Year: 1866

RICHMOND AND THE SURROUNDING
CoUNTRY.-A correspondent, writing from
Richmond to the Baltimore Gazette, gives
the following interesting description Of that
famous locality. The picture will be recog-
nized by thousands whose weary feet have
trodden every foot of the country described ::


"Richmopd itself is now fast being re-
built, and there seems every prospect that
in few years the new town will equal or
sqrpass the old. But while this is true of
the city, the surrounding country presents
far different aspect. The section lying
below the city must figure so largely in all
future history, that few words about its
present appearance may not be unaccept'
able Once out of Richmond and the
change is apparent. 1t is a change from
the hum of business to the silence of des
erted country. The houses stand out soil
tary and silent; no fences, no gardens, few
or no outhouses, no cattle, no fowls, and
many wanting even the thin streak of smoke
from the chimneys that still proclaims them
to be the habitatiops of men. Almost as
soon as you pass the outside limits of the
city you fud line of Notifications, and for
many miles you will rarely be out of sight
of some kind of work, from the strong bat.
terry that frowns from the crest of the hill
to the small pit of the skirmisher in the
hollow beneath There seems to be some
efor. to reoccupy the country, but only by
the poorer class of people, who come from
the old battle6elds of war t. begin a new
struggle with want and famine.


The lands lying along the banks of the
James, 80 celebrated for their richness are
now but waste fields. There are but few
cases were the owners of the land are found
on them few of them have the capital ne
cessary to work their farms, and of those
who have, very many have had their houses
destroyed, and will not consent to inhabit
the small and il.built cabbias they are able
to put up. Thus the land is mostly occu.
pied by men paying shares of the profits
for the use of the land, and they are unable
to work any large part of the estate, bat
simply try to earn support for themselves.
These lands present, if possible, even a
more melancholy appearance than the back
country; there, so much of the country is
covered by pines, that but small portion
can be seen, but on the river we see at once
vast tracts of open land, overgroWn with
the tall weeds and grass, showing the rich
ness of the soil, which is left untouched BY
the pIowshare. Of very many of the old
houses, the chimneys are the only marks
visible at any distance, and there are very
few cattle to mark the presence of thriving
farmyards. This is not true Of this section
alone, but of almost oil of Eastern Virginia.
1t is in substance the picture of whole
country, and by no means an oVerdraWn
one. 1t is to be hoped that it will not long
continue so. The people are trying, aud if
aided, or if not impeded by the Government
will soon restore the country to better
state. Politically, they feel their state to be
that of defeated party; and, az they must
live under the existing Government, they
would do so in good faith, and in obedience
to its laws. But if they are to be again
prosperous and contented, they must have
the countenance of the Government, and
not be iuterfered with by Radicals and