973,7 R2511 Reed, P. Fishe Incidents of the War, or The Romance and Realities of Soldier Life \ IIUMCJS HISTORICAL SURVEY 973,7 R2511 OF THE WAR; OR, THE ROMANCE AND REALITIES o, SOLDIER LIFE. 3P. FISHE REE3D. En!' rod :!rrm-; to Act of Congress, in the year 1802, by .AS HER & CO., In the Cl"i-k - * Office of the District Court for the District, of Indian*. UNIVERSJTY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URCAfMA-CHAMPAJGK ILL HIST. SURVEY PREFACE. In all theannals of warfare there have been no battles more prolific of curious IB* .Mont, and individual bravery and recklessness, than those of the present rebellion, 'leu of previously civil natures have become daring heroes, rushing into danger regardless of consequences, and defying, to their very mouth, the murderous ma- ' bines that deal such terrible death npon them. A bursting shell, instead of terror, produces a joke ; a bullet or a bayonet, more fun than fear. Sparta, in her palmiest days of heroism, recorded no greater deeds of daring and devotion, no more magnificent exploits or cooler bravery than have been exhibited 67 the soldiery of both armies of America. The Saracens, who, infatuated with {he reverence of the terrible Crescent, swept thorough the eastern world -like..* tornado, who went forth "conquering and to conquer," till even invulnerable Rome trembled before that ominous Crescent, and the battle cry of " All^h il Allah ;" nor the Crusaders, whose sacred Cross, in after years, sent terror into lha Mohammedan ranks, could have shown a greater or truer devotion to the emblo^klj .)f their power, than have the soldiers of the North for the Stars and Stripes, that emblem their liberty. Our soldiers, are brave, shrewd and reckless without parallel, and their deedi^? like the cral traditions of ancient days, will bo preserved in the heart* of th people forever ; and these instances of individual prowess and valor, that arc sel- dom found in pages of more ponderous volumes, are eer the fire-side histories that frll the true character of a people. To this end is this volume presented to th Wblfc. INCIDENTS OF SOLDIER LIFE. THE VALOROUS FIFTY-SEVEN. It having become necessary for Gener.al Bnrnside to he made acquainted with the force and condition of the rebels at Fred- ericksburg, and the surrounding country, he requested a reeon- noissance to he made in that direction. In answer to this demand, General Siirel selected his body guard, commanded by Captain Dahlgren, with a portion of the 1st Indiana and the 3rd Ohio Cavalry. It was a perilous undertaking, for to pass a hundred horsemen through forty miles of the enemy's territory, cross a larze and hridireless river, and dash into a town, which, it was expected, the rebels occupied in force, was no delicate operation; but it was one which the boys hailed as a holiday excursion. After leaving Gainesville they took a circuitous route, and rode till night, when, after resting a few hours, they pushed on towards the river, which they reached just at daybreak, and there, upon the opposite bank stood Fredericksburg. Here they met with a difficulty which had not been considered in the scheme. When the Union troops evacuated the place, six months before, they burned the bridge, and it had not been rebuilt. The tide was full; so with a good deal of chagrin, and more impatience, they were compelled to wait for the ebbing of the tide. Making the best of their disappointment, they secreted themselves in the woods, and held council. It was impossible for them to remain concealed, in their present position, till night should give them an opportunity to again move under the shelter of its darkness, and it was equally impossible for thorn to cross thr: river at flood-tide. At last two of the Indianians volunteered to ride along the river side and reconnoitre. Without being discovered, they passed down the river till they were some distance below the town, where they saw a ferryman on the opposite bank, and g INCIDENTS OT representing themselves as rebel officers, they ordered him to row over. He immediately obeyed, but had no sooner got fairly landed than he discovered his mistake, for he was made a pris- oner, and compelled, by the severest threats, to give the scouts such information as they desired, the most important of which was that the town contained about six hundred armed men, mostly dragoons. When this news was reported to Captain Dahlgren his purpose was fixed, and he determined, much as the enemy's force ex- ceeded his own, to push boldly into the town. Luckily for them they had not yet been discovered, and as soon as the tide was sufficiently low, he took fifty -seven Indianians leaving the Ohioans on the northern bank and crossed the river. Reach- ing the opposite shore, they started at a slow trot, hoping to take the town by surprise; but their movement had been discovered; the alarm was spreading, and the town was all astir. "And there was hurrying to and fro, And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress, And cheeks all pale, which but an hour ago," were flushed with the security vouchsafed by six hundred chiv- alrous Southrons. The enemy was already partly in the saddle, and bewildered groups of horsemen were in every street. Captain Dahlgren saw the danger attending the experiment, but he was not to be intimidated. He determined to fall upon them like a thunderbolt, and by thus increasing the confusion, which he perceived, effect his purpose. As they neared the town, he spoke a few encouraging words to his men, and then they increased their trot into a quick gallop. Swifter and swifter still they fly, and, whisking through the air like so many John Gilpins, the gallant fifty-seven, with drawn sabres, cheers and shouts, darted into the town, and recklessly rushed down the main street. Here a squad of rebel horsemen were getting into line, but, one terrific screech, a volley of pistolry, and one grand flourish of sabres, and the terror stricken chivalry ingloriously fled. . Turning down a cross street, without abating their furious gallop, the Captain and his sturdy followers came upon another squad of rebel cavalry. These made a desperate resistance, and for a short time the dire confusion of battle reigned supreme. The trampling of hoofs, the clattering of scabbards, the sharp, ringing clink of the sabres and the gory gashes that followed, the pistol flash and rattle, the tumbling, struggling and groaning of the horse and rider, the screaming of the women and chil- dren, the cheering and hurrahing of the victors a short, sharp, terrible contest, and the town was in the possession of the gal- lant Fifty-seven. SOLDIER Once the rebels attempted to recover what they had lost; but a repetition of northern valor scattered them, and effectuallj drove them from the town. The fruits of this strange victory were thirty-one prisoners, a number of horses and accoutrements, sabres, arms, etc. Captain Dahlgren held possession of the town for three hours, long enough to convince the terrified inhabitants that they were not to be injured, and then retired. During this conflict the rebels lost twelve, while but one of the Indianians fell. This one brave fellow fought desperately, through the whole engagement, when, after it was over, seeing a large rebel flag waving from a window, he secured it, and wrapping it around his body, was returning to his company, when a fatal shot was fired from a window by one of the citizens. He was brought to the northern shore and buried by his sorrow- ing companions, beneath the forest pines. What a thrilling picture is this! The sweep like a whirlwind the shout the rout the victory ! Victory, not for personal glory, nor for ambition, but for a beloved country. The fabulous fame of the Black Horse cavalry fades into insignificance at this glorious achievement of these valorous fifty-seven sons of the west. General Sigel was in ecstacies over this victory, and well be might be, for no exploit of the war excels it, and it will go down to history as one of the grandest on record. MINGO, THE CONTRABAND. Among the contrabands who were employed to \vork on the famous canal, that was to effectually, and forever, cut off Yicks- burgh from civilization and "the rest of mankind," was a mid- dle-aged negro, by the name of Mingo. He had formerly be- longed to a pious old rebel, who owned a plantation some miles cast of Vicksburg. Mingo, one day, having obtained leave of absence, came up to camp to review Uncle Sam's grand army, and grander canal. While he was looking wonders at the oper- ation of the picks and shovcla. he was accosted by one of the guard : "Well, Cuffee, what do you think of it?" "Doesn't know, boss; couldn't tell what de dcbil massa Lin- kum do wid dis big ditch " "It's to bury the niggers in," replied the guard gravely. "All ob um?" inquired Mingo, dilating his eyes to their ut- most. H INCIDENTS OF "Yes," replied the guard, "every d n nigger iu the South i* to be pitched in here, and covered up." "What for dat?" said Mingo. "Because the nigger is the cause of all this war, and as soon as they are all out of the way, the war is over." Mingo showed his white teeth, and replied: "Spec's 1 doesn't bliebe dat, boss. If de niggas all killed off de massas still hate de Yankee. Dey fight urn always, if dere ain't no niggas. Spec's I know what dis ditch for, sah." " Well, what do you think, Sainbo?" said the guard. "Spec's massa Linkum can't get all his big boats by Vicks- bnrg, an' he dig dis big ditch so he hab a river all to hisself. My names not Sambo, sah; Mingo." "Good for you, nigger. Would you like to be free, Mingo?' said the guard. " Spec's i would, boss, neber tried urn," replied Mingo mourn- fully. " Who's your master?" 'Dey calls him pious Purdy." " Pious, is he?" "Yes, sah, pious wid de white folks, but de berry debil inong de niTy mangled and scalped. In his rage he swore vengeance against the Indians, and for the remainder of the day devoted his atten- tion entirely to them, concealing himself behind trees and fight- ing them in their fashion. He was an excellent marksman, and if an Indian did but show him a square inch of his red skin, he was sure to send a bullet through it. Whenever an Indian dropped, in answer to the crack of the federal rifle, he would shout with delirious joy: " There goes another red-skin to h 1. Hurrah for the Stars and Stripes, and d n all the Indians ! " Though ever following the wily foe, and though fired upon again and again, he received not a scratch; and on his return to camp, after night-fall, bore with him nine scalps of aboriginal warriors, slain by his own hand to avenge his brother'* death. A forage wagon of the 36th Indiana, containing only the team- ster and- a- private of company D, was attacked by a band of guerrillas. The discharge of a score or two of muskets tore th SOLDIKR, LIFE. 15 teamster into atoms, and relieved him of his command in a twinkling, while his comrade did not receive a scratch. Three of the rebels then advanced, on double quick, to within twenty feet of the Iloosier, two of them with double barreled shotguns, the other with a rifle, and, cowardly assassins as they were, fired upon the lone Yankee. But again "Fortune favored the brave." He was still unharmed, and sat there eyeing his coming captors as though he had not been the target upon which the chivalrous Southrons had been displaying their skill. The rebels, consid- ering him bullet proof, refused to waste any more ammunition upon him, and took him prisoner. It is but just to say that the bullet proof Hoosier was unarmed, or he would have shown the barbarous rebels a different mark&- manghip. REBELS CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN TRAP. The Sergeant of the picket guard being stationed near Pohick Church, had his attention drawn to the tinkling of * cow-bell in the bushes. With visions of new milk running through his' head he examined carefully, and to his intense astonishment found himself euchered of his milk ; but he made the discovery that, as he advanced, the cow-bell retreated. The Sergeant smelt a moderate sized mice, and made a double-quick retrograde movement. He immediately reported the affair to Colonel Hays. The Colonel secreted a squad of men in the woods, and the Sergeant again made himself conspicuous. He brushed about among the bushes, and the cow-bell approached. The squad eoon had the satisfaction of seeing not the cow, but a Secesher, with a cow-bell hung to his neck, and a six shooter in his belt When he got within easy range, and in sight of the squad, the Sergeant hailed him: "1 say, old fellow, would you rather go to h 1 or to Wash- ington ?" The squad at the same time rushed forward. "To Washington, I reckon," drawled the rebel, "I ain't clothed for a warm climate." And he accordingly delivered himself up with the best pos- sible grace. A SAD RESULT OF THE WAR. A Union man of Missouri, who had two brothers in the rehel arniv, joined the Home fJuard. and a few days 'after one of his brothers rode up anu found him practising with his rifle. 