rom the Council Board. I thought he
seemed dejected. He said if the enemy succeeded in getting command of
the Mississippi River, the Confederacy would be "cut in two;" and he
intimated his preference of giving up Richmond, if it would save Texas,
etc. for the Confederacy. Texas is his adopted State.

MARCH 2D.--The enemy burnt the steamship Nashville on Saturday near
Savannah. She was employed taking provisions to Fort McAlister. I think
it was destroyed by an incendiary shell.

There is a rumor to-day of the burning of railroad bridges between this
and Fredericksburg.

I signed an agreement to-day with Mr. Malsby to publish my new "Wild
Western Scenes." He is to print 10,000 copies, which are to retail at
$2; on this he pays me 12-1/2 per cent. or 25 cents for every copy sold;
$2500 if the whole are sold. He will not be able to get it out before
May.

We moved into the west end of Clay Street to-day, and like the change.
There are no children here except our own. The house is a brick one, and
more comfortable than the frame shell we abandoned.

MARCH 3D.--We like our new quarters--and the three Samaritan widows,
without children. They lend us many articles indispensable for our
comfort. It is probable they will leave us soon in the sole occupancy
of the house. There is ground enough for a good many vegetables--and
meat is likely to be scarce enough. Bacon is now $1.37-1/2 cts. per
pound, and flour $30 per barrel. The shadow of the gaunt form of famine
is upon us! But the pestilence of small-pox is abating.

We have now fine March weather; but the floods of late have damaged the
railroad bridges between this and Fredericksburg. The Secretary of War
requested the editors, yesterday, to say nothing of this. We have no
news from the West or from the Southeast--but we shall soon have enough.

The United States Congress has passed the Conscription Act. We shall see
the effect of it in the North; I predict civil war there; and that will
be our "aid and comfort."

Gen. Toombs has resigned; and it is said Pryor has been made a
major-general. Thus we go up and down. The President has issued a
proclamation for prayer, fasting, etc., on the twenty-seventh of this
month. There will certainly be fasting--and prayer also. And God _has_
helped us, or we should have been destroyed ere this.

MARCH 4TH.--The enemy bombarded Fort McAlister again yesterday, several
gun-boats opening fire on it. It lasted all day; during which on