The Abingdon Virginian from Abingdon, Virginia • Page 1

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BY THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA. A PROCLAMATION. Tha General Assembly, at its late extra session, called for the purpose, by me, appropriated a half million of dollars for the purchase of salt for the citizens of this Commonwealth. Immediately upon the passage of the act I ordered the Quartermaster of the State forces to procure transportation, in the shortest possible time, for hauling from the Kanawha Salines. all the salt which his means of transportation would enable him to accomplish, and I caused iim to be furnished with ample funds for the purpose.

The inroads of the enemy into the Kanawha Valley and the destruction of all conveyances which fell into his hands, and the transportation of our own armies to and from that section of the State, had so effectually occupied 6r destroyed all the wagons aud teams, that they fcould not be procured there, aitd the country had been so thoroughly devastated, that it wis necessary to send, with the wagons procured elsewhere, all the produce requisite for the gupport of the teams and returning. Every effort was made promptly to procure the transportation, litit the distance the" difficulties to be encountered rendered rapid movements impracticable': The consequence has been that, fore the train of wagons which had been organired and were on their Way thither could reach their destination, tb'e enemy, ft superior force, again appeared at the Kanawha Salines, and our army has. been" compelled to fall back, and but an insignificant amount of salt been efotained by individuals aud none under the orders given. Having made these" aVrangementg, I issued a proclamation taking possession of all the salt tfieu oh hand, or that might be made, at the Salt Works" in Smyth and Washington counties. I immediately set out rri person for Saltville, toping to obtain! there a supply to meet the wants of the people.

When I arrived I found that the contracts existing the Confederate State's, with sister Southern States, and with cotifoty and corporation Courts in this Commonwealth, were of such a character, that this abrogation would reseat in interminable conflicts and difficulties, in breaches of faith and in incalcuabJe distress. Iformd, too, that instead of purchasing. for money, the necessary supplies, the fuel, labor and machinery fo? these immense Works, system prevailed for years to barter them for salt, that written ordefs were given for salt, for the amount bartered, and that these orders Lad become the subject of speculation and extorticu. That this necessarily absorbed a very large amount of the salt manufactured, and that the proprietors we'ri forced to furnish the salt necessary to mcc? these orders, 6r have their Works for tbe want of supplies. All these circumstances rendered it improper and unadvisabie for me to take possession of the Works and work them on State account It was impossible to put up new works in time to meet the immediate Wants of the State, my only alternative, therefore, was to purchase all the salt over and above existing contracts that could be.manufactured Within any reasonable After considerable difficulty, I made a contract with responsible parties to furnish the State with 150,000 bushels of salt, that being the Ml capacity of manufacture by the existing works, affter supplying existing contracts.

The salt is to be famished in bags or barrels and delivered on the cars, at Saltville, a branch of tbe Virginia and Tennessee railroad, at the price of $2 33J per bushel. It was my earnest desire to the largest quantities at the earliest periods. But I found this impracticable. The contract requires the parties to furnish the quantity contracted for as follows: 15,000 bushels in the month of November, at the rate of bushels per day, and 45,000 bushels in each of the months of December, January and February, at the of 1800 Bushels per day. As it was specially stipulated in the contract made, that the delivery of the salt contracted for, to the State, should not interfere with existing contracts made with the government of tbe Confederate States, or with any separate State of the Confederate States, or with any connty or corporation court of this State, and as large snpplies are being furnished under these contracts, there will not be so great a competition in tho market, and our people need not submit to the extortion of speculators; and especially, as sixty of the counties and corporations of the State will, under their contracts, obtain upwards of 300,000 bushels in addition to tbe amount purchased.by me, it is hoped that that amount, though not as great as could have been desired, will mitigate in some measure the urgent wants of the people.

