Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.
excitement about Fincastle — the people spring to arms — exciting scenes, &c.
Fincastle, June 8, 1861.
Thursday morning last a rumor reached our little village that 11,000 Ohio troops were marching through Western Virginia; that they had burned Lewisburg and the White Sulphur Springs the evening before, and were then marching upon Covington.
It would be impossible to give you the slightest idea of the excitement produced by such a report.
A meeting was called immediately, to consider what was best to be done.
Runners were started to different points to ascertain the truth.
To myself was reserved the privilege of going to the seat of reported action, for which point I was soon ready and equipped.
After a ride of seventeen miles I ascertained that the alarm was a false one.
On my return I beheld such scenes as would have gladdened the heart of President Davis himself if he could have been present, and would have made Abraham ‘"tremble in his boots" ’ if he could have had a sly peep.
At every turn of the road, men, women and children were seen armed with rifles, bowie-knives, axes, hoes, rocks, sticks, &c., &c., waiting for the arrival of the enemy.
This is a fair expose of the feelings of Western Virginia, East of Kanawha county, and should the day come when the Ohio men feel inclined to march through this section of country, my word for it, a stump-tail ox in fly time would be more comfortable.
I learned that 3,000 men were in and around Lewisburg, anxiously awaiting their coming.
Six hundred were on the march from Alleghany, five hundred from Monroe, and as many were ready to march from this county and Craig.
When these people learned that the report was a false one, many threw down their arms, enraged at the idea of being disappointed.--All hoped it was true, as we are satisfied, that the march of the enemy through our mountain gorges will result in the complete destruction of every devil of them.
The militia are rapidly coming in, in obedience to the Proclamation of Gov. Letcher. Sharp-Shooter.
