Staunton Vindicator

Among the many thrilling events of the late war (says the St. Louis Republican of the 7th.) none can exceed the adventures of Mrs. Loretta De Camp, the subject of this sketch. Mrs. DeCamp, whose maiden name was Roach, was born in the West Indies, in 1838, and is now about twenty-eight years of age. At an early period her parents moved to the United States and settled in the parish of St. James, Louisiana. The current of her life ran smoothly on, until the outbreak of the war for Southern independence, when, fired by enthusiasm in, as she thought, the cause of liberty, she donned the male attire, and was among the first to rush to arms. Raising a company of cavalry, and equipping it at her own expense, she proceeded to Virginia, and there served eight months on the peninsula, under the command of the celebrated Colonel Dreux, before her sex was discovered. When this occurred she was at once mustered out and ordered home. In stead of obeying the order, she proceeded to Columbus, Kentucky, and was serving with General Polk at the evacuation of that place. She proceeded to Island No. 10. but not being satisfied with the manner in which affairs were conducted there, she left and went to Fort Pillow, where she was elected First Lieutenant in Captain Phillips' Company of Independent Tennessee Cavalry. With her company she proceeded to Corinth, and reported to General A. S. Johnston. At the battle of Shiloh Captain Philips fell mortally wounded, and the command then devolved on her. While gallantly leading her company in a charge, she was twice wounded and carried from the field. After the retreat from Corinth she was taken to New Orleans for surgical treatment, and when the city fell into the Federal hands she was among those taken prisoner. After a confinement of several months she was paroled, and soon after exchanged.

Proceeding at once to Richmond, the disguised female soldier was commissioned 1st. Lieutenant in the Adjutant General's department, and ordered to report to General Marcus J. Wright, commanding the district of Atlanta. Upon reporting, she was assigned to duty with the Provost Marshall, as chief of detectives and military conductor. Serving for several months in this capacity, she met Major De Camp, of the 3d Arkansas cavalry, to whom she was engaged to be married previous to the war. The ceremony was then performed at Atlanta, and from the dashing Lieutenant Roach she was transferred to the sober Mrs. Major De Camp.-From this time her services ceased as an officer in the field, and she was engaged in secret service-sometimes in the Confederacy, again in England, and then in Canada. In 1864 she spent several months traveling in the United States, and even went as far as Sioux county Minnesota. Her husband, who was taken prisoner in the fall of 1863, while serving with his regiment in Georgia, was carried to New York. After a long and arduous siege she at length succeeded in getting him paroled in January, 1865, but he lived only eight days after his release from prison. Subsequent to the death of her husband (in January, 1865,) she proceeded to Columbus, Ohio, to watch over the interests of the Confederate prisoners confined at Camp Chase.

After the final collapse of the Confederacy, Mrs. De Camp remained in the North until January, when she returned to her home in Louisiana; but remaining there only a few days, she proceeded to Memphis and purchased a stock of goods, which were shipped on the ill-fated steamer Miami, which was blown up on the Arkansas in February.-She was one of the two ladies who were saved, but with the sacrifice of all her baggage and goods. By an unfortunate oversight on the part of her merchants her goods were not insured, and, consequently, she lost her all.

Mrs. De Camp is now in this city, and sojourning at the Southern Hotel. Many who served in the Confederate army will remember the dashing Lieut. Roach, of whom so much was said in Mobile and Selma in 1863. Our space will not permit a full recital of her adventures.

While some seem to think that new party organizations are necessary in these times, would it not be well for us to consider this matter thoroughly before we make the attempt. There is no division of sentiment in the South, the universal desire being to bring the country back to a strict adherence to the Constitution, under which the Union was an object of our veneration. Believing Andrew Johnson to be animated by the same desire, we have, by public convenings and otherwise, unanimously accorded his course and policy a cordial endorsation. It would, therefore, be an easy matter to rally the united South under the banner of one party, whose principles embraced our views and call it by any name we might prefer, and as far as the name is concerned would make but little difference to us, but this would avail but little. We of the South are powerless, did we even have a perfect organization under a new name. We must rely upon a co-operating organization in the North under the same name and with the same principles. But we find there, different from what is here, party lines distinctly drawn and parties organized and contending. One, the Democratic party, fighting for the maintenance of the Constitution and the restoration of the Union with the rights of all States unimpaired, and the earnest in its support of President Johnson, the other, the Republican party, insisting on a perversion of the Constitution, opposing the restoration of a number of States to the Union on equal terms, and active in its opposition to the policy of the President. Many who formerly acted with the Democratic and Whig parties and joined the Republican party on the question of slavery, or some war issue, who cannot coincide with the ultra views of the radicals, are daily swelling the ranks of the Democratic party, in support of its principles, which are ours. Can we then expect that the organization of the Democratic party in the North will be destroyed and a new party built upon its ruins, with the aid of the Conservative Republicans, which will more nearly carry out our principles than the present Democratic organization! Is it not folly to attempt at present a new party organization in the South, to co-operate with any other party in the North than the Democratic party!

