Tuesday, 24th—Just before leaving a couple of young lady equestrians passed out of town from Mr. Fisher’s. I jumped on H. Emnoff’s horse and overtook them, rode out a mile with them and turned off pike. If I should ever get back to L. I intend seeking them and make their acquaintance. After dinner we bid our kind friends adieu and put out, overtook the Command about eleven miles from Shelbyville.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
FEBRUARY 24TH.—Gen. Longstreet is now in command of Gen. Smith’s late department, besides his own corps. Richmond is safe.
Our papers contain a most astonishing speech purporting to have been delivered by Mr. Conway, in the United States Congress.
Mr. C. is from Kansas, that hot-bed of Abolitionism. He is an avowed Abolitionist; and yet he advocates an immediate suspension of hostilities, or at least that the Federal armies and fleets be ordered to act on the defensive; that the independence of the Confederate States be recognized, upon the basis of a similar tariff; free-trade between the North and South; free navigation of the Mississippi, and co-operation in the maintenance of the Monroe doctrine. I like the indications apparent in this speech. Let us have a suspension of hostilities, and then we can have leisure to think of the rest. No doubt the peace party is growing rapidly in the United States; and it may be possible that the Republicans mean to beat the Democrats in the race, by going beyond them on the Southern question. The Democrats are for peace and Union; the Republicans may resolve to advocate not only peace, but secession.
February 24.— The United States steamer Indianola, under the command of Lieutenant George Brown, was this day captured in the Mississippi River, near Grand Gulf, after an engagement lasting one hour and a half, by the rebel iron-clad steamers Queen of the West and William n. Webb, and the armed steamers Doctor Batey and Grand Duke.— (Doc. 124.)
—The steamer Hetty Gilmore, was captured and destroyed by the rebels under the command of W. C. P. Breckenridge, at Woodbury, Tenn.— The Savannah News of this date said: “There seems to be now a great rage for investing in confederate bonds. Every body is buying bonds— that is, every body who has treasury notes wherewith to buy. How great the contrast! Here, our people are seeking confederate government paper. In Lincolndom every body is avoiding government paper, and paying enormous prices for every article which will enable them to get rid of Yankee promises to pay! This is one of the best signs of the times.”
—At Richmond, Va., Judge Meredith of the Circuit Court, decided in a habeas corpus case, that every citizen of Maryland, and every foreigner who had enlisted in the rebel army, no matter for how short a period, had acquired a domicile, and therefore was liable to conscription between the ages of eighteen and forty-five.—Richmond Examiner.
