Mobile Register

June 28, 1861

Page 1

Interesting from Leesburg

            The Democratic Mirror, published in Leesburg, Loudoun county, Va., says, in its issue of Wednesday week:

            Federal troops have been hovering on the Maryland side of the Potomac opposite the Loudoun line for several days, though no attempt has as yet been made by them to come over.  On Monday, a body of them opposite White’s Ferry, about three miles from Leesburg, commenced a fire across the river at a party of Confederate troops on this side.  A detachment of Capt. Rogers’ Artillery, commanded by Lieut. Heaton, answered their call, exchanging with them some thirty or forty shots.  The Yankees have no cannon, but seem to be armed with the Minnie muskets, which they use with some dexterity, but altogether without effect, as nobody on this side of the river has been “hurt.”  Gentlemen with spyglasses asserted that they saw several fall on the other side, and that they were picked up and carried off.

            The firing from the Maryland shore is still progressing at the time of this writing—Tuesday evening.

            Federal troops are said to be quite thick this (Tuesday) morning opposite Edwards’ Ferry, four miles from Leesburg, and also at Seneca, eight miles from Leesburg.  A reinforcement from Manassas Junction has been sent to this neighborhood.

            P. S. The Federal troops have planted cannon on the Maryland hills, opposite Edwards’ Ferry, from which they have landed several balls on this side of the river.

            The same paper thus alludes to the march of Gen. Johnston’s column:

            One of the grandest sights we ever witnessed was the march of Gen. Johnston’s Harper’s Ferry forces.  The soldiers were mostly large, fine looking men, well armed and equipped—in excellent health and spirits, with but few sick, and all hands eager for a fight, declaring that they can whip a Yankee army of three times their number; and from the physique of the men and the iron dogs that followed on the train, we believe it.  Some idea of the magnitude of the column may be formed from the fact that it required seven and a half hours to pass a given point.

 

[Transcribed by Sharon Strout]