16 INCIDENTS or " I am glad to see you using your gun," said the brother. M You had better join a company." " I have done so," was the calm reply. ."Is that so? What company is it? "The Home Guards." "Ah, that's what you're at is it?" cried the brother. "Well here's something for you;" and he immediately drew a navy revolver and fired. The ball Lidded in the breast of the other, who. s ta^ored and fell, but getting upon his knees and seizing his rifle, pointed it at his murderous brother, who turned and fled; -but there sped a sure ball from that trembling rifle, and it arrested the rebel brother's course forever. LAST WORDS. When General Reno was killed, General Stursis was within a few yards of him. He was in command of thedivision formerly eoimiianded by Reno, increased by several new regiments, and the men had just distinguished themselves in driving the rebels from the summit of the Blue Ridge. These General were bosom friends; had been classmates at West Point, and graduated together. When Reno fell. Sturgis ran to his assistance, had him picked up, and said: "Jesse, are you badly hurt?" "Yes. Sam." he replied, "1 am a dead man." " Great God, nol" exclaimed Sturgis. ''Yes, it is so, Sam. and you must do double duty now." General Sturgis had him placed upon a litter and carried to the rear, where he died in an hour. His last words before leaving the battle-field, were-. "Boys, I can be with you no longer in body, but i am with you in spiru '' Conmral Mooney, seeing that the staff of the regimental flag was shot away, picked up the Stars and Stripes, and wrapping them round his body, rushed over the parapet of the outworks, shouting iileefully: "Come on. me brave boys." It was all he said. The next instant a shell struck him, and the flag and the Corporal were torn in pieces. A soldier fell mortally wounded. Some of his comrades wished to carry him to the rear, but General Lew. Wallace ri- ding by at the moment, ordered them to desist. " We can not stop to attend to the wounded til! the battle is over. ' said the General. "You are right," replied the groanhig soldier; "the country first. JJoys go to your duty. SGLDIEtt LtFK. 17 These were his last words. When the General again rodo that way, the devoted soldier's pains were over. He was dead. The army was retreating from Centerville. The battle was fought against a rebel force that had penetrated five miles nearer Washington than our rear, and was moving to strike upon the flank. General Stevens' division, the advance of Reno's corps, was on the left of the road taken by the trains, and inter- cepted by the enemy. He saw that the rebels must be beaten Lack at once, or during the night they would stampede the wag- ons, and probably so disconcert our retreat that the last divisions would fall a prey to their main force. He decided to attack immediately, at the same time sending back for support. Hav- ing made his dispositions, he led the attack on foot at the head of the 79th (Highlanders). Soon meeting a withering fire, and the Color Sergeant, Sandy Campbell, a grizzled old Scotchman, being wounded, they faltered. One of the color guard took up the flag, when the General snatched it from him. The wounded Highlander at his feet, cried : "For God's sake, General, don't you take the colors; they'll shoot you if you do! " 'Give me the colors! " demanded the officer. "If they don't follow me now, they never will ;" and he sprang forward with the colors in his hand, crying: "We are all Highlanders; follow brave Highlanders ; forward my Highlanders ! ' The Highlanders did follow their Scottish chief, but while Bweeping forward a ball struck him on his right temple. He died instantly. An hour afterward, when taken up, his hands were still clenched around the flag-staff. Thus ended the brave career of the brave Stevens. He had oftea remarked that if it were his fate to fall in battle, he hoped he should be shot through the temple and die instantly. The day after the battle of Donelson, some of the rebel pris- oners were permitted to go in search of their wounded. While these prisoners were wandering through the woods, they came upon the body of a dead soldier. One of the rebels gave it a kick, at the same time saying : "Take that, you yellow-bellied son of a ." "And that," said another voice near by; and a third voice, also, uttered its quick, sharp, crack, and the impious rebel dropped dead with a bullet in his heart, and the filthy word still groaning on his lips. The Union soldier who accompanied him thus avenged the insulted dead. The rebel General Ben. McCulloch was struck with a minie rifle- ball in the left breast, while waving his sword and encouraging 2 18 INCIDENTS Of his men to stand firm. He died of his wounds about 11 o'clock the same night, though he insisted that he would recover; re- peatedly saying with great oaths that he was not born to b>8 killed by a d d Yankee. A few minutes before he expired his physician assured him he had but a very brief time to live. At this Ben. looked up incredulously, and saying, "Oh, Hell! " turned away his head, and never spoke after. A REBEL SURGEON AND HIS SPUNKY UNION PATIENT. At the bombardment of Fort Henry, a young Wisconsin boy, in his eagerness to "get a pop at a rebel," got detached from his company, and took a zigzag way towards the biggest crowd, firing as he went, and dodging, here and there, behind the cir- cumstantial breastworks. Presently he found himself sur- rounded, and he had the honor of being made a prisoner of war. Not long after he had. his arm shattered by a ball from one of the Union gunboats. He was taken to a tent, and the Surgeon commenced the work of amputation. He had just bared tho bone, when a shell came crashing through the tent. The boy did not seem to pay much attention to the sawing of the"bone, but coolly remarked : "Them shells are staving things don't they make you rebels get, though?" Presently another shell shrieked and fell close by them. "It is getting most too hot here for us, my boy," said tho Burgeon. "I'll take you to a safer place." "Too hot is it?" said the mangled boy. " Well, I guess it will be a good deal hotter for you by and by." The Surgeon told the story with some pleasure, and remarked : " He was the bravest little fellow I ever saw. I should like to meet with him again." SHARP SHOOTING DUEL. A rebel lieutenant was stationed in a rifle pit, and about fifty yards from him was a Berge sharp-shooter, well fortified by a Iiuge tree. The Lieutenant could not lift a finger but the Bergo gave him a pop. He had thus been' the target for some time, when getting out of patience, he poked his head above the breast- works and shouted : "Come out from behind that tree, you skulking Yankee." SOMMES LIFE. ft * : Come out from behind that breast work, you cowardly rebel, and see how you like it," was the prompt rejoinder. The Lieutenant seized a musket, and springing over the works, sung out : "Now, come on, you Nigger-stealer." "Here's at you, you thieving Butternut," returned the Berge, stepping squarely from behind the tree, and in this position each took three fair shots at the other. Berge's third shot just lifted the hair from the other's ar. "Go back to your tre," said the Lieutenant. "Go back to your hole," returned the Berge, and both returned to their places of concealment. Each, during the duel, was so eager to kill the other first, that both fired with bad aim. The Lieutenant was afterwards taken prisoner. THE ESCAPE OF FLOYD AND PILLOW. The official Rebel report of the decamping of Floyd and Pil- low, and of the manner of the surrender of Fort Donelson, is as follows: General Pillow urged the necessity of cutting their way out, or making another day's fight. ""From the worn out condition of my men, ' replied Buckner, "and the enemy's rifle pits on the right, I cannot hold my posi- tion for half an hour, if we should be attacked at daylight, which will certainly be the case." " Why can't you ? I think you can sir," said Pillow. "I think, Sir, we ought to cut our way through at all hazards." "1 know my position," retorted Buckner. "I can only bring to bear against the enemy four thousand men, while he can oppose me with any given number." " Well, gentlemen, said Pillow, " I am in favor of fighting it out. What will you do ?" "V7hat do you say, General Buekner?" asked Floyd. "Just this: that to attempt to cut our way through the enemy's lines, with such devils to fight with, will cost a sacrifice of three- fourths of the command, and no General has a right to make such a sacrifice to secure his own safety." " I agree with the General on that point," said Floyd. "Well," said Pillow, ''there is but one alternative left, and that is capitulation. I shall neither surrender the command nor myself; I will die first." "Neither will I surrender," retutncd Floyd. " You know my 20 INCIDENTS OF relations with the Federal Government, and it would not do. Their book of reckoning is already frightfully full." "No personal feeling ought to control official action," said Buckner. "I admit it," said Floyd. "Still my determination is fixed." "The surrender will then devolve upon me," said Buckner. "General Buckner," said Floyd, "if you are put in command, will you allow me to take out my brigade ?" "Yes," replied Buckner, "if you move your command before I send my offer of capitulation to the enemy." "Then," said Floyd, "I surrender the command." This declaration left the command upon General Buckner, and he replied : "I will accept it, and will share the fate of my command," nd he at once called for pen, ink and paper, and a bugler to sound a parley, it being too dark to send a flag of truce. General Pillow then asked if it would be proper for him to make his escape. To which Floyd replied, that was a question for every man to decide for himself; but that he would be glad for every man to make his escape that could. Colonel Forrest then desired to take out his command, which was granted. "Now," said Forrest, "what shall I do? 1 "Cut your way out," said Pillow. "I will, General, by ," said Forrest. Among all the boasted chivalry massed at Fort Donelson, General Buckner was the only one who could stand the test of honor. True to his word, he followed his command and made himself a prisoner; while the officer in command, Floyd, to use his own words, sought "to "make an effort for my own extrica- tion by any and every means that might present themselves to me." CAPTURE OF A FULL BLOOD. During the grand retreat of the enemy across Roanoke Island, Captain Bradford, of a Massachusetts regiment, saw a man spring from a clump of bushes and run like a deer across an open space. The Captain several times called to him to stop, but finding he was about to lose his game, ordered his men to fire. The rebel heard the order and immediately whirled around, and holding up both hands, cried; "Don't shoot; please don't shoot!" The order was countermanded, and the man tremblingly ad ranced and surrendered himself. He was a Quartermaster, SCfLDIER, LITE. 21 Not long afterwards, fifteen or twenty prisoners were drawn up around a good fire, and the "Special Artist" began making a sketch. This roused the chivalric pride of the rebel Quarter- master, who had by this time got over his fright, and approach- ing the'artist, he said : "I suppose you're some Yankee newspaper man aud 1 want you to remember that, though I ain't as good looking as some o' the rest in this crowd, I've got jest the same kind o' Southern blood in my veins." Somebody present remarked : " Perhaps that was the reason you whined so dolefully over in the field, yonder. You were afraid you'd lose some of that precious blood." A SMART CHANCE, When Commodore Goldsborough arrived at Croaton Sound, a, fellow was presented to him who was recommended for a pilot, when the following conversation ensued : Commodore. " Well, sir, they say you know something about this Sound." Pilot. "Well, yes, mebbe four or five years ago I had a smart knowledge of that strip of water, Sir." Com. " How much water is there on this shoal?' 