New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-06-15


CannonGding-A Battle Somewhere, etc.
Special 20 the New Orleans Crescant]
CAMP SIuvERS, June 10, 1861.
Mr.. Edit0r-He sterday afternoon I witnessed o
most melancholy spectacle-a young man in the
prime Of health and strenth, meeting a sudden and
violent death at the hands of one of his comrades
The afternoon parade had just broken up, and the
soldiers were about to stack arms when one of the
Davis Guards Capt. AndersOn's Kentucky COM
pany) brought down the muzzle of his musket
directly on level with man named Little, who,
demonstrating against such carelessness, put up
his hand to push the gun away, when it was dis
charged, mangliug his hand terribly, and striking
down the next man in range, Mr.. Jas. H. Redford,
of Louisville, Ky. The heavy ball and three buck
shot with'WhiCh the musket was charged entered
his back and passed through the lungs causing
death in about half an hour afterwards. He could
hardly speak so as to be understood when they
lifted him from the ground, but asked, " Boys, who
did t?"-seemingly under the impression that he
had been murdered. He was fine looking young
man, intelligent and OF good family, and whole
company cut off in battle could hardly have pro-
duCed deeper impression for moment upon the
whole encampment than did this one untimely
death under such circumstances. 1t was a sorry
sight, when they had stretched him out between
the tents, stripped to the waist, his smooth white
skin growing whittier every instant, the current
OF life shrunk from the veins, and his unwnking
eyes, wandering vacantly from one to another Of
his comrades, as if he could not understand what
had happened to him, or why they were about
| him. Death we may expect to see in many forms
before the close of this war, but to my mind the
! spectacle OF a promising young man, not dreaming
| Of present danger suddenly shot down through
| the criminal carelessness of comrade, carried
with it a refinement of horror hardly to be found
on the battle field. The author of this sad acct
dent was private in the same company named
| Mcbride, also from Louisville. | was told this
| morning that the fatal result of his careessness
had rendered him almost if not quite insane.
| The steamship Quaker City, on blockading duty
| of Cape Henry, continues her target practice at
everything on the beach she happens to get with.
| in range of; she commenced, some time ago, by
| firing upon the Princess Anne Cavalry, and now
discharges her ritled cannon at private residences
and at individuals on horseback foot, if they
venture within range, have seen several of their
iron complments-shot and shell of the James
patent for rifled cannon-whch were dug ont of
the sand and brought to Norfolk. Yesterday they
fired at an old gentleman riding along the beach,
and the missile buried itself in the sand not far
from him; instead of putting spurs to his horse
and getting out of danger, he very cOoy dis
mounted, and after digging in the yielding sand
few minutes turned up an elongated l2-pound she'll
presenting something of the general appearance
of O church dome set upon piars-a curious con-
trivanGe, not easily described without drawings
In camp yesterday evening, just before dark
we heard the sound of cannon i'll the direction of
Hampton Roads, though from what particular
point, it was impossible to say. 1t was evident
that guns of different caliher in play, and the
firing irregular and rapid, continued for nearly or
quite an hour. Signal lights were displayed at DIFF
ferent points during the night, and in Norfolk to-
day all sorts Of rnmors prevail, to the effect that
Pig Point had been attacked, that Sewel's battery
| had again been bombarded, that our forces on the
peninsula had made descent upon the enemy's
entertainments at Newports News, that battle had
| occurred in the neighborhood of Hampton Roads,
/ etc., etc. II the cannonading was on the other
| side OF Hampton Roads. which seems probable, we
shall get no particulars of what occurred for seve-
| raj days to come. Meantime, I have good reason
to believe that the different bodies of Confederate
troops for the defence of this part Of Eastern Viz