SI)C Cmiihcn Contebcrntc.
1 - 1 i -H , . . . . ??^1 *?W'
VOLUME III CAMDEN, SO. CA., FR1DAY, DECEMHER 11,J8G3. NUMBER 7
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J. T. I1KU81IMAN, Kditor.
A Mother'* Prayer.
WfA <4plppt thn InllmtrlMi# II A
? ...s (/.imvuv tines uuin ono op
our exchanges. Since the commencement of this
ctuel war, how many fond parents have sent similar
petitions to the Throne of Grace, in bchulf of thoir
"dear, absent boys!
Father! in the battle fray,
Shelter his dear head, I pray,
Nerve his young arm with the might
Of justice, liberty and right.
Where the rod hail deadliest falls,
Where stern duty loudly calls,
Where the striie is tierce and wild?
Father, guard, O. guard my child.
Father, if my woman's heart?
Frail and weak in every* part?
Wanders from thy mercy seat,
After those dear roving feet,
I.et thy tender pitying grace
Every selfish thought erase!
It this mother's love be wrong,
Pardon, bless, and make me strong!
If new sorrow should befall,
If my noble boy should fall,
If the bright head I have blessed
On tho cold'earth finds its rest?
Still with all the mother's heart
Tom and quivering the smart,
r I yield him, 'nentli the chastening rod
To his country and his God.
Military Execution in Hi? Army of
Northern Virginia.
i Three soldiers of the Forty-second Virginia
regiment, General Jones' brigade, who, by trial
of court-martial had incurred the death nnn
. . ; ; 1 j<
alty for the licnious crin:c of desertion, under I
repeated and aggravated circumstances paid ! (
^ the penalty of their lives on Friday, in General |
Lee's army, by being "shot to death by musket j
Tv." The execution ground was located off
the road loading from Orange Court House to
Fredericksburg, about six miles from the courthouse
and in sight of Mount Pisgali church.?
The condemned were bound to three stakes,
and six brigades of infantry were drawn up in .
a hollow square to witness the spectacle, which ^
was affecting indeed. At the first discharge
of the firing party, the heads of the condemned
dropped forward, and their hats fell oil' to the
ground; but they were not dead, and a second
platoon stepped up and fired, and also a third
platoon, when the work of death was completed. : '
The military then inarched in review past the ' 1
corpses, and returned to camp, and the bodies '
were buried where they fell. The victims | 1
were all Virginians, two hailing from Roanoke i 1
county, and one from Patrick. One was a , ?=
* very young, fine looking youth, named Cooper. ; 1
ile wept much during the ceremony, and eve- c
ry soldier present felt for him. But the grnv- c
est of all military crimes had been committed, s
and could only be atoned for by bis blood.? c
The names of the other men were unknown *
to our informant, who saw the execution.? v
Thus dishonorably perished three men, who, *
after passing unscathed in honour or patriotism s
through many battles, facing death by bullet
and steel, bv one false step aside from princi- 1
pie and duty, were brought to die miserably at .1
the musket points of their comrades in arms. 5
1
Cotton Through the Blockade.?The c
Wilmington Journal has procured a statement (
from the Custom House at that city, of the ex- 1
ports of cotton from that port for the three t
quarters of the present year. From the 1st of I
January to the 30th of September, the total <
exports amount to 30,851 bales. The whole <
exports for the year will not exceed 50,000 I
pales. :
k
Order* ?*<>m CSra^* & Blarde<>.
Dai.ton, Dec. 2.?The following order has
been issued from headquarters.
Upon renewed application to llie President
bis consent lias been obtained for the relinquishment
of the command of this army. It
is accordingly transferred to Lieut.(ion. llardee.
The announcement of this separation is
made with unfei^cd regret. An association
of more than two years which bind together a
commander and his truste 1 troops, cannot be
severed without deep emotion. Lor a comliioli
iviiKi* tlioi'iwl /\?? ??????>? K
VUM.X^ r>H(U VU Wl? llltlii> IlilMI
fought holds have cemented bonds which time
can never impair. The circumstances which
render this step proper will he appreciated l>v
every good soldier and true patriot. The last
appeal the 'General has to make to the gallant
army which has so long nobly sustained liitn,
is to give his successor that cordial and generous
support so essential to the su-ccss of your
arms. In that scccesor you have a veteran,
whose brilliant reputation you liave aided to
achieve. To the ofliccrs of my general staff
who have so long, zealously and successfully
struggled against serious dillirulties to support
the army and myself is due, in a great degree,
what little success and fame we have achieved.
Bidding them and the army an affectionate
farewell, they have the blessings and prayers
of a grateful friend.
BllAXION BliAoG.