1 (pointing to the chart.) Pil. "Well, I reckon there's a right smart chance of water there Sir." Com. "Did you pilot boats up and down the Sound?" Pil. "Well, yes; I reckon I've driv a few flat boats up thar. Sir." Com. " Ca,n you give us any assistance by pointing out the safest way to get up there?" Pil. " Well, I reckon I could help you a right smart chance." Com. " Well then we want you. Pil. "But, your honor, I rather would'nt, Sir," Com. "What! don't you want to serye your country?" Pil. "Well, yes, but the old woman and young 'uns has got powerful little to live on, Sir." Com. "But we will pay you good wages." Pil. " And I hav'nt anything but these yeller old sou' westers, Sir." Com. "We'll give you good clothes." PH." B-b-but " Com." But what,- Sir?" Pil. " Well, you see, your honor, you see that mebbe ef you 22 ESJIDENTS Qf should' nt get up tbar, them-ar secessioners would use me pow- erful bad, Sir." This devoted Union man was dismissed, with orders to hold himself in readiness- to lend a "right smart chance" of his aid to the expedition. TERRIBLE DEVOTION. The sinking of the Cumberland was one of the most terriTjfe catastrophes of the war, and no instance shows a more desper- ate and devoted spirit than was shown by her brave crew. They behaved with remarkable and stoical courage, continuing to work every gun above the water line to the last moment^ and ene of her guns Avas actually discharged at the enemy as site was going down. There was no effort to escape, no rush to the boats, not a sign of surrender, and every one of the three hun- dred brave sailors was beried beneath the water. The terrible devotion of the crew of this ill-fated' ship la unparalleled irr'the annals of warfare. As the ship w^8 sinking, two gunners clasped their guns in their arms and woald not be removed. They went down em- bracing them. One gunner had both his legs shot away. Another shot had torn him badly in the abdomen, and so, with his bowels protru- ding, he made three steps on his raw and bloody thighs, seized the lanyard and fired his gun, falling back dead. Another lost both arms and legs, yet lived, and when they would assist him, cried on* : "Back to your gun, boys! Give 'era hell! Hurrah for the Flag ! " When asked to surrender the Cumberland, Lieutenant Morris replied: "Never! I will not strike my flag." Then, turning to his men, he asked : "Would you do it?" "No!" was the firm reply of all, and they did not doit. When the ship was sinking the old flag still waved above her. APPLE BRANDY. When the Union soldiers entered the rebel fortifications at Mill Spring, one of them discovered a barrel which proved to contain apple brandy. Pulling out the corn cob from, the bung * SOLDIER LIFE. 28 hole, he turned it up and filled his canteen. While d>ing this one of Bob McCojk s skirmishers came in and said: "Vat you gets dere?" The soldier replied that it appeared to be pretty fair apple brandy; upon which the Dutchman ran to the door, calling out furiously : " Hans ! Heinirch ! Schnapps ! See here ! " Then rushed in a squad of his comrades, and the brandy was transferred to their canteens in a twinkling. The soldier was fond of a joke, and remarked seriously: N "Boys, this is a doctor's shop, and there might be strychnine in that brandy." The thirsty Tuetons paused a moment, when one of them ex- claimed: "Py G t! Hans, I tells you vat I does; I trinks some, and if it don't kills me, den you trinks mitout no danger." He then took a long pull at his canteen, smacked his lips, and said: "All'right, boys, go ahead." THE TABLES TURNED. When Fort Sumter surrendered, the following lines appeared in some of the Southern papers : " With mortar, Paixlian and petard, We tender to Old Abe our Bcaurogfird." Things having changed somewhat, and the rebels catching it front and rear, causing them to flee from the wrath to come, our Western friends now return the rebel's poetic courtesies in this wise: " With the rebels all routed and flying with fear, We tender Jeff. Davis our Foote in his rear." KEEN PICKETS. A soldier from Maine being on picket duty, was fired upon by one of the rebel pickets, from Georgia, the ball whizzing close to liia ear. Upon this the Yankee sheltered himself behind a tree and began to look about for the concealed foe. Presently a little puff of smoke revealed the spot, and another ball paid its re- spects to his hair. ;1 Hello ! " said Maine, "what are you trying to make ?" Trying to wing a nigger stealer," said Georgia. 24 INCIDENTS OF "Sho !" responded Maine, "I'm glad you told me. I should' nt have guessed it from your shootin'. Who made yoi-.r old musket?" "The London Times; who made your'n?" says Georgia, jump- ing behind his tree, while the Yankee's bullet sprinkled the bark in his face. "Horace Greeley," said Maine. "Where's Jackson ?" "Behind the wall," replied Georgia, at the same time barking the Yankee's tree. "What's McClellan doing?' "Reviewing the grand army." *'Got any whisky ?" says Georgia. "Only gunpowder, which you're welcome to," replied Maine, at the same time giving the rebel another pop. "I say," says Georgia, "step out and give us a show." The Yankee pokes out his head, and the rebel cracks away and misses. "Too high, old feller. Now let me have a pop," said Maine. Georgia pokes out his head and the ball passes between his ehin and shoulder. "Too low!" shouts the rebel. "Let's quit a while and go home and practice." " Quit it is," said Maine. 'Spose we adjourn for rations." "Agreed," says the other. And the two marched away, one whistling Dixie and the other Yankee Doodle. REBELLION FINANCED DOWN. Poor Beauregard for three month's soldiers prays, For which he bounty promises and thanks, But Louisiana drafts at ninety days, Can't meet the checks on Mississippi banks. CONTRABAND PHILOSOPHY. An elderly darkey, with a very philosophical and retrospeo live cast of countenance, was squatting upon his bundle on tho hurricane deck, toasting his shins against the chimney, and ap- parently plunged into a state of profound meditation. He had been in the battle of Fort Donelson, and I began to interrogate him upon the subject. His philosophy was so much in the Fal- staffian vein that I will give his views in his own words, as near as my memory serves me. "Were you in the fight?" SOLDIER LIFE. 25 "Had a little taste of ifc, sa." "Stood your ground, did you?" "No, sa, I runs." "Run at the first fire, did you?" "Yes, sa, and would hab run soona, hab I knowd it was com- ing." ^ " Why. that wasn't very creditable to your courage." "Dat isn't in my line, sa cookin's iny perfession." "Well, but have you no regard for your reputation?" "Reputation's nuffin to me by de side ob life." "Do you consider your life worth more than other people's?" "It's worth more to me, sa." "Then you must value it very highly." " Yes, sa, I does more dan all dis world more dan a million of dollars, sa, for what would dat be wuth to a man wid de bref out of him? Self-preserbashun am de fust law wid me, sa." "But why should you act upon a different rule from other men?" "'Cause, sa, different men sets different value upon darselves. My life is not in de market." "But if you lost it, you would have the satisfaction of know- ing that you died for your country." "What satisfaction would dat be to me, when de power ob feelin' was gone?" "Then patriotism and honor are nothing to you! " "Nuffin whatever, sa 1 regard dem as among de vanities." "If our soldiers were like you, traitors might have broken up the Government without resistance." "Yes, sa, dar would hab been no help for it. I wouldn't put my life in de scale 'ginst any gobernment dat eber existed, for no gobernment could replace de loss to me. 'Spect, dough, dat de gobernment safe if day all like me." " Do you think any of your company would have missed you if you had been killed?" "May be not, sa. A dead white man ain't much to dese so- gers, let alone a dead nigga, but I'd a missed myself, and dat was de pint wid me." It is safe to say that the dusky corpse of that African will never darken the field of carnage. THE CORPORAL'S CONTRABAND TURKEY. The soldier has a tedious time in wearing out the monotony of camp life, especially when the rations get low, or are of a quality that is not much better than it should be. But several 26- INCIDENTS OF thousand men, huddled together for many idle months, must needs have some fun ; they will have it, too, and if it partakes of utility, so much the better. Fun and food they must have, and with three-fourths of their time to themselves, it would be a wonder if they did not concoct some plan that would bring them both. When Buell's army was camping in Kentucky, one of the boys came across a secesh barn, which appeared to be the head- quarters of a squad of rebel turkies. He accordingly reported to ''Corporal Ben," who was generally the officer in command *>n such occasions. "Good!" said Ben. "Them fellers are contraband, and wo must make a reconnoissance in force, take a few prisoners and replenish our mess. Whose are they?" "They belong to old Grudge-, over there," replied Sam. " W shall have to be sly about it, for he's a mean old cuss, and would'nt let a fellow pick the bone of one o' them if be could help it. He's always on the watch." "We'll try it," said Ben. "I'll get Duke to go along. Accordingly when night came, the Corporal led his force be- fore the aforesaid barn and demanded a surrender. Silence, of course, gave consent, and the Corporal and his company pro- ceeded to take charge of the prisoners, while Duke was detailed to act as guard, and watch for the appearance of old Grudge. Ben climbed up on the high beams and began to pass dowai the astonished turkies to Sam, who stood ready below to receive them. JBen had just handed down a worthy gobbler, when the proceedings were suspended by the hoarse baying of a sturdy bull dog, who came tearing down the lane. "A dog!" cried the guard, in a very loud whisper. "The dog, Ben," repeated Sam. "Shoot him, Duke, commanded Ben. "Nary shoot," said Duke. "It'll rout old Grudge. I must change my base of operations." And the guard stepped round the barn and climbed an apple tree. Sam, also looked this way and that way for a place of safety. But what is done must be done quickly, for the dog is already pouring his volleys rf bark in at the very door. At this juncture Sam discovered the meal bin. In a twinkling he raised the lid and plunged himself head and ears in the yielding meal. In the meantime the dog came in, and spying Bon perched upon the beam with the turkies, set up a renewed yelling. This condition of things could not long be endured. The repeated calls of the dog had routed the master, whose heavy foot-steps were already heard, plodding down the path. Sain raised the 1H of his truard house and sung out i "Hello I Beu!" SOLDIER LIFBT. 27 "Hello, yon/serf; what's the matter?" "I'm in a predicament." "It's a good thing, or the dog might eat you." "What's to be done?" "Keep dark, old Grudge is coming." "How can I keep dark when I'm all white? I'm neck and heels in the meal tub. Shoot that beggarly dog, and let's get out of this." "I darsn't," says Ben, "the old man is right here and I must Bave it for him." "OLord!" exclaimed Sam, and down vrcnt the lid, just as the light of a lantern relieved the darkness of the barn, and re- vealed the plethoric- foriii of aid- Grudge, with his musket. His wife was close at his heels. The dog's nose pointed in the direc- tion of the Corporal, who was sitting, demurely, up among the turkies. "What are you doing up there, you- thieving Yankee," said Grudge, savagely. "Roosting, you blu-bberly old Butternut. "-Benighted, cold, -and drenched with rain, I sought this shelter," Up among the turkfes. What do you want?" "Comedown!" demanded the old man, at the same time pointing the ominous looking musket at the corporal. "I should think you might let a fellow rest," said Ben. a The nasty,, thieving Yankee!" exclaimed the old woman, "to go fer to steal our turkies; better shoot him at once, and it'll be a warnin' to the rest o' them fellers." "Quit, cfirit," peeped- a turkey. "I second that motion," said Ben. "[ s:iy quit, and don't point that old musket up here ; it might go off and hurt some of the turkies." Click, went the trigger, which was followed by another orde* more peremptory than the first. "Hold on, old Butternut," said Ben, boldly, "you'd better not shoot that. Don't you know that I've got a squad of men at the end of the barn? The'll eat you up in two minutes. They're all-fired hungry." At this juncture Sam carefully laised the lid of his bos and crept out. He was white with meal from had to foot, and looked exceedingly like a ghost. This suggested the idea to Ben, a-nd he continued, addressing old Grudge: "Besides I'm one of them, abolition Yankees that has tho power of raising the devil, and I'll do it in a minute, too, if you don't put that gun out of the way." Sam took the hint, and placing the turkey astride of his neck, and grasping a leg in oach hand, with a slow and measured step. 28 raciDEXTS or and a sepulchral groan, he stalked up towards the old folks wilh the turkey's wings flapping furiously upon his shoulders. At this moment the guard, who was ki the apple tree and hoard the conversation, fired three of his five shots in quick succession. Ben added another to the list, which happily passed through the dog's heart. " O, Lord ! ' shrieked the olavis, W!IUMJ you knew (.