To cover all costs and charges incident to purchase, transportation and distribution, I have fixed the sum of three dollars per bushel, as the price to be paid by all recipients of salt under law, being at the rate of six cents perpouud. And Ido hereby proclaim, according FBJDAY, DECEMBEB 5, 1862. to law, that the sale of any salt obtained under the State contract and distributed by authority of this proclamation at a higher price than at the rate of six cents per pound under any pretext whatever is a misdemeanor, and the sale of each pound thereof, at a higher price, is declared by law to be a separate offence and the person convicted thereof is liable to a fifle of not less than one hnndred nor more than two thousand dollars. To carry out the provisions of the law, the regulations hereto appended have beeii prescribed by me, and auy violation thereof is also declared by the law to be a misdemeanor, to be punished by a like fine. Given under my hand at L.

S. mond, and under the seal of the monwealth, this 15th day of November, 1862, and ia the 87th year of the Commonwealth. JOHN LETCHER. By the Governor Geo. W.

Munford, Secretary of the Commonwealth. RULES ANn REGULATION'S FOR THE SALE AND DIS- I THIBUTION OF SALT BY THE GOVEKHOR. 1. The counties and corporations which not be supplied by reason of the presence of the public enemy, or which are subject to their power, are excluded from the computation. 2.

Counties and corporations for which the distribution may be doubtful, are included. If the distribution can take place, they will obtain their proportion. If not, there will be a surplus on hand subject to future partition. 3. Counties and corporations are thrown into 1 their Congressional districts; a State agent for each district is herein appointed, and a depot named for the district.

Each county and corporation named will be required to appoint a county or corporation agent, and furnish him. with the amount necessary to pay for the salt to which the county or corporation is Such agent will receive the salt from the State agent, give him a receipt and pay him the amount and distribute the salt due to individuals as the counties may. provide. 4. John J.

Moorman has been appointed the State agent at Saltville. He will receive the salt from the manufacturers, and ship it to the depots established, as fast as it is delivered to him. He will give notice to the State agents in the Congressional district when the salt is shipped. The county agents will ascertain from them when it will be deliverable. I 5.

The salt not being delivered to the State at once, but by instalments, it became necessary to decide which district should be first supplied. This has been decided hy lot. The lot was cast with the following result, and the districts will be entitled to their supply as hereinafter named. The counties and corporations in each district will be entitled to their quotas, in ihe order in which they are named in the act of Assembly creating the Congressional districts. The quantity, is placed opposite the name of the county.

The Third district, as "ascertained by lot, is entitled to be first supplied. It will receive in the month of November, 12,077 bushels, deliverable at the rate of 600 bushels per bay, in the following order: City of Richmond, Henrico, 3,161, llaiiovcr, Charles City, 749, and New Kent, 787 bushels. Place of deposit City of Richmond. State agents, Spotts Harvey. The Seventh district is entitled to 14,124 bushels, of which it will receive 2,923 bushels in November, at the rate of 600 bushels per day, after the preceding district has been plied, aud the residue being 11,204 bushels, in the month of December, at the rate of 1,800 bushels per day, excluding Sundays, until supplied.

The counties will be supplied in the following ordeiv Albemarle, 3,5, 5 9, Campbell, 2.578; Lynchburg 916, Amherst, 1,913, Nelson, 1,740, Fluvanna, 1.384; Buckingham, Place of deposit City of LySchqurg. State agents McDaniel Irby. The Tenth district is entitled to 8,646 bushels, it which it will December, at the rate of 1,800 bushels per day, Sundays exclud- 1 ed, after the Seventh district Has been supplied, i The counties will be supplied in the following Order: Frederick, 1,625, Winchester, 587, Berkeley, Clarke, 955; Jefferson, Shenandoah, 1,857. Place 6f deposit, ton. State agents Burke Co.

The Second district is entitled to 4,757 bushels, which it will receive in December, at the rate of 1800 bushels per day, Sundays excluded, after the Tenth district has been supplied. 'Ihe counties will be furnished in the following order; Southampton. Sussex, Surry, 816; Greensville, 348. Place of deposit, Petersburg, State ajient, Louis Lunsford. The Thirteenth district is entitled to 13U59 bushels, which it will receive in December; at the rate of 1800 bushels per day, Sundays excluded, after the Second district has been supplied.

