Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-10

IETsREsrISG LETTER OF GEEssAL LANA, WRITTEN ATrTR
yislr TO .orR AF,n es 1HK POTOMAC.
tTraaG;ed yO Isro &c "a ras f Havana, for the New
York HetslAl ......
wAnMGrOS, Jaly 81, 1861.
Yon win be surprised or seaing my letter dated from
ths city, sine, perhaps you supposed was ALREADY in
Madrid I, would have been had It not happened
that found on myarrivl At NV York, that the famous
s.e,uFbip Great Eastern expected, circumstance
which created in me hope Of making my trip to Liver
pool In that eolOssus In the meantime, in order 10 make
tho mns OF my time, visited Saratoga, where learned
the news OF the bse at Bull run, aud since the Great
Eastern does not a from iebeo l tho 9th Of August
fs!. curiosity to see what going on, that
thsPs people appear he lighting In earnest aud at
bound pianIe myself in the capital of the old Union
Her CalkoIic Msjestys Eiqstcr ST. Tasssra received
ne very Wo and did every thing in his power post
mr fniy possible in regard 10 the military end po-
EeE stst6 Cf 'r county, EOF1 ShIh information be-
iieye have formed srti euty accurate idea OF the
acts stUaSn although hereabtut hey ale as silent sa
the dead On certain rpattCTs and hare very little nova
OF h4t Il t dog place the ether side OF tia Potomac
Il IS necessary 70 see 4 place 10 he convinced Of what
Is occurring and 20 OIm an idea OF WhA lind OF ha
an amy is pcsed of men ahou' any military habits
aud led by cfoeEs chiefs and gtheraswho are or the
most part devoid oi the knowledge necessary. Except
ius the wGr material in the transportation department,
such as wagons qua carriages amhulancee, &c. &c,
which Is magnificent, all else Ia Confusion OF iciad
meu vithoal any military Instruction, and what s worse
without irving to aeqdire it, according appearances
sncs during the tiae rsm iced there have seen them
pass iaya snd nights in the camps without doing any
thiBE With the exception Of battalion drill for short
sbii in tie noinng and aeain Ia tho evening. AZ tar
as have been able observe they have large fields
Tor mar avTng target exercises which surprises me,
since know the fondness they have for il 10 this country
Netting mpeaCs you that there are seventy thousand
men in the nelgLborhood preparing for war Silence and
tranquility reign n the city and camps neither more nor
lees thIn if everything were ia IormAl state
For al have searched have not succeeded in Ind.
ing either cavalry or artillery True, the latter they
atandoned on the Bull Run field Of battle and the former
they have had except IN comparatively iDsignh.
cant nrmbsrS What they have ia dfaught cattle such
as have never seen anywhere; the harness and guu
carriages are magnificent ell bran new siuce they lost
thoss hey previously hsd In the battle and that, too in
great numoers, "a every ono says.
To-day saw more ihan thousand most beautiful
mules good the heat which are bred IN the pastures
of La Gsasba New Casile) 6l Of them we're destined
Tor drau 1T service in the army they had ust come from
Kentucky Certainly s that money can procure is had
here in abundlrce hut there things which cannot be
mproviscd Hence 1t s that, according 10 my opinion,
hese gentry will be beaten often they so lto bat
I tie; al least for the present
Nothing OF all that Is said BY the Southern papers on
tho rca ult Of the battle il exaggerated Here known
perfectly well that the FedeTslsts, besides having run
svay belis los about nineteen thousand
kes seventy odd cannon G. all their wagons and pro-
visions field train tents aud great part OF their knap
sacks 1t IL only necessary take peep at an enolmp
ment 10 notice that Of hese later is 20 be seen
The soldiers use no moro clothing uniform than what
we understand by barrack dress and their clothes arc
so cumsiiy woru dirty and motley, that Il il necessary
10 see TO believe Boards and long hair are very much
in fashion wonder IL they imagine that the enemy will
be frightened by showing them disheyeled heads and
dirty hairy faces would require to write many pages
10 relate some out of the much which is about here
in these days of the remarkable and strange. Bat
neither snare sufficient time for that would you have
! patience to read IL.
By the time yo receive this letter !; Ia very probable
the scene may have been transferred more to The north
ward believe Il the Southerners avail themselves duly
OF time and circumstances they will very obge theT
enemies TO evacuate Hsrpes Ferry osr hattie 10 the
corps of Federal troops marching through Western Wiz
giuio and also present themselves at Baltimore, threat
enipg the faree in possession there In that case the
army which Is here eHcamped will have to retire to Phi|a
tephil and then Virgnia and Maryland will remain in
the power of the Southern CoDtedeats5 AM thoroughly
convinced that this mu'' happen very soon.
endeavored in vain 20 get glimpse OF the Southern
troos and convinced myself that twas useless attempt
il. Their pckets allow one to pass. not even tho
country people which case TO penetrate the country
il would be -ssry 10 take great ronnd for which
/ have not sufficient time.
Tomorrow start of New York, and after resting there
day or two will make an excursion to Niagara 10
to bridge which the English have built the river Of
81 Lawrence o. proceeding on the 5h to Quebec to
smbark for Europe on the H.