| From the Richmond Dispatch |
| |
| August 5, 1863 |
| |
| An English officer's Experience in the Confederate |
| "An English officer," who seems
to have been treated with the most distinguished consideration by the
Confederate authorities, has just published in a London
paper an account of a two months tour through the Confederate States.
He entered the Confederacy at Memphis, and traveled from one end of it to the other. A portion of his story
relative to a visit to Richmond
we copy: |
| The rail to
Wilmington
was open {the Wilmington & Manchester RR}, and as that was the shortest way to
Richmond
, I took the train, and reached Wilmington
about 1 A. M., where a steam ferry carried the passengers across the
harbor. We were kept waiting in an awfully cold night, crowding round
the doors of the railway cars; and as it was a case of first come
first served, those who got in first secured a seat, whilst those who
did not were forced to stand. |
| The usual uncertainty attending Southern
railway traveling prevented me from making any calculation as to the
time of reaching Richmond. At Weldon we "missed connection, " which means that the
train had gone off without waiting for us, and we had the agreeable
prospect of passing twenty-four hours at one of the most miserable
places I ever saw. Even in peace time it has a bad name, and during
the present state of things it has become ten times worse than before.
Two dreary houses, dignified by the name of hotels, received the
passengers. I was fortunate enough to obtain a bed; two soldiers of
the Confederate army occupying the other bed in my room. We even
procured the luxury of a fire. *** At Weldon there is an important
bridge across a river, on which a guard was stationed, as it was
supposed to be an object of attack of the Federal, who occupied parts
of the country lying in the vicinity near the coast. After our
twenty-four hours delay a train arrived {the
Petersburg RR} and carried us on to Petersburg, a large, well built town, near the
James river. Omnibuses, driven by niggers, conveyed us through the town to the
Richmond
railway {the Richmond & Petersburg RR} station. *** The train conveyed me to
Richmond, where I arrived about seven o'clock P. M., very glad to have
accomplished the long journey from Mobile. ***** |
| It was an easy matter enough to get into
Richmond, but quite the reverse to get out again, and so on to Washington. A flag of truce boat for exchange of prisoners frequently went down
the James river, but no passenger were allowed on board; and in the
present state of affairs, when any day might bring news of some great
conflict, the authorities were chary about granting passes. Still they
were very kind, and I was told I might make my way across the lines by
what is called the underground railway. The officer in charge of the
secret service furnished me with a pass in the event of my meeting any
Confederate pickets, and directed me to make my way by rail
to Culpeper Court-House {on the Orange &
Alexandria RR}, and then as best I could to
Alexandria
or Leesburg, from which places the journey to Washington
was easy enough. * * * * * |
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