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The Bread Question in the South?Important Confessions of the Rebel Commissary General. ?The bread question in the rebellious States, we have frequently contended since the beginning of the war. would inevitably become a j>owerful ally of the Union cause. In confirmation of this oftrepeat *d opinion, so far as the problem of Southern institution is concerned, we submit a few extracts from the letter of L. B. Northrop, Commissary Cu neral, C. S. A. "It is lamentable that the people are so deaf to the appeals of their representatives and so blind to their own interests. It is obvious that something must be done immediately, or both the people and army must starve next winter. This is an alarming reflection, but it is fully warranted by the situation. Now is the time to avert the impending danger. A few days more and it will be too late. 44 It is only by more rigorous, and indeed arbitrary, measures, that we can prevent distress in our towns, and subsist the armies in the field through next winter and spring. The appeal put forth by the President, and the one proposed by the Governors will be entirely useless. This is the opinion also of General Bragg, with whom I yesterday conferred two hours at Dalton. The General suggests three plans for preventing the threatened famine. The first is, that the President, by proclamation, prohibit the raising of any more cotton and tobacco or clearing of new lands until further notice. The second is, that by proclamation he order all planters to seed a certain number of acres of grain or other articles of * neqpssarv consumption, in proportion to the quantity of cleared land and negroes belonging to them. The third is lor the government to bike possession of the plantations, or such portion of them as the owners do not intend to seed with grain, Ac., and employ the negroes belonging thereto in raising such agricultural products as may be* deemed necessary. Officers and soldiers who have been rendered by wounds and disease unfit for further service in the field could be employed as superintendents aud overseers. The last mentioned plan appears to me to be feasible and entirely the best that can now be adopted. As reasonable compensation would of course be allowed for the use of the land and negroes, Ac., I think the plan would in general meet with favor. At all events, the mensure would be no more arbitrary than others the government has been forced to resort to, and in view of the emergency, and as a military necessity, it would be perfectly justifiable. 44 Idie wheat harvests, it is easy to see and learn from a trip through the country, will not be half as*bonntiful as we have anticipated : and the belief into which the government has been led, that there are large quantities of bacon in many parts of the country, is erroneous. The inventory ordered by Governor Brown of the bacon and live stock in Georgia (of which yon have by this time probably received a copy) shows the well-nigh exhausted condition of that State, and yet, beyond peraavenrure, it is less neariy exnausieu inuu uuy other State in the confederacy. t It will, therefore, be no easy matter to keep our armies in the lield without causing suffering among the people till the harvests are gathered next autumn. From that time we shall be entirely dependent on those harvests, and that they may be rendered adequate to our wants I unhesitatingly recommend the adoption of the third plan suggested by General Bragg. ??L. B. NORTHROP. Commissary General, C. IS. .1." Ancient and Modeen Sea-Fights.?Change has all along been a law actively operating in things naval; but the genius of the sea-races has never been destroyed by it. The men who con 1 XI -A * ? V ~ A M. quereu unoai in row-uuius w uu :>peiir juiu u.uiraxe were (lie same men who conquered afterward in one-masted galleys with cross-bow and lance; and, again, as the ages rolled by, with culvcrins, in small bluff-bowed merchant-ships; and, again, in stately seventy-fours, with lleets manoevering and fine gunnery. Jervis did not beat the Spaniards more thoroughly than the Black Prince. I)uncan did not beat the Dutch more decidedly than Blake. Nelson did not destroy the French more effectually than Edward the" Third. Was the change from Edward's "Cog," the Thomas, to Nelson's Victory, not as great as the change from Nelson's V.c'.onj to the Warrior and the Black Prince? Is steam a more potent force in Nature than Genius; or iron harder than the pluck r>f British tnr? Whom will those oreat de mons serve faithfully but the wizards who best know how to bring them under control? On the abstract ground of analogy, on the concrete ground of history, things ought to stimulate us to hopeful ingenuity, not to agitate us wth the weak forebodings so apt to flutter us down into despair. Meanwhile, change is the dominant law. The