> SOLDIER LIFE. 31 be at the head of a vast conspiracy for breaking up the govern- ment. You voluntarily offered yourself as a part of the machin- ery by means of whicn he expected to overturn the Republic, and destroy the lives of loyal men. You attached yourself, too, for the express purpose of giving aid and comfort to those who, for more than a year past, have been engaged in butchering our friends, our brothers and our fathers. Your famiy remained in this place, and, notwithstanding the presence of our troops, they have been treated with the utmost consideration and respect. You yourself, becoming tired of the rebel service, finally resigaed; and knowing the clemency of the government against which you had been so long waging war, you unhesitatingly came into our midst. Instead of being at once arrested and hung as a traitor, you were cordially received, and treated in every respect like a gentleman. Were you not?" "Oh, yes, General," stammered the rebel, "I have been treated very gentlemanly, indeed." "You were not deprived of your liberty, were you?" "Oh, no, I wasn't even required to give any parole, except my word." " Certainly not," resumed the General; "notwithstanding your treason, we desired, if possible, to waken a sense of honor in your bosom, and consequently treated you as a man of honor, requiring you to give no bond for your good behavior, save your mere word. Freely as any loyal citizen you were permitted to go home, to enjoy the company of your family, and to mingle with your friends. And in return, how have you requited us? By using the most seditious and treasonable language ; for some time, doubtless, within doors; until at last, insolently abusing your priviliges, or wholly unable to appreciate the wonderful magnanimity of the government in giving you your freedom, you go upon the street, collect a crowd around you, preach your treason to them openly, and wind up by declaring that you would rather bury your wife and children than see the authority of the National Government again restored ! Now tell me, did the government ever harm you in any way?" "No," replied the guilty rebel, "I can't say that it ever did." "And yet you made war upon it, and, even after it had given you blessings for cursings, sought to stir up the devil in your neighbors' hearts, by telling them you would rather bury your wife and children than see it resume its rightful authority over the rebellious States!" During the entire castigation, the doctor writhed and twisted like a serpent in the talons of an eagle. Rallying himself some- what at last, he made a feeble attempt at a denial, and said he could not remember having ever made use of such language. "My information," replied the General, "will not allow me to 12 INCIDENTS OF doubt your guilt. Consider yourself under arrest; but, as I have not time to investigate the matter more fully now, T will permit you to go home to your family and spend the night. Return to-morrow morning at nine o'clock, when you shall be confronted with the witnesses who accuse you." In consequence of the accusation not being as grave as was at first supposed, this rebellious subject was suffered to remain by taking the oath of allegiance. A SAD MISTAKE. When the Federal forces first took possession of the two houses in Casey's old camp, they found them filled with wounded, both rebel and Union. The Surgeon of the Fifth Excelsior waa attending to^hem o-n Monday morning, and reports a curious" conversatio^ he had with one of them. He was the first Union Burgeon they had seen. One poor fellow was lying covered with a Secesh blanket, with his face to the wall. Taking him for a Seoesh, the Surgeon said: 'My boy, what tempted you to fight against us ?" ' I was impressed, sir," answered the soldier dolefully. 'Drafted, were you?" 'Yes, sir. I did'nt want to come, but they drafted me, and I could' nt help it." 'What is your regiment?" kindly inquired the Surgeon. 'ONE HUNDREDTH NEW YORK." 'So they are drafting in New York, are they?" 'Yes sir." The mistake had been mutual. The soldier had taken the surgeon for a Secessionist, (not seeing his uniform,) and only realized the status of affairs when told that it was a tolerably large lie even for a Secessionist to swallow. The chagrin of the mendacious coward at hia mistake, can better be imagined than described. SOUTHERN LOYALTY. The following incident is a fair specimen of the value ot tne oath of allegiance : When General Robert Mitchell was in Jacinto, he learned that a band of Guerrillas had their headquarters at a little place called Bay Springs, twenty miles further south, where there waa a large cotton factory belonging tq^feNorthern man, whom they SOLDIER LIFE. 33 had driven away, and whose factory they were running on Con- federate account. By a detour of. forty miles, General Mitchell, with a small force, came up on the south side of them and cap- tured some twenty prisoners, killing a few in the melee. He then took from the machinery of the factory some small, but important wheels, which can bf- replaced only by a Northern machinist, and loaded-up all the cotton his wagons would hold, and started for Jacinto. Night overtook him near the plantation of an old fellow who had. been very active for a week, or so, in peddling onions and other delicacies through the camp, and whose loyalty General Mitchell had suspected, notwithstanding his oath. He determined to test it, and accordingly sent forward a portion of his staff to ask entertainment for General Price, of the rebel army, and his staff, for the night. The plot worked admirably. Old Loyalty was delighted to see General Price, and entertained him with a detaiii-;! 'iM'eonnt of the Federal camp at Jacinto, the number of men, arid the general strength of the place. He w.as helped in his information by two sons and a nephew, nearly grown, who offered to conduct General Price to Jacinto in the morning, and point out the exact position of each regiment and battery. "And, now," said General Price, "there is another thing quite as important as this information. We must know who are our real friends in this vicinity and whom we can trust. We don't caro a d n how often they swear to the Feds that is nothing. ^ We want men who, while they swear to the Feds, feed and clothe the Confederates." So old Loyalty gave the names of his prin- cipal neighbors as of that stripe, detailing with great care their labors in behalf of the rebel army, while acting as peddlers in the Federal camp, all of which General Price took down in his book of remembrance. At a late hour they retired to bed, but not to sleep much. All parties were too well pleased with the incidents of the night. In the morning, however, to the surprise of the old planter, he found his house guarded by the blue pants, and about twenty Butternuts also under guard, in "his yard, and over in the field was a little army of the men whom he had taken to be at Jacinto. The old man and the boys were immediately placed under a etrong guard. The next night one of the neighbors was waited upon by a equad of soldiers. He plead that he had taken the oath that he was loyal, and that the Constitution protected him ! "But what about that band of guerrillas you boarded last week?" said the Corporal. " I never ! " exclaimed the old man. "1 say, old fellow," continued his tormentor, "did that captain pay you for that nice bay horse he took away?' 1 3 34 INCIDENTS OF "No, he never!" continued the old fellow, who by this time was too full of confusion to explain further. "Did he give you a note ?" still persisted the officer. "No, he never ! " By this time southern pluck got the ascendency, and the rebel boldly inquired : " How did you learn about my private business ? What traitor has betrayed me into your hands?" "It is no difference, sir," replied the officer, "you will prepare to go with us to Jacinto, and while we are about it, as we shall have to clothe you, we may as well take a little of your cotton." So onion peddler No. 2 lost his liberty and his cotton. STONEWALL JACKSON. The notorious rebel General, Thomas Jefferson Jackson, got the sobriquet of "Stonewall," from the fact of his fighting from behind a stone wall in one of the battles of Virginia. He is a brave, shrewd General, and as he has won such notoriety in the rebel cause, a slight sketch of his character and cunning may not be uninteresting. He is described as a "slow man," intellectually, even dull. Some say he was a tedious professor, and all agree that he haa a creeping look. And yet, if you ask them what they mean by that, they say they don't know; "all they do know is, that he is as obstinate as a mule, and plucky as a bull dog," which means just nothing of a man whose prime quality is celerity, quick conclusions, and startling execution; who, as a soldier, ia as rapid as he is wary, abounding in surprises, brave almost to rashness, and inventive almost to romance. As for his outer man, he looks at least seven years older ihan he is his height about five feet ten Cinches; his figure is thick set, square shouldered, and decidedly clnmsy; his gait very awk- ward, stooping, and with long strides. He often walks with his head somewhat on one side, and his eyes fixed on the ground, imparting to his whole appearance that abstracted quality which young ladies describe as "absent minded." A lady who has known him long and well, remarks that she never saw him on horseback without laughing. Short stirrup?, knees cramped up, heels stuck out behind, and chin on his breast a most un- military phenomenon. In society he is quiet, but cheerful; not loquacious, but intelligent and shrewd; in religion, the bluest kind or a Presbyterian, and extremely strict in his church ob- servances. In \Vinchester he took a very active part in revivals, and habitually led the " Union" Prayer Meetings. SOLDIER LIFE. 35 To Illustrate the popularity of the man : For some reason, which has never been made public, the expediency of removing him from his command was at one- time freely discussed in the Confederate Cabinet, and all but two members favored the mo- tion. These two, argaing that a an of such exemplary modesty, and yet of such intense religious enthusiasm and indomitable firmness, must possess those moral -elements which, combined with his military education and experience, should constitute a great General. Their opposition served to postpone a decision, and the motion was held auder consideration. Meantime, 'the people of "the valley got wind of the affair, and with a great Jwit two dajs later the following strange document was foad o 52 INCIDENTS or the promises of one not entirely above suspicion, which show? that three others were to have been murdered that day for being leading Union men ; but Mr. West for the double crime of loy- alty and having money. In looking over the circumstances attending Major Hamrick, Captain Brewer, and 'Squire Evens, on that memorable Sabbath day, it is pretty clear why they were- not killed ; but to give particulars would require too much space. The following is- the paper found : be 62 26 Jun brack must & make will torn at knows that boy nothing bond* you cesn The buck arrangements home b'y must eternal Funl zol to sqr by send do in omes and fa for him I sure yours ff you sqr place self certain work ours and place and good be meat and is Hoc hurs old a shure our meet field" mtz on torn be to is us the mag house dont will divide cnp at hell i tiggars fail walr your and half abes cap opposite to bear animals mag breads to B ambs secure the so for and removed will be in the about that work then are pass will last there you shure off *Tour op me for from can make for these to mtz and tigar our come expense must dog then day all Dixey if TIGAR ZOL BUCK ' BRACK This paper is to be read down and up, and being interpreted reads as follows:} 1862, 26th of June. The funeral comes off Sunday, 11 o'clock, at Mount Zion. Major Hamrick and Captain Brewer will pass tip to Mount Zion. Tigar and I will be in ambnsh, opposite Tigar's house, on the Hursh farm. You and Zol, Buck and Brack, must make arrangements to fix 'Squire Evens and old Thomas West. Do not fail to secure the last, for our expenses must come from there. About the Bear Wallow will be a good place for 'Squire. Thomas West will be at home by himself. Be sure to divide your men so that you can watch them all day. Make sure work ; for Major and Captain are 'our meat certain. I send by a boy that knows nothing. You must do sure work, *ad meet us at Half Breed's ; and then off foj Dixie. If these SOLDIER MPB. four are removed to Abe's hell, the field is ours. Yours ia eternal Secesh bonds. Signed by the following fictitious names : Lion, Tigar, Zol, 'Buck, Brack. ANECDOTE OF GOVERNOR TOD. During the time that General Buekner and Staff were prison- ers at Camp Chase, Governor Tod visited the camp, and was received with "distinguished consideration." He was inducted into the prisons, and in the Colonel's peculiarly pompous way, introduced to the inmates. The first squad of prisoners to whom the guberuaterial party paid their respects happened to be Gen. Buckner's staff. " Governor Tod," said the Colonel, and the Buckner party stood with hat in hand. The next party proved to be a rough, uncouth band of guerrillas. The inevitable "Governor Todd" was launched at them, and they, too, in their awkward 'way, manifested their respect for the man who held ia iiis hand the power to release them from their captivity. The Governor and Colonel proceeded on their way, followed by the Buckners, meeting others, and paying and receiving their respects, until a dark belt of contraband* loomed up in the gubernatorial horizon. The darkies grinned at the distinguished introduction, and the distinguished Buckners made rapid trades for their quarters ! The Governor, who relishes fun, enjoyed *he seene hugely. REVENGE INVERSELY. A planter -came into the camp of the 27th Illinois, at theluka, and demanded two of his boys who had gone to work on the fortifications. The Colonel refused to give them up, whereupon the planter announced that he had a large plantation eighteen aiiles the- onduct of the women (those who wear " purple and fine linen," and are popularly supposed to be ladies^) was- disgusting, and