New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-06-06
FROM THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
Dearth Of News-A Few More secesh-Ths
Next Battle Rield-sharp Practice ~ .
Claim Agenf-Leaves Of Absencc-An
Incident OF the Recent Advance.

From Our Special Correspondent
AInr OF THE PoroMAo June .. 1859
The entire absence of news Of any importance
renders it difficult for q correspondent with the
Army Of the Potomsc 10 write letters which may b
interesting to the general newspaper reader. can
only, in my visits from place to place, rendered few
aud far between those Of angels by the ntOerabs
heat and dust, pick up now and then an item fos
publication. My last letter concerning some Of the
families residing on our picket line seems TO bsye
been received with favor. and for that reasou, 10
company with Lieut.. Col. Geo. +. Mcfarland Of the
l5lst Pennsylvania, called yesterday upon certain
others of them for the purpose OF introducing them
to my readers.
The fret call we made was AT the house Of Mr..
Perkins whom We found sitting under his own vine
and fix tree, or rather in the shadow Of bis OWN
porch, refreshing his mind from the columns OF 9
Southern Journal Of inst three years antiquity, as
discovered by glance at the date after he had laid
il aside. In appearance he lie stout man, norid
COMPLEXION brown hair, mustache and beard; coun'
tenance open and goOd-Datured 10 expreesion-pre'
vented from Joining the Confederate service by Q
natural mpediment lameness. lie was dressed In
loo.e brown coa', which originally may have been
Of Other color, grown TO It's present one under
the combine Influences Of age and dirt; his waist.
cont the patti IN Of which had become l0st in OBJ.
scurity, was thick enough for Winter in Iceland;
and his trousers three four shades lighter than hn
coat, were of a material which would have puzzled
the most experienced haberdasher to decide upon.
Altogether, he looked omforfable and very rusty
His conversation referred Principally 10 the bach
race and the comforts afforded them by the pecnls1
Institution. The farm comprises ,2oO acres. The
house il OF brick, very large, square and formal In
shape, with peaked roof. IL was built sixty yeara
back from appearances l should say 1t had been
painted At the same time, and that its bsptismal
painting bad not since been renewed. II 10 sp-
preached in front and rear by two long avenues;
there is look Of rust, decay and mildew about tie
premises as OF leprous faint, and the lawns AID
garden gloomy with shade.
Next in order we stopped at the residence Of .
Mr.. Lee, who owns what 10 called in Virginia
email farm Of between three and four hundred acres.
The house il not worthy Of description; the man
himself somewhat go, should judge him ripe for
" treason, strategem, or spOils." Imagine q dark.
skinned, sun.burDt man; eyee, black; hair, coarse,
long, and of the same color, sitting rolling With
iean dirty fingers, cigars from tobacco-leaf and
FASTING the small end with some filthy paste from An
old sardiue-box. Mr. Lee pretends TO be Union
man. and for a while talked Union sentiments, until
Inadvertently took my diary to note figures,
direction. and with remark about taking notes"
he relapsed into a silence almost imperturbsble.
One other family l visited yesterday, that Of Q
Mr.. jenkins, but saw only few faded, unhappy
looking women, whose chief desire In hfe seemed TO
TO be to be rid of the sight Of soldiers. They were
weary, weary VI tucH PIeechSo'
An IMPRESSION seems TO exist here, founded upon
DO one knows what exactly, that our next great
contest " II be decided on the old Bull Run field.
Should this prove true, other battles Of the war will
be 10 il ~ skirmishes.
An incident came to my notice only yesterday
which feel it On Imperative duty 10 mention. The
| fd Peunsylvania Volunteers were encamped some
time ago ear Fort Slocum not TAR from the border
line of Maryland, and while there it appears dam.
ged the proI erty Of farmer to the extent a. as
r .I,al, h III
make ris hit on receipt of their first pay. few
DAYS since q paymaster visited the regiment, with
instructions from the Paymaster-General, by order
OF the Secre AIRY Of War, to reserve $500 from the
amount due them W ereby to cover this claim
which had been purchased by some swlndhsg agent
soldiers OF the regiment kept waiting for their
money until the matter shall be settled.
Leaves of absence being daily granted. A
number Of the Corps commanders are away. Gen.
Reynolds of the LIST Corps Is in Washington, Major
Gen Doubleday commanding during bis absence.
While on the march 10 Cnancellorsvl1e An Incident
deserving mention, which L have omitted
hitherto for wart of space. l do not think 1t has
been told. On approaching Germanla Ford, on the
Rapidan, It became doubtful which OF the two roads
was tie mot direct. negro was found, and
brought to Gen. Slocum, who questioned him ss to
the course. He was the only Secesh darkey have
seen and protested entire ignorance as 70 the local.
ity Of the ord. The General intima,ed TO him that
unless he very soon found u horse and acted as our
guide he should be Obliged to suspend him from some
NJ ar tree. At this critical june,ure in Sambos life,
a Rebel prisoner was brought! in. Much 70 the dis
gust of the latter, he was ordered by the General TO
iismount. ard the negro being placed upon tho
horse with the immediate prospect of dangling DO.
fore him in Case he failed. led the way amid much
merrment to the river; tie Rebel prisoner pertorm-
ng the distance in the character of pedestrian.
Everything here is perfectly quiet, with no indi-
cations of q move. The enemy perform picket duty
very carelessly, lying aloug tie rivers bank with
put accouterments Former rumop that they were
marching toward Culpepper have subsidized, and no
anxiety whatever is manifested. Mes