Fourth of July jubilees in the doomed city of Richmond, the aspect of which is to be rendered ineffably festive for the occasion by decorating the lamp-posts round the Capitol with the dangling detested forms of Jeff. Davis and his rebel accomplices-it is just possible say I, that they may be disappointed and that their pleasant day dreams may not be realized. When (oh much-to-bedeplored event) we threw off the comparatively mild rule of King George, to submit to the loathsome rule of King Mob. I am happy to see that the Southern people, both high and low, are rapidly losing their admiration for dirty democracy. In the army a healthy reaction has set in against the unbridled license and brazen corruption inherent to our much-bepuffed institutions. By mingling amongst the men in the ranks one soon becomes aware of their distrust in the politicians, as they contemptuously call their representatives in Congress. I have often heard them express their determination, as soon as this war is over, of sweeping away all those fellows, and of taking the management of their affairs into their own hands. It will be an Augean task, but it is the only way of ensuring the peace and tranquillity of the country. I hope those intentions will be carried out, for the intelligence, wealth and respectability of the Confederacy are concentrated in the army; the men who have kept out of it ostensibly to control the destinies of this commonwealth, are not equal to the times; they are for the most part whiskey-drinking ranters of the old United States pattern. It is really painful amidst the heroism of the soldiers and the beautiful self-devotion of the women, to witness the same vulgarity and indecorum which converted the halls of the United States Congress into a bear-garden. We must change all that. This is too great a people to be represented by a parcel of rowdies who chew, spit and whittle while discussing questions of the greatest importance. Such men are fit representatives of Yankees but not of a nation endowed like the South with qualities so noble. It is a notable fact that those noisy fire-eaters, of the Wiggin* and * Wigfall. Toombs' stripe are now consigned to the limbo of oblivion, having been unable to stand the severe test of events. For the most part they have cut a very poor figure in the field, and now they are eclipsed by men who had no sort of notoriety before this war. These are my impressions on the foregoing subject, and I give them to you for what they are worth, as you asked me to communicate unreservedly the result of my observations. I thought that where there is so much to be admired and extolled I could well afford to make a few strictures on what I consider bad features of our political system. The defects can be easily remedied, and will be remedied I feel certain, for the people are fully alive to them and are not in a humour to tolerate such abuses. I have been most hospitably entertained by all the parties to whom I brought letters of introduction, and also by several of your old friends; Mrs. Stanard among the number has shown me every sort of kindness. She does the honours of her house in so genial and unaffected a manner that it is impossible not to feel at ease when under its roof. You must tell your excellent kind old friend Mason that I feel most grateful for the hospitality which has been extended to me by his most amiable wife. Her anxiety to conduce to my comfort is really quite motherly, and I appreciate it the more because of the tenderness and maternal solicitude of one whom I love as never son loved a mother, and who yet deserves more love than that. Aunt Virginia has at last arrived from the Reeds. She is not looking too badly, considering that ever since the last raid starvation has stared her in the face. The poor woman was highly pleased to see me, and although not very demonstrative, she was in raptures with the presents I brought her. I have made her promise that she would give you a recital of the great trials which she underwent whilst the Federals were prowling about Caroline County, and also of her plucky conduct under the circumstances. I have been constantly on the move for the last ten days, oscillating between the army and Richmond. Now having made several in dispensable arrangements, I shall go for good to General Field's headquarters, where I expect to stay some time, as he has given me the position of volunteer aide on his staff. As I mentioned in a former letter, he is a noble fellow and very generally beloved, both by officers and men, on account of his genial and agreeable manners. The outfit I brought over from London will therefore come in very handy, and with the exception of a bag I was ready to take the field from the very first. Horseflesh is at a premium now in the Confederacy; it was therefore not without difficulty that I found a quadruped good enough to make a charge. Fortunately I stumbled on a wounded South Carolinian, who told me his horse was for sale. The animal proving satisfactory I decided to become its owner, which I did in the following manner: I had bought a barrel of sugar for five