The weekly Butte record., 1862-01-04

Total. .................... l2o06
Among the beauties of the war in Western
Virginia is the " mixed up way in which the
combatanis maneuver among the mountains.
Here is a recent instance. where a single loyal
soldier halted an entire rebel regiment
Sergeant Cart, of Tippecanoe, Ohio was
upon the post first attacked by the enemy
The advance Guard OF the Second Virginia
(rebel), consisting of twelve men, came sudden
ly upon him and his three companions The
bright moonlight revealed the flashing bayo-
nets OF the advancing regiment. He was sur
rounded and separated from his reserve
With great presence of mind be stepped out
and challenged, Halt who goes there -
The advance guard, supposing they had come
upon a scouting party of their own men, an
swered, - Friends, with the countersgn." At
his order, " ADVANCE one, and give the coun-
tersign' they heSitated He repeated the
order peremptorily, Advance and give the
countersign, or I'll blow you through" They
answered without advanding. " Mississippi"
" Where do YOU belong p he demanded. To
the Second Virginia Regiment" "Where are
yea golng?' Along the ridge They then
III turn questioned him. " Tho are you ?"
That's my business" he answered. and
taking deliberate aim, he shot down his ques-
toner.
/ He called for his boys to follow him and
sprung down a ledge of rock, while full vol
/ ley went over his head. He heard his compan-
ions summoned TO surrender, and the order
given to the Mai0r to advance with the regi-
ment. Several started in pursuit of him. He
had to ascend the bill on the side towards the
enemys camp. While he eluied his pursuers,
be found himself in new danger He had
gotten within the enemy's camp plckets He
had, while running. torn the |. ;. from his
cartridge box, aud torn the stripes from his
panteloons. He was challenged by their SEN
tnels while making his wav out. and answered.
giving the countersign, " Mississippi. Second
Virginia Regiment They asked him what
he was doing there. lie said that the boys
had gone off on a scout after the Yankees. that
he had been detained in camp, and in trying
TO find them he had got bewildered As he
passed through to prevent further questioning.
he said, Our brave boys are up on the ridge :;
which is the best way up?' They answered,
Bear to the left, and you'll find it easier to
climb" Soon again his pursuers where after
him. as he expressed it. "breaking bush"
behind him this time with hound on his
trail. He made his way to brook. and run
ming down the shallow stream threw the dog off
the scent. and, as the day was dawning he
came suddenly upon four pickets, who brought
their arms to a ready and challenged him. He
gave the cOuntersign, " Mississippi" aud
claimed to belong to the Second Virginia Reg
iment. HIS cap box had slipped from his
belt plate They asked him where be got that
belt. He told them he had captured it that
night from Yankee. They told him to ad-
vance, and as he approached he recognized their
accouterments and knew that he was among
bis own men, picket guard from the First
Kentucky,
The government has added TO its force Of
vessels by the purchase of two Of the Staten
Island ferry boats-the Clifton and the West
feld-boats that are admirably suited for
transporting troops and at the same time act
ing as vessels of war. To effect this the guards
will be taken of, proper bows built and iron
bulwarks erected. and in every way they will
be strengthened and fitted out for the new duty
These boats are 1000 tons burthen each, and
are capable Of carrying between three and
four thousand men. They will be heavily
armed, and as we said, will act in the double
capacity Of transports and men-of-war. Their
vefv light draught viii enable them to 90
where our ordinary vassels could not venture.
They will be fitted out at private shipyards.-
The government has also purchased the new
steamer Wm. Tibbe;ts.-IN \. y. Times.
The \. 0. Crescent of the 9th inst. copied
from the \. Y. Herald the account of the sail
ing Of the great expedition, and said that it
was given merely ior the " amusement OF its
readers. On the following day. II gave an ac-
count Of the capture of the two rebel forts at
Port ROYAL and the landing Of our troops at
Hilton Head, but TO what extent its readers
were amused by the last intelligence, we have
moi learned
Prof. Loves balloon, Constitution, has been
sent TO Beaufort. The Ceur de Lion, which
carried it down. also towed the hulk Of the old
steamer Washington Park Curtis, now called q
balloon boat. carrying gas generators, ulphu-
nc acid. and iron filings for making gas. with
other necessary eoncomitants. \ balloon corps
( Of forty pFiyateS. with Coporal Sergeant,
/ Lieutenant, and Acronaut, went with the ex-
pedition.
THE United States new sloop-of-war Ossipee
was launched n the hittery \ ard Portsmouth
\. H., on Nov l6. The OsSipee IS 4 vessel