Staunton Spectator

The public will remember the numerous paragraphs published concerning one "Lieut. Harry Buford," nee Mrs. Williams, with a history romantic in war as that of Joan of Arc. Last summer the Lieut. got into Castle Thunder, her sex not corresponding with the dashing uniform she wore. She was released, and went from Richmond to Chattanooga, where she joined Gen'l Bragg's army, got upon the staff of General A. P. Stewart, and for a time was emyloyed [sic] in the secret service, effecting important arrests of spies, and doing some very daring things.

The other day she visited Richmond again, not as the gay Lieutenant, but in the garments more becoming her sex, and bearing the name of Mrs. Jeruth DeCaulp, she having, in the interval, married an officer of the Confederate States Provisional army of that name, first obtaining a divorce from her first husband, Williams, who is in the army of Gen. Grant.

In consideration of her services, the Confederate Government has commissioned Mrs. DeCaulp with the rank of Captain, and, since her arrival in Richmond, she has drawn $1,600 back pay.--She is now at the Ballard House, en route for Georgia, and the home of her new husband.

The heroine of this sketch is a native of Mississippi, and a devoted Southern woman.--[Examiner.]

The white bundles represent the cotton bales which the weak-kneed secessionists of Mississippi are now sending North, and the fringe of green--the emblem of that color being "forsaken"--indicates how green these planters are for having forsaken their country, and the figures of men marching North at a rapid pace in the scanty garb described, represent that these traitorous cotton sellers should be reduced in their dress to a cotton shirt fastened on their "tight hides" by a plaster of tar, and be made to march North at a "double quick."--The absence of arms and equipments represent that they belong to that, numerous class of "men of war" who, before the war, were so willing to spill their "last drop of blood," but since the war have shown an unconquerable dread of spilling the "first drop."

On the afternoon of the 1st instant, a strange phenomenon was seen in Greenbrier county by Mr. Moses Dwyer, Mrs. Pearcy, two other ladies, a youth nearly grown, and a servant girl. These respectable witnesses state that they saw what seemed to be a countless multitude of men, dressed in white, marching in column, on the ground through an open field, up the mountain slope at a rapid pace, quicker than double quick time, the columns only separated by a few feet. The witnesses state that they could see the men not only as a whole, but the individual parts--their heads, arms, legs and feet. Occasionally one would lag a little behind, and could be distinctly seen to quicken his pace to regain his position in the line. They were passing for an hour or more, and, it is thought, numbered thousands upon thousands.--The field over which they passed is several hundred yards in length, and they covered the entire area in passing.--Their general appearance was white, and they were without arms or knapsacks.

An officer, of intelligence and character, in writing to the Richmond Whig concerning this story, in a private note, says:

"I put myself to some trouble to ascertain the facts, and questioned the witnesses separately. They are above suspicion. I have given all the material facts, except that the so called men were marching north or northwest, right thro' the mountains. They were of all sizes, and as much like men as if they had been real flesh and blood."

The Richmond Examiner says:

Society in the South is being upheaved by the war, and, with our independence, will be re-established on new orders of merit. The republic will give new titles of greatness. The honours of State, the worship of society, the rewards of affection, will be for the patriots and soldiers of the revolution that will date our existence, while property will be a despised thing, fortunate if it is not taken as the mark of the extortioner, and the reward of infamy. Such are the great prizes, intertwined with that of independence, which put wealth to the blush, stir our people and army with noble desires, and beckon them to victory.

The Richmond Examiner says:

"We owe one confession to truth in in [sic] this war. There may have been some diminution of spirit in the South since the commencement of this struggle; but it has been on the part of those pretentions classes of the wealthy, who, in peace, were at once the most zealous secessionists, and the best customers of the Yankees, and who, now in the war, are natually [sic[ the sneaks and tools of the enemy."

We have been informed that Mr. Jas. Lyle, living near Millboro, in this county, has a large quantity of apples for which he could get $6.00 her [sic] bushel, but that he sells them to his neighbors at $1.00 per bushel and refuses to sell to distillers at any price, however great.--This is an example worthy of being followed by others.

