Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch
Nerce from the Southwest--the ladies opposed
to an armistice — presentation of Flags,
&c., &c.
Abingdon,Va., April 27, 1861.
Bravely the work still goes on!
Our mountain boys are itching to get a pop at the Gothe and Vandals sent out, and to be sent out, by that old tyrant and usurper and fool that presides at the head of affairs at Washington — in plain English, old Abe Lincoln.
Sixcompanies of volunteers have already been raised in Washington county.
The sixth company was raised in the lower end of the county, and is under command of Capt. Jas. T. Preston, the Colonel commandant of the regiment of militia.
A few days since the ladies of this town made a fine flag for the "Mounted Rifles." It was presented, for the ladies by Miss Lizzie Hardin of Kentucky, one of the teachers in Martha Washington College.
It was received by Lieut. R. B. Edmonson.
To-day the young ladies of Martha Washington College presented a handsome flag, through the President, Rev. Wm. A. Harris, to Dr. White's company.
All three of the companies now in barracks at Abingdon, together with hundreds of the citizens of the town and county, were present.
The report has reached our community that Cameron, Lincoln's Secretary of War, had telegraphed to Gov. Letcher asking for an armistice!
It is not believed; but if so, the request is considered an impudent, senseless, cowardly act. Our ladies, old and young, are down upon any such an arrangement, unless Lincoln will withdraw his forces from the soil of Virginia, and withdraw the call for 75,000 volunteers "to suppress combinations" and enforce the laws in "South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas," and now in Virginia.
Davy Bird, the faithful servant of the late Gov. Campbell, of this place, is extremely anxious to get the scalp of Lincoln!
He says if he has half a chance he can secure the prize!
Many of the slaves of this county are anxious to get hold of him;--they have no confidence in the hypocritical pretensions of a set of puritanical Yankees.
Gladly did we receive the intelligence that the Convention had united Virginia with the Southern Confederacy, and had appointed President Jeff. Davis at the head of the Army and Navy of the State.
Peace or war,--a whole peace,--no dodging,--no fooling,--or war to the knife, is all that will now satisfy our people.
Our women, all of whom are as brave as soldiers, will be satisfied with nothing less.
I will state that the captains of five of our companies were educated at military schools.
Capt. Jones was educated at West Point; Dr. White, Capt. Wm. White, Jr., Capt. Preston, Capt. Carson, were educated at the Virginia Military Institute, at Lexington.
The volunteers drill day and night.
The ministers of the different churches have services every night or so for the volunteers in the barracks.
The County Court has made an appropriation of $10,000 to aid in defence of the State.
Washington. 