not calculated to strengthens one's faith in the possession o common sense by the sex. Intrenching themselves behind the immunities which the gallantry of our countrymen has ever accorded them, they insulted and sneered at our officers and men continually, and committed acts which would have insured six months' hard labor at the forts to a man guilty of like actions. General Butler soon after issued' his famous order in< regard 1 to women, which has been the subject of much comment, both in the United States and Europe. The Mayor became exceedingly angry, and addressed General Butler a letter, in whic~h he said : "Your General Order is of a character so extraordinary, that I can not suffer it to be promulgated,, without protesting against fche threat it contains, which has already arroused the passions of our people, and must exasperate them* to a degree beyond control. He then went on to say that its phraseology was such that officers and men could pu-t the worst construction on it, and that he did not anticipate a war on women and children. To this General Ba-tler replied: "John L. Munroe, late Mayor of the city, of New Orleans, in- relieved from all responsibility for the peace of the city, and is suspended from the exercise of any official functions, and com/- mitted to Fort Jackson till further orders." This brought the Mayor to the General^s office in a hurry, when, after an apology, the General agreed to let him off, allow- ing him to publish the offensive letter and apology, and add that the order applied only to those wom*>n who had insulted, by word, look or gesture, tho officers and soldiers of the United States army. The Mayor left, but afterward sent another letter,, the coun- SOLDIEB LIFE. 55 terpart of the first; and on the morning of the 19th of May, in company with several of his friends, including Judge Kennedy, John McCleflan, Chief of Police, and D. G. Duncan, again de- manded the right to witndraw his apology. The General, who had in view some treasonable acts of the Mayor, as well as his conduct in regard to the order, told him that he had played with the United States authority long enough, and must now go to Fo dollars; and, when, they started, another started also,, and went? in another direction. .The- manne-r in which this was done ex- cited the Major's suspicion. When they arrived at the creek, he- was not able to pay his guide, but he gave him all the money he- had twenty-five cents and a new pair of soldier's shoes, taking in) exchange the guide's old moccasins. The Major then hurried down the creek as fast as- possible-, but hi*l net gone- far before- he heard the tramp of cavalry, and he had barely time to jump, a fence and secrete himself, before the horsemen dashed along, within six feet of where- he lay, headed by the suspicious char- acter before mentioned, but he escaped their observation. The Major had now been three days without eating, and, dis- covering a house near by, he concluded he would venture the- consequences and go in. He had no arms, and did not deem ib safe to approach without them. Here was a dilemma ; but food he' must have, and he felt that he might as well die in the at- tempt to get it, as to dsie for the want of it; so r taking a boulder in. each hand, he knocked at the door. Fortunately, the owner was a Union ian like many others of the Western Virginia stamp and knew him at a glance. The Major told his case. "1 am sorry, Major," said the man, "that I can da nothing for you. My neighbors are all rebels of the deepest dye, and. if it should be known that 1 had helped a Liucoluite, myself and family would be demolished instantor." "But can't you give ioe something to eat f and a blanket?' said the Major. "There's a rebel, now! " said the man, and pointed to. a rebel ioldier, who was approaching the house. "Here! quick! take- this blanket,' slip out of the back door, and run for your life, and don't let him see you." The Major did as he was bid, and fortunately escaped without being noticed ; and he thus plodded on through a hot rebel re- gion, skulking and hiding here and there, till, waried and worn out,, he at last arrived safely at a Union camp. REBEL VOLUNTEERS. After the battle of Bull Kun No. 2, a rebel soldier who had received a frightful wound,, was taken to the depct of Hooker's QQ INCIDENTS OF w< unded. Whiie his wound was biag dressed, he was asked if be owned any slaves. "No," he answered. u What, then, are you fightiug for?" 'Well, I suppose we are fighting for those who do own them." "What ca it benefit you thea?" "It is no benefit to us sure, for these very uaen would kick us ut of their houses, if we should attempt to equalize." "O, that's very well for you to say, now that you are wounded and a prisoner; but what did you volunteer for?" said a by- etander. 'Yes, I did volunteer; and who wouldn't? Who would wan-t to wait to be drafted, and then be called a coward?" "But you might not have been drafted." "It's a slim chance of escape," replied the soldier. "They'll sll have to go jet" A. ZOUAVE JOKE. A. New York Zouave, in one of his scouting expeditions, cap- tured a very fine horse. In a few days the owner came into eamp and claimed the animal. "The critter's confiscated," said Zoo-Zoo. "But I'm not a rebel," said the man. "I'm Union, and the Government protects my property." " Ya-as," drawled the Zouave, "I wouldn't give much for you tcyal rebel's Union sentiment. It's too elastic." "But I've taken the oath," persisted the man. "Can't help if you have," replied Zoo-Zoo coolly, "the horsa hain't, and I can't release him ! " The rebel never got his horse. A SLAVE OFFERS A REWARD FOR HIS MASThR. There was, in the Federal camp, a shrewd, witty darkie, who formerly belonged to a Wm. Duncan, of the rebel army. This negro could read and write, in fact, was a very well educated man. Some of the Kentuckians who had lost several slaves, had posted up around the encampment, "One hundred dollars reward. Han away from the subscriber, my man Bob," etc. Jim Duncan, as the boys called him, soon after issued the following, and placed it beside the other advertisements; LIFE. QT| "50> CENTS REWARD. "Ran away from dis chile, an' leff him all alone to take cars erf hisself after I done worked twenty-six years faithfully for himy "MY MASSA, 'BiLr, DtrxcAjf/ " Massa Bill is supposed to have done gone off wid de secesh- ers, for to hunt for his rights, and I speck he done got lost, Any pusson turnin' him to me, so dat he can take care of me AS he allers said 'Jfigger' couldn't take care of hisself will be- much obliged to dis chile. N. B. Pussons hantin r for him please look in all de ' last ditches,' as I often heerd him talk about goin' into de diein' business. " Spectfufly submitted,. JIM." This "poster" created a great deal of merriment in camp> while the Kentucky residents who came across- it, thought Jim ; ''mighty sassy nigger." LATE CONTRABAND NEWS: When the United States vessels were on their way to attack Fernandina, they picked up a contraband who hacl ventured to ea in a small boat, to notify them that the rebels were deserting the place. While questioning the black, some of the officers of the Alabama remarked that he should have brought them news- papers to let them know what was going on. "I thought of dat," replied the contraband, "and fotched a Charleston paper wid me." With this he put his hand in his bosom and Drought forth a paper, and, with the air of a man who was rendering an import- ant service, handed it to the circle of inquirers. They grasped it eagerly, but one glance induced a general burst of laughter, to the profound 1 astonishment of poor Cuffee, who it seems could not read, and imagining that one paper was as good as another had brought one dated 1822. It is a little odd that this paper which has floated so long down the stream of time, contains an article in favor of negro emancipation. A GOOD JOKE ON THE WAR POLICY. During Pope's campaign in Virginia, the War Department one day sent to General Kipley, Chief of the Ordnance Department^ for his estimate of the prc^*? quantity of ft certain kind of am- TOCIWENTS 0F munition to be ordered. The General gave ho figures, whlcli were very large, aad -the messenger had reached the door to depart, when he called him back with "Of course yju will double those estimates, as we have to furnish both sides now." KISSED THE WRONG CHAP. A rebel soldier tells the following queer story : Not long since a lot ef HS -I am H. P., high private ow wer inner room -ef oae lay the corpus of a young secesh officer, awaiting burial. The news soon spread to a village not far off. Down came tearing a sentimental, and Hot bad looking specimen of a Virginia dame. "Let me kiss him for his mother!" she cried, as I interrupted her progress. "Do let me kiss him for his mother!" "Kiss whom ?" "The dear llt&e lieutenant; the one who lies dead within. Point him out to me, sir, if ya please. I never saw him, tut oh!" I led her through a room in which a Union prisoner, a lieu- tenant, from Philadelphia, lay stretched -oat on an upturned trough fast asleep. Supposing Iriin to be the "article" sough* for, she rushed up, exclaiming: " Let me kiss him for his mother," approached her lips to his forehead. What was her amazement when the "corpse" ardently clasped its arms around her, re- turned the salute vigorously, and exclaimed: "Never mind the eld lady, Miss; go it on your own account I havn't the slightest objection." ADVENTURES OF A REBEL EMISSARY, One day a man, dressed in well-worn working clothes, presented himself to the United States Provost Marshal on the United States side of the Suspension Bridge. He wore a pair of very short trousers of striped Kentucky jean, and a seedy coat of the same material. A coarse, not over-clean shirt, and a jagged straw hat, completed the costume. The man had no collar nor cravac, and his face was apparently greatly tanned by exposure to the weather. He wanted to go over the river, he said, but had no pass and 4id not know that any would be Heeded, He stated that he was SOLDIER LIFE. $3 an Englishman from Cornwall, and a miner by trade. He had been working for some time in Pennsylvania, but had lately re- ceived a letter from his brother, a farmer near London, Canada West, stating that he was shortof help, and requesting his miner relative to come on to his assistance, at least till the harvest time was over. The miner held his tools in one hand, and in the other carried an old carpet bag of the black glazed style in common use. The glazing, in many places, was come off. and the outside was, moreover, spotted and soiled with dirt. This carpet bag was more valuable than the famous one of John Brown ; for it contained the papers, dispatches and money of the rebel emissary Sanders. The Marshal pondered a while, but the poor miner gave such a consistent story, and seemed so disappointed at his unexpected trouble in crossing, that the official's heart was melted, and he gave him the required pass. The toll-man of the .Suspension Bridge then demanded a quar- ter of a dollar toll. "Two shillings," said the miner, "why, I can't give it. I've only got one shilling." The plea of poverty completely disarmed whatever shadow of suspicion may have existed in regard to the poor workman; after the proper degree of hesitation, the "fellow" was allowed to pass over at half price. Thanking the toll keeper for his liberality, the miner walked on wearily across the bridge. As he neared the Canada side his step became lighter just as Christian (pardon the comparison) felt when the burden dropped off his back. A decided burden had dropped off af George N. Sanders' mind he was safe in Canada. Arriving at the Canada side of the bridge, the miner, with his tools and carpet-bag, jumped into the Clifton House omnibus and was quickly driven to that hotel. He went to the desk and reg- istered on the book the initials S. N. G., his own initials reversed. The clerk looked at the shabby working man a moment, and then coldly said : "We can't give you a room here, sir." "But I must have a room," said Sanders. "None to spare to-night," replied the clerk. The miner thrust his hand in his pocket and drew forth a great roJl of "green-backs." "Here," said he to the clerk, "take these as security. Put them in your safe; but give me .a room at once." Of course money has its effect in Clifton House, as everywhere else. Still the clerk hesitated. 