and parleyed with the Union officer, who
acquainted him with the purport of his mission.
The transfer of the guest to the South having
been effected, the two officers exchanged cards
and a shake of the hand, and the prince made
them drink, and drank with them, a bottle of
French wine to the prosperity of the American
people—a vague expression, but the only one a
stranger could employ.

After two hours' march under the escort of a
squadron of Secessionist cavalry, they arrived at
Fairfax, an advanced position occupied by a
considerable force. A superior officer, Colonel
Stuart, who commanded the camp, received the
prince without surprise or embarrassment, and
with dignified and cordial courtesy. He begged
them to partake of breakfast, which they accepted
without hesitation, for two good reasons: first,
they were dying of hunger: secondly, they
understood that the colonel's invitation was a
polite mode of keeping them at Fairfax until he
had applied for orders to the general-in-chief.
In fact, they .were scarcely seated at table, when
a telegraphic despatch from Manassas was
brought in, in reply to one which had been sent.
General Beauregard ordered Colonel Stuart to
receive the prince warmly, and to supply him
with every means of reaching Manassas, where
the leaders of the Secessionist army would be
happy to see him.

From the first meeting, they were able to form
an idea of the external appearance of the
Secessionist soldier. They ascertained at once that
the uniform question, rather undecided in the
North, was not decided at all in the South. It
did not appear that the attempts made in that
direction went further than the distribution to
a few corps of a sort of vest of coarse grey
cloth, said to be made in Virginia. Uniform
coats, or fancy coats, the whole dress was in
wretched condition; the soldier, nevertheless,
maintained a martial aspect in spite of his
rags; and perfect order reigned throughout the
camp.

What most struck the visitors was the cavalry,
which was very numerous, admirably mounted,
and composed of magnificent men. At the first
glance, it was evident that all these people
belonged to the English, and not to the German
race; that they were the sons of farmers and
landowners; that their horses were their own
property; that they were habituated, if not to
arms, at least to rough and manly exercise.
Consequently, nothing could be more picturesque
than those cavaliers of the South. They wore
the most impossible costumes, clothes tattered
by a three months' bivouac, hats without tops,
boots without soles, with an air of heroic
bearing which would do honour to Don Cæsar
de Bazan. And, as these ragged cavaliers have
handsome and energetic countenances, as their
horses are superb and are ridden with great
boldness, you cannot help admiring them exactly
in the same way as you would admire the
fantastic military figures invented by Salvator
Rosa.

At a short distance from Manassas, the
prince was received by the staffs of Generals
Johnston and Beauregard. If they had not
been in the midst of republicans, the visitors
would have said that those staffs were composed
of the flower of the Southern nobility. Many of
them were in possession of enormous fortunes.
Disinterested in this civil war, unconnected
with the hatreds, the passions, the interests
which had lighted it, the strangers were
neccessarily affected by the aspect of some of these
men with white moustache, aristocratic and
military bearing, and distinguished manners,
who had left their homes, their families, their
high local position, to serve, as aides-de-camp,
a young and hitherto unknown general in the
most cruel form of war.

It is incontestable that there is much more
passion and ardour among the officers of the
army of the South than among those of the
army of the North. In the Confederate camp,
it is asserted that the same ardour, the same
disinterested devotion to the common cause, is
evinced by the private soldiers; that in the
South, men serve out of patriotism and honour,
while with the Federals the soldier yields to
no other temptation than pay, to no other
impulse than poverty—the best recruiting officer
amongst the populations of large towns. It
is just possible that the Southern chiefs
generalised too widely a fact which is perhaps true
within certain limits. Individual valour did
really appear superior in the camp of the
Confederates; but the army of the Union counter-
balanced that defect by a more advanced
military organisation and instruction; so that, with
such different and counterpoising elements, it
was difficult to predict on which side the
fortune of war would prevail.

At seven in the evening, they arrived at the
house which serves as General Johnston's quarter
general; he was waiting for the prince, and a
moment afterwards General Beauregard came to
join them. Beauregard is of French origin;
that is, his family emigrated from France to
Canada about a hundred and fifty years ago.
His father left the English colony to become a
citizen of the United States, and settle at New
Orleans. There he changed his faith, abjured
Protestantism, and embraced the Roman Catholic
religion, which is that of the general and his
family. Brought up at West Point, Beauregard
was a lieutenant-colonel in the regular army of
the United States when the civil war broke
out; he had just been named to the superior
commandment of the West Point school. The
government of his state, Louisiana, called him
home and made him quit the Federal army; and
his old schoolfellow, Jefferson Davis, immediately
conferred on him the rank of general, and the
commandment of Charleston militia. It will be
remembered that this command afforded the
occasion of firing the first cannon-shot which rent
the flag of the thirty-four stars. He bombarded
and took Fort Sumter, which success procured
him immense popularity. When the Secessionist
army was formed to march upon Washington,
Beauregard was selected to command it.