On assuming command Lieut. General Hardee
issued the following General Order to the
soldiers of the army of Tennessee:
"General Bragg having been relieved from
duty with this army, the command has devohed
upon me. The steady purpose?the unflinching
courage and unsullied patriotism of the
distinguished leader who has shared your fortunes
for more than two years, will long be remembered
by the army ai ci the country he
served so well.
1 desire to say on assuming command that
there is no cause for discouragement. The
overwhelming numbers of the enemy forced us
hack fin in Missionniv Kidge, hut the army is
still in tact and in good heart; our losses were
small and rapidly replaced. The country is
looking to you with painful interest. 1 feel I
?an relv upon you. The weak tide need to he
sheered by the constant succeses of the victors
Df Shilo, Perrysvillc, Murfreeshoro and Chickamauga,
and requires such stimulant to sustain
heir courage and resolution. Let the past
take care of itself. W e care more to secure
he future.
(Signed.) W.J. HARDEE,
Lieut, den.
Write to ttic I'l isouers.
Our surgeans, lately released from Johnson
Island and other Yankee dungeons, describe
he arrival of mails containing Ictteis from I
ionic for the prisoners as affecting in the exreme.
The eager anxiety of all, until the !
nails arc opened, the intense joy of those who
jet and the deep dejection of those who do I
lot get letters, cannot be told in words. \\ c
:an well understand that, to the poor fellows
looped up for weary months in prison, the
ounds from home which letters bring, are bailid
with delight beyond the power of language
o convey. And after weeks of longing and
vailing, to see others receiving letters while
hey receive none, must he bitter indeed, for it
eems to indicate neglect at a time of all others
when kindness and attention should know
10 relaxation or cessation. A letter is a great
oy to a prisoner, it costs little to the writer,
ind no occasion of sending one should ever
>e permitted to pass. So far as our experience
joes, the Yankees have heen very faithful in
conveying letters both to and from prisoners.
\\c trust that every one who has a relative or
riend in prison and can wield a pen, will avail
liimself of the opportunity afforded by the flags
>f truce, and that hereafter as few as possible
:>f the poor fellows will be disappointed when
the mails from the South arc opened.?Richmond
Whiff.
Frosai ArktuiNiiK.
From a letter addressed to a member of
Congress, we are permitted to give an extract '
or two. The writer is a gentleman of undoubt- }
ed credibility. It will be seen that the state- '
nunt of the Yankee General Blunt and his '
men having been surprised and eut to pieces f
by Quantrell, is here confirmed : I
%t Camp Buagg,
uXear Washington, Aik., Oct. 20, 18(53.
"Qjmntrell arrived here a dav or two siiice.
V
On his way out he met General Blunt, his staff' j
and escort, and killed every one of his party
save 20, who escaped, lie killed Blunt and
all his staff', together with 180 of his escort.?
He brought all of I limit's commissions, clothng,
papers, brass band, ambulances, trunks, <kc.,
into camp with liiin. QuantrcM came into our
hands at Fort Gibson. In | Kissing through the
Bin Indian country he kept Blunt's stars and ,
stripes living, and Bins tallying to the fla^and ^
Quantrell killing cverv one that showed hitn,
;. T i
self. In one dav he killed 1*0. In coming
out, including the massacre of J Mind, his staff ^
and escort he killed at least COO Yanks and
Pins. Blunt's fine sword Quntrell lias given
General J'rice. A. \V. Jones, of Indepen.
1
dence, was on Rluut's staff' and was killed - by (
Qnantrell. When the hoys came on Blunt he (
, was sitting in his ambulance, enjoying a quiet
smoke. When Qnantrell charged him, he ^
jumped out of his buggy, and took it afoot t
through the prairie grass, lie had ran .30
yards when one of the boys emptied about 40
buckshot in his back, killing him instantly.?
. 1
, lie had in his pockets $250 in gold and $700 ^
in greenbacks. Qnantrell brought out 400 men
J with him."
^icwN fi'om iVIeiuplii*.
Grenada, Miss., December 4.?The Mem. '
phis A ryux of the '2d inst., has a despatch from
Cleveland, Ohio, confirming the escape of Gen.
John II. Morgan and all his staff from the Ohio
Penitentiary, by digging through the walls.
One thousand dollars reward had been offered
| for the re capture of Morgan.
I The Aryan reports that the guerillas are
very numerous on the Mississippi lliver. The
i steamer Mock J lawk was lately fired into bej
i low lied lliver and thepih>t killed. The steam- J
er Ti rc.v, also, had been burned.
Ilrui.m r, the Yankee General commanding
at Memphis, has issued an order that all military
goods in that city, excepting those required
j for the Yankee service,-shall be shipped North.
I Ten or twelve houses arc named who are rc
jnircd to keep their goods. ^
... . j
I uo.m Baton Kiii oi:?A Fight Between the
Yankees and Xkguoes.? A gentleman, who ! <j
lately crossed the Mississippi, reports Baton ?