To those who think otherwise we commend the following extract from a letter, written upon the subject of parties by the warm personal friend of 'Harry of the West," General Leslie Combs, of Kentucky, which is equally applicable to the other States of the South as Kentucky.

"As a veteran in the Whig army in times past, standing by it in all its disasters, as well as in its brief period of triumph, I appeal to my brother Whigs in Kentucky, what will you do? With which of the two great parties now dividing the county will you co-operate? Are you for the negro or the white man? If you coincide with me in opinion, then I entreat you to assemble with the Democrats, and all others of similar views in your respective counties, and send your wisest and best men to Louisville, to bold counsel together to save the State, and restore the Union as our immortal Revolutionary fathers made. The recent veto message of President Johnson, and the action of the Senate sustaining it, is calculated to warm the hearts of freemen, and give hope that the usurpers and tyrants in Congress will soon be put down, and honest men take their places.-Let us have harmony and Union among ourselves, and Kentucky will at any rate, be safe."

By reference to another column, the Circular just issued by Col. Brown, Assistant Commissioner of Refugees, Freedmen, &c., for Virginia, approved by Gen. Terry, will be found. By this order the officer and agents of the Bureau, are prohibited from trying any criminal case, in which a colored person is a party, except such cases as have been commenced prior to the issuing of this order. The civil tribunals will hereafter, as in days gone by, take cognizance of and try such cases according to the laws made and provided. It is also made the duty of Assistant Superintendents of the Bureau to be present at such trials, but not to act as Attorneys, or argue the case with court or magistrate, or interfere with the proceedings, but they shall report every case where injustice has been done to colored persons, or justice refused to be done, by neglect or otherwise on the part of officers of the law, and on the last day of each month make a detailed report of such cases, as to whether the proceedings have been conducted with fairness and impartiality and in accordance with the laws enacted, applicable such cases.

While we unhesitatingly disapprove of a censorship over our Civil Tribunals, and pronounce as utterly wrong, that justice shall be dispensed with the Sword suspended over the heads of the officers of the law, and in hands of some reckless individual, more anxious, perhaps, to find fault that to make an unprejudiced report, yet, we are satisfied that there will be no testimony on record, if fairly reported, which will give the lie more directly to the charges made against us of prejudice against a class of people, whom we have reared and nurtured among us and for whose welfare our cares and desires have been persistent. Laying aside then the objections we have stated above, we are not averse to seeing a mere reporter for the Bureau in our courts, for we are satisfied that a sense of justice, and a desire to act in exact accordance with law, will characterize their proceedings in days to come as has ever been the case in the past, whether it be "Rebel," Refugee, Indian or Negro, directly implicated or interested. If fair reports be made [UNCLEAR] of officers or agents of the U. S. Government, those radical gentlemen of the North, who have been unable to see anything good in Southern protestations, will, if possible to do so, be greatly enlightened in regard to the true feelings and intents of our people. This much of good we expect from this order, but to guard against one-sided reports of prejudiced officers or agents, who may be dotted here and there in our midst, we suggest to our brethren of the press to make full reports of each and every case tried, in which a colored person is concerned, as principle or witness, even to the minutest particular, and thus place it, as far as may be, beyond the power of malicious or evil-designed persons to do us harm, by inaccurate or prejudiced reports

One day last week a valuable horse was stolen from the premises of Mr. Foster, on the plank road near Sydney. Several days thereafter a man was riding by on a horse, which was instantly recognized by the daughter of Mr. Foster as the animal stolen from her father. She ran into the road, and seizing the horse by the bridal, compelled the fellow to dismount. Unfortunately no assistance was handy, and the thief escaped, but the horse remained in the possession of the fearless young lady.-Richmond Examiner.

We cheerfully comply with a request, made by our Staunton Bible Committee, to state that they have established a Depository at Mr. Cowan's Book Store, where a full assortment of Bibles & Testaments will be kept on hand, to be sold at cost, or distributed gratuitously to those unable purchase. Ministers and others may do a useful work by looking up families unsupplied, or but partially supplied with the Scriptures, and seeing that they are furnished. A large family Bible will be furnished at half price to those desiring such a copy and unable to pay the whole price. Testaments may be offered to children, white or colored, as an incentive to learn to read.