Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1877-03-10

,nnls BOOK on tle capture OF l>uiu-tOu. 49,
ln q few DAYS the letter came. and as it is re-
rlrte with matters oi interest to the people Of
Jefferson County here trauScribc it for the
elilica'jln and eui ymeut of your realers. 10
conclusion let me say If llr Galhhor, while
differed with him In politics, that he was one
oi the most attractive, cnmpaniooable lovatle
persons I ever met with iu ny life, aud no man
has ever done more than he has done 90 cham
pjon and defend the political, agricultural, lit
crary and general interests Of tie Valley Of
Virginia and especially 90 lis beloved Jeiicr-
SON. Green he the turf above his head ]
close with his most interesting letter:
a Volunteer Corps from Virginia.
WASuINGToS, 5;h September, 1856.
DEAR CLoNrL: In compliance with your
suggestion, give ynu a brief uoticcof some Of
doe events coming under ny personal obsewa-
ton fogty-tVo years ago. IN connection with
the operations II tie military II the District
nc CluulD.
The company of volunteer riagmcn 10 which
[ belonged Oth ugh then a mere boy ot less
thau eighteen yeats was commanded by Cap
tain George W. Humphreys Of Jefferson
County, as gallant an oiicer and liberal gen
tlenln as have ever met with Ga the al
tcrnocu uf The 221d II August, 1914, letter
was received 40 Chlr'es.own, by express, from
Curtain altcrwari GcucaN Henry st. George
Tucker. advising Hat the British troops had
been landed from the feet at Nottingham, and
acre o1 tlcir march 90 Washington. lie in
yoEed him % raise volunteers without delay
and come % thc rescue. Thomas Grigcs, Jun,
mn eminent LAWYER and influential and popular
citizen mounted n block and read tie letter
m the c,rer crowd who bad been waiting for
,,,rs 4 SION, or, ,bo -ssore 80 immediately
went mn after a brief aflr.s. from Mr.. Grigcs
tbo l-rn, and Nh, were sent through the streets
90 bea. up volunteers. and before sun set
comnaqv Of over fifty men were raised Al
though the County lad then in service. at Nor
n,k. two NJ three companies ofmili;ia. There
was no time O. fu-aish ourselves with uniforms:
kraps,ss were spcelilv pr5vilel by thehdies
Of me town and e,cb man was on the ground
NJ ION ctll the next rno-1inc On The PSI we
marched 70 Ha-pers Ferry. ci-ht nilas distant.
f1 procure arms and 10 increase our forces
Here v5 found a company Of about fifty Of
che arnorers aud citizens enrolled under the
command Of the Superintendent Of the ar
mary Colonel Stubbltfell. and the two COM
r.,,;as vcra co-s5lilrteIint, one md furnish
81 r,r-nr ,,in trs. r,.t rig.s no, +, Pho
,rssr,' g, v.e,ro, M ,b,. ,ino doomed srre
,-l 4q,.llv in tbs lo-ds If a Good rnarksu,n
F,rlv I'm Tho olib If Au,usi we embarked
,p,r two ann I,,ts rovn the Potomac n
stream then ru,cel AMI difficult Of rayi1ation;
trt ,rs were IN CHARGE os t.vo or three Of the
Strilsrs skiusl bal,nen and erterprisinc
men I'm everything tlcy undertook. 4 few
Irurs after starting wehndci o. have rcsu-
lar election If officers. anu concluded that the
Superintendent Of the 3rmorv and some of his
r.t-- .Llfpl warhren sllul return o. carry
,1 ,r, rlrufl.,nr. n arms. duty equally as
ir,rl-.,-.f ~, f,tt;rr Tie following officers
o.sr, dion chosen George " Uumuhrcvs
C,,,,i-. Tt.,,,s f,.-.,,s James T. P,rs1r
,...,,l i,,.l.i.,., AL : ,r,,,,I prs-.U I ION
-.
M. -,,.1.,., S.rcc, Cr,,t o, tI.o evcni,g NJ
M, aif. hearing distinctly during ,he day the
c,r-or,iir- NJ the battle and The cxplosion at
tie Navy Yard We saw the Fcht from the
frrr;rr putIi, buildings. and were satisfied
nm, cr.r5v had po,,es,joo If tle city. This
81, c.,s .,,-irtcI IN Ms I'm the r,oruinr hv
s.-,.o b..l, from, iio sc,t If war md we forth
,,,r. 60, 1rt nm -rr march to i,in General
Wirj,r no Rockville. During our march we
encountered that terrific Storm so well reuem-
lc,Jl ty the Inhabitants Of the District and
bv tle survivors among the invaders
Hearing that tle enemy had gone 70 Bllt-
more. we s.t ont i0 that direction, but soon
received orders To- in tie forces at Washing
u9 under General Walter Smith OF whose
command we found YOU pcrmitmc 20 say the
energetic. sklml ana popular tucllc-mai1r
On our entry iuto Georgetown land shall
never forget tie impression made upon me by
The FIRST magnificent view from the heights
wc were handsomely entertained by that
I'>piAb,e old school gentleman. Washington
Bowie. and velccucd ly Tire citizens. our cfli-
GERS and some Of tie mca being well known TO
them.
After spending dly or two at Grceu'eafs
Point .iae enemy then 10 possession Of lex
1adrio|. we were stationed with the troops
under General Smith, on Camp NOW Observa-
tory -il From Camp Nm we were ordered
90 march at O'Clock on the evening Of Fri
day, the 81 OF september. TO Join Commodore
Porter at the White House. below Mount Yer
non. where that gallant officer WAS busily en-
gagged iu erecting a temporary battery On
Gill; SD AS O. command tie Channel Of the
Potomac running within less than fifty yards
o.. the Virginia shore.
The c-cmy bad been lying at anchor Tor