Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Rebel letters captured.

A rebel mail-bag was found on board the blockade runner Calypso, from which the following letters were taken:

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A Georgia merchant to his Partners.

Dear brother: . . . If I am not mistaken, some of the blockade-runners will lose a pile of money, as confederate money is becoming at such a discount they cannot get price enough on the goods to pay the difference of exchange, as all goods have to be paid in gold or sterling exchange, and all freights prepaid, and then take all chances of getting them through, besides paying duties on them at Charleston. Some of the blockade men think the next steamer from Dixie will bring bad news, and there will be a much greater discount on confederate money — say seven hundred dollars or eight hundred dollars for one hundred dollars in gold, and my opinion is it will soon be worthless. Yesterday I bought here (Nassau) five hundred dollars in confederate money at four cents on the dollar, and some was sold here for even a greater discount. So you can see what the people here think of Dixie money, and in fact no one here will take it at any price for goods or for freight money; and if I had a million of gold dollars I would not invest one dollar here and take the chances of getting through and take confederate money.

If you have any confederate money on hand when you receive this, get clear of it on the best terms you possibly can, and in future do not take any more confederate money, only at what you can sell it for gold, and turn it into gold as soon as you receive it. The best investment of confederate money is good sterling exchange, the next is gold or silver, and the next is cotton, for, sooner or later, I am confident confederate money will not be worth the paper it is made on, although I may be mistaken.

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A Richmond Agent's testimony.

William E. Simons, Richmond, Va.:
Dear friend: . . . I have not been able to find sale of the bonds, though there have been sales heretofore, but now no one seems ready to buy. I could sell at forty-five cents, but am not willing to sell at that figure, I have concluded to deposit them in a house here, to be disposed of at a fair price, and proceed myself to New-York, as we talked of before my departure from Richmond. Until my return I shall not be able to make any shipment to you. [Probably intends to buy goods in New-York.]

The feeling here by residents seems to be in favor of the South, but I do not think it exists any further than dollars and cents are concerned. They are all making money out of the war, and do not care, in my opinion, how long it may last. As to England herself, from what I can see and hear, she is in favor of the South, on account of the gallantry shown by Southern soldiers, and would be willing to recognize her, providing she would emancipate her slaves, which can never be done.