Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-05-10
Perryville, the Rendezvous of the
Northern Troops.

vi 'liie ID rising iDlO ulStlnctl0n.
Millions who never heard of the place
before now read of it every day. It
hgures in dispatches and correspondence
from the frontiers of Canada to the bor-
ders of Texas, and throughout "the great
Northwest" Being hitherto unknown
to fame, it suffers considerably at the
hands of the rather hasty gentlemen Of
the pen and notebook. We have before
us, at this writing, letters and kilograms
in which this focal point of public in
teress is variously set down under the
names of Perrymansville," +" Pretty
mansyille," "Parrysville," Ferry y
"Pryceville,' and everything but Perry
vile, which is its true name. AS the
present is the only chance it has ever
had, or ever may bave, for achieving
historical distinction, we appeal to all
generous journalists to be ca reful to write
out the name in plain characters, and see
that it is printed "Perryville."
1t may be worth while to describe, or,
at least, localize Perryville. This now
famous place is situated in Cecil county
Mary land, sixty-one miles southwest of
Philadelphia, at the point on the east
bank of tue Susquehanna river, where it
is crossed by the great ferry of the Phil
adelphia and Baltimore railroad. 1t is
from this latter circumstance that it de-
rives all its present importance, for other
wise it is a sort of point-no-p point. I"
There is no village and the only houses,
with perhaps one or two exceptions, are
the railway depot, engine houses, work.
shops and woodsheds. These are now
in use as quarters for the troops concen-
trated there to protect the line of commu-
nication, and they afford very good ac-
commodrtions for this purpose.
On the west side Of the Susquehanna,
opposite to Perryville, is Havre-de- Grace,
in Hartford county, Maryland, from which
the railroad is continued thirty-six miles
into Baltimore. Between Perryvilc and
Havre-de-Grace the railway communica-
ton is kept up by means of the powerful
steamboat Maryland, which can easily
accommodate two thousand people, and
has railway tracks on the upper deck
upon which an entire train of cars, loco
motive and all, can be transported across
the river. 1t is by all odds the COM
pletest best worked and most capacious
ferry arrangement in the United States,
and perhaps in the world. The ferry
! steamer above named is now in the SER
! vice of tho envarpmnnt.
Ralntv fha G1tccn.Iaupa Tho Jl.1t,roo.o
railroad crosses several very broad but
quite shallow streams, or rather sheets,
which are the estuaries Of small streams.
The first ofthese is Bush river, about | |
miles southwest Of Havre-de- Grace. This
is somewhat over mile wide. The next
is Gunpowder river, about 7 miles fur
Their on, and of about the same width AZ
Bush river The third is Back river
within 6 or miles of Baltimore, and
about an eighth of mile wide AL
these arc crossed by railway superstruc.
ture, laid upon piles driven into the beds
of the streams There is fourth bridge
of the ordinary kind over u small creek
at Canton, a suburb of Baltimore.
geographically considered, Perryvilc
is an important point, being situated nj
the confluence of the Susquehanna river,
with the head of the Chesapeake bay.
At the railway landing there is sufficient
depth Of water for large steamboats,, and
from that point there is excellent navi-
CATION to any locality on the Chesapeake,
including Baltimore, Annapolis, the
mouth of the Potomac and Fort Monroe.
For the present Annapolis, which is
about fifty miles distant, is the important
point. The run down from Perryvlle is
made by the local steamers and freight
boats in about five hours. From An
napolis over to Washington there are two
routes, one by rail and one by the stage
road by the latter the distance is about
twenty-eight miles--a long days march
The railroad connection is by branch
line of nineteen miles to the Washington
railroad, which it intersects at point
seventeen miles from Baltimore and
twenty miles from Washington.
Such is Perryville, and such the sur
roundings and circumstances which give
it importance at this juneture. --I'htla-
delphia Enquirer.
Message Ofthe Governor Of Tennessee.
We have received copy of the mes
sage Of Gov. Harris to the Legislature Of
Tennessee, assembled in extra session
few days ago. lie rncapitulatcs Southen
grievances at length, and then says:
Therefore, | respectfully recommend
the perfecting Of an ordinance by the
General Assembly formally declaring the
independence Of the State of Tennessee
of the Federal Union, renouncing its au-
thority, and reassuming each and every
function belonging to a separate sovcr-
eighty; and that said ordinance, when il
shall have been thus perfected by the
Legislature, shall, at the earliest practi-
cable time, be submitted to vote Of the
people, to be by them adopted or re-
jected"
Should the Legislature doubt its power
TO pass secession ordinance, he recon-
mends the immediate call of a sovereign
convention. He further suggests that
after secession, the State join the South
ern Confederacy, provided a majority Of
the people, through the ballot box, 80 de-
tcrmine.
TT Rev. Mr.. Whcolright, Of the
Methodist II. Church South, has rendered
his services to Governor Letcher, and
thav havo koon anooxtoI IT.. ,o.n a..