“With great respect,
“Your obedient servant,
“R. E. Lee, General.”
February 25th.—Raining. There are more rumors of the evacuation of Wilmington and even Petersburg. No doubt that stores, etc. are leaving Petersburg; but I doubt whether it will be evacuated, or Richmond, either. Grant may, and probably will, get the Danville Railroad, but I think Lee will disappoint him in the item of evacuation, nevertheless; for we have some millions in gold—equal to 300,000,000 paper—to purchase subsistence; and it is believed Virginia alone, for specie, can feed the army. Then another army may arise in Grant’s rear.
From the published accounts in the enemy’s journals, we learn that Charleston fell on the 18th inst. They say one-third of the city was burned by us. I presume they saw the ruins of the old fire; and that most of the citizens, except the destitute, had left the town. All the cotton was destroyed by the inhabitants. They say an explosion killed several hundred of our people. They boast of capturing 200 guns, and a fine lot of ammunition—the latter, it seems to me, might have been destroyed.
I hear the deep booming of guns occasionally—but still doubt the policy or purpose of evacuating Petersburg.
Mr. Hunter’s eyes seem blood-shotten since he voted against Lee’s plan of organizing negro troops. He also voted against displacing the brood of quartermasters and commissioners.
The papers are requested to say nothing relative to military operations in South and North Carolina, for they are read by Gen. Grant every morning of their publication. The garrisons of Charleston and Wilmington may add 20,000 men to our force opposing Sherman, and may beat him yet.
February 26th.—Cloudy and cool; rained all night. No news from the South, this morning. But there is an ugly rumor that Beauregard’s men have deserted to a frightful extent, and that the general himself is afflicted with disease of mind, etc.
Mr. Hunter is now reproached by the slaveowners, whom he thought to please, for defeating the Negro bill. They say his vote will make Virginia a free State, inasmuch as Gen. Lee must evacuate it for the want of negro troops.
There is much alarm on the streets. Orders have been given to prepare all the tobacco and cotton, which cannot be removed immediately, for destruction by fire. And it is generally believed that Lieut.-Gen. A. P. Hill’s corps has marched away to North Carolina. This would leave some 25,000 men to defend Richmond and Petersburg, against, probably, 60,000.
If Richmond be evacuated, most of the population will remain, not knowing whither to go.