The counties will be furnished in the following order: Wythe, Smyth, Grayson, Washington, -gcott, Lee, Wise, 601; Buchanan, 372; Mc- Dowell, 205; Tazewell, 1,826: Bland, Russell. 1,361 bushels. The county of Bland being a new county, aud no statistics to show the popu- I lation, it will be entitled to receive its quota as a part of Wythe, Tazewell and Giles counties, from I which it was taken. The county courts of these counties will ascertain its proportion, and deduct I the amount from each county, to be assigned to Bland. Place of deposit, Saltville; State agent, John J.

Moorman. The Fifth district is entitled to 14,524 bushels, 7,243 bushels of which it will receive in December, at the rate df 1800 bushels per day, Sundays excluded, after the Thirteenth district is supplied, and the residue, being 7,281 bushels, in the month of January, at the same rate per i day, excluding Sundays. The counties will be furnished in the following order: Prince Edward, Brunswick, Mecklenburg, Lunenburg, Charlotte, Hal- ifax, Appomattox, 1,188 bushels. Place I of deposit, Burkeville; Staie agent, Giles A. Mil- er 1 The First district is entitled to 10,644 bush- els, which it will receive in January, at the rate I i of 1,800 per day, Sundays excluded, after the Fifth district has been supplied.

The counties will be furnished in the following Middlesex, King William, Gloucester, Matthews, 948; Lancaster, 689; Westmoreland, Richmond, Essex, 1,400: King and and Northumberland, bushels. Place of deposit, City of Richmond; State agents, Spotts Harvey. The Eighth district is eniitled to bushels, which it will receive in January, at the rate of 1,800 bushels per day, Sundays excluded, af: ter the First district is supplied; The counties will be furnished in the following order: Spotsylvania, 1,477, Fredericksburg, 672; Orange; Madison, 1,188, Culpeper, Caroline, King George, 874; Stafford, Greene, 672. Place of deposit, Gordonsville: State agent, Addison'T. Gooch.

The Eleventh district is entitled to 12,460 bushels, which it will receive in January, at the rate of 1,800 bushels per day, Sundays excluded, after the Eighth district has beeu supplied. The counties will be furnished in the fol.owing order: Augusts, 3.187"; Staunton, 521; Rockingham, Rockbridge, Pendleton, 820; Highland, 576; Bath 491; Pocahontas, 529; Alleghany, 900. Place of deposit, Staunton; State agents, Burke Co. The Ninth district is entitled to 8,128 bushels, of which it wil. receive in January 848 bushels, at the rate bushels per day, and 2,275 bushels in February.

The counties will be furnished in the following order: Rappahannock, Warren, 858: Page, 1,084 bushels. Place of deposit, Gordonsville; State agent, Addison T. Gooch. The Sixth district is entitled to 13,787 bushels in February, at the rate of 1,800 bushels per day, Sundays excluded, after the Ninth district has been furnished. The counties will be supplied in the following order; Pittsylvania, Danville, 486; Patrick, Henry, Franklin, 2.687: Bedford, Carroll, 1,071.

Place of deposit, Bedford and Carroll, at Liberty. The other counties, at Danville. State agents, at Liberty, William Graves; at Danville, William T. Clark. The Twelfth district is entitled to 12,434 bushels in February, at tbe rate of 1,800 bushels per Sundays excluded, after the Sixth district has been supplied.

The counties will be furnished in the following order: Botetourt, Roanoke, Montgomery, Floyd, Pulaski, 724; Giles, 920; Craig, 455; Mercer, Oil; Monroe, 1.438; Greenbrier, 1.633; Ral-leigh, 450; Fayette, 748. Places of deposit, for i Botetourt, Roanoke and the rest the counties at Dublin' Depot. State agents, at Dublin Depot, E. g. Johnston; at Salem, J.

C. Brown. The Fourteenth district is entitled to 2,307 bushels in February, at the rate of 1,800 bushels per day, Sundays excluded, after the Twelfth district'is supplied. The counties will be furnished in the following order: Lopan, 661: Boone, 647; Nicholas, 618; Place of deposit, fop Nicholas, at Dublin Depot; the rest of the Gounties at Saltville. State agents, at Dublin Depot, E.