Rouge entirely free iroiii the Yankees, the [
headquarters of our cavalry pickets are now in j(
the town. Sometime since there was a grand .
fight there between the niggers and the whites ?
J ho niggers clamored for pay, and when paid <
declared they were not paid as much as their
white-skinned brethren. The ill feeling created
a row, the darkies tired upon the whites, kil- 1
ling ahout lil'tv, when the Yankees formed, x
pitched into the sable crowd, and massacred r
the greater portion of them. Those who snr- s
vived were disarmed and ironed. Two davs 'J
after this faint ntab/c occurrence toe Federal
force at Baton Rouge left, horse, foot and dragoon,
for Natchez. c
The Mississippi Legislature.?Among the i
1?i 1!<> introduced beiore the Legislature of Mis- t
sissippi, now in session, there is one enquiring
into the expediency and propriety of taxing all
persons who refuse to receive Confederate nion- 1
ey in payment of debts, one hundred per cent 1
or more upon value of such debt, and of stop- 1
ping the interest on the same from the day of <
such refusal. Also an act to repeal the law *
exempting members of the Legislature from (
service.?Both are wise and necessary bills and (
' should be passed.
" V- ?1 .U .. I "g
A VilUanouR A?l.
Three men, named Johq A. Stuart, Edward
Millan and John McGaw, ha>e been arretted
ind committed to jail on the charge of robbing
the Sisters of Mercy. The property sto?)
was valued at between five and six thousand
dollars. It consisted of two bags of coffee,
ihrce large chests of tea and two boxes of soap.
An examination of the case was made before
Magistrate Whiting. It appeared from the
?videncc that the prisoners represented tbepi>elves
as soldiers from Yij-gjosa, and while in
[Tntt>it .i tliprn Inn! rnpniroil irrmit 1-1 nrl tiocc on/t
mention from the Sifters in attendance on the
ick and wounded soldiers. They offered their
services gratuitously to the Sisters to assist in
he removal of their goods and furniture from
^uecn to Alexander-street. The offer was accepted.
The parties assisted in the removal
)n Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday night,
November 22d, went to the house, broke open
lie doors and took therefrom the property
nentioned above and escaped. They afterwards
sold a portion, and exchanged a portion
or other articles.
The detectives were put upon the searcli and
succeeded in ferreting out the guilty rascals by
ncatfb of a portion of the property they had
li-posed of, which was identified. A portion
>f the money obtained from the sale of some of
he property was recovered, and a portion of
lie goods exchanged, together with some of
lie articles stolen. What makes it a more
aggravated case of villainy is the fact that the
irticles stolen were kept by the Sisters as luxuries
for sick soldiers, and patients coming under
their care and treatment.? Charleston Courier
5 th inst.
Project for Peace.?The London times
publishes a project for peace in America, by a
Norhern gentleman writer, lie says if the war
is to go on tor a tunc, trom nitre momentum,
perhaps, it must be let a lone; but it should
be turned as soon as possible from a war of attempted
conquest to a war for limits and terms
of settlement, lie suggests that negotiations
be opened at once with the Richmond Government
for such settlements, and for making a
more formal recognition. One of the matters
for discussion?the Confederates of course to
be recognized dc jure?must be the navigation
of the Ohio and the Mississippi; and in the
event of Maryland joining the South, the susquehnnnah
and Chesapeake arc to be free, with
t com 1110^1 tariff for the two Confederacies.
A IIomk Thrust.?About two years ago a
abal was got up in this city against General <1
leauregard. A General, now out of the army I
?a good and gallant and brave man?was in- 1
liroctlv asked to join it, and made this replv :
I cannot be his antagonist, but I would fain
ic his rival." Brave and beautiful words, spo:en
in the right plaee, at the right time. This
inecdrte tve have just heard on gooa authority,
md the Generitl is Gustavus W. Smith.?
Southern Punch.
Press Worked by Water Rower. The
'etorsourg m'gismr announces mat its press is
rorked by water power, derived from the citv
eservoir. By tliis improvement, it expects to
ave several thousand dollars in the cost of fuel.
L'lie operation is said to be a beautiful otic.
An Irisman had his left hand shot off in the
ingagcinent of the 25th, near Chattanooga
nit grasping it with his right hand he threw
t up, exclaiming. "Hurrah for Bragg; lie's rerouting
them rascals, nicely."
A Traitor IIuno in Alabama.?James
A'ood, the founder of a secret Union League
n Tallapoosa and Coosa counties, Ala., was
mug by sonic of the members of a cavalrv
company last week. Among the ignorant in
.onic portions of Coosa and Tallapoosa he had
lisseminated his treasonable sentiments to a
;onsiderable extent, and a good manv had
oincd his band of traitors.