I called on General Beauregard to say good-bye. Before
parting, he told me that his official orders, both from the Government and from
the Town-Council, were, that he was to allow Charleston to be laid in ashes
sooner than surrender it; the Confederates being unanimous in their
determination that, whatever happened, the capital of South Carolina should
never have to submit to the fate of New Orleans. But General Beauregard did not
at all anticipate that such an alternative was imminent. In answer to my thanks
for his kindness and courtesy, he said that the more Europeans that came to the
South, the more the Southerners were pleased, as seeing was the only way
to remove many prejudices. He declared everything here was open and above
board, and I really believe this is the case. Most certainly the civil law is
not overruled by the military, except in cases of the strongest emergency. The
press is allowed the most unlimited freedom, and even licence. Whenever
excesses take place, and the law is violated, this is caused by the violence of
the people themselves, who take the law into their own hands.
General Beauregard sent his love to Sir James Fergusson, who
had visited him during the early part of the war; so also did General Jordan,
Chief of the Staff.
Before taking my departure from the hotel, I was much
gratified by meeting M'Carthy, who had just returned from Richmond. He had had
the good fortune to cross the Mississippi a little later than me, and he had
encountered comparatively few obstacles.
I left Charleston by rail at 2 P.M., in company with Mr
Sennec, his wife, and daughter; and Major Norris, who was extremely kind and
useful to me. I declined travelling in the ladies' car, although offered that
privilege — the advantage of a small amount of extra cleanliness being
outweighed by the screaming of the children, and the constant liability of
being turned out of one's place for a female.
Major Norris told me many amusing anecdotes connected with
the secret intelligence department, and of the numerous ingenious methods for
communicating with the Southern partisans on the other side of the Potomac.
We reached Florence at 9 P.M., where we were detained for
some time owing to a break-down of another train. We then fought our way into
some desperately crowded cars, and continued our journey throughout the night.
SOURCE: Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, Three
Months in the Southern States: April-June, 1863, p. 203-5
No comments:
Post a Comment