Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-11-21

| gong into bags Tn StFeaii. tile post master n0 having the slightest idea when or where hc should resume his accustomed place. At the | several headquarters of the quartermastars the 1 same life was visible. Wagons were drawn up | in front of hay stacks, fodder stacks. corn bins and accumulated stores, while teamsters and de- 1 tails of men hastily piled in the various valua- l bles belonging to their respective regiments l What could not be taken was destroyed, and from nine until three clock the dancing fires of 6 hundred encam mpment8. fed by old tents, use- l less baggage and worn0ut clothing, unworthy of 1 transportation, illuminated the night, and sent up 1 clouds of pale white smoke that hung like vail over the scene.
 By nine o'clock, the immense train of wagons, private and public, commenced to move, and from that hour until the present moment-near- 1 ly noon-they had dragged their slow lengths along every road leading from Fairfax Court l House. No such scene has ever been witnessed on this continent, and imagination only can pie ture the extraordinarv spectacle of an almost endless winding procession, consisting ot prl- vate carriages, transportation wagons, ambulan- ces, noisy drivers praying mules, stalled teams, ladies on horseback, drovcs of cattle, sheep and pigs, families on foot children without shoes and stockings, tender young girls, mothers with babes in their arms, each carrying bundels of goods with which to make themselves comfor- table, and the ten thousand other incidents of a midnight retreat
 During my preambulations from point to point in the night, encountered one ot the poor fam llies referred to-for this is no fancy sketch--and riding up to the farther, who was bent nearly double under the weight of sack full of cook ing utensils. l said to him: "Whera ara you go- ing?" God only knows, sir, but anywhere rather than fall into the hands of the Yankees" ''But where d9 you expect to stop tonight" "ln the woods sir, unless We can reach Ceutervlle, which IS four or six miles away.' 'Why don't you wait until mornng-the Yankees won't be here for three days to come?' "Wel, sir, am afraid to trust them, and 1 would rather know that my family are safe. If we do have to travel on foot all night 1 tried to induce the man to 20 home again, by giving him every assurance possible that he would not be molested, even If he remained--for he was too poor to steal from but no consideration would induce him to re- trace his steps, and left him trudging on with q half dozen little ones and feeble wife, req lizing for the first time in this struggle, the ter rbe devastating effect of war.
 Pursuant to orders, the army commenced its march at halfpast two o'clock. By daylight such regiments as were assigned this situation had arrived and when, shortly after-sunrise, t the surrounding locality and looked abroad, the whole country as far as the eye could reach, was alive with humanity. X city of canvass had sprung into existence as suddenly as 1.-the word of an cnchanter had called it from the ground. Camps dotted every hillside and valley the smoke of the ten thousand fires was curling up> ward to minge with the clouds; stacked bayo nets glisteGed in the sunli sh; bands were play ing; flags flying; men were feling trees in the woods and order was being established through out the vast household. What were the feel ings of the villagers throughout this tumuGt of the night and sensations on waking up amid the new and wonderful surroundings, are not to be described; but if t seemed dream to one who had seen no sleep, but watched the gradu ally changing process 1t must, for moment have appeared to the unsuspccting residents like ] vision little less than supernatural.
 4 few hours have sult!cci 10 make IS all feel comp psra,ively settled again. The arrangements 89aGmirauly made blythe commanders, though so suddenly announced, have enabled the various regiments 10 drop into their new places without he slightest disorder or delay, and the men are nov engaged in 'puttng things to rights" in their rcspec5ivettepattmer. All the-houses in Ceutervile have been pressed into service for the different officers Of tao army, such as h.ad>
 
 termastera and the bustle now going on around nc is not e4uaiei by even that of 8 city in fact I an writing in the midst of a crowd of hungry fellows who are awaiting for dinner, with large board for my desk. stone for a seat, and no end 10 temptation to anatbam9tiZe internally every individlal who comes within two feet of me- for he Is sure to be looking over my shoulder. Under these circumstances, l find t difficult to indite anything interesting. and much more so to bestow that careful thought upon 8 subject which an aware will enlist the severest crti- c5m ofsouthern people.
 Surprise will be everywhere expressed at 6 movement in the face ofoar enemy, so appar- en;lv indicative of weakness or fear. X litile reflection, however. will satisfy every mind, that however well we nigh: have done in our old position we can do better where we are at pres ent. Our disadvantage at Fairfax, or ct Mun sons HI were, first q country not well adapt ed for a battle ground; second, a line of forces 50 great that we could have been easily outflank- ed and a third, we were in too close proximity to the enemy for him to fairly avail himself of our invtetion to come out aud be whipped.
 Cur advantage here, if we remain, are com handing position, nights which are pregnable a concentration of our troops, and, of course much greater effectiveness, whether on the of tensiye or defensive. Finally, we throw the gauntlet to General Mcclellan in q manner so pointed that as g military man, he must, having advanced thus far accept the challenge.
 Already he is advancing on our left with an immense force, said to be eighty thousand. Eff, teen thousand are reported to have crossed the Chain Bridge in one night; and all his latter movements seem to indicate determination once more to ''push on to Richmond What ever he or his confreres may ascertain concern ing our strength here, am satisfied that when his army-the bone aud sinew who are to do his Gghting-once get sight of those high hills, with the bristling mus&ets around and upon them, they will quake and shake in their shoes, worse than if the Angel Gabriel was about to blow his The Lincoln Despotism in 8 Canadian