ains for his soldiers to subsist on when the
meat fails. Meat is scarce there as well as here. Bacon now sells for
$1.50 per pound in Richmond. Butter $3. I design to cultivate a little
garden 20 by 50 feet; but fear I cannot get seeds. I have sought in vain
for peas, beans, corn, and tomatoes seeds. Potatoes are $12 per bushel.
Ordinary chickens are worth $3 a piece. My youngest daughter put her
earrings on sale to-day--price $25; and I think they will bring it, for
which she can purchase a pair of shoes. The area of subsistence is
contracting around us; but my children are more enthusiastic for
independence than ever. Daily I hear them say they would gladly embrace
death rather than the rule of the Yankee. If all our people were of the
same mind, our final success would be certain.

This day the leading article in the _Examiner_ had a striking, if not an
ominous conclusion. Inveighing against the despotism of the North, the
editor takes occasion likewise to denounce the measure of impressment
here. He says if our Congress should follow the example of the Northern
Congress, and invest our President with dictatorial powers, a
reconstruction of the Union might be a practicable thing; for our people
would choose to belong to a strong despotism rather than a weak one--the
strong one being of course the United States with 20,000,000, rather
than the Confederate States with 8,000,000. There may be something in
this, but we shall be injured by it; for the crowd going North will take
it thither, where it will be reproduced, and stimulate the invader to
renewed exertions. It is a dark hour. But God disposes. If we deserve
it, we shall triumph; if not, why should we?

But we cannot fail without more great battles; and who knows what
results may be evolved by them? Gen. Lee is hopeful; and so long as we
keep the field, and he commands, the foe must bleed for every acre of
soil they gain.

MARCH 15TH.--Another cold, disagreeable day. March so far has been as
cold and terrible as a winter month.

MARCH 16TH.--Gen. Hill is moving toward Newbern, N. C., and may attack
the enemy there.

The weather continues dreadful--sleeting; and movements of armies must
perforce be stayed. But the season of slaughter is approaching.

There was an ominous scantiness of supply in the market this morning,
and the prices beyond most persons--mine among the rest.

Col. Lay got turkeys to-day from Raleigh; on Saturday partridges, by the
Express C