The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-06-05
Washington in an Uproar-Letter
from Geo. Wilkes.
WASHINGTON. Nav 90, 1861.

w ASHlNGIONj may 20 4OOA'
Having accomplished its object in taking
possession of Alexandria and occupying Ar
Iington Heights, the War Department, in
due precaution against attack upon the
advanced portions of our line, had estab-
lished a signal by which it should be known
to the forces in the Capital that fresh battle
had begun on the other side of the Potomac,
and that re-enforcements in that direction
were at once required. The signal was TO
be three discharges of a cannon from the
War Department, and this was to be taken
by all the troops in town as an order 70
move across the bridge and hold themselves
in readiness to take part in the action
Most eagerly, therefore, were thousands OF
ears inclined during the whole of this morn
ing Tor the hoped-for signal, and there was
scarcely an officer who possessed field
glass. who did not frequently mount to
some lofty perch, where be might sweep
the expected scene of battle. The day wore
on. however, without any of the expected
SYMPTOMS and as public attention became
more and more engrossed with the oDse-
uuies of Col. Ellsworth, and speculatlons as
to the probable engagements then raging at |
SewelFs Point and Harpers Ferry, the anx-
ieUv for fresh operations in our Immediate |
neighborhood began gradually to die out
But of sudden there came stir among
| the crowds along the streets, and men could
| be seen upon the housetops gesticulatlng
violently, and taking turns at lorgnettes,
while women, as frantic as themselves,
flung about their arms, and waved their
handkerchief, to energetic eXclamations.-
! The people in the streets seemed to catch
bv instinct the meaning of these signs, but
not knowing what to do, went swiftly
! to and fro in purpOseless confusion. /
could fancy nothing more like 1t than
the hoarse beginnings OF tremendous
storm, and just as [ was feeling It's
influence with the rest, the boom OF
a great gun sounded from the neigh
borbood of the White House. The report
seemed to transGx every listener at once,
and all ears were bent to hear another It
soon came, but on all sides the only words
which responded to it we're" That IS the
second ~ Another pause of feverish interest
ensued, and then, in third report, pealed
forth the complete announcement that war,
grim. bloody, earnest war, had begun be-
tween the people of the North and South.
This. too. was the call to arms, and as the
last shot fell upon the ear there was burst
. of cheering voices, such as perhaps never
before welcomed and inaugurated civil strife
And then the most strange things were
done Many, in running to and fro, woulo
, turn two or three times and come back To
the same spot to shake hands with their
friends upon the joyful prospect; others
, went after their pistols, and commenced
buckling them about their waists, Whlle
, others, still, enthusiastically offered any sort
of odds that Uncle Sam would win the
6ght. Before three minutes had elapsed
P from the sound of the last gun, there came
: clattering along past Wizards from the
- neipbborbood of the Treasury building, a
party of dragons, taking their way around
= The corner of Fourteenth street toward Long
Bridge Cheers rose from the crowds as
they went by, but before those cheers were
done Il vast rumbing was heard IN the
same direction which the dragons had
Il come from and in the next instant Sher-
IS mans famous battery, with SIX horses to
j. each gun, were seen tearing around into the
, Avenue at fearful speed, the troopers and
= canuoniers screaming wildly, like so many
madmen, as they went. Their rate Of pro-
E gress was so swift that in turning the Four
lie teenth street corner, the whirl of the
e, gun-carriage spun off left-hand wheel
e and dashed the vehicle against an
1T iron post, finging the men .3 Of
OF the horses. But the remaining horse;
L. were whipped on, dragging the fallen
animals on their sides along the road, anC
u the naked axle doing duty for the missing
! wheel. They passed shouting out of sight
e and the acceleraJing huzzas of the equally
S crazy multitude, went after them as long as
J. their wheels and voices could be heard
But the excitement eliminated with the APP
pearance of the Massachusetts Fifth, which
e like the flying battery, appeared in the next
? moment from the direction of the Treasury
10 They, too, came along on a full run, and
every man was screaming and whooping as
if just escaped from Bedlam. 1t was not
lie the utterance of any particular cry, with
e which they sought to direct or stimulate
each other but it was the rage for battle,
! burning in their veins, seeking this neces-
s sary vent. The crowd flocked after them.
L and after the crowd, followed a column
" from Connecticut, and after them swarmed
l. hurriedly collected local troops. The whole
L mass poured together, everv man on a
1t dead run, and thousands of voices rising
a continually out of the yellow coil of dust
1t marked the direction of the line in mingled
u screams and cheers. 1t was a sight such as
has never been seen on this continent be-
fore, and must have convinced every locker
on that we are essentially d martial people.
It On arriving at the bridge, we learned the
o alarm was false one, and had grown out
p of some gun practice of the troops, which
d had terrified some countrymen, and they
n had brought a report to the 18th that the
t rebels had attacked the 18th, which was
|. being cut to pieces. On hearing this, the
: re-enforcements from the Capital turned
S slowly back, sorely disappointed at having
: lost the opportunity to fight.
r There are many who think the whole thing
o was planned by Gen. Scott, in order to test
# the spirit OF the troops, and also to prove in
: what readiness they stood for battle; if
d this be So the old chieftain must be satisfied
that our material is of the highest temper,
and that the present soldiers of the North
have not degenerated in martial spirit from
: their Revolutionary sres. I have only to
add to this letter that our lines are now
well placed and strongly fortified on the
other side of the Potomac, and that there
e is no immediate likelihood of further battle
1 in that direction, unless the insurgents
: make attack upon our lines.
a&y@The Prisoners taken in Virginia. and
now at the navy yard on board the steamer
: | Powhatan, are said to be well pleased with