The President returned Saturday evening, looking pretty
well. Yesterday, Sunday, he was under the necestity of reading a dispatch from
Gen. Lee, announcing the surprise and capture of two brigades on the
Rappahannock!
This is a dark and gloomy day, spitting snow; while not a
few are despondent from the recent disasters to our arms. It is supposed that
we lost 3000 or 4000 men on Saturday. A day or two before, Gen. Echols had his
brigade cut up at Lewisburg! Per contra, Brig.-Gen. W. E. Jones
captured, on Saturday, at Rogerville, 850 prisoners, 4 pieces of artillery, 2
stands of colors, 60 wagons, and 1000 animals. Our loss, 2 killed and 8 wounded.
So reads a dispatch from “R. Ransom, Major-Gen.”
There is some excitement in the city now, perhaps more than
at any former period. The disaster to the "Old Guard" has put in the
mouths of the croakers the famous words of Napoleon at Waterloo: “Sauve qui
peut.” We have out our last reserves, and the enemy still advances. They
are advancing on North Carolina, and there was some danger of the President
being intercepted at Weldon. Thousands believe that Gen. Bragg is about to
retire from before Grant's army at Chattanooga. And to-day bread is selling at
50 cents per loaf — small loaf!
And now the Assistant Secretary of War, Judge Campbell, is “allowing”
men to pass to Maryland, through our lines. First, is a Rev. Mr. A. S. Sloat, a
chaplain in the army. He was degraded for some offense by his own church, and
his wife and children having preceded him (all being Northern born), as stated
in his letter on file, he is allowed a passport to follow them. Recommended by
Mr. S. R. Tucker. Second, Mr. J. L. White and Mr. Forrester are “allowed”
passports to go to Maryland for ordnance stores. Recommended by Col. Gorgas.
Third and lastly, "Tom Wash. Smith" is “allowed,” by the Assistant
Secretary, to take fifteen boxes of tobacco to Maryland, and promises to bring
back “medical stores.” Recommended by B. G. Williams, one of Gen. Winder's
detectives, and by Capt. Winder, one of the general's sons. They bring in
stores, when they return, in saddle-bags, while whole cargoes are landed at
Wilmington!
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's
Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p.
93
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