The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-01
FROM SOUiHWEsrERN VIRGINIA.
Destination Of the 56th Regineat-lnteresting Ia
cidents Of Female utcOti0n 10 the Southern cause.
ESPECIAL oORREsPoNDgzoz OF THE DIsPATCH
CAMP RoBHkrsos, near Abingdon, Va,


december 18th, 1861.
Great Is the activity i'll camp 70 day. IAe
doaDts enter tanned and expressed so long as
10 the destination OF the 56th regiment are
gaping ~ receive Us. IT. sixty Two miles
Al vIn Abingdon. The ROAD is rcpresen ted to
DC the worst on the continent, and The Str cams
10 be crossed are moderately estimated at i've
hundred This statement may seem Incredi-
ole TO TO an Eastern firg inian; but when he Is
informed that Camp Robertson Is only u mile
and half from Abingdon, and that seven
creeks have TO De trangressed before reaching
the latter. his ideas may probably be quick
ened. Bat the Pound As not lne end OF the
journey. Far beyond, to Preslons0urg and
70 falntville, over u hundred miles, Wal the
5oth nave to ,rudge through rain, cold, mud
aud snow. They are going The inexerable
HAT has gone forth, and, like the Children Of
Israel, the brave boys OF the regiment will
lake up the iine of march through the viii.
derness in the fond hope Of reaching the rich
Canaan Ut the Kentucky Blue Grass! The
rigors OF the campaign and the seventies OF
the march are forgotten IN the eager expec-
tatIon OF soon obtaining land FLOWING with
milk and honey They gladly exchange u
noun famous lite OF comparative ease for the
neil of glory. They 60 as did the
..Ycuth who bore mid snow and ;.a
A banner wi b the strange device.
Excelsiorl
And If amid the hard ships Of the mar.h-
IN snow and ice OF the cam paigu-anv hrav
fellow shall fall, he will still furths r iiirs1
trate the character Of the heroic "Youth''-
"There, 10 the twilight cold aad gray,
Lifeess bu: beautiful he lay,
Still graspipg In his hand of ice
That banner with the strange deyice--
Excelsior"
Let me now tell the story Of q Kentucky
lady. 1t was related to me by one in whom
implicit confidence can be placed. Some
few weeks ago the hireiings of Lincoln went
"A Of Sow rn~,p = a
"Secessionists." A gentleman, whom I will
call Smith, was strong Southern man. and
feeling that he would be among the fret to
be arrested, hastened a way at de ad of night
He was man Of wealth and influence. but
such was the precipitancy with which he
left his house and his all that he could carry
nothing with him. He hurriedly escaped in
his shirt sleeves to = widows houss in the
neighborhood, with whom he was we'll &C.
quainted, and stated his condition. The
lady, who was herself wealthy, instantly
and intuiti vely conceivec a plan to relieve
him. And what does the reader su ppose th at
plan wasf She ordered a horse to be
saddled, took servant behind her, went
to Cynthiana, six miles distant, pro-
cured money for her friend, bought cloth,
made into garments by Ine next morning.
and started Smith OF bright and early! Gan
any Virginia lady surpass this devotion to
me Southern cansei Such an act deserves
e be held in everlasting remembrance F; and
the historian who fails to chronicle the heroic
and daring deed Of this Kentucky woman
will fall far short of his trust.
Another. Gen. Marshall sent his Quarter.
M ster here for the artillery destined for his
com mAnd. There was not a sufficient nupa.
Der OF horses to be bought in the ordinary
way, and the Quartermaeter was empowered
TO impress. He met with .ady on splendid
gray horse. She was visiting some Of her
friends during the Christmas, and was twen-
ty miles from homo. She was asked tn
price 1T which she would sell her horses.
She replied It was the only horse she had,
and she had refused two hundred dollars for
him frequently. The Quartermaster in.
formed her that one hundred and fifty was
as much as the Government could give, and
he thought that the horse was necessary 10 aid
in the defence of this section Of the country.
Her reply was characteristic OF the ladies in
this country, "Kentuckian, take him."
A battery composed Of six pieces and six
caissons left here this afternoon for point
in Kentucky, commanded by Capt. Camen
Patteeon, OF the Buckingham Yancey
Guards. It required forty eight horses, and
presented 1ine appearance as 1t moved
of. OccAsIoHALsa