h they are republicans; and as they can't get any
other sort, they all take military ones."

Whilst seated round the camp fire in the evening, one of the officers
remarked to me, "I can assure you, colonel, that nine men out of ten in
the South would sooner become subjects of Queen Victoria than return to
the Union." "Nine men out of ten!" said General Johnston--"ninety-nine
out of a hundred; I consider that few people in the world can be more
fortunate in their government than the British colonies of North
America." But the effect of these compliments was rather spoilt when
some one else said they would prefer to serve under the Emperor of the
French or the Emperor of Japan to returning to the dominion of Uncle
Abe; and it was still more damaged when another officer alluded in an
undertone to the infernal regions as a more agreeable alternative than
reunion with the Yankees.

* * * * *

_22d May_ (Friday).--The bombardment at Vicksburg was very heavy and
continuous this morning.

I had a long conversation with General Johnston, who told me that the
principal evils which a Confederate general had to contend against
consisted in the difficulty of making combinations, owing to uncertainty
about the time which the troops would take to march a certain distance,
on account of their straggling propensities.

But from what I have seen and heard _as yet_, it appears to me that
the Confederates possess certain great qualities as soldiers, such as
individual bravery and natural aptitude in the use of firearms, strong,
determined patriotism, and boundless confidence in their favourite
generals, and in themselves. They are sober of necessity, as there is
literally no liquor to be got. They have sufficient good sense to know
that a certain amount of discipline is absolutely necessary; and I
believe that instances of insubordination are extremely rare. They
possess the great advantage of being led by men of talent and education
as soldiers who thoroughly understand the people they have to lead, as
well as those they have to beat. These generals, such as Lee, Johnston,
Beauregard, or Longstreet, they would follow anywhere, and obey
implicitly. But, on the other hand, many of their officers, looking
forward to future political advancement, owing to their present military
rank, will not punish their men, or are afraid of making themselves
obnoxious by enforcing rigid discipline. The men are constantly