S. Johnston; at Saltville, John J. Moorman. The Fourth district is entitled to 14,197 bushels in February, at tbe rate of 1,800 per day, Sundays excluded, after the Fourteenth district has been supplied. The counties will be furnished in the following order: Petersburg.

Dinwiddie, Chesterfield, Powhatan, Amelia. Nottoway, Cumberland, Goochland. Prince George, 1,124. Place of deposit, at Petersburg; State agent, Lewis Lunsford. This distribution divides the 150,000 bnsheis precisely.

Nov. 3t. The A letter from an officer of the army Y'riginia, closes with the following significant paragraph But there is one subject that is doing us woeful damage in the army, and unless ari rested in its ruinous progress, we fear the result. 'I hat is the people are wrong at Though they are enjoying the blessings of home, they do not seem to realize the necessity of crushing the evils that exist amongst Yea! all classes are engaged in the I ruinous vice of extortion. If the people do not correct it, there is a day coming when this army is to arrive at home.

Our soldiers are now warlike and bloodthirsty, and they have already declared that the man who could have no mercy on their sufferhig wives and children, shall receive no mercy, and who can restrain them, as they come from the field, wtlh their blood stained garments and fresh from the carnival of blood The soldier had hoped tftat oar legislative bodies would have applied the remedy, but they have hesitated; they have been afraid of personal popularity. I tremble for the extortioner, disowned by God and at the mercy of men "who khowimj their fights dare maintain them." Out country may be saved, but there jis nothing but darkness" and gloom for tbe men who, with their ill-gotten gains, are; trying to make money over the country's dnwn- I fall. If we are to fail in this great struggle, the sin will lie at the doo? of these untnerci ful speculators, that some people call gentlemen, but whom the Bible classes amongst the most degraded of the earth. 'The sin has become a national one of vast magnitude. Ob.

mercilul God, save us from our enemies at home. Three Hundred Indians to be Hung. St. Paul, NOy. 300 Indians, have been convicted by the military I commissioner, at the lower Sionx agency, as participants in the late horrible massacres, I and condemned to be hung.

Whether they live or die rests with the authorities at Washi ington. The people of Minnesota, to a man, 1 are in favor of their immediate execution. 1 For the Abingdon Virginia's. (Jen. Bragg asHI Kentucky.

At no time since the beginning of the war, have the clouds hung more heavily over Kentucky at the present, and who is to blame for it Gen. Bragg. A few months since the Confederate troops entered the State from the 1 was with the first force that entered Eastern Kentucky. A more hearty welcome was never extended to any people than that which greeted our troops as they passed along. All seemed full of giad ness and joy.

At Maysviile, the enemy were driven across the Ohio river by about 800 mounted men, leaving the whole of Eastern Ketitinky in our possession. Everything seemed to be working entirely to our wishes. Soon Geh. Bragg come into the State with a large Our hopes beat higher than ever, but doomed speedily to a bitter General Bragg, having "marched up hill," like the King of trance, immediately commenced "marching down again," crying aloud toall the Confederate troops in the State to leave Kentucky, and that quickly." This command, so shocking to Southern men, was in the highest degree Astonishing to the L.ncolnites. Believing the movement to be a strategic one for their entrapment, they stood amazed and incredulous for nearly two weeks, fearing to advance.

General Bragg, to cover up his unaccountable conduct, immediately commenced slandering Kentucky and Kent ucklms, charging that a large majority of them sympathized with the North and preferred her to the Gen. Bragg must have known this to be untrue. I believe if the State were freed from nil extraneous influences, aud permitted to vote the subject, she would disclose her pi efei ence for the South by a majority of from 50 to Although it is improbable that a man in General Bragg's position can bo so lacking in intelligence as to be ignorant of the peculiar circumstances in which Keutucky is placed, yet he seems to ignore them. He know that Kentucky is bounded on the North by the Ohio river for a distance of nearly 8 0 gunboats ply this stream from one end of the State to the other, while the opposite banks bristle with guns bearing upon us from fortifications at every point at which tiie Federals think proper to erect the State has been held in terrorem for oyer fifteen nieuths by a Federal force of (for months) 150,000 men, and which was never diminished below from 10 to her best men had been chased from their homes or carried off te Northern prisons, there to starve, rot and die, or swear to the Federal all who dared to speak a word in favor of the South or to go out from home were arrested, incarcerated in prison and compelled to pay large sums of money and give heavy lor their future conduct: This was the subjugated condition of Keutucky when General Bragg entered the. State, yet notwithstanding these facts, he expected (or professed to liave expected) Kentuckians, unarmed as they were, (for no man i of Southern sympathies, at the peril of his life, dared to keep a gun or pistol.) to rise up in one day and present him with a grand army, bvtore he had reached the middle of the State.

