| From the Richmond Dispatch |
| |
| June 17, 1861 |
| |
| A Northern Statement |
| Hagerstown, June 12 |
| The telegraph operator stationed at
Martinsburg, and a brakesman of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
arrived here today, having left yesterday. They say the most westerly
bridge burnt is at North Branch, five miles east of Cumberland. The
next, going eastward, is that over Patterson's Creek, seven miles from
Cumberland. The next destroyed is that over Sleep Creek, 17 miles west
of Martinsburg. |
| There will be no trouble in rebuilding the
first two bridges, but there will be some difficulty with the last
one, which is one hundred and ninety feet above the water. General
Johnson had ordered the Opequcan bridge {about 4
miles east of Martinsburg} to be rebuilt,
but the Confederates have not been able to accomplish it. |
| The telegraph instruments have been taken
from the office at Martinsburg to prevent their being used. Col.
Edmondson commands the secession forces at Martinsburg. He has three
companies of the Winchester Rifles, the Winchester Mounted Guerillas
and another company. Col. Steward commands the camp at Hainesville,
five miles North of Martinsburg. He has charge of all the forces
stationed at the fords and ferries on the Potomac between Falling
Springs and Hancock. |
| ***** |
| Provisions are known to be growing
excessively scarce at Harper's Ferry. The brakesman puts the number of
troops there at 14,000. He is confident about the numbers. The number
of engines lying at Martinsburg is said to be above fifty. The
Confederate troops had only succeeded in getting one at Harper's Ferry
before the burning of the Opequcan bridge. |
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