(From the Boston
Journal.)
It is not often that a rebel Letter which falls into the
possession of our advancing armies, contains more news or gives a more vivid
description of the state of affairs in rebeldom that the following. This letter obtained at Jacksonville, by an
officer in Commodore Dupont’s squadron, who forwarded it to a friend in this
city. It will be seen that the writer,
notwithstanding Florida has been entirely abandoned by the Confederate
Government, according to his statement, still hugs the fond delusion that the
rebel cause will succeed, and that Florida will again be linked to the Southern
Confederacy by negotiation:
MULBERRY GROVE, March
7.
MY DEAR SISTER: I expect by this time you have the letter I
wrote Buddie a few days ago. Here I am,
almost at a loss what to do next. I came
up from town last night with a boat load of our negroes. Since the attack and capture of Fernandina,
the Confederate Government has seen fit to abandon East Florida; and yesterday
an order came from the Secretary of War for the Confederate troops to abandon
the whole of Florida, and every troop in the State, together will all the
cannon, arms, ammunition, stores, &c., are being removed, working day and
night to do it before the Federals get entire possession of the State. Our government has signified its inability to
hold Florida, and therefore the troops here have gone to assist in breaking the
cordon from the Cumberland river in Tennessee to the Chattahotie river, and
there is still the additional number of 2,600 called for from the State by the
Government; but the men will not enlist now, as the Government gives us no aid,
and expects every man in this State to leave his home and interest, and go
fight abroad.
It has been blowing a gale for the past three days from the
West, which has blown all the water out of the river and prevented the enemy
from coming over the bar; but we will see them here as soon as the wind
changes. The Town Council and the
military heads of the militia (for we have no Confederate troops now) met
yesterday and concluded to quietly submit to the yoke or destiny that may await
us, as we have neither men, arms, nor ammunition.
The Federal congress has passed a bill commanding the heads
of their military not to return or send to their former owners any slave who
may come to them, unless such slave returns of his own free will. If they continue to execute this law, as ‘tis
said they have done it at Fernadina, our negroes may be lost; but I have most
of them here, and will wait until I see what they do with those they get in
Jacksonville. If there be any danger,
then I will start a wagon to carry the women and children that can’t walk, the
men walking and go from here to Orange Springs, and stop there, if the enemy do
not intend to go to the interior, but if they do, then I will go on South to
the Everglades, where my cattle are, and I can get something to feed them with
and keep them there until it be save to remove them. I have but twenty-eight dollars in pocket,
and I know I will have to beg provisions before I get there. I am going with our negroes whence I take
them, as they are mine and your and all of us only resource for living.
The postmaster is going to leave Jacksonville, and I presume
the mails will soon be in the hands of the Federals, and no telling when you
will hear from me again; but I will continue to write as long as I can. The only money that I presume I can get is
some uncle John owes me about $100, and this I will send you soon if he will
pay me; but if I am not able to send it, show this letter to uncle, and tell
him I beg him to provide all things for you there until I am free from this
bondage. Keep an account of
expenditures, and I will pay him back every dollar with interest.
A scene of the wildest confusion exists here. Masters are running and leaving their negroes
with no one to look after them. I have
taken the wives of two or three of our men, to keep them contend and prevent
their running back should I start. All
through the interior the lines of the railroads are thronged with the refugees
and bread is sold to them at $1 per loaf.
Some of them have no place to go and are starving in the woods. I have some corn here, and will make them
catch fish for meat, as I have no money to buy with. Some ten or twelve families are all that are
left in Jacksonville. If I was able or
had the means to get out of this State, I should do it forthwith, but I have
not. I do not think we will be under the
Confederate Government again until after peace is made, and then I hope the
other Confederate States may get us back from the United States by treaty.
I have written in haste, but tried to state what I intend
doing. Much love to all the
household. God keep you all for his sake
until I get you.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 1
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