64 INCIDENTS OF "Is there any place about here where i can get a respectable suit of clothes?" askel the miner, dropping his Cornish dialect. There was no place nearer than the bridge, a mile distant; so the miner again insisted on having the room, and, as it was ob- vious that "things were not as they seem," he was shown to a suitable apartment. A few minutes afterwards a guest strolled out on the piazza, where ex-Governor Morehead, of Kentucky, was sitting. "By the way, Governor," said he, "what a singular old fel- low that was in the office. He registered his name on the book only in initials." "Good God! in initials!" cried Morehead, starting up; "he's come then;" and, rushing past the astonished guest, he demanded to be shown to the room of the mysterious S. N. G. Other secessionists also hastened thither. Sanders was pro- vided with a suit of clothes at once ; the clerks and servants al- tered their deportment to the quondam miner, and the guests had a rare piece of eossip to talk about. Sanders' trick was a capital success; and, whatever is thought of him or his cause, it is generally acknowledged that his journey from Richmond to Canada is one of the "cutest" specimens of rebel 'strategy" the war has produced. It shows that our blockade is so stringent that a rebel emissary prefers a long land journey in disguise to attempting to break it. Of course, the adventure was the chief topic of gossip in the Niagara hotels ; and miners will henceforth be viewed with a very profound suspicion in the neighborhood of the Suspension Bridge. A COMICAL MUSIC BAND. A very amusing anecdote is told of the Cumberland Gap army on its retreat through Kentucky, which deserves to stand beside Lever's story of Major O'Shaug-hnessyand the Duke of Welling- ton. After the army had been out from the Gap three or four days, it was found utterly impossible to subsist the men without for- aging, and in consequence the country along the road was laid under contribution for all the eatables that could be found. Of course everything was paid for as far as possible, but the neces- sity of letting each soldier be his own commissary made sad havoc with discipline for the time. One morning, after the boys in DeCourcey's brigade had been foraging about with such suc- cess that nearly every one had a chicken, duck, goose or pig in hia hand, they approached a considerable town, through which SOLDIER LIFJI. 05 the commander desired them to pass in as imposing a manner as possible. He ordered tho band to the head of the column, arms to the "shoulder," the easy route step changed to the prim parade step, and got all ready for an impressive military display. But the boys didn't fancy being put on their good behavior with such dirty old rags as they had on, and determined that they as well as the colonel would have their fun out of the thing. So, when the band struck up ''Hail Columbia/' and the notes came echoing down the line, the colonel's ears were astonished with a horrible chorus of squawks, squeaks and cackles, enough to drown the roar of a twelve pounder. Every man had turned his duck, pig or chicken into a private concert for his own en- joyment, by means of judicious pinches and punches, and, as far as the ear could hear, the uproar of a thousand barnyards broke loose, swelled up as the companies came along. Such an- other parade was never seen on the face of tha earth before. The colonel relished the joke exceedingly, .and suffjjv. 1 tho con- cert to continue till they were well out of the town. WOULDN'T RESIGN. A Rev. Mr. Brush was appointed Colon 3! of the 38th Iowa. His upopularity with his men was so great, that Governor Kirk- wood visited Dubuque to persuade him to resign. Colonel Brush, with all the line officers, came trooping down to the hotel, and were immediately favored with an audience by the Governor. Every line officer, with the utmost solemnity, protested that he did not desire to serve under Brush in any form ; that none of them had any confidence in him, and that he should, in honor having thus lost the respect of all his officers resign. This they said, ranged in line, and confronting the Colonel. The Colonel declared, in response, that the whole trouble arose out of the fact, that he declined to appoint the brother of Post- master David, Adjutant of his Regiment, and on account of some difficulty in the selection of Sutler. That, and only that, was the occasion of the feeling. The following colloquy then took place: Governor. I do not see, Colonel, with such a feeling exist ing, how you can, with pleasure or profit, hold your present position. I would advise you to resign. Col. Brush. When there shall be proper charges brought against me in the manner specified, I will, il* found guilty, suffer the penalty, but shall not resign. 5" flj INCIDENTS OF Governor. But these men declare you are inexperienced and incompetent. Col. Brush. If that is an objection of so grave a nature, it is one which would lead almost every Iowa officer to resign. I am not the only Colonel you have appointed, Governor, who is inexperienced, and may he incompetent. Governor. Well, Colonel, 1 had rather trundle a wheelbar- row for a living than hold your position under the circumstances. Col. Brush. Very likely, Governor, but I had rather be Colonel. Governor. Then you refuse to resign ? Col. Brush. Yes. If you have any way you can deprive me of my commission, and desire to do so, why, do it, that is all; but I fail to find any process by which such a case can be reached, except by a court-martial. Of course, 1 am open to that. Governor. Well, it is of no use, gentlemen. Upon which all took their leave. It was a rich scene ; the Governor a little excited, the Colonel as cool and imperturbable as an eight day clock. A SAD BLUNDER. Military commanders have been guilty of many blunders, and this is one of them : During the battles on the Potomac, the 3rd Michigan went into the battta with two hundred and ninety men, and came out with only one hundred and forty-six, and more than three-fourths f this number met their fate by the fire of the 20th Indiana reghnent, which lapped over their rear and poured a galling fire into them while on the advance. The first knowledge which the Michigan boys had of the presence of the other regiment, was the bullets in the back of their heads, arms, etc., nearly half of the regiment having lapped across them. Sad must be the sorrow of those whose friends fall not in their country's cause but through the carelessness of her com- manders. CLOSE SHOOTING. At th? battle of Fair Oaks the enemy posted a number of sharpshooters in trees, and when the Excelsior Brigade drovf off the rebels at the point of the bayonet, some of these fellow* W2DIXB LirB. 67 were left. One of them was espied by one of ib/e Excelsiors, and as the discovery was mutual, each drew sight OB his oppo- nent. The rebel fired first, his bullet whizzing in close prox- imity to the Union soldier, and then dropping his gun, exclaimed: ot to plunge a knife into h-is side, when the Captain drew his revolvsr and blew out the treacherous creature's brains. A printer from Indiana, a perfectly raw recruit, sat at an em- brasure and fired over five hundred shots. He kept up all the time a continuous laugh in the ranks about him, by his witty and humorous remarks. The men below loaded for him, and he fired rapidly and with splendid effect. " High t in the mouth," he would exclaim, after an effective ahot; "There's a, job for the Dentist. Give us another ^un." He managed to escape without being paroJIed. A brave little fellow, of not more than seventeen, be^mcring- sv the 9th New York, stood in front of his regiment while it en- paged the enemy, at short ran^e, in which position he fired all bis cartridges, and, stooping down, took his dead comrade's car tridge box and fired the entire contents, in all ninety-five rounds^ not receiving a scratch the whle time, notwitlista>ding the ground was covered with the ctead and wounded all arwand him. The regiment was ordered" ta charge a riile-pi4, where the rebels were concealed, and the young hero was the first who eatered it r the enemy flying at the approach of the bayonek. Among the most cool and fearless of the Indiana officers 5a General R. S. Foster. When, he arrived at Winchester, with his command, they were plodding along under " right shoulder shift/' aad the General, nt deeming this rebellious city worthy any lespect did not bring the boys to "shoulder," nor change the easy, sauBteriag tramp of the march to- the trim step of parade. When they had got fairly into the city, they were saluted with sundry volleys of rebel musketry, which were repeated till they were "past the outmost guards" of the town. The bullets whistled past their ears, and clattered against their bayonets, but not a man looked around, nor swerved to the right or left. The General rode on, and the men followed, as though nothing had happened. Not a man was hurt. At another time, when Foster was Colonel of the 13th Indiana, and when he was marching his regiment into Phillippi, finding the boys pretty loose, and straggling along without much order, he sung out: "Close up, boys! close up! If the rebels should fire on you, scattered as you are, they wouldn't hit a d d one of you!" The boys, relishing the joke exceedingly, and not desiring to be considered so poor a mark, closed up immediately. A member of the llth Indiana, while out scouting, was fired upon by a squad of rebels; and, as they approached kim*b fell ffat upi his face in the mud. SOLDIER LIFE. JJ "Now we've got you!" exclaimed the rebels, rushing upon him. "No you hain't!" returned the Hoosier, springing to hia feet; and, placing his thumb to his nose, he continued: "You can't come it." And, while his would-be captors were recovering from their astonishment, he turned and run. The bullets from a score of muskets followed him, but he escaped unhurt. A private, who was standing near General Kosecrans, noticed a rebel who was raising his gun, and appeared to be endeavor- ing to get a good aim en the General. The private immediately rested his gun over the rump of his commander's horse, and brought the rebel down. Both guns went off at the same time, but the rebel bullet went high above itg mark. As an Indiana soldier was passing through a piece of woods, he saw a couple of rebels with a wagon, toiling along through a Bwamp near by. When they saw him they hailed him: "Helloa, stranger, we're out of water; wouldn't you give us a drink from your canteen?" The soldier stepped up and gave them the drink, and started again on his march; but he had not got ten paces before he heard an ominous "click." He turned around, and saw one of the rebels drawing a bead on him. The trigger was pulled and the cap exploded, but the gun did not go off. He immediately raised his gun, and ordered them to move on with their team, which they did, in the direction which he told them. So the brave Hoosier walked behind, with his ready gun leveled uptn them, till he had them, safely into camp, and delivered up AS prisoners of war. HUMORS OF THE DRAFT. When it was fully realized that a slight draft was to be made throughout the North, an epidemic inability followed in the wake of this paralyzing idea; old diseases were brouirht into requisition, and new ones spontaneously sprung into existence. The class of people, however, who seemed predisposed to this disease, to the honor of the Union be it said, were those who were opposed to the war, with, perhaps, a slight sprinkling of cowards, and a few sporadic cases of " conscientious scruples." To these few, then, and not to the many who freely marched into the ranks, at the call of the draft, do these remarks apply. One of the most remarkable cases of exemption was that of a merchant in a lucrative business, who cut off the fore-finger of 72 INCIDENTS OF his right hand, and when he was afterwards reproached for it, and denounced as a coward, replied : "Well, my wife wns afraid 1 should be drafted, and so, when I was asleep, she cut off my finger, and I knew nothing ubout it" "It is strange you should not know it," said one. "It's a fact though," he replied innocently, "when I woke up she had it off and all tied up." Astonishing as was this performance, it did not satisfy the loyal citizens, for they stretched a line across the street in front of his store, hung upon it a huge banner, on which was written: "Co\A*ard," and other words expressing their indignation. He was then ordered to leave the town, which he did. Another, a huge able-bodied fellow, came before the Examin- ers with a "bran new truss." Upon being ordered to take it off, he said pitifully: "Indeed, I dare not do it; my whole insides will all come out!" The surgeon, however, removed the truss, when, to the aston- ishment of all, the concealed part was as smooth and perfect as the rest of his hide. "You'll do to fight," said the surgeon, and the fellow backed out amid the hearty laughter of the crowd. A stout, able-bodied man, whose brawny arms and spatula fingers looked as though they might be able to wield the sledge of Vulcan, came before the board, and confidently held up his right hand, which was minus the fore finger. The stump, how- ever, was scarcely healed over, and the deputy assured the board that, when he was enrolled, he had all his fingers on. "But I accidentally cut one off since," replied the man, ear- nestly. A witness was then brought forward who testified that he savr the man deliberately, and not accidentally, cut off one half of his finger, and that he said, when he had done so, that it was a good joke on the draft, as that would exempt him. He was not exempted. A drafted man, who had been in camp about two weeks, got a furlough to visit his sweetheart. After sitting up with her to an extremely reasonable hour, and talking over what she imagined his unlucky fate, and their future prospects, his lady-love pre- vailed upon him to lie down and get one more good sleep; and