,
and soon the armies OF the contcidlng sections Will
bg0uac in their winter quarters, und then Wc may
again expect thousands OF famished WORKOUT hcrses
to deluge the country. These horses and their RI
ders will have to be fed and recruited. and it is this
| thought which SO much disturbs our people,, when


we lock back to the Of last winter and sprlns
| Should such be the case, sad indeed would be the
condition of many, lfnot all who live here trust
the Legislature of North Carolina convened,
will look to this thing and the Confederate gov
ernment will have received its full ti;hc Of all 1t
requires, it surely will not need more. Why not
require the military authorities to establish en-,
campments where the tax inknd is deposited, and
forage the cavalry there. They should not be for.
aged on private property without the means, and
often without the disposition, of remuneration; and
it is we'll known fact, that the receipts already
| given during the present and last year, amounting
to many thousands dollars, have never been paid,
nor have tuch losses been credited on the tsxln-
kind. So that it really seems as il this government
from principle repudates its promises to pay, on
the account of such quartermasters, Colpnels, Cap
| tans &c. perambulating and living on the country.
| Yet the poor farmer has no alternative. If he
respectfully informs these military gentry that he
has nothing to spare, without sub;ectig his family
to distress or if he refuses to let them have all
they want the usual course Of these brave soldiers
is to dismount and in all probability take all You
have, to your last bushel Of corn, stack Of fod


der, oats or hay, and then damn your soul in the


bargain. And this too while the government has


thousands of bushels of corn rotting and wasting.
| MIR. Editor, am all the time willing, and have
always been willing to comply with the law and de-
mands of charity towards those who really deserve
it; and imagine the history of the world will not
yield parallel to the people of the South, who
have given up to the Government not only their
substance bat the far greater boon Of their personal
rights and liberties in this revolution. Still the cry
! is more blood and all your treasure VIII you al
low me to ask you question? How can the poor


men, in moderate circumstances, who buy and sell


Tot, nor speculate, how they live and meet these
heavy demands? Our property is rot worth as
much as it was prior to the war. ani ye: snail
house and farm is taxed 81. 800 winch farm Is bare
| ly sufficient to support fsinliy. Once we met,
gave in our brief lists and departed; now nearly
every third man in the Confeteracy is tax gather
er some kind of revenue officer and every change
of the moon brings them to your door. Their re-
ceIpts are multfarous in form and some, | am in
formed, run ninety-nine years, the extreme age of
llte imprisonment. This does not ncinde the
tax in kind. That may not be SO complicated.


do not apply aught of the above to the assessors
&C., Of Caldwell They are gentlemen, albeit hot
| war men.


Mr. Editor, will close this article by saying that
| I hope the Congress just assembled will do SOME
thing for the country. hope they will not allow
agents to impress promiscuously, after the govern
lnent has taken its tithe If such be the case
another fall will not Legislature have to double
its appropriation for the wives and families Of the
| soldiers A LOCKER ON.
Caldwell county, Nov 10 1864