June 21, 1861
Page 2
Letter from Pensacola
[From our correspondent]
Pensacola, Wednesday night, June 19
The weather yesterday and today was oppressively warm, yet the camps and the city continue in the best of health. Beyond a few cases of light sickness, the hospitals are without inmates. Indeed, the only thing now dreaded is the scarcity of ice—a medicine that has entered largely into the practice of Southern physicians of late years.
Gen. McCoy, of Mobile, yesterday paid a visit to Gens. Bragg and Walker. These soldiers and gentlemen are old acquaintances, and, I believe, all graduated together at West Point. The General returns home in a day or two.
For two or three days past the officers below have been experimenting with their mortar batteries. The bursting shells were a sight to many who have hitherto pursued life’s peaceful callings. The reports of the guns could be heard and the explosions of the shells seen directly from the city. Our neighbors of the Niagara warship were yesterday morning engaged in the same business.
A goodly number of strangers are now in Pensacola to see their soldier friends, notwithstanding the difficulty they experience in getting to their quarters. Indeed, it is now almost impossible to get to the Navy Yard—for a simple visitor it is impossible.
I have read a hundred different accounts of the fight at Little and Big Bethel churches. They don’t suit—there were not half enough killed—hope they’ll do better next time.
Five spies were last night arrested in the camp of the Continentals. They gave their names as George Fuller, Tim McArdle, Bob Turner, W. Wright and Louis Verneille. They say they are citizens of Mobile, and in that city well known—which I believe. They are still in camp. A court martial has been ordered for their trial. They will no doubt be shot—in the neck!
I received a letter today from the mountains of Georgia. The writer speaks in glowing terms of the growing crops in that section and East Tennessee. Talk about starving our army—why Gen. Bragg has within his reach supplies ample for his army for five months, and one house alone in Pensacola has a stock of provisions on hand sufficient to feed the city abundantly for three months. Besides this, there are store rooms of other houses filled to their utmost capacity. Gophers, too, were never so fat or abundant, and costing only a dollar a dozen.
The
fellow who came over from Fort Pickens is as obstinate as ever. There are but few who sympathize with his
tale, and I hope they will make him give for his presence on our coast a
satisfactory account—or break his neck!
There has been no arrival in the squadron outside for several days.
[Transcribed by: Sharon Strout]