The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-05-01
OUR PHILADELPHIA CORRESPONDENCE.

OUR PHILADELPHIA CORRESPONDENCE
Heavily in the Lap Of Spring The Recent Vic:
tozies--The Anniversary of the Attack on SUMTER:
The Army of the Potomac. Yorktown &c.
PHILADELPHIA, April 16, 1862.
Friend Union-My surprise, on the
receipt of your paper Of the 21st Of March,
was very great on seeing that your neigh
Dor of the Frontier had been so ungener-
ously, though summarily, dealt with. Any
wishes l may have expressed had no refer
ence to such a catastrophe, but rather, if
death we're to come to that paper, that it
should be natural one. Myself printer,
the worst fate I could possibly anticipate
would be one in which masses of pi we're
like "Pelion on Ossian piled" making
confusion worse confoun1ed. And surely,
if your friend Dummer has not exhibited
some of the Christian graces Designation,
for instance,) under the L" "dispensation Of
Providesce," my prayers, even did they
possess the efficacy which you seem dis
posed to attribute to them, would be totally
unavailing.
On the 29th Of March, shocking calam-
ity occurred in our city-an explosion in .
building where number of persons we're
engaged ia the manufacture of cartridges
for the Government-which resulted in the
killing or subsequent death of seventeen
persons, and the wounding of about twenty.
1--WE more. Portions of bodies were blown
nearly quarter of a mile from the spot
where tie accident occurred, and the walls
of the houses in the vicinity were spattered
with the blood and brains Of the victims.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the 9th
and 9th inst, we had a notable example of
"Winter lingering in the lap Of spring"
On the first Of those days snow fell all day,
stopping early on Wednesday morning, but
recommending that night with unusual
violence, making the heaviest snow-storm
We have had since the cold weather set in.
The weight of the snow was such as to
break down awning posts of solid iron, two
and three inches in diameter.
Of course, you will ere this know as well
as we of the East, of the additional sue
cesses of the Federal arms in the West, but
cannot refrain from making some refer
ence to them. The telegraph informed rs
on the morning Of the 9Th Of the result Of
the battle at Pittsburg Landing, but we had
no intimation then how very near we had
been to suffering disastrous defeat, except
from paragraph in the Norfolk papers
stating that Beauregard had defeated the
Yankees at that place, capturing eight bat
teries and taking large number of pris-
oners, and concluding by expressing the
belief that the Federal army would be
totally annihilatcd. This was regarded by
US as another attempt to cheer up the
desponding spirits of the residents in Dixie; !;
but as far as it went, it was only too near
the truth. But for the invaluable assistance
of the gun boats, and the arrival, after
forced march, of portion of General Buers
army, We should have suffered defeat
before which any preceding disaster would
have paled. The fortunate termination of
the second days engagement seems to have
necessitated the abandonment Of Island
No. 10, thus adding two more victories to
the list of those achieved by the invincible
heroes of the West. These, with the cut
ting of the railroad lines Of communication
at Huntsville and Chattanooga by General
Mitchell, give the most serious blow to the
rebellion, cutting the eastern portion of
their territory entirely from the western.
The anniversary of the attack on Sumter
brings US the intelligence of the uncoudi-
tional surrender of Fort Pulaski, making
the capture of Savannah almost certainty;
and the descent of the gallant Commodore
Foote down the Mississippi below Memphis.
Nearer home, the grand army of the Poto-
mac, after niue months of preparation, has
at last moved, and We are expecting every
day to hear Of McClellan's assault on York
town. This will be perhaps the most bloody
struggle during the conflict, and while the
hearts of those who have sons, brothers and
friends there beat with apprehension for
the dear ones, all anticipate that ou the
spot where Washington gave the death
blow to British domination on this conti-
nent, this second struggle in the life. Of our
beloved country may be brought practically
to an end, and be the opening to many
more years of prosperity and peace. That
it may be so, is the prayer Of
PHILos.
A,o%ha, Tovr;hle Efoy,n