age of sea-fights by sailing vessels is practically over. Those beautiful evolutions of the old world' the struggle for the weather-gage, the tacking in succession, the expansion from columns into lines, the wearing in graceful circles of white-sailed vessels, agile iu their sweep as birds, are gone not less completely than the minuets and gilliards of i the dance, or the ladies who danced with the conquers of the Armando. The Trafalgars of the future will l>e fought with steamers?iron plated steamers, too?since, how| ever, the question may turn up between ships and forts, ships will certainly be iron plated against I each other. The wind will be only important as ; a cart of the weather, and steam will be to the 1 * j modern man-of-war what oars were to the ancient : trirem?tjie beak, or ram-like weapon, being common to both, Our descendants will probably see fleets going into action without masts at all: dark bodies of mighty bulk, rushing at a rate which sailing vessels never attained, battling each other like bulls in the strife, with a roar ot artillery be1 yond the roaring of all the herds of llashan. But, | if the old evolutions are superseded, will no evo! lntious be witnessed at all Far from it. On the . contrary, it is not improbable that steam warfare may give rise to a school of naval tactics more fertile in combinations than that of the Hostes ami i Clerks. For it will always be indispensable to I attack your.enemy's squadron to advantage; to i double on him, and destroy one part of him by I superior force before help can come up; to sepaj rate his portions, to break his lines, to parry liis ! thrust, to out-steam liim. All these operations | are either the same as the old manievres in character, or they resemble them; aiid the difference only is that they will be performed by the help of a new agency?a novel propelling power. The skill, therefore known as seamanship will simply in !>?> cmnlnved under new conditions. ? (or . lull Magazine. Escape from a Richmond Prison.?Usion Prisoners Starving.?There arrived in this city | day before yesterday, from Washington, Edwin Ballot?, a member of Captain Stacy's company of the Second regiment Kentucky infantry. Young Balloc (for he is not yet eighteen years i of age.) has been in the sen ice for more than two years. He was wounded in the hand early I on the tirst day of the engagements at Chieka! manga, but fought throught the day, resting his gun, when filing, upon his forearm. He was taken prisoner toward evening, during a charge made by his regiment, and carried by a circuitous . route to Richmond, passing so near to Charleston that he heard distinctly the firing of canon. He , found the prisons at Richmond crowded with pris! oners, dying daily for want of food. But one : ration a day was served, consisting of a small piece of bacon, and a hard unpalatable cracker. ' made of North Carolina rice. After l>eing in a I n-aroWtiiKA two weeks. and findincthathe IlUUUV-tv nw*v4*vW..? - .. - , must either escape or starve, he, in company with | two others, eluded the guard, and, creeping upon j their hands and knees through a long passage, I dropped through a hatchway into a hospital yard, whence they made their escape into the streets of | Richmond. By carrying their blouses on their , anus, and removing the numbers from their hats, ! they eluded observation, passed through the city, J and hid themselvs in the woods. They travelled . several days in a northeasterly direction, being i miided bv the sun. They underwent much hard ; ship and discouragement; sometimes after walk; ing twenty or thirty miles, finding themselves in the place whence they started. They subsisted upon potatoes taken from the fields, or furnished them by the negroes, who in even* instance treat! ed them with kindness, giving them matches and I such trilles as they could spare. After several I days' trial they reached Williamsburg, whence i they were sent to Washington, via Fortress Monj roe! The authorities at Washington ordered Bal, lou to join his regiment immediately, not graut| ing him a furlough, for which he applied; to visit j his mother in Cleveland. Money and opportunity j were offered to him here to visit his home, but he i preferred to do his duty as a soldier, and is now j on his wav to join his company.?Clucinnali (r.i:| ttic, Oct. 30. Letter from Capt. Payne. ?The following : letter from the gallant "scout," Capt. Payne, of ; the 100th Regiment, has been handed us for publication. All will be glad to know that his health is improving. Columbia Jail, S. C., 1803. This is the first time I have had strength i to try to write yon. I arrived at this place from Charleston last Sunday morning, and have been sick ever since. As soon as I was considered able to move from the hospital they sent me up here. : I was taken prisoner on the night of the 3d of last month, whtle 011 picket and other duty in Charleston harbor. I had with me eighteen men, ! nine of whom, with myself, were taken prisoners. In the engagement, which was quite desperate. 