The enemy is not
idle. He knows the importance of following up his recent advantages, and making
the utmost use of his veteran troops now in the field, because his new levies,
if indeed the draft be submitted to, will not be fit for use this year, probably,
if ever, for they will consist of the riff-raff of the Northern population. On
the other hand, he suspects we will soon have larger armies in the field than
ever before, and our accessions will consist of our bravest men, who will make
efficient soldiers in a month. If our armies be not broken before October, no
doubt the tide of success will turn again fully in our favor.
Major Wm. Norris,
Signal Corps, reports that many transports and troops have been going down from
Washington and Annapolis to Fortress Monroe during the whole week, and that
5000 men embarked at Fortress Monroe, on Monday, for (as they said themselves)
Charleston. Among these was a negro regiment of 1300.
T. C. Reynolds,
confidential agent of the government in the trans-Mississippi States, sends
copy of a circular letter from Lieut.-Gen. Kirby Smith to the “representative
men” of Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, to meet him in convention,
15th August, at Marshall, Texas. Mr Reynolds says he and others will exert
themselves to prevent the meeting from taking a dangerous political direction.
Gen. Smith is popular, and opposed to the States named setting up for
themselves, although he plainly says in the circular that they must now adopt
self sustaining measures, as they cannot look for aid from the East. Mr.
Reynolds says something, not clearly understood by me, about an equipoise among
the political generals. Has he been instructed on that point in
reference to Gen. Price?
Letters from Mr.
Crenshaw, in England, and the correspondence forwarded by him, might seem to
implicate Major Caleb Huse, Col. J. Gorgas's ordnance agent, in some very ugly
operations. It appears that Major H. has contracted for 50,000 muskets at $4
above the current price, leaving $200,000 commission for whom? And that he
really seems to be throwing obstacles in the way of Mr. C, who is endeavoring
to procure commissary stores in England. Mr. C. has purchased £40,000 worth of
bacon, but Major Huse, he apprehends, is endeavoring to prevent its shipment.
Can this be so?
The Charleston
Mercury that came to-day contains an editorial broadside against the
President, Mr. Benjamin, Mr. Mallory, and Commissary-General Northrop.
Mr. Gilmer, lawyer,
remarked to me to-day that some grave men (!) really believed Davis and Lincoln
had an understanding, and were playing into each other's hands to prolong the
war, knowing that peace would be the destruction of both! I think there is more
danger to both in war. The blood of a brave people could not be trifled with
without the utmost danger. Let peace come, even if the politicians be shorn of
all their power.
SOURCE: John
Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate
States Capital, Volume 2, p. 14-5
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