Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.
Military matters — a suggestion, &c.
Christiansburg, Montgomery Co., Va., June 8th, 1861.
Our little county has sent off five companies of volunteers, and two more are nearly organized.
Old Montgomery has responded well to the call of the Governor; the almost constant passage of troops along our line of railroad, and the great anxiety we feel about the war, particularly such of us as have sons and other relatives in the field, keeps up a continual excitement.
Troops are passing here almost every day; and I would speak of the hospitality of the citizens of our little village in furnishing them with provisions, but the good book says we must not let our left hand know what our right hand does.
I may be permitted to say, that those who have come from other States to fight for our institutions, our freedom and our liberty, have not been permitted to pass us unnoticed and without having their wants attended to.
We have seen some of the finest looking companies pass that it has ever been our privilege to behold, whose professions of regard for the old mother State were so strong that I am satisfied that they will sacrifice their all for her.
As most of your correspondents confine themselves almost exclusively to the war news.
I shall, in this brief note, depart somewhat from the usual custom and make some suggestions about the future.
I do this upon the presumption of our ultimate success, of which I have never entertained a doubt.
The suggestion I propose is on the subject of Sabbath school books.
Heretofore we have been supplied by the North, written about the good children of that locality.
I am at a loss to know what becomes of them.
I believe they never survive over six years. Are there no good children in the South, and are there not persons there that can write books about them, in order that our Sabbath schools hereafter may be supplied from that quarter?
I have thrown out this suggestion, hoping that the subject may find a more able and successful advocate than myself.
My wish is to be cut loose from the North altogether and set up for ourselves, and be entirely free and independent.
We may have at first to suffer some privations, but they will have to do the same.
We should, however, be willing to submit to any inconvenience to accomplish this object.
We are now convinced that they have the most deadly hatred for us, and are endeavoring to exterminate us. There may be some of them who have no such feelings, but they dare not give expression of favor for us, for fear of the mob, which now reigns triumphant over law and Constitution.
I cannot close this brief communication without expressing my high appreciation of the services which have been rendered to our volunteers by our ladies, who have been almost constantly employed for weeks in making uniforms and other articles of clothing for them; and some of them have actually tendered their services to the proper authorities as nurses, in case of a battle. M. D. R. 