grain, saying they have as much Confederate money as they
want, and the government seems determined to permit the perishable
tithes to perish rather than allow the famishing people to consume them.
Surely, say the croakers, such a policy cannot achieve independence. No,
it must be speedily changed, or else worse calamities await us than any
we have experienced.

Old Gen. Duff Green, after making many fortunes and losing them, it
seems, is to die poor at last, and he is now nearly eighty years old.
Last year he made a large contract to furnish the government with iron,
his works being in Tennessee, whence he has been driven by the enemy.
And now he says the depreciation of the money will make the cost of
producing the iron twice as much as he will get for it. And worse, he
has bought a large lot of sugar which would have realized a large
profit, but the commissary agent has impressed it, and will not pay him
cost for it. All he can do is to get a small portion of it back for the
consumption of his employees, provided he returns to Tennessee and
fulfills his iron contract.

NOVEMBER 8TH.--At this late day the Secretary of War is informed by Col.
Gorgas that, in consequence of the enemy's possessing the coal mines in
Tennessee, he shall not be able to supply orders for heavy shot, etc.,
for the defense of Charleston harbor, if the fleet of monitors were to
pass the forts. Why, this has been daily looked for any time during the
last three months! And information from the Western army indicates that
only about one shell in twenty, furnished by Col. Gorgas, will explode.
This reminds me of the doubts expressed by Gen. Cobb of the fitness of
Col. G. for his position.

This is a bleak November day, after some days of pleasant autumnal
sunshine. I still gather a few tomatoes from the little garden; a bushel
of green ones on the vines will never mature. The young turnips look
well, and I hope there may be abundance of salad in the spring.

Yesterday two tons of Northern anthracite coal in this city sold for
$500 per ton, to a church! We hope for relief when Congress meets, a
month hence; but what can Congress do? The money is hopelessly
depreciated. Even victories and peace could not restore it to par.

NOVEMBER 9TH.--The President returned Saturday evening, looking pretty
well. Yesterday, Sunday, he was under the necessity of reading a
dispatch from Gen. Lee, _announcing the surprise and capture of two
brigades on the Rappa