General Br-igg further charges that Eentukians were unwilling to sell him their produce at the same prices for Southern currency as for Kentucky bank paper, and gives this as additional proof that they are untrue to the South. This inference, I think, every candid man will agree with me, is unfair. lt is but natural that every one who sells his property wishes 10 get in exchange lor it money that he can use in 1 paying his debts, and it was admitted by all that if the Confederate forces retreated from the I State, the Southern money left behind us would jbe valueless to the holders. The conduct of I General Bragg in falling back as soon as Buj ell began to advance, caused many of the less sanguine to believe our forces would retreat from i tiie State. In this condition of things, allow- for the selfishness of human nature, which i is to be found in a greater or lesser extent everywhere, is it strange if aoihe could be found who preferred Kentucky money, which Would remain a sound currency, id any event, to a currency which, judging from the indicc'tions of the times, would soon be to iliem, so far as using it as a circulating medium would be con- cerned, utterly worthless As for myself rdo not think any selfish considerations whatsoever should have been weighed against their devotion to our saCred cause, still before condemning too severely these Kentuckians for the tfitliug sin of preferring one kind of currency which circumstances made available, to another kind which circumstances made km available, let us remember the swarms of harpies, "native and to the manor born," who abound iv every other State of the Confederacy, and are to be met with in every city, village and hamlet of the South, using i every means ingenuity can devise to increase their personal fortunes at the expense of our struggling and suffering country.

I say, however, that aside from the authority of General Bragg, I have no reason tobelieve that the people of Kentucky, manifested any disposition to prefer their own ound, unquestionable currency, to our Confederate currency. So far ns my own experience goes, 1 must say that no disposition to make a distinction invidious to the latter, but on the their patriotic impulses generally led them to prefer it to the former. And although I was very sensitive to anything of the kind, I never chanced to detect the slightest evidence of any selfisn or calculating disposition complained of by General Bragg. In my portion of the State, all was a deliriam of joy, almost every one hailing us as their deliverers, and to all appearances seemed to feel, that they could hot do too much for us. A Confederate soldier, rio matter how dirty his face, or how ragged and soiled his clothes, was everywhere almost worshipped as a demigod.

Every conceivable act of hospitality was lavished upon them. Every Southern family kept open doors for their benefit. The hungry were fed, the naked were clothed. and the sick were nursed as carefully aud tenderly as infants. I bad occasion while- in the State to use ecu- iSTo.

35. -iderable quantiti money for army purt.oses, I had none but Confides ate notes, yyt.tto one not even one, show, unwillingness to take the IC. out in every in-tmce secmeO to lake tncni will, more akv r.ty than do the generality of in Virginia. 1 coin at 40 cents per. bushel, boots (coarse) at $4 per pair, coarse stout shoes at $2, tiie best of giay Jeans I bought at $1,50 per yard, such as would sell Virginia readily at $4.

