Year: 1861

Z


Look into Secession Mail Bag.


The most curious and yet sa,ldening sight
have seen is the contents of a secession
mailbag. taken a, Centreyille, and filed
with letters from all parts of the South, but
mostly from South Carolina. / found the
mail at the house Of distinguished officer
Of the United Slater army, in whose pos
session it was placed. All Of the letters
had been EXAMINED, and their contents were
mostly social. A single letter from the Ma
nassas post mentioned the estimated arrival
cf troops at Manassas, just before the late
battle at 1000 day. This was the only
public information of warlike importance.
Some of the letters also spoke of the crops,
and the general information was that they
were excellent, both of cotton and corn
Provisions, too, seemed to be plenty enough,
but in one letter there was loud cry for
salt, and in others for sugar, coffee, and tea,
and in another for clothing. One might
gather from the total contents, also, that
there was a scarcity of arms and munitions
of war.


But the most striking parts of all those
letters was the intensified hate of most Of
the writers for the Northerners. and espec-
tally for the Yankees, as most of the north
ern people are called at the South. Belize
bub himself, inspired by all the devils of
Pandemonium, could hardly have impro-
vised more bitterness, contempt or passion
The temper Of the letters written by the
women was fourfold worse than the compo-
sitions Of the men. In one place the dear
creatures" in pettcoats were threatening TO
get up full suits cf female garments to pre-
sent to the young men who would not vol
unteer for the war TO put down the Yam
KEGS One amiable girl wanted her lover
to kill a Yankee or two, and then come
home to her arms and her heart Another
female, little more blood-thirsty, bid her
lover God speed in this work Of killing Yam
KEGS! Another hoped the horrid creatures
would be extermnated on the field Of battle.
Still another had heard, and feared that the
report was true, that the horrid Yankees
had sent some OF their number to Manassas
to inocuidte ue Southern army ,cih the small
pori This good woman had probably
heard OF the two live Yankees who visited
Canada, the one shaking hands with every
body, and communicating the itch, the other
/ following close at his heels with his boxes
of itch ointment warranted to cure! AT
Edgeheld woman, | believe), feared that
the Yankees would spread the smallpox
measles, and every other contagious disease,
to her excellent and amiable countrymen Of
the South.


In some Of the letters there was tone
of piety, mingled with bountifui reflections
upon Yankee hypocrisy and rascality.-
Now and then there was prayer for peace,
and an honest wish that the war was over.
Kindness and good feeling toward friends
and neighbors at home, with expressions Of
gallantry for soldiers fighting the enemies Of
the South were common enough. But To-
ward US poor Yankees there was no bitter
thought nor coarse expression which did not
find uIterance. Somebody has TO answer
for all this boiled down fanaticism and ma
ligniiy-the teachings of a calumnious press,
of vituperative public men, and of a gener-
al bad education.


The letters / read were generally not
from the so-called better classes of citizens.
The schoolmaster, if ever abroad, was not
at home when most of them were written.
The expressions were commonplace, and
the style as afrocious as the sentiments ut
tered we're pernicious and vindetiye.- Cor
rcspondeRce Of the Ne,o York cypress.