New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-07-09

fsiet iii aaT@aess Il sas nssr asIsaet fsfoss tbes
army reached its place Of enealapnient and 10
o'clock had come befefe sha late bus welcome ra-
The Wsaried men, ped only ii their blaaketH
dfeatin9 upon the ground, Ganla seek some brief
repose. Not nilef of this could be allowed Tor,
before O'clock fhe Forces were roussd up To pre-
pare for the conflict which All anticipated sa
We were near the position which the army was
reported to occupy and it behooved us to have
AL things il readiness The hardest Of all tasks
the goiaier here awaited tile tropps4fle order 10
. reduce baggage All tie ligfse articles which
are so dear to the soldier, yet which might prove
| to be ensuInbraaces had 70 be ieft. single
were all that could be allowed. The tears stood
the eyes OF many brave fellow as he took from
bis lnapaack 5r satchei The many lsttle comforts
the handkerchief, the soweIssfhe combs and the
countless other tskens of a wfe's Iaother,s or q
SISTERS loving and pr6yjdent care ana making
them up into rough bundles cast them ia heaps +
upon The ground abandoned to the careless keep
ing Of quar- rternIastegs and was onefs. Cur friend
tells us that when he had to perform this hard task
he thought be could have easily whipped any tsree
Yankees in TsincoIn's army. 5Ssss4
By daylight, the whole force was under aru1s.
Az tie morning wore on, several regiments we're
| thrown forward, and, generally the army moved
to the positions assigned 70 each body and fell into
order Of battle. "A Il believed that serious con-
tict Was a. hand. The prsparat tons which preeede
battle were all made, The field officers Of the
different rcgiments examined into the condition Of
fftsn
was issued where necessary, and all things 4 done
deeentiy and in order.1 H0uy after hour passed
on, and the men had to undergo that most trying
ed battle Their department and spirit was aH
| that could be asked or expected. There was no
buster OF vain hoassing but the entire force mas
| fested calm, cool resolution to do their duty
and their whole duty. They showed that they had
confidence in themselves, in each other and IN their
| leaders and officers They were ready for a fight
and none who saw them could doubt that they
/ hrax-
1 them. AZ
/ But all their labor and all their eagerness was ii
| vain. About noon, one regiment after another
/ began to face to the rear and take tlie road To-
/ wards Winchester The men seemed TO fall into q &
state Of bewiiderment; they could not understand
| the movements they thought they we're ordered
| time. they began to murnlnr. They obeyed the
order to fall back with sulienness and disconfent,
and cheerfnlness was not restored till they learned
the true state Of the case. N n hen, the adysnce
| fed. They had broken up their encampment the
evening before, and all night they had been march
| ing to and through the Potomac Though many
4 thousands of them were on our side OF tue river,
they had no stomach for the contest with our e0E
urnns. So speedy was their i1tiag that our scouts
only saw one or two small picke & take To-
4 the water.i They were determined TO put the
4 broad deep stream between themselves and the 81
bullets and bayonets that were 90 close to their
rear.
Our whole army then fell back towards Winchesz
ter; and on this retrograde march first exhibitea
indications Of the effect Of the tolls and depriya
4 tions they had 80 CALAMITY borne up to that lime
4 Their three days labor and suffering had proved
| fruitIess, or at least had only shown the skill cf
/ their General and The z game Y qualities Of his
/ men. The excitement was over and Sthe reaction
was Overwhelming The troops had been All day
ration for the scanty supplies hch could be car
ried on their forced march were exhansted. They
A were once more on a hard but dusty turnpike 81
4 water was scarce and bad, and the Eearied men
sniff nd 1sSGt " y
Yet such was the stamina of the gallant fellows,
that when they at last staggered into their camp
Il near Winchester, plentiful supp " of food wlth
abundance Of good water and, better than al,
4 long, sound, unbroken nights sleep, completely
restored their strength and spirits 0ur Informant
tells US that when it was announced next morning
n that they would remain in camp all day, many Of
II the younger men, in less than an hour, were run
ming foot races, boxing, wrestling, etc. ln pronf
of their indomitable pluck, is enly necessary to
Il say that, on the second day after they reached
camp, several of the same regiments which had
n made this extraordinary march again turned ont,
started to Martnsburg at oclock In the evening
4 having eaten nothing since morning gand actually
marched the distance (twenty two milesl By "
Il O'Clock at night and destroyed the ifnm ense stock
i of railroad cars and engines there accumulated
1 We consider the march of Gen. J0hnston'5 cob
umn from Harper's Ferry to Winchester, under
3 the circumstances, as an achievement worthy OF
commenoration. It was one in which. nearly the
whole South participated for, in dition to the
Virginia troops there were one or more regiments
fron,each of the States of Tennessee, Lonssianas
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and
Maryland, ard all have reason to be proud Of this
proof of the endurance courage and self-dasotion
Of their sodiery Had the troops been veteran sol
diers or common laborers, accustomed to constant
toll, the exploit would not be 50 remarkable but
! the great proportion Of them were men accustom-
ed to ease and abundance but, at the Same time,
7 they were used to active habits and outdoor ex-
afraid Of the sunshine nor frightened at
81 little hardship, We do not beieve thai Northern
r troops could do such o thing Men raised In the
Il shade and in sedentary habits could not have en-
y dured the heat and dust and toll aud this remark
able expedition satisfies that volunteers are
\ as much superior to their opponents in physical
4 ability as they undoubtedly are in courage and
I | self-deyotion.