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SATURDAY JULY 20, 1861 Another Company Gone. The 16th of July, 1861, will ever remain mem orable to those who participated in the exercises connected with the departure of the gallant “Upidees.” Many a loving wife awoke with the dawn to the realization that the parting hour was drawing near; and when dewey eve had shed its mellowing influence o’er all the earth, and the power of day had succumed to the approaching night, she looked forth from the cottage door for hie coming; but be came not. The direful effects of stern, “grim-visaged war’ is being early felt in our community. And though, as yet, none have been called upon to sacrifice their lives for the glorious cause, the vacant places around the family board, the absence of the well known footsteps and gentle voice, and the deserted ap pearance of our streets, denotes a mighty change in the affairs of men. At an early hour on Tuesday the citizens of the county came thropging into our city to wit ness the departure of Capt. Wm. F. Wood’s com pany of volunteers. At 10 o’clock a vast con course of people assembled at the Court House to see the flag presented to the company by the ladies. The presentation ceremonies were ap propriate and impressive. After Yankee Doodle by the band, Miss Emma Yates advanced to the front of the company, and 10 a neat and well worded address, entrusted to their keeping the emblem of our nationality. Her remarks were received with hearty applause by citizens and soldiets. Capt. Wood responded briefly, and in a manner which convinced those who heard him that the beautiful banner should ware in the battle where the fight raged the fiercest. The company song was then sung by the volunteers. After which the Rev. Mr. Walker delivered a short prayer for the success of our cause.— speeches followed, and the company dismissed, to re-assemble at half-past twelve, the time of their departure. At the appointed time the Home Guards turned out to escort the company to the river, where the splendid steamer Hetty Gilmore was waiting to convey them to Evansville. The boat left the landing amid the booming of can non and the cheering of our citizens. We ex pect to hear from the boys after they have es tablished themselves in camp. 7 We obtained permission to publish the following letter, received from James H. Laird, by his father. Panarassoka, Va. July 11, 1861, Dear Farnre: We are now on the “sacred soil,” and I embrace the first opportunity that presents itself to write to the “loved ones at home.’ Immediately upon arriving at this city, we re ceived information that there were 150 ‘‘Secesh ers” encamped 23 miles from us; at 4 o’clock, P. M., we started to pay them a visit, and not hav ing seen a real, live, fighting ‘Secesher,’ we were of course anxious to reach our destination, and equally as anxious to “try them on.” We had heard a great deal about their new mode of war fare; they call it “retiring; it is as original as the doctrine of secession, and we are now con vinced that from the lessons we have received, we could practice the accomplishment with tol erable precision and safety. I was forcibly re minded of the accounts I have read, of the habits of the prairie dogs, that always, upon the ap proach of men, skulk into their holes, and do not come out until the imagined danger has passed, after which they reappear as fierce as ever; in fact, they never attempt to make a stand against the enemy, unless they number ten to one, I mean the seceshers, not the prairie dogs. The road we traveled was dangerously precip itous—and I understand is a fair specimen of the roada in this region. An accident occurred as we were defiling along one of the most dan gerous paséca in the mountains. The Orderly Sergeant and myself, when marching, always ride at the head of the column as file leaders; and as we reached a very narrow place in the road, I drew in behind the Orderly to march by file; af ter riding a short distance in this manner, his horse stopped very suddenly—I reined in as soon as possible, and in doing so, backed my horse over a steep place at the side of the road; as soon as I felt him going over, I jumped into the road, and we soon had the horse up: he escaped with a few bruises: another one of the men went over at the same place, and rolled some distance down the mountain with his horse. Such places are terribly gloomy on a dark night. Still, the ‘journey over the mountains,” to me, was grand, Anne rode silently slong, I could hear no sound but the tramp of the horses’ feet upon the rocks mingling with a dull rumbling sound which came from the valleys beneath; occasionally a stone—loosed from the position it had occupied perhaps for years, would come crashing down the mountain side, thundering on, on, in its wild career, seeking a new resting place on the face of the earth—it may be to stop by the side of some tiny brook, there to be kissed by the gurg ling waters,and be known in future ages, as the ‘moss grown rock.” The party we expected to find, having heard of our approach, had “retired.” We reached where they had been about 12 o’clock that night, intending to surprise them, we put up for the remainder of the night, at the house of a Union man. The next morning we commenced scout ing, and soon succeeded in capturing five of the band. I had the pleasure of making two of them surrender to me. I was riding with the Captain at the head of the company, while the advance guard were hunting them, knowing that they were noor; the Captain discovered that an impor tant point was entirely unguarded, where they might possibly escape. I immediately asked his permission to occupy the position, which he gave, and I started off at a gallop. When I had nearly reached the point I was aiming at, I heard the Captain call to me. I wheeled to hear what he had to say, and stood facing a clump of bush es near the road—when I heard one say “don’t shoot !’? I immediately cocked my revolver, presented it, and ordered them to step out, which they did, and I marched them back to the com pany. This is all I can now write; to morrow we expect to dislodge about 700 rebels from their retirement about 60 miles from here. I must now close—give my love to all, etc., and write soon. Direct to Parkersburg, Va., care of Capt. Stew art’s Dragoons, Your Son, J. H. LAIRD
Newspaper Details
Rockport Democrat
Rockport, Indiana, US
Sat, Jul 20, 1861
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Don S.
USA 18 Feb 2026
Other Publications Near Rockport, Indiana
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