Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-02-13
Correspondence of the Louisville Courier
 Letter from Romney.

Presence of Mud of Cot. Rust-ff0so- tas
 Iankees s7n-B,idgss and Railroad Desfey-
 ed-A 7eyri5ss lNareh-lHen Erhaasted and
 Turai5,q Back-THe VandaI Hessia,as- Our
 Occupation of R0maey, etc., etc.
 RoNxEy, Wa,
 January Fist 1862.
 Editors Louisville Courier:
 On the lst day of January last, Genls Loring and Taliaferro's brigades took up the line of march from Camp Jackson near Winchester, with no stated point or object visible, through the snow,clad, and noun tain vista before us. We only knew that we were to operate in conjunction with other brigades from Martinsburg, and all under the immediate management of the hero s.Stonewal" In due time, having accomplished march of about 40 miles over an icy mountain road, dragging after us some 40 pieces of artillery, and near 300 wagons, we were close enough to the enemy at Bath to hear the report of, and see the smoke of a small piece that was being fired at us from mountain peak, Tn close prox imity to the village of Bath. Here sup posing that large forcewould resist our passage through the town, Stonewall Jack son accomplished certainly the most admir- able move that this campaign has brought forth. But a few moments were lost until the whole body was moving in different di rections as the most regulated machinery. We appeared upon the mountain tops sim ultaneously, but the Yankees like the Irish mans flea, were not to be found We fol- lowed in hot haste, Gen. StonewaH' $ whole force going in the direction of Hancock in Maryland, except the 311th Virginia, the Sd Arkansas, and one company of cavalry, commanded by the Ajax of Arkansas, who followed in the direction of Capacon Bridge. q believe other forces were stationed at other points, but do not know positively. ]
 Col. Rust having positive orders to de- stroy the railroad bridge across the mouth of the river Cacapon, (parallel with the Po- tomac,) did not await the coming of day. light, in order to see his way more clearly oravoid an ambuscade, but as if depending upon the might of his own strong arm, he led us, worn out, lean visaged, half dead soldiers, into an open field in front of the bridge, where we received the fire of con cealed enemy for full 30 minutes, without gun being fired on onr side, except one volley by the 37th Virginia, and two vol leys by two companies that were detached as skirmishers. All the time we were ex- posed on the field, Col. Rust was running to and fro with rail on his shoulder call ing Justify for axes. An incident here is worth relating, as our success is probably indebted to it's effect. Col. Rust was yell ing at the top of his voice, ''NNhere are the axes; Sturgis where in the hell ara the axes?' Just then Major Van II. Manning, of the Sd Arkansas, seeing body of Yankees near the bridge, asked Col. Rust if he must fire "Damn 1t, mo-" replied the colonel, cor der up those four Mississippi regiments, and that other battery" After this not gun was heard. Our enemy supposing from our stiffness and the order for four more regiments and battery, that we had not yet opened the ball iu earnest, gave way immediatly, and have not either been seen or heard of since.
 We then fell back about mile, and the next morning, Sunday, Jan. !, compile. ted the burning of the bridge with no op- position except from two or three dozen Marylanders, who fired on IS from house on the opposite side of the Potomac. The third shell, however, directed by the fearless Jraue Burton, fired the building and sent its inmates bowling to the mountains. We destroyed two railroad buildings, the rail road, and telegraph wire, then immediately joined Gen. Jackson, who had been keep ing up constant cannonading with the enemy across the river at Hancock for two days and nearly two nights. Our whole force, however, soon took the backward matchmaking from three to five miles per day over certainly the hardest frozen, most dangerous road an army ever travelled. Horses were continually falling, wagons sliding off the roads, and turning over, and altogether, history affords no parallel to the expedition, which time and space forbid my detailing minutely.
 Arriving at the junction of the Martins burg and Hancock roads, we rested men and beasts for three days, and again took up the line of march--whither we knew not until ~e arrived at the crossroads to Winchester and Komney. Many brago heart here sunk deep within the bosom of its possessor, and old patriotism, near dead any way, paied with the mountain barriers before him. Hundreds Of men here turnei back, including nearly every officer iii Teliaferro's brigade, completely worn out. Company Ii. of the 3d Arkan sas has no officer present higher than ser geapt, and many companies are reduced to 10 and E men,
 As we approached Rornney, aa un.niS- takable evidence that our enemy had been moi the road was seen in the lonely standing chimneys, silent monitors of the pillsge, rapine and plunder that prompts the prosecution of this war by northern Hessians and barbarians. Aqtkifg is left of Frenchtown and the valuable tannery there but a few standing chimneys, every stone of which condemns the savage hand that applied the torch, and drove women and children homeless to seek shelter they knew not where.
 The enemy's Notifications here are frail affairs indeed Their 5000 drores did we'll to anticipat the coming of otonewall, even at the sacrifice of thousands of do- lars worth of supplies, tents, eic. The citizens of Romney, noac, while we are, here disnlay many southern banners, and are, for the time being, at least, good secesh.
 It is raining now, and has been raining o,. snav;no for ten days. l cannot antici-