I could have bought in quantities at 6 cents per Flour at $5 per barrel, arid every thing else in proportion. Siuee we left the Suite, however, 1 learn from persons coming through, iliat our money has somewhat depreciated, I.ul ihat'there is nowhere in the State where it among Southern en at leiist 60 cents to the dollar, and in many localities it still pusses at par, but even at 50 cents to the doiiar, clothing; and especially would iost us only One. -half what they are costing us everywhere elsf in the Confederacy where her cum icy ia nally at par. Had General Bragg remained in Xt Mucky, Confederate notes would now, in the purchase of her surplus products, be at par in reality, i. c.

equal to gold; end Kentucky would now be the meat house and granary of the tonjeoeiate my, which would be irifin te better for us than feeding on our Virginia brethren af the em.r-mous prices we have to pay, devouring that which the people are pooriy prepared to So far as we are advised, not one General, nor one prominent citizen of approved Of Bragg's precipitate retreat from the State, without even an effort hold it. General Bragg charges that the State furnished him but few recruits, perhaps not more than 6 or This may be true, so far as, he was concerned, for he never entered far into State, and his stay was too short to give any confidence that he would hold it. Doubtful, as it was, thousands were rising tip' and flocking to our, standard, and if oOr forces remaned State a few weeks longer, Kentucky would, have furnished a large army for us. The county of which I am a citizeb, (Afouigofnery,) is snial? one. yet 1 brought out with me over 400 (mourited men,) and had 1 been- permitted tc have remained there a few weeks I could, have recruited double as fiwny, (and- not of the 'Crawfishing kind.) Col.

of Carroll C- in a very short time, raised brought put with a full regiment of excellent men, mounted on splendid All others who undertook to recruit were more or less successful. It is unquestionably true, and I deplore the fact, some of tke new recruits of different commands refused to leave.the £ftate. and for this theyrest urider the charge of cowards and deserters. No arguments can be I fought t'orwaro to. justify sffsh an inglorious "back ng" from the caasc to Which they had voluntarily pledged themselves, nnd to which they were hound by.

every consideration of honor and duty, nor have I the least inclination to attempt their stdl, before inveighing too heavily against the conduct of these men. We should Remember. how Viryinians last summer fo go Kentucky when entered thire by (Jen. Marshall, many of them deserting and to their, homes, rather tbnri leave their State. Yet th-isf was not oecanse they were coward-.

U.w.-is because rhey dreaded the hardships thyy have to undergo, in making the through, the mountain-; besides, they had no confidence that our army would remain in Eents'ky, ib which.it tnrneil out they judged Just so with those Kentuekiari- who enlisted and failed to come lad alnio-t soon there as to winter in the mountains of We-ten Virginia and undergo the hatdsh ps our, Kenfucy boys suffered last winter particulari ry to meet the slurs arid taunts of the. Virginians, whose substance they would have to devoiirjn order to sohsist MUpt of them had and property they could not remove away, apd they had no pledge that the army would return, in fact it was currently reported that Bragg and oiher General officers publicly that they would never go to Kentucky ngain. I ani well satisfied that General iJragg is friend to K-ritucky, and that if woVrd.have be.en far better for her arid fin; the Confederate if he had never entered that State. Neither do I believe that President our friend, as he has never, done anything for Kentucky, oii't what has been done to alljrppearnrice reluctantly and Nevertheless the soldiers of Kentucky are disposed to be of good cheer, knowing that the great Confederacy of tiie South does riot all be'on'g exclusively to General Bragg or to Prtsidint Bavis. The mdies of old.Georgia liave pledged to doff their crinolines, to ott the punts and take the place, before the fair lipids of 1 old Kentucky shall, be given to the barbarians' of the North, arid we know to the feeling of the Se.nth generally.

Kenmcfc fans, take courage fight on until the last iri the field is exterminate rather than your once proud State shall remain under the tin awldoin of Lincoln. 1. J. The Oifeam of Life. flfow few of us at ch.se of life cam "I have filled and conned- the to which I Im.ked foi-wjird when a boy fat the onward progress life, bow often, in nome stray moment of thought and refiecti- we riot find ourselves "Is this as I I enacted ihj dream?" The answer is We look forward in childhood--nnd only look forward without reflection.

We build up gorgeonw palaces, we sketch a cjiuppt nf life all gold ami arc they, and where are they, when years sober us? The latest is of twudogs win fell to fighting in a sawmill. In the course of" the tussel one the dogs plump ageinst the saw in rapid motion which cm h'm instanter. The hind ran but the I fore legs cuntinued tho light and whipped the other dog..