--A correspondent of the
Chattanooga Rebel gives a description of
Tullahoma and life therein.
As the place occupies so much of public attention at this time the following brief extract from the letter will be readable:
‘
A shocking place.
(I mean for a gentleman!) A dismal, melancholy railroad station.
A place for bats to fly and owes to helot.
Such, such is
Tullahoma.
Take a trip to Purgatory by way of "
Semmes's hole," and pay a flying visit to
Corinth, Miss., or return, and you may get some nation of it, nothing else will suffice; language woeful, imprecative, or descriptive, fails altogether.
A few scattered, equaled, and dilapidated tenements, (clammed, jammed, and damned, worse than the black hole of
Calcutta, vide
Macaulay;) up to the eyes; nor having stone nor em; black jacks around you; and a dull, leaden, ever relay sky above you!
’
Of the amusements so popular there the writer adds:
‘
Nothing to do but to eat and quarrel.
We have fighting matches, and then, for variety, we have eating matches.
A remarkable event (of this illustrative) occurred no later than yesterday afternoon.
A pair of privates of the--
Tennessee had a grudge, and one of them also a newly arrived box of provisions "from home." They resolved to fight for the latter in adjudication of the former.
An hour was appointed, a vase assemblage collected, both entered a ring arranged, the combatants were placed in position.
Intense excitement; much gambling on the result; terrible odds.
Do not be alarmed; I mean no description in detail.
I know as well as you do that I am not writing for
Bell'seLife, and am conscious of some inferiority to
Pierce Egan.
The battle was fought, the victory won, the box of provisions paid over, when, a second champion appeared, and offered to eat the entire contents for twenty-five dollars, (Confed) or in default thereof pay the sum of one hundred ditto.
The wager was accepted.
Bets were again offered and taken, Excitement again resumed the away.
The box (ulthorto mysteriously closed) was at length, all parties being ready, opened.
It contained the following articles of food; One turkey, two dozen of eggs, (boiled) one dozen of biscuit, one pound of butter, six dried peach pies, one quart bottle of molasses, and six onions!
The wretch won his wager.
In such diverting and fantastic sports do we pass the time, unlike Richard in the play, finding many delights therein.
’
