Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.
Enthusiasm in the County of Greene — Highly Creditable Turnout of the Militia of the County.
Greene County,
July 15, 1861.
Happening to be on a visit to the gallant little county of
Greene, last week, when the call for the entire militia of the county was made by
Col. Richardson, and an eye-witness of the spirit and promptness with which they responded, it affords me great pleasure to bear witness to the honor to which the citizens of that gallant county are entitled in consequence of their bravery and public spirit.
On Friday last, (12th,)
Col. Offield, of the 155th, called out all the citizens of the county between the ages of 18 and 45, and after drilling them for a short time, notified them to be at
Gordonsville (distant 30 miles from many parts of the county) by 9 o'clock on Sunday, the 14th.
I was at
Gordonsville at the time mentioned and was struck by the fact that before the arrival of the down train, every
Greene man was on the train to
Manassas, and ready to report to
Gen. Beauregard.
This is a fact which speaks volumes in favor of the people of this noble county, and of
Col. Offield, who commands the regiment.--They did not wait to be ready, but, being ordered to ‘"report immediately to
Gen. Beauregard,"’ stood not on the order of their going, but went at once.
There are no men liable to militia duty left in the county.
The writer was somewhat prejudiced against
Col. Offield by the apparent exceeding haste of his preparations, (for though a citizen of another county, he is proud of having many friends and relatives in
Greene;) but when he saw the noble 155th at
Gordonsville, he was satisfied that he was wrong, and writes this communication to testify to those who heard him say otherwise, that the
Colonel was right and the writer of this communication was wrong.
In passing, I will remark that
Col. Offield's speech to the
Greene Regiment at
Stanardsville, on Friday last, was one of the best specimens of oratory I have ever heard.
It was to the point, and went to the very souls of all who heard it — was brief, but in every respect excellent.
It was a model of speeches of the sort.
Albemarle.
