Year: 1861

per, and found the whole town alive with en-
thusissm, and waiting for the soldiers. have
already exhausted all my slender stock of ex-
pletives in attempting to describe the joy crea-
ted further back on the road by the appear
ance of the troops, and cannot undertake to
picture to you what it is here. Just imagine
a man reprieved under the gallows. and re-
stored at one stroke to an honorable position
in society; or drowning nan, in the last ago
MES, snatched from the jaws of death and
brought to without the recovering psngs, or
anything unmeasursbly extravagsnt, and you
may, by drawing largely on Imagination, con-
ceive the feelings Of the people of Grafton at
their deliverance. For the last hour there has
been such a terrific uproar in the streets that
could scarcely write. What with drumming
and fling, and cheering aud singing, one can
hardly hear his ears, much less think his
thoughts. Shortly after our arrival, the Ninth
Indiana Regiment, which had come to Ben
wood yesterday just as We started, came in af-
ter rs only to add, by its presence, to the al
ready OverfOwlng enthusiasm. Shortly sfter-
wards the little girls and young ladies of the
town paraded on the street, dressed in unique
but appropriate dress that appears to be pecu
liar to this place and Fetterman, where we
saw few. 1t consists of an apron, which is
simply the American flag, the blue ground Of
stars coming up over the bosom, and the rest
being the stripes of red and white 1t is very
beautiful, and the effect is striking The SOL
diers cheered them tremendously, and brought
out their band and played several of their best
pieces.


GRAFTON, Saturday night, half-past 10
Grafton, which is now the point of so much in
terest throughout this section of Virginia. con-
tains ordinarily about 10 900 souls. 1t is built
about as scattering and irregularly as it well
could be without a good deal of ingenuity
The principal portion Of the town lies along
rough hillside ON the northern side of the Ty-
CARTS valley and Three Fork, (which here
forms a junction with it, there being some
few houses across Three Fork and few more
over the river. There are some four or FIVE
hotels in this place, and about as many stores
There are two or three churches, one printing
office, and these together comprise about all
the public buildings in the city of Grafton, for
1t has city government, if nothing more.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad have sew
eral buildings, among them a large engine
house and a still larger machine shop. In
deed, the distinguishing and only feature of
this town is that it is railroad town 1t was
created by railroad enterprise, built by rail
road money, and inhabited, for the most part
by railroad men, who are at the same time
Union men of the true blue and unconditional
stamp. Their vote on the ordinance proves
this beyond cavil, there being nearly five
hundred Union to one secession vote. I saw
the man to-day who cast that vote, and he
looks as though he wouldn't do it again if he
had it to do over.


About noon train came in on the Nortk-
western Virginia Railroad and reported the
road now clear to Parkersburg; also, regi-
ment at Clarksburg, and more coming.


Two more Indiana regiments arrived this
evening from Benwood-great stalwart, spien-
did looking fellows. They were received with
immense applause.