JULY 10th.—The drought continues; vegetation wilting and drying up. There is no war news, save some shelling by the enemy at Petersburg.
The raiders have caused many who were hiding and hoarding their meat and grain to bring them to market, for fear of losing them. This has mitigated the famine, and even produced a slight reduction of prices.
But the gardens are nearly ruined, and are only kept alive by watering freely. Mine has repaid me. The tomatoes are growing apace, and seem to endure the drought pretty well; also the lima beans. We are now eating the last of the cherries. We began to pull them about one month ago.
Some of the members of the Tredegar Battalion have been detected endeavoring to pass over to the enemy. It is said (maliciously) Jos. R. Anderson’s works (the Tredegar) would not be destroyed if the enemy were to capture the city, nor Crenshaw’s nor Haxall’s mills, all having an understanding that the party in power shall enjoy the benefits of them. The fall of Richmond would exhibit strange developments among men of wealth. The poor could not get away, and would have no alternative but submission. But Richmond will not be taken.