pounds in Halifax, with the intention of sending some of it down to Aunt Anna and some to the Cowpers; but railroad communications being so terribly uncertain and robberies of hourly occurrence, I thought my saccharine presents stood a very ripe chance of never reaching their destination. To sell the barrel was my first impulse, but upon second thoughts I proposed to swap my sugar, with three hundred dollars to boot, against the horse. The sugar was worth twelve hundred dollars; added to the abovesaid sum it amounted to fifteen hundred dollars, the price asked for him. The bargain has just been struck, and now I am in possession of a good cavalry horse, born and bred in the little secesh state. I straightway christened my purchase "Palmetto". I think that were this transaction to be related in the Jockey Club would create some amusement. I ought to tell you that fifteen hundred dollars in paper only one hundred dollars in gold. I hear that the Wilmington road is again in running order. The person who agreed to take charge of this scrawl is in a hurry to be off; I must therefore, as they say here, "dry up". My next will be dated from the front. Your devoted son, is HEADQUARTERS OF FIELD'S DIVISION, My Dear Mother: LONGSTREET'S CORPS, A(RMY) N(orthern V)A The links in our correspondence are destined, I fear to be so frequently snapped, that I fully expect you will be not a little surprised to hear that I am now part and parcel of the veteran Army of North Virginia. I wrote to my dear father on the eve of my departure from Richmond, informing him that in accordance with my long-cherished plans I had offered my humble services to the Confederacy, and that I had been fortunate enough to obtain a very acceptable position on General Field's staff, in the capacity of a volunteer aide. Don't frown, I beseech you dear mother, when you read this for I have been generally congratulated on my good luck in getting so desirable a place. I am told that I ought to felicitate myself on getting into this snug berth, for in addition to the opportunities which may offer of gaining a little credit for my zeal and other good qualities which I trust this strange and eventful phase of life may develop in me, I shall have in addition to these opportunities the advantage of. agreeable association with gentlemen and men of the world. My general commands Hood's old corps, which has the pretension, and a well-founded one too, of considering itself the crack division of General Longstreet's corps. Lawley's letters and Freemantle's book have shown that after their exploits at Gettysburg and Chickamauga our boys have some grounds for being a little conceited. Our chief, one of Kentucky's noblest sons, was an officer in the old United States army. Like many Kentuckians, amongst whom are to be counted some of our very best generals, he committed his destinies to those of the "Wayward sisters," and helped to thrash the Yankees at Bull Run. He is a very tall, manly and handsome fellow. His manners are so quiet and refined that so far my relations with him have been of the most satisfactory nature, and I feel quite certain that time will improve this agreeable impression. The other members of the staff are thoroughly good fellows and are doing all in their power to post me up, and to make me as comfortable as the times will admit. I am for the present the General's only aide, the other two officers serving in that capacity being away; my position therefore is not a sinecure, for since my arrival here I have carried about a great many orders. Our headquarters are situated in a large farm-yard, well shaded by large trees, under which we stretch our blankets at night. I cannot assert that the soil of Virginia is quite as soft as the "sommiers elastiques" to which I have been so long habituated; but I have been able to ascertain from personal experience that Shakespeare was, as usual, in the right when he declared that "Weariness can snore upon the flint Whilst restive sloth finds his down pillow hard." My snug berth is not by any means a bed of roses, but although I have to rough it a little my health was never better, and as to my appetite, it is perfectly wolfish. It would amuse you to see with what gusto I devour my rations of bacon and cabbage, just as if it was one of Maria's most masterly concoctions. Yesterday was the terrible Fourth of July, on which glorious anniversary the secesh nut was not only cracked to atoms, "Mais petit bon homme vit encore" and we are silently but confidently awaiting the Yankee onslaught. That we can well afford to do, as our position is a very strong and healthy one. The location of the Northern army is on the contrary very bad, the country in the rear of their lines being very marshy and sickly. The water they have to drink is said to be of the worst description and to have caused a great deal of sickness in their ranks. Fortunately for us the springs here are delicious. Early yesterday we were on the tiptoe of expectation lest Grant might try to console the North for the non-capture of Richmond by a furious assault on our lines, combined with a |