The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-07-24
Our Washington Correspondence.
NATIONAL HOTEL, WASHINGTON CRY,
J,1,, 1tb 1851

Eds. Times This is about the day rumor
had fixed upon for general forward move
ment of our combined forces on Manassas
Junction, and We are hourly awaiting i'm
portant news from the field. Various ru-
mors are a1oat. Now Gen. Patterson has
suffered repulse with heavy loss, and now
he has driven in the enemy's advance lines,
with the loss to him of hundreds or thou
sands. These rumors, which are here
deemed unworthy any bodies serious atten-
ton, are hourly sent adrift by the telegraph
operators, and they seem to lose nothing
by travel.
leave for Iowa to-day. For the first
time, / find it is misfortune for me,
physician, to be over % years Of age; and
that my fifteen years Of almost constant,
actual practice at the bed side, is a disquali-
fication and renders it impossible for me to
''serve my country" in the way that de-
sired. In other words, the red tapists and
routinists of the Brooklyn Naval Hospital
who constituted the examining board, told
me that it would be useless for me to spend
time and money in New York awaiting an
examination, as they should feel it to be
their duty to object to me on account Of my
age, even if everything else should prove
satisfactory. This explanation is necessary,
to correct any false impression that might
arise in the premises, especially after the
very fattering notice which am told you
were kind enough to give me in one of your
recent issues. And I can only say, that
altho' "the King of France with twice ten
thousand men, march'd up the hill and
then march'd down again,"-that | have
received assurances from "the powers that
be-" that enables me to say to all who may
rejoice in my apparent discomfiture-"Let
those laugh that win."
1t is currently believed here that the
government is about to make heavy re-
trenchment, and that large number OF
employees are to be discharged.
There Is d most entire preponderance of
patriotic feeling, both in the Halls of Con
gress and in the city; and the general i'm
preston here is that the southern leaders are
becoming sick Of their enterprise. The
healthest possible spirit appears to pervade
our entire army; now that they are confident
of being forthwith ordered ITO the point" J."
Yesterday whole company, were placed
in "durance vile," because they would not
accept the ordinary army musket. They
had been promised the new rife, with
sword bayonet; which is a wicked looking
instrument enough. The pressure that is
brought to bear upon our NJ. C.'s is constant
and overwhelming; and the scramble is one
into which never should have engaged
under any ordinary auspices; and if an,
person with my circle of influence should
become imbued with the prevailing mania
for serving the country" or seeking to dc
so, dependent upon q course of lobbying
at Washington, am sure he will thank mi
for the earnest advice, more especially if h'
he don't take it, to stay at home, and attend
to his farm, his merchandise, or his pro
fession. Depend upon it, it is more des
perate lottery, if possible, than any of th'
numerous "schemes" with which the coun
try is flooded from Wilmington, Delaware
There is of course some rowdyism, beg
ging, and drunkenness among the troops
but not think to any dangerous extent
As remarked in some previous letter, thi
is. "a perfect Saturnalia of soldiers. The,
lounge about the public builings, throng tn
halls of the capitol, bore the NJ. C.'s t
frank packages Of envelopes for them
drink in the barroom, promenade tn
streets, drive around in splendid hacks, an'
| am afraid resort not little to variou
questionable houses not to be mentioned il
polite ears. A soldier was killed in one Q
these, last night, and his comrades 'gutted
(it was reported) "whole block of thes
"sinks Of iniquity,' and then set fire there
to. heard the fire bells ringing, but di
not learn this morning that much damag
had been done by the fire after all.
The city is very gay, dressed in the par
ophy of war. The sidewalks arc thronge
and the hotels crowded with splendid look
ing officers Of all grades, in their variou
uniforms. Troops Of all kinds are cor
stantly in motion. Trains of baggag
wagons, empty and loaded are in incessan
motion. All the hotels and boarding house
on Pennsylvania Avenue (and it is nothn
but hotels and boarding houses) are throne
ed with visitors.
l thought as saw him yesterday in tn
Senate Chamber, that the handsome bro'
of John c. Breckenridge, the secession lead
er in Kentucky and U. S. Senator from tina
State, was heavily clouded; and that
could read the doom of the cause in tn
lines of his face. You will have heard tha
on Sunday, when Mr.. Vsllindgham, tn
shame of Ohio, visited some troops ffor
that State across the Potomac, he wa
incontinently stoned out Of their camp
Baltimore and the whole line Of Railroa
thence to this city, is heavily garrisone
and guarded with federal troops. hav
but little faith in Baltimore; and nothin
but the presence Of troops keeps the cit.
decent.
A recent N. Y. Paper well remarks tina
the 1000 soldiers that have been or WI
be called into the field, have not only arm
in their hands, but votes in their pockets
and that they and their sentiments will b