The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1861-05-09

men being detailed to attend to the duty
The boxes were piled up around the en-
gines and boilers 50 as to protect them
and the men working them from shot
should any be fired. snd two field piece,
were placed in the bow and stern Of III,
boat, In rea illness TO repel any approach
Picket guards we're thrown out for som,
distance from the line Of embarkatiou
and all persons struggling along that way
were arrested and held to prevent th.il
giving information to the city. Ten tn "a
sand arms had been lowered into the firs
story. in addition to about three thoussnc
already Deposited there. All these were
removed into the steamer b fore i2o'clock
Capt. Stokes aud Capt. Calendar ther
held consultation and finally concluded
that the remainder of the arms aud muni
tions of war, except those necessary tc
arm the g$lrisou, whi;h then comprised
about three Il GU 'ard men, should be la.
ken. All hands were then set to work tc
bring them down stairs, and At half pa,t
two o'clock ,2l .0lo muskets, 500 carbines,
500 Colts revolvers, | 10 900 musket car.
tridges, n qusntity of swords, percu ,son
caps and other munitions of war were safe.
ly stoSed on the steamer.
Sh4 then cast loose anl attempted 70
start, but it was found that she was f,s,
upon a rock and immovable under the
full power of her immense engines. For
half an hour she laborsd with ali her en-
ergies to extricate herself, but did not move
hairs breadth, and there was imminent
danger that the putting of her engines,
which sounded tremendously on the still
air of night, would bling the minute men
down upon her. A number of troop,
were brought aboard with loaded arms to
guard against, and resist 10 the dea h any
attack. Captain s okes says this ha'f hour
was the most trying he ever spent in his
life, as we can well imagine. Everything
depended upon the boats getting off be-
fore daylight, AMI af.er the sixty hours of
intense mental anxiety and physical exrr-
uon attendant upon securing the arms, the
prospect of being thus defeated in their
granl object was indeed disheartening
A portion of the cargo was shifted from
the bow to the stern, al1 finally the boat
swung loose and proceeded up the river,
p lsslng two batteries OH her way up, oae
on the ST. Louis levee, and the Other Il
short distance above the city, but which
did 10 att mpt to moleSt her passage, al
though the camp-fres were distinctly Wis
ible, showing that they were on the alert.
She arrived at Alton shorty after fl We
O'Clock, when Captain S okes proceeded
to the m1rket-house and rang the fire
alarm, which brought crowds OF people to
The river, when they were told of the
freight on The steamer, and desired TO as
sist in its removal to the train whieh stoo
in readiness. Every one joined in the task
with alacrity. and Ia two hours, by their
active efforts, the entire cargo was trans
ferred 10 the trai1, which Immediately
steamed of to Springfield, where it arriv-
ed in SAFETY aSou' o e o'clock OF Friday
The reports abJut the quanIi'y of arms
n the arsenal were very greatly ,x,gger-
u, d, there being but twenty nine thous-
md of all descriptions, Of which twenty
wo thou and of the best were brought
away. These arms Of the very best
quality in perfect order, there being TO
better guns of the kind in the United
5 ates.
Capt. Stokes represents the state Of feel
ng in st. Louis as ind, scribAble. That
'ity is sitting on a powder magazine that
nay explode at any moment. She con-
ans some of The worst m b elements OF
my ci'y in the Union-as bad if not worse
han Baltimore i self. He was "spot ed
md followed by minute men during almost
he whole of his stay in the city, and has
'een accosted by them his relnIn to
He describes the sixty hours of his stay
ST. Louis as the st trying in his life
and he has seen active service against
he Indians in Florida and elsew here. He
deserves great credit for the adroit and
nergetc manner in which he executed
he duty conhded to him. Capts. Callen
lar and Lyon and Capt. Stokes special
gtnt, who accomp snied him, also eserve
ne thanks of the country f1r the assist
nee rendered in the removal, which was
lighly meritorious on their part, ,inasmuch
IS it was beyond their strict orders. All
oncerned in the transfer, both at St.I.oIis
nd Alton, displayed the greatest entbu
iasm and energy.
The railroad trains and steamboats, had
'een put under control of Capt S okes,
nd well did they obey his orders. When
he City of Alton left St Louis, orders
we're given to fire upon any armed boat
hat approached her, without a king any
questions, and to scuttle and sink the
teamsr rather than be captured. The
powder magazines of Lsffin, Smith d
}oles were seized that night by the min
lte men, who had planted ba terry on the
,oiht at the bend Of the liver, where the
hannel goes very II, ar the Missouri shore
'ut they were not sharp enough to bring
o the City Of Alton as she passed the
point.
Thus vas executed the first successful
elief Of an arsenal ina border slave state
Turing the present era of secession. All
',hers have been either destroy ed or the
rms seized by the enemy.
Virginia Annexed To the Com
tederates.
Virginia secession rather exceeds all
previous performances. Without waiting