hank God, I have some 300 pounds of flour and half that amount of
meal--bread rations for my family, seven in number, for more than two
months! I have but 7-1/2 pounds of meat; but we can live without it, as
we have often done. I have a bushel of peas also, and coal and wood for
a month. This is a guarantee against immediate starvation, should the
famine become more rigorous, upon which we may felicitate ourselves.

Our nominal income has been increased; amounting now to some $16,000 in
paper--less than $300 in specie. But, for the next six months (if we can
stay here), our rent will be only $75 per month--a little over one
dollar; and servant hire, $40--less than eighty cents.

It is rumored that Gen. Early has been beaten again at Waynesborough,
and that the enemy have reached _Charlottesville_ for the first time.
Thus it seems our downward career continues. We _must_ have a victory
soon, else Virginia is irretrievably lost.

Two P.M. The wind has shifted to the south; warm showers.

Three P.M. It is said they are fighting at Gordonsville; whether or not
the enemy have Charlottesville is therefore uncertain. I presume it is
an advance of Sheridan's cavalry whom our troops have engaged at
Gordonsville.

MARCH 4TH.--Raining hard, and warm. We have vague reports of Early's
defeat in the Valley by an overwhelming force; and the gloom and
despondency among the people are in accordance with the hue of the
constantly-occurring disasters.

Brig.-Gen. J. Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance, has been rebuked by Gen. Lee
for constantly striving to get mechanics out of the service. Gen. Lee
says the time has arrived when the necessity of having able-bodied men
in the field is paramount to all other considerations.

Brig.-Gen. Preston (Bureau of Conscription) takes issue with Gen. Lee on
the best mode of sending back deserters to the field. He says there are
at this time 100,000 _deserters_!

C. Lamar, Bath, S. C, writes to the President that ----, a bonded
farmer, secretly removed his meat and then burnt his smoke-house,
conveying the impression that all his meat was destroyed. The President
sends this to the Secretary of War with the following indorsement: "For
attention--this example shows the vice of class exemption, as well as
the practices resorted to to avoid yielding supplies to the government."

The Legislature of North Carolina has passed resolutions exempting
millers, blacksmith, etc.--in contravention of the act of Cong