From Manassan Junction.
[special Correspondence of the Dispatch.]
Camp Pickens, Manassan June 11, 1861.
A bad accident occurring yesterday, through one of those casualties insejurable from an encampment, has cast a gloom over every camp fire in this place.
As one of the Alexandria companies was going through the manual of arms at morning drill, a musket, not known to be loaded, was discharged at the word fire, and a man at some distance was seen to throw up both hands and fall upon his side.
Several of those who noticed his fall ran forward to pick him up, when it was found that the ball had entered on the right side of the neck, and, ranging dowaward, passed through the chest and lung to the shoulder-blade.
The injured man was immediately removed to the hospital and tenderly cared for; but, from the fatal nature of the wound, and the fact that the lung was severely lacerated, but small hopes were entertained of his recovery, and I have, in fact, since learned that he has died.
His name was Taylor, Orderly Sergeant of one of the Albemaris companies — the Piedmont Guards.
The shooting was so purely accidental, that the unfortunate author of the calamity was immediately exonerated from all blams.
It is also said that three other of our soldiers were wounded by the accidental discharge of a gun when on picket.
It is to be hoped that these accidents will tend to the exercise, by the troops here, of more carefulness in the use of fire-arms.
Our camp on Sunday was the scene of quite a stirring display.
About twelve o'clock word was received that fighting had commenced at Fairfax, and in an incredibly short space of time the news went the rounds of camp, and in expectation of orders to advance men were to be seen in every direction packing knapsacks, rolling their blankets, burnishing their arms and putting their equipments in order for marching, while the air wrung with their jocund shouts, that at last there was a fair prospect of a brush with Old Abe's cut-throat legions.
As far as I could see, all were eager for the fray, and for one company I can say that the news did more good than all the contents of our medicine chest or the prescriptions of our regimental Esculapins; for, of our twelve on the sick list, not one but bounced from his pallet and swore as lustily as Uncle Toby, that he could and he would march.
It turned out to be a false alarm, however, occasioned by the firing of some field-pieces at Fairfax for the purpose of emptying and cleansing the cannon.
I am too well acquainted with a soldier's duty to say aught I may learn of the designs of our leaders, but I will venture the assertion that, in spite of the astuteness of Billy Sewward, the traitorous skill of Scott, and the narro-minded ferocity of Lincoln, such a terrible blow will fall upon the guilty trio as will cause them to hide their diminshed heads forever.
Our men are pleased beyond measure at the appointment of Beauregard as their leader, and express the most unbounded confidence in the military skill of the reducer of the impreguable Sumter.
The wecome news, as communicated to us by the Dispatch, of the position taken by England, as evidenced by the debates in the British Parliament, has given us a new assurance of a happy issue out of all our difficulties.
‘"To whip old Lincoln and his band,"’ liberate Maryland and her sisters, retake Washington and make the Confederate States the power of North America, begin to loom up to the soldier's mind as things speedily to be accomplished through the potent agency of powder and ball.
Prisoners still continue to be brought in, a few at a time, and through them one manages sometimes to hear something of the doings at Washington.
One regiment, it is said, when ordered across the Long Bridge, an attack on Arlington Heights being feared, marched across as solemn looking as if going to a funeral; but when it was discovered that there was no danger and they were to come back, returned to Washington singing, cheering lustily, etc. Cos. 