Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-05-27
A NIGHT ALARXl

A NIGHT ALARM
In hs letter dated d inst "Personne" the cores
poudept of the Charleston Courier gives the following
entertaining account OF camp scenes at COrinth:
A night alarm What food of tumul,uous emo
tons rush through the mind at the mere "reminiscences
Whose pen can describe the vivid picture daguerreo
typed upon the mental tablet fear the task is be
yond nv poor reach You sitting quietly in your
tent saw at ten O'Clock in tho evening calm DAY has
merged into a beautiful night. The young moon sheds
her silver lustre upon the surrounding scene Tho tsy
l. coudess and t5 myriad blossoms twinkle in their mr.
rsm snt alike friend and Toe Your thoughts are far
aEay-among those whom your heart IA grappied az
With hooks of steel" Suddenly" WhisE-sE-st-5h"
shoots up long golden serpent streaming through the
dark blue ike meteor fingers for an lis ant in mid air
then breaks uto fiery cOrruscatons and dslppears Il
il signal from one Of the headquarters Few know its
purport but n moment all realiz, its magic poWtr
Like me touch upon the wonderful lamp OF A!!din 1t
calls into life thousand varied scenes. The 'ong rolf
rings lis warning far and wide. Qick sharp commands
echo through the woods. The country is nov alive wi
pas c. urers Infantry, artillery and cavalry hatseem
{, have sprung from the earth, so quickly Lave they re
slouded the alarm are moving IL detachnens 10 and
fo and the heavy trJmp OF men and beasts, the mu
sic OF the regmehta bands the shreks Of fife aud rat
IL OF DRUM all tell OF the sleeping monster aroused from
| lis lair,
Aud your own feeiogs swell within you unit! they
course like ;orrtnt Are he enemy sGvaucNF, or
We about 60 make an attack Are the rev,rbeFatiuP
cd you saw passing, the pecur-os Of the g.apd ba'a
which forms the staple Of very thought? W'oro will
be our glorious army OF tomorrow? shall We CONCUR
or BE- corQCersd? -Tles5 and ten thOus.ni Others
the emotions that s 80 81 10 nP;Ess, ard you Lev
upon sespess coach 10 Gwa. the approach Of daylight
| and us developments
Mornns eoTs however and v.'h It III the peace of
lie predecessor. The alarm ls5 ,rovol false The day
rases until the afternoon is reach L. Again leIvy can
ncuaipg is heard upoa right, and this time dis
| hat ha n
RI, The WindOEs tie and the ground ,renbles with
| the ominOus Again there Is commoion 10 the
camps The At their arms Awaiting orders
Skirmishing ia gOiug eutTeuchmen,s More
wounded come By, aud reurnifg cavalry report the
envy in force all sides eht appears The firing ceases
| and the tOsu s FLIED with thous nd wild rum0rs From
you subtract this The enemy sdvsuod OF
righ close 70 itrtihoatols, drove in cur pkats
and opened with artillery. Thrr srmlsheFs within
sight of tho works. shOt Confederate soldier orly tWo
hundred yards d,saut and lhen fell back before ua
cap crsi damage IS doae on either de, and no tue
cess by the Federa!s.
Sill hero Is al unusual solemnly pervldrg the
tire amy, both rs Individuals and mass. SOmotbirg
instinctiyely spesks hear. that upon the
OF the great event Officers cluster 10 knots and die
ca the probabilities Of the Il, hi The MN sDhor
ani qge', and y0u hear no loud laughing or talking
among the USUALLY noisy groups Even the accustomed
rCladers Wlo have been wont 70 SIR tho solitude OF
the ey -ning arc huslci. Toe silence IA almost painful
Nine DC Ock. Boom gun ron our own entrerct-
/ ms1ts "Whal- taa. ." eXeu ms an Jth,er sprrriup
to bis fee; At the startling report. "The evening gun,
| responds anoihr "TGerr's 20 such thing Boom -
Another gun, Every msn is upright Boon third
| Too sumuOrs is nov uami5ls b Ibs. Again efsuCs
scene OF earnest life AID buitie. Lights are AiGhing
through the wlnunws 10 tqulrteTs An Is haste snd
conmotiOn It off ',ri tucse on their equipments.
HorsCs are saedcd and brought 10 the door, s'ryguts
are Filing hageTs1, and making preparations for the
bivouac or march A.a dashug 0y their rsspsc
sige ersands. Nv own c,np.ncn 90 old soldier c
hAs been among the udes OF battle, has calmly given
the w directions necessary In case Of his fall. Should
he be taken prisoner, diamonds are securei upon his
person to procure TIE Of suhsistor &c in North
ern prison Rh!le Ii Confederate money has been
died V a tTusly friend, Who will bear Il South. Wisely,
too be has added 70 his store Of peces7ares ball Of
tEae and tu-n;qce to stann5h the apWing blood VI
woua's. Nothing LN4 been unhCugbt OF that can
| useful ami the carnage which is hk,ly 70 ensuo
rode az orcs 90 the camps o. the South Cssoni,ns,
he 10th and 18th Regiments. Bob de.eried save
by toe servants -. . around the waning ares EVIy
40 ,l Who ,.4II .Ufs .r. ~. al '-eh, had s.raF
ron his couch nj taken Lis place in .Le ue Al ksd
gouo forward .hs trenches, ard there found thcm
lining the WALL OF Cayd and pacring into The dense or
es, before them. Some had been dployld beyond, hu.
the main body Etro s0tg The works. IL is their S,
eypsrsuc5 Of var bus they are figing tho emergency
a, becomes South Car0.GiaDs. Il they DO not. and
al prove worthy ct the aucieu. name Of the State IL
tae coaiug cf'siF ard r'un home With prCai hurc!s
upoa their brcEs shall lose all faith in the name o.
lli0r. d hers too, Siu NJ disappointed, Tor the gal
ant beari 2 OF the men they moved through the
streets OF C2iiSh gave birth TO hopes that would lily
| brook a disappointment upon The helj
| AL lisAl .He preparations for s-rle continued. The
Generals we're IN lac sadde long before day, aad .hol
sand. OF men fled silently away into the darkness 10
wards the enemy Tbs latter had bscn eucamped near
| Us on oar rigat and the pilEes Of Van Dom could
count the footsteps that scprae tho two forces. With
morning however lefe has come a change. The Fed
erals have s;am2eied. Not one ia IN sigh. portion
Of orr ARM hsa advanced toe debris hty Left be-
hind o5ayu. tho reads with which they attempted 20
block uur ADVANCE sud are ia tu, pursuit. While
srita the bail il opened The cannonadiug sounds
Nith fertlu' dsuousss fr beyoad entertainments.
The cir is thick with tho harhngers Of lie cos and
leadher strife hat may before The dGy done.
hear the yoeyl Of plskStry in the distance The work
begins TO grow VAIN. Fac battle presents every inG
eaten Of being long and holly contested But men
are cora ient Eopes buOy'n', ammunition is sbun
dant, aud esd md night are upon cur side.
The following Intelligence IS just received which pro-
baby accounts for the retreat q the Se erals Paducah
has been barued. detachment OF oav5liy under
Col Jlokson, appeared before the town Tuesday
Wednesday Di covered by the piCkcts Of the enemy
the latter reported tia. the advance gard OF army
vas before HEM Consideration scz'a The troops in the
towr and they At applied tho torch. Over SIX mil
lions Of F,Lc-a army were there and together
with the town we're given 70 the fines We also cap
luced two hunlred cly1lry AID released number Of
Confederate rJis0rer.. / Ru now IF fer lie h-ld