1 four of us wore wounded. Being largely out t numbered, I was compelled to yield or do w< trse. The wounded rnt-n were taken to Queen btreot Hospital. My own wound was an ugly but not a dangerous one. The ball (musket) struck the left side of my head, a little back of the temple, sliorhtlv enttiiiL* the uuoer nart of the ear. and o " O i 4 - A glancing, it followed the bone aronnd and came oat of the back of the neck, making a ripping of the back side of my head and neck generally. The wound is doing well, and I tLiuk will be entirely healed up in a month from this time. W hile the universal feeling of the people of Charleston is exceedingly bitter against all us Yankees, they have treated all our wounded with the greatest kindness and attention, doing all that could be done for them. For myself, I have been treated with great consideration and courtesy by both the medical and military authorities while in Charleston, and the same has been the ease since 1 Lave been m Columbia. Yours ever, Ii. S. PAYNE. i Wko ase TncyV?' America wants no friend, acknowledges the lidelity of no citizen who, alter, war is declared, condemns the justice of her ! cause and sympathises with the enemy. All such are traitors in their hearts."?Stephen A. Dot eLAS. ADVERTISEMENTS. | pHOTOGRAPHS: ? i SAM. A. OOOLEY is r.ow prepare<1 to taia photographs, carte re v1sites, MELATNOTYPES, Ac. Ac.. at his establithna nt's Beaufort, S. C., near the Arsenal, aud I iMlt. i.i.mi w i' muT lli'idnimrtm. Prices same as in New York for same class of work. Nov. 7-4w IK A C. FEATHE R,Military and Naval Photographic Gallery, | 19 1-2 Sutler's how, Port Royal, S. C. Aug. 12, tl. Metallic coffins, for sale by C. W. Dennis & C o., Iso. 4, Sutler's Low Dr. W. M. WALSH, Office No. 13, Sutler's Row. A lull supply ol? Drugs, Chemicals and Patent Medicines. | August 29,1S03.-U' JUST RECEIVED AT THE NEW 8TORE, UN.ON Square, next to the Post Office a large lot of station iv, i Rooks, Ac., in part as follows : I ??ie? Tiollp's TTsnd Tiook. A HI IJ IlIgUUlH-UD, IUVW . . Webb's l ay Digest. Monroe Comp. Drill. Ordronaux Hints, ' Scbalk's Campaigns, Manual. " Art Of War. j Gillmore's Limes, &c. j Taubert's Field Artillery. i Quartern!aster's Manual. Balieck'a Art and bcienea. i Be net's Court Martial. Lstvan's War Dictates. Casey's Tactics, ii vols. i Bzabads Modem War. Burra du Parcq. I Coppe's Battaliioi. Drill. Cullum's Militaiy Fridges. Instructions lieid AiLlleiy. Lairett's Naval Gunnery. | Company Clerk. Totteus Naval lext Book. Blioulder Straps, a Novel. ; Koberts Hand Book. Scotts Militaiy Dictionary, l.evj's Bulcs Lc. Baling Pens. Pocket Albums. Bivouac oi the Battle field. Neck Ties, Life on a Georgia P antation Kaudkerchics, hemmed. W ebster Dictionaiy. Currency Holders. Social condition of tbe EnMathematical instruments. giish people. Ink, black, red, carmine, &c. Pens, steel aiul gold in great variety, Blank books, in gn at variety. ! Wafers, sealing wax, law seurs, ?c-. Mucilage, couit piaster, lemon acid, &c., Penknives, pocket books, purses, Portfolios, bill books, etc. Pencils, crayons, etc., of various colors I.ava, boxwood niatehsafcs, tobacco boxes, bsgs, .fee., Novels, song-books, baud books of various kinds an 1 most oft lie luto publications of the day. Maps of Cba rleston harbor and vicinity, and of Sa\an? nali river ALSO, a fine lot of Military books of late issues-li<?> best selection eTer brought here. Pipes, briarwood, cliina, gutta percha, Meerschaum. Together with a new stock ol stationery, Ac. Photographs pi inted expressly lor us l?y Anthony oi Maj. Generals Ciilmore, btioi g, Hunter, and Mi chell. JOSEPH H. SUA US. UNITED STATES ARMY AND NAVY NIGHT CCMPASSes. Patented May (3th, 1802. The advantages of thcr-e ! Compasses over all others in use are, that they can be re..ii distinctly at night, without the aia 01 an arancnu ugui. I For reconuoitering the position of the enemy, night } movements, &c., where a light dare not be used without I running the greatest danger, they are invaluable. Used by Major Generals McClellau, Hooker, Burnside, Hunter, Pope; Major Meyers, Chief of Signal Department, f and others. ?\erv Officer and Soldier should have one. PitK? : $6, H, $3. $2 50, $2, and tl 25. For sale jy 'ajrm tt rvvuw IJIHL GEX. M'CLELLAX HEADQUARTERS.? No. 3, East Houston St., (one door East of Broadway) X. Y. (Above t;io St. Nicholas Hotel.) He*dquart~rs in Xew York, of the Ojficers of HUtm Head. Ale, Wines, Brandies, Whisky and Segars, of the choicest character. The current army intelligence, Ac. Near all the places-of public amusements, and the most popular place in the oitv ot military resort. COL. J AS. L. FRAZER, vlate 17th Regt.) Aug. 22-tf Manager.