e remarked that, if England would join the South at
once, the Southern armies, relieved of the present blockade and enormous
Yankee pressure, would be able to march right into the Northern States,
and, by occupying their principal cities, would give the Yankees so much
employment that they would be unable to spare many men for Canada. He
acknowledged that in Mississippi General Grant had displayed uncommon
vigour, and met with considerable success, considering that he was a man
of no great military capacity. He said that Johnston was certainly
acting slowly and with much caution; but then he had not the veteran
troops of Bragg or Lee. He told me that he (Beauregard) had organised
both the Virginian and Tennessean armies. Both are composed of the same
materials, both have seen much service, though, on the whole, the first
had been the most severely tried. He said that in the Confederate
organisation a brigade is composed of four regiments, a division ought
to number 10,000 men, and a _corps d'armee_ 40,000. But I know that
neither Polk nor Hardee have got anything like that number.[49]

At 5.30 P.M. the firing on Morris Island became distinctly audible.
Captain Mitchell had evidently commenced his operations against Little
Folly.

Whilst I was walking on the battery this evening, a gentleman came up
to me and recalled himself to my recollection as Mr Meyers of the
Sumter, whom I had known at Gibraltar a year ago. This was one of the
two persons who were arrested at Tangier by the acting United States
consul in such an outrageous manner. He told me that he had been kept in
irons during his whole voyage, in the merchant vessel, to the United
States; and, in spite of the total illegality of his capture on neutral
ground he was imprisoned for four months in Fort Warren, and not
released until regularly exchanged as a prisoner of war. Mr Meyers was
now most anxious to rejoin Captain Semmes, or some other rover.

I understand that when the attack took place in April, the garrison of
Fort Sumter received the Monitors with great courtesy as they steamed
up. The three flagstaffs were dressed with flags, the band from the top
of the fort played the national airs, and a salute of twenty-one guns
was fired, after which the entertainment provided was of a more solid
description.

[48] I have omitted a description of this little gunboat, as she is
still doing good service in Charleston harbour--November 1863.

[49] A division doe