July 4.—Our celebration of this day is more serious than in days gone by. Our military have no time for dress-parades and barbecues. The gentlemen could not get home yesterday evening; the trains were all used for carrying soldiers to the bridge on this railroad just above us, upon which the Yankees are making demonstrations. The morning papers report that General D. H. Hill had a skirmish near Tunstall’s Station on Thursday evening, and repulsed the enemy. Nothing from our armies in Pennsylvania or Vicksburg.
July 4, Eleven o’ Clock P.M.—Heavy musketry to-night, for two hours, at the bridge above this place. It has ceased, and we hope that the enemy are driven back.
Mr. –– came home this evening; the other gentlemen are absent. We are going to bed, feeling that we are in God’s hands. The wires are cut between this and “The Junction,” and there is every indication that the Yankees are near. The telegraph operator has gone off, and great anxiety is felt about the village. There are no Government stores here of any sort; I trust that the Yankees know that, and will not think us worth the trouble of looking after.