Mobile Register

July 4, 1861

Page 2

Letter from Pensacola

[From Our Own Correspondent]

Pensacola, Tuesday Night, July 2

Gen. Bragg yesterday sent a note in charge of Assistant Inspector General Slaughter with another officer, under a white flag, to Col. Brown, at Fort Pickens. They were met at the usual place of landing, and making known their mission handed the note to the old Colonel, who with trembling hand adjusted his spectacles. Scanning the superscription- “To Col. Harvey Brown, commanding at Fort Pickens”-he insultingly returned the paper, and without form or ceremony left his guests, who, disgusted with his rudeness, returned it, unopened to Gen. Bragg. What its contents were is not known, or at least publicly. Old Brown is very punctilious, and must be addressed as “Col. Harvey Brown, commanding Department of Florida.” The old fellow puts on a good many airs about his “department,” small as it is.

Gen. Wm. A. Walker, the hero of a hundred fields, visited the city to-day. He looks improved in health, very much. He talks freely with his friends, and you can see light in every expression of his soldier countenance. He dined with Capts. Randall, Lanier and Crump, his personal friends and brother officers in the old army.

Capt. Homer, with his light battery, and Lieut. Howard, with his 42-pound battery, were practicing at their targets again this evening.

Capt. James Abercrombie, of whose illness I spoke yesterday, died this morning. His remains are to be taken to Columbus, Georgia, for burial. The death of this good man and citizen will cause sorrow and mourning wherever he was known. The Confederacy could better have spared another.

The “Seminoles,” a new military organization in Pensacola, elected the following officers last night: Captain, Jasper S. Gonzalez; Lieutenants, W. H. Bedell, R. Moore and G. W. Bedell.

Gov. Moore, of Alabama, arrived by last night’s train. He is in good health, and I learn is a mere “looker on in Vienna.”

We had to-day one of the severest rains I ever witnessed. For a short time the city was threatened with a storm, but passed over without injury.

[Transcribed by Sharon Strout]