LEWISBURG, Sept. 15, 1863.

Mr. Mauzy--I drop you a few hastily written lines, hoping they may not be altogether uninteresting to you and the readers of the "Spectator."

Whilst great and wonderful events are occurring in our political world, apparently stranger things are going on in the physical world. But as we have no good Daniel, in these degenerate days, to tell us what they mean, every one must become his own interpreter. Whether what I am going to relate is a good or a bad omen to the cause we are defending with all our energies, and which we all love so much; whether it means peace or a longer continuance of this bloody struggle, or is a mere delusion, who can say?

A remarkable phenomenon was witnessed a few miles west of this place, at the house of Mrs. Pearcy, on the first day of this month at about 3 o'clock, P. M., by Mr. Moses Dwyer, her neighbor, who happened to be seated in her porch at the time, as well as by others at or near the house.

The weather was quite hot and dry, not a cloud could be seen, no wind even ruffled the foliage on the surrounding trees. All things being propitious, the grand panorama began to move.--Just over and through the tops of the trees on the adjacent hills on the South, immense numbers of rolls resembling cotton or smoke, apparently thousands of them, and were, perhaps, an hour in getting by. After these had passed over and out of sight, the scene was changed from the air above to the earth beneath, and became more intensely interesting to the spectators who were witnessing the panorama from different stand points. In the deep valley beneath thousands upon thousands of [apparently] human beings [men] came in low traveling in the same direction of the rolls marching in good order, some thirty or forty in depth, moving rapidly--"double quick," and commence ascending the sides of the almost insurmountable hills opposite, and had the stoop peculiar to men when they ascend a steep mountain. There seemed to be great variety in the size of the men, some were very large whilst others were quite small. Their arms, legs and heads could be distinctly seen in motion. They seemed to observe strict military discipline and there were no stragglers.

There was uniformity of dress, loose white blouses or shirts with white pants, wore hats and were without guns, swords or anything they indicated "men of war."--On they came through the valley and over the steep hill crossing the road and finally passing out of sight, in a direction due North from those who were looking on.

The gentlemen who [illegible] this is a man with whom you were once acquainted, Mr. Editor, and as truthful a man as we have in the county, and as little liable to be carried away by "fanciful speculations" as any man living.--Four others (respectable ladies) and a servant girl witnesses this strange phenomenon. W.

P. S. On the 14th that., the same scene almost identical, was soon by 8 or 10 of our pickets at Bunger's Mill, and by many of the citizens in that neighborhood; this is about 4 miles east of Pearcy's. It was about the hour passing.

September 5th, 1863.

The Mayor presented a petition signed by Robert G. Bickle and ninety-two others, praying the passage of an Ordinance for the increase of taxation on all taxable subjects in the Town, for the purpose of raising a fund to provide supplies of Flour, Meat and Wood for the families of soldiers.

Whereupon, on motion of Col. Harman, the following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, That an ordinance by passed doubling the taxes imposed by the Ordinance, passed the 9th of June last.

And thereupon, the Mayor submitted an Ordinance, which was passed in the words following, to wit:

Be it ordained by the Council of the Town of Staunton, that the Ordinance passed on the 9th of June last, imposing taxes for the Town of Staunton be amended, by increasing the amount of taxation on all subjects therein named, one hundred percent for the purposes expressed in the petition aforesaid.

And it is further ordained, that to facilitate the collection of the Town Taxes, the Chief of Police be and is hereby authorized to endorse the word "DOUBLE" on the face and back of his tax tickets, and collect and account for the same accordingly, and, that for all taxes on licenses granted, issued and collected since the 24th day of April last, the Chief of Police is hereby required and authorized to make out new tickets for the amounts of such taxes, and collect and account for the same accordingly, and for all licenses which may be granted and issued between this date and the 24th of April next, that he make out tickets therefor, in pursuance of the spirit and intent of this Ordinance, and collect and account for the same accordingly.

Rev. James C. Wheat, and Messrs. James W. Crawford and William B. Kayser were appointed a Committee to disburse the fund to be raised under the above Ordinance.