July 20, 1861 - Saturday.

Orren M. Stebbins'

Anderson Life Guard, Co. A, 13th Pa. Res., to: Tioga County Agitator.

Fort Holland, New Creek, Virginia

_Friend Agitator:- Being pleasantly situated this hot sultry afternoon, not in an old rail car where I was when I last wrote, but in a large and well furnished Stone Mansion, beautifully situated on the right bank of the Potomac, I will give you the news of the past week.

_Last Monday morning Captain Holland and Captain McDonald were ordered from Camp Dayton to the aid of Captain Taylor, who was holding this little town and was momentarily expecting an attack from about three hundred horsemen. We came here on double quick time expecting to have a fight, but when we arrived in town we found the rebels had made up their minds to leave their property in the hands of good union men

(the Tioga boys) and 'take to de woods,' so we had nothing to do but walk in and select our own quarters.

_Capt. McDonald was stationed in a large four square brick building in the most commanding part of the town. Capt. Holland was ordered to this old fortification, situated a little out of town at the base of a lofty mountain, on the road leading from town to Romney. This house is a summer residence of Col. McDonald who is now in the rebel army at Romney. It was built in times of peace, but it seems destined for the purpose for which it is now used. We have found papers and communications here from Gov. Wise and many other prominent men in the South, which go to show beyond a doubt that the South has been making preparations for this war for years, and no one can read what we have read and then say that this mighty revolution which has caused us to leave our homes and friends, and go forth to meet the dangers of war, is not the outbursting of plans which they have been concocting for years.

"Captain Niles is still in Camp Dayton, two miles from us. The other morning a squad of his men crossed the Potomac and planted the Stars and Stripes on one of the loftiest mountains in Virginia, fired three salutes and left it once more to wave in the pure sunlight over the old Dominion.

"I heard a man right from Romney say this morning that Col.

McDonald has said that he would retake his property from us, or die at the threshold of his own door. All we have to say to him is, if he had rather die a natural death than to be shot down like a dog, or hung up like a traitor, he had better not be seen among these rocks and hills.

"We have been destitute of news until to-day. We now have a

telegraph wire in good order and an office of our own in town.

"Since I have been writing this a car load of timber has passed to rebuild the bridge, and our regiment is to remain here to guard the work. That is good news to us, for we have a good cool place, the very best kind of water and a large library to spend our leisure hours with. We have scouting parties out every day. They generally bring in two or three prisoners and as many horses. To-day they brought in one man and six fat oxen. The prisoner is in our room for the night. He is a spy.

"There is now within five miles of this place the Kane Rifle Regiment, the Fifth under Col. Simmons, and a part of Capt. Campbell's artillery, and situated as we are we can whip five times our number. Not one of our regiment has yet been killed or wounded. The most of the Tioga boys are in good health, and like the scouting parties as well as an old hunter likes to chase the deer.

"This is secession paper and I am seated by a traitor's table,

and on this envelope you will find the name of the man who once owned it, and all we now hold in our possession - a man that is destined to live in history, only to be spoken of by future generations as we today speak of a Cataline or an Arnold.

"Col. Crockett.H [WA: 7-31-1861].

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