The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-05-17
Affairs at Harper's Ferry
The correspondent of the Alexandria Ga
zatte writes NAV I3l "a foI,o,r.

a. udfper feffy.
The correspondent of the Alexandria Ga
zette writes MAY 13) as follows:
Last night more troops arrived. with mn
nitions OF war. They are from the south
western portion of Virginia. They are fine
looking set of men, stout and we'll made.
An idea seems to be getting posses sion of the
fIrginians that the bayonet will be their most
effect weapon in a contest Several ron, :
pahies nave, consequently, commenced drill
ing in the bayonet exercise
Inc Iorce stationed at the Point of Rocks
has been strengthened and q battery erected
there similar in charae ter TO the farnons Cum.
mlngs battery at Charleston
More troops have also been sent to Shap-
herustoWn, and battery erected there. The
heights IN the neighborhood are now all occu
pied, the bridges well defended. and scouting
parties are traversing the country in every
direction from which a hostile force may pos
sibiy come.
One thousand Minnie muskets arrived last
evening from North Carolina MaryIanders
are constan tiy coming in, unarmed. Yester-
DAY about forty of the mem bers of the Mary
land Legislature visited this place. The spe-
cihl OBJECT OF this visit is not precisely known.
Many supposed that they came here to protest
against the seizure of the Mary land heights
by the Virginia troops, but the political
complexion OF the delegation forbids such
inference. 1t may be worthy of notice that
Ross WindBs accom- panied the delegation -
He believes that there will be no war OF any
consequence
a.
says that the mill tary force stationed there is
somewhat in a state of disorg tniZa ton; that
the citizens are leaving the place from fear of
the soldiers; and that picket guards are pos ted
in every direction, to prevent "A nocturnal sur
prise, OF which they are painfully apprehen-
siYe.
Last night 55 more beeves were seized.-
There is now waiting the command of the
Quartermas ter here, I50, 600 bushels of grain
All in Jefferson county, and as much more can
be obtained from the same county, if neces-
sarY. Thus, YOU see that Jefferson county
can carry on Il small war herself-for 300 600
bushels of grain will support for some time
an army of IL, 600 men.
The cores pondent of the b fillmore Ameri-
can furnishes the following description of the
Virginia camp at Harper's Ferry:
No visitor to Harper's Ferry can well f,il
to have his attention Chaiienged by the ap
pearanee OF the Kentucky Regiment, not less
By the greater frequency with which its uni
form Is seen over any other than by the strik-
ing appearance of the staIwart and keen.eyea
men com posing it.
Better material for good soldiers it would
seem at glance, could not be desired The
men were generally above the ordinary height
stoutly framed, and wore upon their countp-
nances an ex preston of ready intelligence and
OF resolution which conveyed a promise of
deeds of heroism whene yer the hour of action
snail come. The majority of them, AS |
learned from one of its intelligent members,
are from the counties of Western Kentucky, 4
considerable portion of the remainder haiiiny
from Louisville. Their experiences with the
rifle Is subject of remark in the cam y, aud
was publicly illustrated one day last week
when AT target firing parade of the regiment
five out of every six shots fired hit the mark
within a circumference of thirty six inches -
They number about six hundred are uuiforfa-
ed III blue woolen hunting shirts and trowsers
with slouched hats, and are commanded by
Col. Bianton Y. Duncan, a wealthy gentle
man OF kentucky, who served in the regiment
Mt "a Sf4f "A dIstl N fiA0 ~ fHa1
lean war. Col. Duncan raised, equipped and
trans ported his regiment to Virginia en tirely
at his own expense The Ken tue kians are arm
ed with Minnie rifles. They are specially de-
tailed to guard the strongly fortified MARYLAND
Heights, the key to the whole position. They
know it to be post of danger and express an
eager desire for the fight, which they believe is
soon to occur.
The number of soldiers in Harper's Ferry is
but small compared with the expectations of
those visiting the place. The effect is due to
the care with which the forces there have
been distributed through the town, the camp
upon the hills at Bolivar, and upon the sur
rounding heights. From Il we'll informed
source / learn that the number of soldiers in
and about the town is estimated in camp a
,0u0 a considerable portion of whom were
not armed until last week This number is
daily increasing by additions from Virginia
and from distant parts OF the Confederacy
company OF Iennesseeans arrived last week,
Il company from Arkansas are on the road
aud a Louisiana regiment was daily expected
to arrive.
The B,ltimoreans and Marylanders, of
whom there are a large mber-exceeding
two hundfed and fifty, 1 WAS told, in CAMP
to be formed into one distinct Maryland
Regiment. The two companies of Captains
Wellmore and Mullin, which passed through
Frederick from Baltimore last week, have
been supplied with arms and stationed at
Point OF Rocks.
Another squad of sixteen BaItimoreans
passed through Frederick Saturday night on
their WAY to Harper's Ferry, and we encoun
tered on the road yesterday, within five or
stout recruits for the Virginia service from
Baltimore county They We're furnished
with some money by our party, and reached
their des tina ton about noon. The conduct
of the Baltimoreans during their march
through this section has been much com
mended. They appear to have abstained
from every act which should excite ejudite
against them.
Mon tgomery county is represented in the
camp by large number of her young men,
and Charles and Prince Georges counties
ditto. The variety of uniforms to be met with
at Harper's Ferry is almost endless, embrac-
ing more styles than the "Reguiation'' book
has recorded for half century, and present
ing nearly every shade of co!ors. Ii is evident,
however, that the pompous ideas of old tie
wig Europe, that soldier should be literally
''dreSsed to DEATH" have been efi'ecutiily ex-
ploded, and that Ii more utilitarian and com
prehansive view OF the rec uirement of the
soldier now prevails. This is observable III
the increasing popularity of the simple fan-
mel shirt worn a In Garibaldi and for the loose
hunting shirt. A very large portion Of the
Virginia troops at Harper's Ferry are uni
formed with the former, while not few stur-
dy farmers may be seen with no other dress
than their home man ufac tured homespun or
entucky jean. OF them it may be truly
said:
'They mustered In their simple dress
For wrongs to seek a stern redress:
IurlSht th0so W fonSe, come " cal come woe,
To perish, or o'erc Jme III fJe .
Here, as at the Gosport Navy Yard, the
amount of property des troyed by the Federal
Government has been but slight in compari-
son with the extent of the works, or with
those left untouched. Indeed so slight has
been the des ton at Harper's Ferry, that
the visitor is a first unable TO detect the eyi-
dence of it,
WASHINGTON lrEAs.-The Washington pa
pers furnish but little news of interest We
copy the following:
The Government wouid fain to see all three
m his men ha no ed i'm IN yoluntaarS In 7 ba