From the Northwest.
[Special correspondence of the Dispatch]
Monterey, Highland Co., August 1, 1861.
To-day was ushered in by a very severe storm of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, which still continues as I write, and which has caused a rapid rise in the various water courses in this neighborhood.
Monterey is the county seat of Highland county, about forty-five miles from Staunton, and has a population of about two hundred.
Since the commencement of hostilities it has become to be a place of some note, being one of the military posts for the army of the Northwest.
Its Court- House is now filled with commissary stores, and its beautiful little Church is occupied as a hospital for the sick.
There is no news of any importance, save rumors, the last of which is, that the enemy have evacuated Cheat Mountain and returned to Phillippi; and that a number of their regiments have returned home, which I give you for what they are worth.
The 23d Regiment, Col. Tallaferro, is here.
Captain Hames, of this command, passed through here a few days ago, for his home, having been taken prisoner and released on parole.
He says the enemy treated him well while he was in their custody Sergeant L'Ecuyer, and privates Miller, Brandt, and C. C. and J. W. Beazley, all of the Sharp-Shooters of Richmond, were also taken prisoners; the three first have been paroled, and the two last are now in Beverly, waiting on the sick and wounded of the enemy, and our own prisoners.
Dr. Carrington, of this Regiment, who was also captured, and is now in Beverly, where he is kindly attending to those of the wounded who need his services.
Private Samuel Briquet was taken on the road, and tied to another of our men, and was taken some distance, when his guards left them to capture others.
He untied his follow captive, who, in turn, untied him, and they escaped to the mountain, where they remained for 6 days, and finally reached here yesterday.
Briquet saw the enemy coming, and destroyed his rifle and accoutrements to keep them from getting possession of them.
We have just learned that Sampson Phillips of the Sharp-Shooters, who was with General Garnett at the time of his death, was killed at the same place, and that the Yankees buried him decently and marked over his grave this inscription: ‘"The only man that stood by his General."’ Phillips had been missing since the battle, and we learned by a prisoner that the above was his fate.
He had been in all the engagements, and was a brave and true man.
There is great and just complaints against the postmasters between here and Richmond, in consequence of the failure of those subscribers to newspapers, and especially the Dispatch, falling to receive their papers; and I heard an officer say that some postmasters had torn the names from the papers, and afterwards sold them at five cents a piece to any one who wanted them.*
In my last letter the name of Wane, should be Want.
Please correct it in justice to a brave and good man, who has done his part well and faithfully.
He is from Mississippi, where he has relatives and friends.
Ned.
[*Several copies of the Dispatch have been sent to our correspondent, and his failure to receive them may be accounted for by the speculative mania among the postmasters] 
