cked at our daring to believe there lived gentlemen and
Christians in the North--I mean those wild fanatics, who could only
take in one idea at a time, and rarely divested their brains of that
one to make room for a newer one, were shocked at our belief; but if
they could converse with a few here, that I could point out, our gnat
of common sense would be swallowed by this behemoth of heterodoxy.

This morning Mrs. Bar, Miss Bernard, and a Miss Mud came to town and
surprised us by a most unexpected visit. They spent the day with us,
and have just now driven off on their return home, through this
drizzly, misting evening. A while ago a large cavalry company passed,
at the corner, on their way from Port Hudson to Camp Moore, the report
is. They raised their hats to us, seeing us at the gate, and we waved
our handkerchiefs in return, each with a silent "God bless you," I am
sure.

As though to prove my charge unjust, news comes pouring in. Note we a
few items, to see how many will prove false. First, we have taken
Baltimore without firing a gun; Maryland has risen _en masse_ to join
our troops; Longstreet and Lee are marching on Washington from the
rear; the Louisiana troops are ordered home to defend their own
State--thank God! if it will only bring the boys back! Then comes
tidings of nine gunboats at Baton Rouge; Ponchatoula on the railroad
taken by Yankees; Camp Moore and three batteries, ditto. Not so
cheering! If that is so, Clinton lies within reach, being thirty-five
miles off.

Leaving much the most valuable portion of our clothing here, the
Yankees will probably appropriate what little they spared us and leave
us fairly destitute; for we take only summer clothes to Linwood. I have
plenty of underclothes, but the other day, when I unpacked the large
trunk from Dr. Enders's, I found I had just two dresses for winter; a
handsome blue silk I bought just two years ago last spring, and one
heavy blue merino that does not fit me. What an outfit for winter!
Miriam has two poplins and a black silk, and mother a wine-colored
merino, only. But each of us is blessed with a warm cloak, and are
correspondingly grateful. I was confident I had saved my green, dark
blue, and brown silk dresses, but the Yankees saved them instead, for
me, or their suffering sweethearts, rather. On the other hand, taking
so many necessary articles to Linwood, the risk of losing them is the
same. An attack on Port Hudson is apprehended, and if it