accordingly, when her patriotic lover began to snore freely, she conceived the happy idea of exempting him from the draft. She would rather lose his finger than his whole body, so, taking an axe, and carefully laying the finger on a block, with one blow she severed it from the hand and him from the army. The op- eration of course awoke him, when he upbraided her for her SOLDIER LIFE. 73 cruelty and war^t of patriotism, and reported himself at camp, remarking: "No woman, however sweet, is going to prevent me from serv- ing my country when called to do so. I have lost my finger, but she has lost her lover." A very conscientious gentleman attended the lottery drawings at the Court House, and after looking on a while, he approached the Commissioner and said : "I say, 'Squire, can't you find some other way to choose drafted men than l>y gambling in that style?" "No, sir. It is the fairest way in the world. There can be no cheating." " It's gambling, nevertheless, and as I've got conscientious scruples about -engaging in games of chance, I want you to take my name out of that box." The Commissioner informed the over-scrupulous srentleman that it was too late in the day to accept such a plea. The lottery business went on, and fortunately for him, the opponent to gambling drew a blank. In a towhship where secession predominated, a heavy draft was to be made from its active militia. To satisfy those who were disposed to grumble, and to give them no opportunity to misrepresent matters, 'the Draft Commissioner invited them to send a committee to the Court House to witness the drawing. They accepted the invitation, appointing on the committee some of the daepest-dyed Butternuts of the township. One of the leaders was asked to shake the box. He shook it, and in so doing accepted the apothecary's motto: "When taken to be well shaken." He shook the box well, and the blind-folded draftsman drew therefrom the name of the old fellow's son. This rather disconcerted him, but he resolved to shake the box before the next name should be drawn. This time he shook it worse than before, and the unlucky ballot which followed the shaking had upon it his son-in-law's name. Thinking this too much of a good thing, he turned on his heel and left the Court House, remark- ing: "I'm Mowed if I have any thing more to do with this gamb- ling institution." A Lieutenant, in a volunteer regiment sold himself as a sub- stitute, aud was accepted. The officer supposed that he oould Rtill retain his office, and he chuckled at the idea of making a few hundred clear profit so easily, but was exceedingly aston- ished when he woke up to the stern fact that he had lost his commission, and was compelled to serve as a private. Another gentlexian, who had been a Major General in the Militia, when he was drafted, reported himself at headquarters 74 INCIDENTS or with his regimentals on, ready for duty, to take the command of any division (hat should be assigned him; but he was exceed- ingly shocked and astonished when informed that they were not drafting Major Generals, and that he was only a private. THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. Some Southern gp-ntleman. whose sympathies are seen in hia writing, amused himself one night by writing on the outer walls of some of the prominent houses in Richmond. The chivalrous inhabitants were astonished the next morning when they read the following mottoes: "On York town' 8 Avails the cry is 'still they come.' " "Change your bells into cannon, and charge with Confeder- ate 5' s." "Southern Legions covered with glory: 'Pinks of chivalry.' " "The Lord is on our side, but in consequence of pressing en- gagements elsewhere, could not attend at Pea Ridge, Donelson, &c., &c." "He will also be prevented from visit jng his chosen 'pinks' ai Yorktown." "Southern hearts are beating low Manassas boasters shun the foe; Stars and Stripes shall wave again Northerners tread this ebon main." "Something nevvunder thesun, to-wit: 'Petticoat gunboats.' "Nationals! unfurl your banners over Yorktown walls." "Southern boasters, grasp the dust, In the Lord you vainly trust. For the Lord you fain would cheat With Halcyon lips and Pluto's feet." "The cry is still they come." "Hang your banners on the outer walls." Had this loyal gentleman been discovered, he would probably have been hung on the outer walls himself. TAKING THE OATH. When Cox's brigade entered a small town in Virginia, it pro- duced a terrible scare among the inhabitants. They hid in the SOLDIER cellars, cupboards, ami in every hole where they felt that they would be safe from the barbarous hands of these vandal Yan- kees. One little girl buried herself under the bed clothes, at the risk of suffocation, evidently endeavoring to smother her own c reams. Lieut. Krin, of General Pleasanton's staff, who was appointed Provost Mnivshal of the village, immediately arrested all the male citizens of the place, and assembled them in front of one of the stores, preparatory to taking the oath. Twenty-six comprised the number, consisting of old men, middle-aged, and youths. They answered as their names were called. u l don't like to take this oath of allegiance on Southern soil It's shameful!" said a plethoric Methodist clergyman. "I think you are rather premature," said an old man of sev- enty, "to force this upon us before we have had time to think of it." "You will soon be gone, and then the Confederates will como in and play the devil with us, if we take the oath," said a Vir- ginia rough. So. one after another offered his excuse for not being loyaT. But these excuses proved of no avail. As fast as their names were called off, and their refusal heard, a significant dash of the pen confiscated their homes, and awarded them confinement. "No, sir!" replied Richard Wilmot, in an insolent and defiant manner. This answer probably prolonged his time in the prison. Not one of them subscribed to the oath. A LUDICROUS SCENE. While the Union troops occupied Phillippi, Colonel Crittenden one day took his regiment out about a mile, to an open place, for the purpose of giving them a little practice. This move was without orders, and consequently, when the tiring was heard, all supposed that the rebels were upon them. Immediately the whole camp was astir, and soon in battle array. At this time General Dumont, who was then Colonel, was lying sick upon his couch, and although convalescent, was quite too feeble to walk without help. Hearing the confusion without, he inquired the cause, and upon being told, he sprang out of bed and attempted to put on his clothes, bat before he was half dressed he fell back upon hi? couch exhausted. Dr. Thompson, the surgeon in charge, and the special friend of the General, endeavored to dissuade him from so rash an act. "It can't be helped. 1 ' replied the General,"! must be with my reg'ment." 76 INCIDENTS OT So, between alternate dressing and resting, he was at last att rigged cap-a-pie, for the coming battle. His horse was brought, and the surgeon helped him on, but he was too weak to sit theru steadily, and it was with some difficulty that he could retain his neat in the saddle. At last his regiment was in line of battle. The General cast his oye down the line with some pride, and then straightening himself in his stirrups, while he swayed to and fro from weakness, in a slow, measured voice said: "Now let the rebels come on. I'm ready for them." The General is in heakh small and thin, and was on this occa- sion much smaller and thinner than usual ; but his language and attitude were so ludicrously at variance, that his staff, and the surgeon, who were present, could not resist the impulse to indulge in a gentle laugh. Yet they knew that the soldier's heart burned in his bosom, and were convinced that he felt that he could do double duty did the occasion require it. Presently an orderly rode up at full gallop and reported: " A false alarm. The firing is from Colonel Crittenden's rogi- loent, who are ^r.t practicing." "Ah, practicing," said the General. " He thinks he can't do us any good, so he goes out to shoot at nothing." This remark was well understood by his hearers, who consid- ered it a good joke. RECKLESS DARING. All wars have developed those fearless characters who have no realization of death and danger: but this rebellion has the honor, if honor it be, of producing more men of this reckless stamp than any war in all the annals of history. There are many soldiers, in both armies, who have carried their bravery to sheer recklessness, and many a life has thus been sacrificed tc their extravagant daring. At the battle of Antietam, the national flag of the 30th Ohio came out with seventeen bullet holes through it. This regiment, from its advanced position, received the rebel fire from two sides, and at last was forced to fall back, when the brave color-bearer, sergeant White, recklessly planted the flag in the very face of the foe. The rebels rewarded his daring by firing a v dley upon him. killing him instantly. Another soldier caught the flag, and amid the whistling bullets, bore it triumphantly away. A rebel flag was borne seven times to the fort, on the acute angle of the left line of fortifications, and was seven times shot away. The last attempt to plant it there WAS made by a daring SOLDIER Lira. 77 fellow who received twenty-seven shots through the body be for* he fell. The force under General Sigel wag gallantly charging the enemy and driving them from the heights they occupied, when a rebel officer, Captain of a Louisiana company, seemed resolved to throw away his life. As his fellow-soldiers retreated, he ad- vanced further toward our troopa, until he was almost alone. He waved his sword and cried in a loud, ringing voice, for his men to follow him, and denouncing them as cowards if they retreated. They heeded not his appeals; and seeing himself deserted, he ran toward our advance shouting like a madman: 'I am as brave as Caesar. If we are whipped I do not want to live. Come on you d d Yankees." Our infantry were anxious to take this southern Hotspur pris- oner, and would have done so had not one of our batteries opened from the left on the retreating foe, and in its storm of iron swept down the single life, which, so full of fierceness, ebbed itself away in the sodden a-nd unpitying ground. After the battle, inquiries were made of some of the Louisiana prisoners concerning the fallen Captain. No one knew his name, but several said they believed he was the son of a sugar planter living up the Bayou La Fourche, who had joined the southern army because he said he wanted to die; that if not killed before the war was over, he would commit suicide. That some secret sorrow or remorse tortured him night and day, there Avas no reason to doubt. He was often gentle, generous, and affectionate, but under the influence of liquor, which he drank to excess, overbearing, rude and violent. He had fought two duels in Ar- kar\sas with his fellow-officers, and had thrice been attacked with the delirium tremens, that familiar foe to southern youth and southern age. Doubtless, on the morning when he so wantonly sacrified himself, liquor had turned his brain, and he found the death, he sought so perseveringly, amid the iron tempest of de- structive battle. James Hartley, who had Jost a brother, swore to be revenged, and in one of the sorties by the rebels, attacked six of them single handed, and killed three before he lost his own life. Three members of the 8th Illinois rushed over the rifle pits, after the enemy had retreated, and frantically hurled themselves into the midst of a thousand foes. They never returned. At the battle of Shiloh, Brigadier General Gladden, of South Carolina, who was in General Bragg's command, had his left arm shattered by a ball on the first day of the fight. Amputation was performed hastily by his staff-surgeon on the field; and then, instead of being taken to the rear for quiet and nursing, ho 78 INCIDENTS OT mounted his horse, against the most earnest remonstrances oT all his staff, and continued to command. The next day he was again in the saddle, and kept it during the day; on the next, he rode on horseback to Corinth, twenty miles from the scene of action, and continued te discharge the dties of an officer. In n few days, a second amputation, near the shoulder, was nocea- sary, when General Bragg sent an aid to ask if he would not b relieved of his command, to which he replied: '(live General Hragg my compliments, and say that General Gladden will only give np Ms command to go into his coffin." Against the remonstrances of personal friends, and the posi- tive injunctions of the surgeons, he persisted in sitting tip in his chair, receiving dispatches and giving directions, till the next day, when lockjaw seized him, and he died in a few moments. A rebel private left his company, and, dabbing his gun, rushed into a Union regiment, and aimed a blow at an Indiana captain, who dodged the blow and shot the rebel. A rebel officer, after all Ins companions had retreated and left him, fought with Ins sword against a half dozen Unionists, who had surrounded him, and were anxious to take him prisoner. "Do you surrender?" asked a Union