Cloudy and melting—snow
vanishing rapidly. The thousand and one rumors of great achievements of Gen.
Longstreet on the north side of the river seem to have been premature. Nothing
official of any advantage gained over the enemy near the city has been received
so far as I can learn. Gen. Lee, no doubt, directed Longstreet to make
demonstrations on the enemy's lines near the city, to ascertain their strength,
and to prevent more reinforcements being sent on the south side, where the
struggle will occur, if it has not already occurred.
There is no doubt
that the enemy's column sent toward Weldon has been checked, and great things
are reported of Gen. Hampton's cavalry.
A battle must
certainly occur near Savannah, Ga. Sherman must assail our lines, or perish
between two fires.
President Lincoln's
message to the Congress of the United States, republished in our papers,
produces no marked effect. His adherence to a purpose of emancipation of the
slaves, and his employment of them in his armies, will suffice for an
indefinite prolongation of the war, and perhaps result in the employment of
hundreds of thousands of slaves in our armies. The intimation, however, that
all applications for "pardon," etc. have been and are still favorably
entertained, will certainly cause many of our croakers who fall into the lines
of the United States forces to submit. Others, though so disposed, have not an
opportunity to signify their submission. But everything depends upon events in
the field.
SOURCE: John
Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate
States Capital, Volume 2, p. 351-2
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