New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-09-02

a
erc City giving full statement Of the attempt, BY
band Of Secession guerilIas to ssssssnate Gov Thorn
&c when on bis way IRON Cumberland, home:
CUMBERLAND, Aug. "a, 1861.
DEAR SIR As m Incident Of to-day may be mi.-
repref ented | VIII communicate 10 you the precise
facts Of The case. left here this morning ar 81 for mr.
home in the railroad tIain Ten miles from this place,
the cow-cltcler OF the engine ran against pile OF
eight IA lroad les which had been carefully placed
acyoss the track. Fortunately, six OF the ties wers
catsred right and left OF the roaO snd the train corr
timed 10 run Tor about 800 yards when it was sOr bed
by the resistance to It's progress produced BY the two
remaining ties which 60 si,utted that one end
rested on tie engine and the other powed along tho
road As soon as the ears hailed, the engineer and
fireman leaped Oh and soon removed the two ties,
while the baggage-m6ster was out 10 zee what hid
occurred 20 arrest progress. All this happened in
almost an instant, and before had paid much attea-
tion to what wGs occurring.
At hat moment the baggage-master exclaimed,
Z" There il an armed nan on the road behind Us"
This caused the thought 10 lGsh my mild that
tbis accident had bteen cOntrived, and called tlIe
conductor to the platform on which | stood, aud d.
reoted him TO put the in motion by pulling thu
beIl-roue. Tie conductor seemed az q loss to know
how 10 act but obeyed my directions and soon as
the train began 10 move were fired upon by crowd OF
more than one hundred armed men, who bad appeared
uon tie road out of the bushes the spot where
The tes had been placed on the road We all escaped
uIiniured, although twenty or thirty shots were fired
before we were out OF reach. There were no persons
on the train passengers but old black man two
aged white men, and myself This whole ussari0Us
affair wa, | have no doubt, contriyod against my
liberty il not my life, by spies resident in this place,
Who notified their allies in Virginia that was 10 pass
ON the railroad this morning And nothing saved me-
bat the GOODNESS and presence Of mind which prompted
me under Providence. 70 zee and guard against the
danger prompt as electricity.
Please hurry ON the arming Of our Volunteers IN
Frederick as am doing here that we may be ready
for spies within and traitors without our State.
Yours respectfully, FRANCIS THOMAS.
CoSDIroN OF THE REBELS ALoSo THE PoToxAc.
About o'clock yesterday the steamer Ben Deford,
of the Merchants and Miners Transportation Company,
came into port having Just returned from ashington,
where she landed about 3oO sailors, who viii DO
placed on board Government vessel bound for the
South Nothing Of interest occurred during the trip
from Boston TO the Metropolis with the exception tbas
while the steamer was running up the Potomac she
came small schooner which displayed signal
of distress. The Deford stopped and Capt. Halsst
soon learned that refugee from Virgins was On
board and desired TO be taken 10 Washington although
he sndeavoring 10 reach the Maryland shore. He
was received on board under the instructions OF q
United States navy officer, aud had cool passage 70
the Navy at Washington, where he WAS landed
lie was young man of considerable Intelligence and
gave deplossbc account OF the state OF affairs which
exist in the counties bordering on the Potomac. He
bad passed through several coantes, and describes The
desoiation which generally PREVAILS especially the
most extensive farms have been completely ruined.
The fields have boon oyerrun, the young people In
pressed into the service with the exception OF thess
who cOntTivsd TO escape; and the women and ehdret
in state OF constant alarm. 40 fog himself, he bad
abandoned large estate for the purpose Of saving
himself from personal violence. 1Ge Ben Defogd
started al clock on Wednesday morning for her re-
turn trip to this city, aud reached the Bodkin after
run Of IL hours. Eeg uoxt trip will DO TO Boston,
where she win carry freight consisting Of assorted
merchandise Capt. Il. reports the steamer Columbia,
FOR Washington with army stores, passing near Poiot
Lookout. Baltimore American, Aug. 2sth.
Every Republican paper IN Northern Ohio IVY. fsver