The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-06-26

were taken prisoners, no quarter being
given them for their conduct in firing on
the crew of the Mound City. But q out
a crew of 1877 on board the Mound City
escaped.
OUR PHILADELPHIA CORRESPONDENCE.
Dearth of Topics..Dog Days-The Retreat of Gen.
nks--Its Results Another Uprising of the Peo-
End Of JselsSn. & Rsid-sen
Public Sentiment The Sick and Wounded
PHILADELPHIA, June 16, 1862.
Deor Union-It is now over a month
since dipped my pen for my last letter to
you. During that time so little Of special
interest has occurred that few temptations
have arisen to make another attempt. But
not to create the impression that you are
forgotten, I have concluded to 60 at it
again-but what shall l write about Is
it politics-your sagacious correspondent
'McB." from Washington, gives you the
gist of all that occurs in National affairs,
and as election time is far off, and local
politics as yet present no new issues, l
cannot write about them. Shall it be the
warm these days of telegrapic rapidity,
letters furnish nothing but what is "Aat,
stale, and Improbable" and what can a
poor civilian say, when your correspondent
" Opkewiggle," gives you an idea of mat
ters and things as they appear in camp?
We are now in the midst of the "dog
days." As yet, We have been spared the
excessively hot weather that usually char
acterizes June; but in its stead we have
had, for the last two weeks, plentiful sup
plies of rain. with heat one day, and cold
the next. Last night l retired to rest in a
profuse perspiration, with an idea that the
thermometer might indicate temperature
of about 800; but about an hour after mid
night heavy storm arose, and this morn
ing it reminds one of a cool April day.
Some account for these heavy rains on the
principle that they are supcrinduced by
diischarges Of artillery; if so, there must
have bce; considerable ammunition ex-
pended lately doWs in Virginia.
OF course, long before this reaches you,
your files will have given yoi: all the par
ticulars of the retreat of General Eanks
from the Shenandoah Valley, and its recap.
ture by Fremont and Shields. Such had
been the secresy with which the operations
of the War Department had been conducted
that few, indeed, knew that Banks CON-
mand had been reduced to reinforce McClel-
lau-and all supposed that instead Of the
mere handful Of 5000 men be bad nearer
10000. But the rebels we're much better
Informed; and after reading day after day
of the successes attained by Banks, We were
suddenly startled by the information-mere
rumor at first, but gathering fresh strength
every hour-that he had been compelled
to make retreat-skillfully conducted, it
is true-and re-cross the Potomac at Har-
per's Ferry. The retreat has been called
q masterly one, and your Western hero,
Sigel, complimented the citizen General on
the manner in which it was executed.
But it is not 80 much the fact itself that
[ have to record as the consequences that
sprung from it. On the receipt Of the in-
telligence at the War Department, dis
patches were sent to the Governors of tie
Northern States-perhaps too hastily
asking what troops those States could fur
nish Immediately. The responses were
prompt and to the point, and had it been
allowed to proceed, an uprising of the
people might have occurred equal to that
which followed tho first proclamation of the
President for Is. 900 men. Recruiting and
enrolling commenced Immediately. The
New York Seventh regimen: were ready
to march in eight bouu, aud two other
regiments in that city announced their
readiness to move. 5000 men assembled
on Boston Common on the day that the
Governor Of Massachusetts, issued his proc
lamation. The Home Guards and Reserves
of Philadelpbia offered to have four regi-
ments, averaging 600 men each, ready to
march at different times during three days,
and our streets we're every where placarded
with " Recruits Wanted" The over.timic
saw in Jackson's movement the crossing Of
the Potomac into Maryland, "A attack %
WAnAsa>ka> HAu<p~Y nAasn