Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-13
From tho Army Of tho PosoIaac.
Correspondence of The Charleston Courier.

Correspondence of The Charleston Courier.
LEEsBURG, October 3d. Is6l-Wbile Loudoun
county may be- sgriculturally, the garden spot OF
the Commonw calth, politically it is of the foul
est testers upon its surface. The home of a COM
munity, whose commercial relations have been al.
most W holly with the North, with railrosd at
their doors which has carried their produce direct
| to Alexandria and Washington, and situated upon
border infected with the worst species of Union
sentiment, the contamination has so spread. that
you can hardly name family in certain neighbor
! hoods that has not a fibre of Linconism fastened
/ somewhere in the household. OF course there are
many brave and honorable exceptions TO this rec
mark Several companies of young men Of the
county are in the service OF the Confederscy, bat
you may judge of its general truth by the fact that
when Leesburg was threatened with an attack by
/ the Federals, and Gen. Evans called upon the mill
TIA of the county to rally to his aid in defending
/ their homes but two men responded Uae of these
| being General Wright their commander. Gf re
member the name correctly and an aged citizen of
sixty five years, named Henry Ball. The latter not
only shouldered his musket and fought like hero
all day, the front ranks of both Rirginlans and
Mlssissipans but placed his entire property houses
land live stock and provisions, at the service ofour
troops. Without fee or reward, prompted only by
his generous and patriotic impulses, he has willingly
surrendered every dollar in his possession for the
benefit of thu COnfederscy, and proved his princi
pies by his s:ts upon the field.
! While writing his name, as an illustrious excep
ton to the rule, may mention snother-that of Mr..
George Washington Ball also wealthy citizen, who
has given up house, home and servants to the OF
our army and entered the ranks private soldier
! Ez-Mayor Orr, the Capharts, ClaggeJs and Rogers
are likewise doing soldiers duty; but there ff.
teen hundred or two thousand others who thronged
the heights around Leesburg during the battle and
gazed listessly upon the bloody spectacle enacted
before them without raising hand in sef-defence.
In truth, the most ardent and numerous secession
lists il both town and country are the ladies' and
had the men but half the pluck of their wives and
daughters, the Commander in-ChIef might keep his
reinforcemeRts at home and trust to the citizens
themselves for the protection of this portion of the
border, as public sentiment exists, however,
should the right wing Of the Federal army ever
occupy the county, they viii find hundreds Of able
bodied men who will stay at home to welcome, and
bestow upon them such good cheer as they pos
sess.
During the late strategic movements when our
troops fell back six or eight miles the ladies' sups
posing them to be On 8 final retreat stood in their
door ways and on the streets and wept /; and when
on their return they advanced to battle these brave
women were by the wayside with buckets Of hot
coffee milk other food to refresh them on their
toilsome march The men looked Oh with their
hands in their pockets.
There are numbers of others who are not even
lukewarm, but are in direct communication with
the enemy whenever an opportunity is afforded.
Signal lights were displayed in the neighborhood
several nights before the battle from certain con
spiauOus houses, and the name of son of ex Mayor
swan, of Baltimore, q Republican, who owns
princely mansion near here, Is mentioned in cOnnec
ton with these vile traitors. But believe nothing
more than suspicion rests upon any one. One of the
prisoners informed me that the Federsls received
intelligence from our little command daily and at
night these peculiar iuminstions conveyed to their
lOokouts similar notifications of our movements. A
I woman whO lives near EtWard's Ferry has two
sons serving in the Lincoln army, and il is said
path is worn from her house to the river by the
footsteps of the spies with which she has been in
communicative
Arrests are often made. But if all were taken
into custody who deserve to be, the prisons of
Richmond would not be large enough to contain
them. Were our force large enough. It would not
be difficult to establish complete and effective line
Of pickets along the border, and thus prevent the
egress and ingress which takes place into and from
the State but at present this is impossible. Men
pass back wards and forwards at will One day
last week three Quakers went to Ba timore and
are now there attending Conference. Letters and
papers likewise come and CO. and, in fact, any one
who chooses to the river may do so at almos.
any point ten miles above US.
Opposite Leesburg, on the Maryland side some
fifteen or twenty miles IN the interior is the Sugar
Loaf Mountain, where the enemy have q signal
station and lookout From this point with strong
glass, every movement of our forces may be seen,
and the fact is instantly communicated to head
quarters at Washington and else where. It is with
lights upon this mountain and others correspond
ing here, that conversation is carried on.
the difficulties which Gen Evans has been COMPEL
ed to encounter and surmount in conducting the
operations for which he has been assigned. How
well he succeeded hiss already been demonstrated.
It is enough to try the patience of en- angel to be
engaged in task where every step Is an obstacle
and every design ia surmised even before its &C
complshment In enemys country it might be
endured philosophically, but here upon Southern
soil, among those who protesting to be friends
are foes in disguise, to be thWarted In the attain
Of lie q do1rhlc dtuep I4
| dsgusts the army with the people for whom they
have come sacrifice their lives and illustrates khe
hopes of iuhcting that punishment upon the enemy
which it is the prayer Of every Confederate soldier
they shall receive.
OF items Of local interest there is nothing espaci
ally interesting The principal topic sgitated in
the town is VIII the Yankees advance again ?" 1t
seems be generally settled idea that they will
but on the next occasion the movement will prob
ably be with force of not less than twenty thOus-
and who will cross the river at several places Fer
the reasons have named in previous letter. they
are determined to possess the county and in spite
of the wholesome lesion they have received another
attempt is Hure to be made. How important are
their designs, may be inferred from the presence
of both Mcclellan and BIBks on the Potomac. and
their personal superintendeRee of tie disposition
of troops made on the twenty q st.
! 10 q former communication referred to q breach
/ of the treaty made between Lieut. Col. McGuirk
of the Seventeenth Mississippi and Col Vaughn, of
the Federal army in reference to the burial Of the
dead, and the apology which was afterwards sent
The following is copy Of tina letter which has been
placed at my disposal You will observe recog.
nj ion of the Confederate States army:
MoSo.-OVr Flag for the Whole Country.
n'I'R''n camp 18Th ass H st * x9f 1851
MAJOR Commanding Forces s. T.:
sra II regret that any occurrence should have
transpired which should have cast a suspicion
upon the sacredness with which l regard parole
Of honor.
No movement Of troops has taken place upon this
Island since the nag Of truce to the Virginia
shore. under charge Of Capt Vaughn, except
party bearing wounded to the Maryland shore, and
like party bringing rations to the Island.