The Van Buren press., 1861-10-31
Letter from Virginia.
PrEsBrna. Va, Oct 18th. 1861.


True to her soubriquef, old Rip Van winkle has
been slow in waking up TO the emergencies Of the
war. Many of her citizens are much mortified at
the Hatteras affair. and the most amusing game of
stand from under has since been played by the
promiIent officials to shift the responsibility of the
disaster. each from his own shoulders. Gen.
Gwynn, against xhom, by common consent, the
heaviest censure was at first directed, has hand
somely aequitted himself of blame in the matter.
and the burden thus shifted from his head. seems
now to lie vibrating between Gov. Clarke and his
Aulic Council body which, like the ditto of
Gov. Letcher, seems to have fulfilled all its func-
tons in helping his Ereeileney do nothisg. The cap
tured sandbank, however. will be Of little service
to the enemy. it is place of small strategic ad
vantage and cannot be held but by larger force
than the game will warrant. Our fellow towns
mar, Capt Lynch. has already captured one OF
their steamers. the Fanny. and the winter tepests
viii over-mateh all our mimic navy in conquests,
if the federal fleet docs not give the cape q wide
berth
In Franklin county visited fine regiment OF
cavalry. under Col Spruill, numbering about a
thousand men. They are stalwart fellows, and
look as if they might put to route an army ol
Mamelukes in another battle of the Pyramfds.
passed, slso in Warren county, another regimessaeI
Cavalry, about eight hundred men, commSaded u
Col. Ramson. This regiment, embracing many
Of the North States noblest sons, and led by 4
brave end experienced officer, thoroughly educated
at West Point. have been in camp 70 O,:r months and
by strict discipline and thorough drill both men
and horses have attained proficiency in all the ev
olutions of the field rarely equalled. They now
under marching orders, and Will pass through herr
Thursday. on their way to Western Virginia to aid
in driving from its fertile yallies the Hessians and
the Traitors. God bless them.
Since the suppression of the Christian Observer
in Philadelphia, DIR. Converse has run the gauntlet
and reached Richmond, where his paper has reap
peared. He is a noble man. and deserves well o
| all men, especially of the South. His daughter
Sarah, whom you nay have seen in BucxiI E!lan E,la n
county. has Just arrived in Richmond having lef
Philadelphia since her fathers fight. and bring
ing with her young brother of fourteen years
She escaped from Philadelphia to New York, ano
then turning on her track, she coursed through
the former city down through Delaware, Marylan,
and the Eastern shore Of Virginia, by rail an,
stage to Cherrystone, opposite Old Point. Her
she took small sail-bOat at early dark, crosse,
the bay. ran the blockading squadron in full viev
of their guns and lights, and landed safely q
Yorktown at O'Clock a. m. The race of Amazon
is not yet extinct
passed few days in Richmond Ia st week
is full of Office hunters, eoldiers and rOwdies In
very air is poisonous with the pestilental odor o
the first family gentry. in supPliant quest Q
1
scarcely worth the free negro labor which it woul
| cost to bury them-nnulfum ct turpe pecus. At tn
several foundries aruories, Laboratories and othe
| manufacto-;ss Of the munitions and equipments {
work is going bravely forward and it is trul
cheering to witness the facility with which ou
men have fallen into these new and unusual app
cation. Naturally indolent and luxurious as ou
people are it requires potent il not caustc motive
to arouse their activities. and really engage them
any earnest work. War supplies such motives an
If it should continue for FIVE or ten years, with
the blessings of vigorous and efficient blockad,
l am not certain but they would, in that time, s
i get their engines and wheels, lathes and spindle
furnaces and hammers under way, that they woul
successfully work out the problem of their ind
pendence. This is saying, perhaps, too much
for if The war were to close soon or year hence.
venture to predict that within three months ther
after the editors and people would have devoure
all the curses they have heaped upon the Yankee,
and, by scores Of thousands our merchants woul
flock to their land for goods manufactures an
agricultural products, hay. potatoes butter, chee:
apples and the like and in a space incredibl
:LST .a cur E E-c~98t.eturing ~8 make FL
or bucket pitchfork a sofa or a piano.
anything else which We ~"'''~
! s---- a. ana can prOcu
! ..v... .uem, and which our servanta eannot NAL
1t must be confessed We are a people of iDexous
Die inability rE..u sioth And my faith is that G,
.asen...s. by this war. to necessitase our develo
ment, physical, intellectual. moral and reLgious