Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-10-15
Editorial Correspondence of the Spy. J
RETURN TO WASHINGTON.
WAsHINGToN, o.


an army paymaster's wagon, drawn by two
horses The horses were good, but the gov
erument was cheated sadly by the maker OF
the wagon II knew his name would give
it in full. Before leaving the encampment we
went 10 II commanding eminence on Inc river
where Col Bryan has a battery IN charge Oh
Lieut. Crosby Of the regular army. Here we
had a very wide view Of the river and OF The
Virginia shore No rebels could be seen, but
scores OF their pickeIs might have been con-
cealed in the woods on tlIe other side. ex'
anlinrd the country with glass, but looked
most carefully nj the house and premises OF
Tie malignant rebel Walker, where that scamp
was seized last night hy bold squad of the
New York thirty fourth. Walkers house is
on Il hill about two and half miles from the
place where We stood. l know not what viii
be done with the fellow, though | heard before
we lett that strong gnard was required to
keep the soldiers from tearing him to pieces
Their Indignation was not without sufficient
reason.
We stopped again at Rockville ON our re.
turn Dinner was again laid, and we again
enjoyed that funny tanning machine which to
all Of us was a ludicrous parody on some OF
the tab lie fans that may be seen in other parts
OF the southern country. feel bound to say
here that | have not done full justice to the
famous towns we have visited Tenallytown
has seven houses instead of four, as l said,
and Darnstown has five instead Of three. But
did the greatest injustice TO Rockville, which
is really very respectable village, having
perhaps eighty dwelling houses and six hun
dred inhabitants. The courthouse for Mont
gomery county is located there. l went all
about the village yesterday, resolved to do it
justice even though it be "a rank den of Sc.
cesh animals" as l have been told. l found
the people in a state of the greatest excite
ment, and on approaching a group OF them
and inquirng what had occasoned this unu-
sual stir, WAS told
"They are fighting terribly at Washington
and have been fighting ever since yesterday
afternoon. All the federal troops have left
Tenally town in the greatest haste, and gone
across the river"
And the excited people there really believed
all this. | knew it could not be true, for
the telegraph would have borne such news
to the camps behind us, before we left
them. There might have been eight thousand
troops at Tennallytown, four days ago. whens
we went up. Gen. McCall's division, then
here, had been moved and they have gone
lp Ilut pnf pf ana
such fight as was raging in the imagination of
the Rockville people. This report of battle
was probably occasioncd by the forward move
ment Of Gen. Mcclellan on Wednesday, be.
tore which the rebels retired without showing
any disposition to fight They will continue
10 retire.
have tried 10 tell the whole truth in regard
to this village of Rockville, but there is one
thing still in doubt, viz, its distance from
Washington. Our driver, who has been over
the road many times, says very confidently
that the distance is sixteen miles, but re
specialize looking citizen, residing On the road
between the two places told us that from his
house to Washington the distance is ten miles,
and from The same place to Rockville four
miles.
Then it Is op!y fourteen miles from Rock
vile to Washington" one of us observed,
"No, no, said he, sit is sixteen miles from
Rockville to Washington"
But how do y ou make that out Ten and
four make only fourteen"
Ten and four make sixteen" he replied,
very positively and with the air of one who
knows
An rrepressible laugh broke forth from our
carriage, and the driver exclaimed You
are a genius, friend, and your improvements
in arithmetic are wonderful When we went
to school, ten and four made fourteen"
You need not try your tricks on me- damn
you" he answered with an outbreak of tenn
per, i've studied enough cipherin 1 reckon
to know how much ten and four makes"
1t was useless to pursue the inquiry, and
therefore l leave the question TO those who
can guess" better than our customer could
reckon" Probably some who read this will
think him stupid but the Mary landers up the
river are sharp enough in some things They
NM" nv" W SPOuSS anu CHedt cur SOltllerS
numerically. In most Of the camps there are
complaints of sharp practices and atrocous
prices ON the part of those who have anything
to sell that the soldiers want. And some of
the most respectable of the sellers are con
stantly on the watch for chance to turn a
penny, An officer OF one OF the regiments,
not New Englander, by the way tells a story
of Il visit he made to II respectable and wealthy
family near his camp. Having met the lady
at the gate and made the enquiry which took
him there, lie was asked to walk in a pleas.
ant conversation with the family followed,
when being thirsty, lie asked for tumbler of
milk and water. 1t was produced On leav.
ing, the lady told him that the bill tor the milk
would be zone ftp which he paid of course.
Talk Of wooden nutmegs and Yankee ped.
dlers," said he, nothing equal to the mean
ness of some of those people in their dealings
with us, was ever before imagined" But
they are not all so. The fact is, human nature
with its variations, is pretty much the same
everywhere. job.
How TO KNIT SToCKINGs.-The following
rule of good old fashioned knitter, who has