New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-07-13

1F(fS9
Special to the New Orleans Crescsn1
CAMP VINCENT, July 8, 1s6T.
Ed. Cfescent-Last Thursday we had the singu>
lar spectacle of the celebration of National an
niversary by two parties between whom exist q
deadly hatred and fatrieidal war. The morning,
noon and evening" sautes from the various batteries
on our side of Hampton Roads were answered by
the sullen thunder Of the guns at Fortress Monroe
and Newport's News, sounding as if they cfIal>
leDged our right to do honor to an anniversary
which has no longer any practical Significance nm
der its old title of Independence DayYif at least
go far as the Union goes, if 1t ever had as all. It
was never celebrated otherwise than To- coFnnaenao~
rate the release of 6nf fOrefathers FROM British
thfaIdoTa, and as the 5oHth bore her full part in
the struggle of that epoch, she cannot be 80 un-
just 10 herself to forget or saFreHev her share
in its giories- How the enemy eeebgsse3 the day,
other than with discharges OF cannon, We did not
learn Salutes were fired from most OF our bat<
teFIes, and we had review OF about 1850 men,
Ender the eye Of Cen Huger and command Of Col
Blanchard. The spectacle was 4nite d splendid
oner and the rnaneuveriDg OF the various corps OF
| infantry, artillery and cavalry showed how re-
| Tnaraabiy rapidly raw troops csD acquire prof
cheney With able officers and strict drill The con-
fdence which all classes here citizens and soldiers,
express in the military abilities of Gof Bianehard
was by no neans weakened in the minds Of the
numerous spectators who witnessed the ease with
which he handled this small army, and conduct d
| its various movements. The Louisiana Regiment
occupied the right wing, the post of eenor, and.
under charge of LeutenantC Colonel Vineent proved
| itself worthy the distinction. It is ffoa pre-
Judce in favor of the troops OF my state, nor from
any desire 10 enhance their merits at the expense
Of others, that I declare / have not seen in Vir~
| gina any better looking better drilled regiment
than the First Lousianiaus, and L have hea3d from
many others the same opinion freely expressed
An incident occurred yesterday, that for a time
| created some excitement. Capt Ben Anderson
| and your correspondent went out on Hampton
| n A a md Uh
| about we observed commotion at the Grimes
| Battery, half a mile so above eneampment,
men running about and some of them shouting to
US vociferously- what they wanted being to ns al
together a matter of conjecture. We ran the boat
| towards shore, and were met in shallow water by
Corporal Bunting, of the Grimes Battery, who hur-
riedy explained that one OF his men had just de-
| serted, and was crossing the channel in small
| boat. We at once put about in pursuit, and could
| distinctly see the fugitive mile or more away,
| scung small scoW towards the northern shore
| of Hampton Roads, We chased him directly under
| the guns of the Newport's News battery, and were
| fast overhauDg him, when the wind luilea and
seeing small ting getting up steam, and expecting
every moment to be fired upon, we gave up the
| chase, and barely made safe ofiBg before being
becalmed. The deserter was a young man named
| Raymond, whose father, a Northern man, is or
| was President of Hampton College, and it is sup
| posed the latter melted the desertion The youth
is it is said, intelligent and well educated, and the
| manner of his escape, in open daylight, rendered
! the act most daring one: the channel is nearly
five miles wide timely pursuit would have e.snred
| his capture, and in that case death would have
been his certain doom. Undoubtedly he is able to
give the enemy very accurate information touching
| military affairs on this side.
| From accounts purporting to come from Fortress
Monroe, we learn that the enemy are painfully
vgilaut at Newport's News in apprehension Of an
attack from this side and from Magruder's forces
on the peninsula. It does not speak very well for
them after the lofty ground assumed by the Lin.
coin Government, and the open, ot-repeated
threats of immediate conquest and subjugation.
| embraced
dabe undertakings the capture forthwith of the
Norfolk Navy Yard, and we might very well be
excused, in view of this, for standing on the de-
fensive and watching our foe vigilanty, notwlth-
standing that he has so far Kept himself securely
hidden behind his entrenchments. We do watch
him vigianty, and if he should succeed in s1rpris-
ing us he will show a strategic ability we do not
give him credit for. We occasionally have night
alarms, and in such cases the regiment gets under
arms with promptness and ceerity that leave
| small chance of the enemy obtaining an advantage
! by suddenness OF attack,
The SAWYER gun at the Rip-Raps resumed its
practice upon Sewell's Point last Saturday after
noon, and occasionally sent ball somewhere in
the neghborhood of the distant target, but did no
| harm, the fault seeming to lie in their gunnery
rather than in lack of power in the cannon. Each
discharge of this gun is said to involve an expense
of SIS, and perhaps this is the reason they don't
indulge in the amusement oftener.
Look for news of a movement of the enemy to-
day Or tomorrow on the peninsula. At about
: O'Clock this morning distinctly heard, in our en-
qampment the . long roll . frsm Fortress Monroe
| lasting half an hour or more. 1t was the call to
arms, and probably indicated the marching of
. a body Of troops for some purpose: The fort
ress is in full view of the shore fronting our en-
campment, eight nine miles away, and on still
~ clear night, its drums can. be plainly heard.
a a We have Just received the melancholy intelli-
C gence of the death of Col, Charles Dreux the no
- ble and gifted young man whom the people Of New
Orleans delighted to honor. Can it be true / will
not believe It until it is impossible to doubt longer
The statement comes by telegraph from Richmond
: and if true, you will have particulars before this
e reaches you. G. VS..