soldier. ''Never!" exclaimed the rebel defiantly, while his sword hissed through the air in defiant curves. Three of the Union soldiers were wounded, yet they wished to save him on account of his bravery, and again one of them cried : " Will y*m surrender?" ''I'll die first! "was his answer, and with the word came a "blow that carried death to a Union -soldier. Instantly a bayonet put an end to his brief but brave career. Another soldier mounted the breastworks in full view of the federal forces, and shouted: "Come on, you cussed cowardly Yankees! Sheot away, you thieving pups ! Who'cares fer your bullets ? I'm l/rallet-proof! " The defiance was scarcely uttered "before he foil, pierced by a score of the bullets he held in such contempt A soldier from Rhode Island, while on picket guard, was rushed upon by a party of rebel cavalry. He instantly fired his piece .t the foremost, and ra~i. The way before him was an open field, ubi.ut fiTty rods across, the other side heinir hemmed in by an old, rorten. lor fence, arid, still beyond, a sort of chaparral of briar hushes and underbrush. To thisretreat the soldierstarted, on quadruple quick, with a half dozen horsemen after him. For- tunately for the soldier, the ruins had made the field quite mud- do?'' she asked. "Nothing," replied I, with some misgiving. "I can never lift my hand against the best Government the world has ever pro- duced ; neither can I turn against the people of the South, whom I so respect, and who are the kinsmen of my Ddlia. I must be $0 INCIDENTS OF non est in. this matter, and leave more belligerent ones to do the fighting." Tenderly as I said this, T noticed that she was agitated, and her eyes almost flashed fire as she answered: " But you must do something." "What can I do, Delia, under such peculiar circumstances?" said I. "Can't you fight for the country that protects you? The glo- rious South, that gives you wealth, love and happiness?" she said, earnestly. " Would you have mo turn traitor, and destroy the very gov- ernment that has given me all these?" said I. "Traitor!" she exclaimed, wildly, "Is he a traitor who fights for her he loves? Traitor, indeed! Can you not fight forme, William? Then you are a traitor in the worst sense of the word." I was nettled, and my face showed it; but love conquers every thing, even loyalty, and I said, sternly : "Delia, would it add to the welfare of the South if it should gain its independence? Would it add to your happiness?" "It would," she replied. "The only respectable part of the country would then be rid of tlio sneaking, uaed Jlesomo North ; and of course I should be happy." "We do not see it alike," said I. "Do I understand that you wish me to become a traitor for your sake, and fight in the ranks of the rebel army, against the government of my nativity, which has never done ought but shower blessings upon me?" "Yes ! " she said, ferve.ntly, "Rebel army if you please to call it so. Listen to me, William. I am your affianced, we are plighted, and we love each other, as you say, as none ever did before. This I do not deny; but I love my country also." "Is not this United States yoar country?" said I. "Then why do you wish to destroy it?" "No," she replied scornfully. "The South is the only part of the country that deserves the name of United States. See here, I have a proposition to make you." "Go on," said I. " I do not believe you are a coward," she said tenderly, "but I want a proof of your devotion to me and the land I love. You can get a commission I will see that you have one. Will you go ? Here is my hand ; my heart is yours, and shall go with you and be to you a talisman of safety in all danger." "Could you marry a traitor, Delia?" I asked, for I could not get rid oY that blighting idea. "Don't call yourself that, William," she said kindly. " I am plighted to you, and as soon as you prove yourself to me and my country, we shall be one; but if not " "Never?" interrupted I. SOLDIER LIFE. gl "You have guessed it, William," said she. " Come, forgot the harsh name of traitor, and go, will you ?" This was said with the most intense tenderness, and throwing her arms around my neck she lavished upon me a flood of kisses. " Won't you go, dearest, for my sake ? ' My mind was made up. I could not leave her, and under thfl impulse of her fervent kisses, forgetful of the cireuinstancos, I replied, firmly : " I will, IX'lia, and God protect me from a traitor's fai and ave you from remorse if I am lost." With the warmest protestations of love, we parted. At that moment I would have rebelled against the world for her sake. The next day I had a Lieutenant's commission, and in one month my reward came./- 1 knew it would, for I deserved it. O, faith- less woman! O more than faithless Delia! In one month she was married to another! I did not weep. I did not upbraid myself, for I then knew that she induced me to go that she might obtain that other. Remorse and despair took possession of me, and 1 determined to die. I sought the thickest of danger, and wantonly threw myself in the most perilous places. But fate seemed to mock me. I could not die. But to-day, thank God, fate has favored me, and death will soon blot out this enormity of mv life. That night the Lieutenant was buried, and one sad heart, at least, throbbed with pity for the errinir but unhappy soldier. But what of the faithless aud heartless Delia ? Who shall record her heart throbs ? FRATERNIZING OF ENEMIES. During the week of battles in front of Washington, Gen. Bay- ard went forward under a flag of truce to meet and confer with his old comrade in arms, the now famous J. E. B. Stuart, of the rebel cavalry. At the opening of the war, Stuart vras First Lieutenant and Bayard Second Lieutenant in the same company; but Stuart is now a Major General and Bayard a Brigadier. During the interview, a wounded Union soldier lying near asked for water. With the familiaritv of old times, Bayard, tossing his bridle to the rebel officer, said: "Here, Jeb, hold my horse a minute, will you, till I fetch that poor fellow some water?" Stewart took the bridle, and held the hors? while Bayard went to a stream near by, and brought the woundci man some water. 6 82 INCIDENTS or When Stuart handed his old friend the bridle, he remarked, jolc ingly : "It is some time since I played orderly to a Union General.' "Union Generals may order you yet, Jeb," replied Bayard. "When they find me," retorted Stewart, laughing. The business upon which they met was soon arranged, and the old friends parted. A fight, which had ceased while they were engaged in talking, recommenced with great fury on both sides the moment each got back to his own ranks, and the two friends were again enemies DEVOTION OF A CONTRABAND. During the first days' fight at the bloody battle of Fair Oaks, the rebels drove General Casey's division from their camping ground, and rested for the night, confident that the morrow would give thorn a chance to drive the Yankee invader beyond the Obickuhominy. But just at daylight that morning, Heihtzelman's corps reinforced our line, and at day-break were hurled against the rebel foe For a long time the issue was doubtful. The line swayed to and fro; but at last the Excelsior Brigade the heroes of Williamsburg was ordered to charge. That charge is a matter of history. It gave us the battle ground of Fair Oaks. One afternoon word was sent to General Sickles that the enemy was Hdvancing in force, and every preparation was at once made for battle. A few shots were heard from pickets, but a few hundred yards from our battery, and then every thing was quiet What meant that silence? What were the rebels doing? Several rderlies sent out to the pickets, failed to bring any satisfactory intelligence. General Sickles turned to Lieutenant Palmer, one .of his aids, and acting Assistant Adjutant (Jeneral, and directed him to take a squad of cavalry and ride cautiously out to the first bend in the road, and communicate wich our pickets. Palmer was a noble fellow young, handsome, a perfect geu- tleman, a graceful rider, and a gallant soldier. He was the pride of the brigade. Forgetful of the caution given him, with the impetaositv characteristic of youth, he dashed forward at a full gallop, with saber drawn. He came to the first bend in the road, and (fatal mistake) kept on. He came to the second bend, and as lie turned it. directly across the road was a company of rebel infantry, drawn up to receive him. They fired. One ball crashed through that handsome face into his brain, while another tore the arm that bor rik)ft his trusty blade. The shots were heard at the battery, and in a moment Palm- er's riderless horse, bleeding from abound in the neck, galloped SOLDIER LIFE. 3 from the woods, followed by the squad of cavalry, who told the General of the untimely fate of his aid. " Boys," said the General to the veterans who clustered around to hear the story, "Lieutenant Palmer's body lies m that road." Not a word more needed saying. Quickly the men fell in, and a general advance of the line was made to secure it. Whilst the cavalrymen were telling the story, a negro servant of Lieut. Palmer's was standing by Unnoticed he left the group; down that road the Williamsburg turnpike he went; he passed our picket line, and alone and unattended he walked along that avenue of death to so many, not knowing what moment he would be laid low by a rebel bullet, or be a prisoner to undergo the still worse death a life of slavery. Upon the advance of our line, that faithful servant was found by the side of his dead master; faithful in life, and faithful amid all the horrors of the battle-field ; even in death. None but those who know the locality the gallant men that make up Hooker's division can appreciate the heroism that possessed that contraband. That road was lined with sharp- shooters. A wounded man once lay in it three days, neither partv darinir to rescue him. The act of that heroic unknown, but faithful contraband, was one of the most daring of the war, and prompted by none other than the noblest feelings known to the human breast TRUSTING DE LORD. A Captain in one of the Maine regiments at Port Royal, has a colored servant named Tally, who has talked very bravely when spoken to about joining the colored brigade. To test his courage, the Captain recently told him he was about to visit the main-land, and asked Tally if he would go with him and help fight the rebels. Tally, after scratching his head and rubbing his shins a few moments, replied: "Dun know 'bout dat, boss; I'se ober on de main a short spell ago, an' trus' de Lord ter get me ober here, an' he dun it; hut it ain't best to ask too much ob de Lord. 'Spects I doesn't like to truss him agin, Boss." A HUMILIATING MISTAKE. Colonel Averill r.ame upon a secesh gentleman, in Virginia, who mistook him for the renowned rebel Stewart. Eyeing him from head to foot, the rebel said : g| INCIDENTS Or "So yon are the celebrated Stewart?" The Colonel, who aimed to he non-committal, answered: "It is supposed so, hy some people." "Well," said the man, much pleased, "la there anything 1 can do for you in this neighborhood ?" " Well," said the Colonel, "I don't know. How are all the boys, around here?" " Why," said the man, earnestly, " the Rangers have gone te Frederickshurg, and we don't know when they will he back; but that will make no difference to you. I will entertain you dur- ing their absence. I have bfcen a Union man a Minor Botta man and have repented of thut, and am now doing all I can for the Southern cause. I own thirty-five negroes, and I sent all but 4wo to work on the fortifications at Williamsburg and Yorktown. Don't you think that will set me right with the Confederate Gov- Cinment? And, besides, I want to go with you to-day; 1 want to show you around the country." " Well, sir," says Colonel Averill, " I think you have done con- uferahle for the Confederate government, and 1 think it is more than likely you will go with nre." eetts soldier clear complexion, glossy and luxuriant hair and beard, a nose exquisitely chiseled, an eye black as the raven's wing and sparkling as a carbuncle a man that would at onc attract attention and admiration for the manly beauty of the face and the fine proportion of the body. His brother knelt be- side him, smoothing back his hair and clasping his already stiff- ening hand. No words were spoken and no tears shed. Turn- ing his head and fixing his gaze upon the sky, the dying soldier lay silent, gasping, the muscles about the mouth contracted, the nerves quivering with pain. Presently the color fiided from th lips,. the face whitened till it looked as pure and clear as marble, SOLDIER LIFE. g7 the eyes became dull and staring, a shudder passed through the frame, and the spirit of the patriot and Christian stood revealed in the clear radiance of eternity. The agony was passed. The surviving brother, having seen the body placed in a position where he could recover it, shouldered his musket, and witn heavy feet and heart, moved slowly forward to resume his place in the ranks, and his position in front of danger. This was but one of a hundred equally touching incidents. Yet there was a wonder- ful buayancy of spirit among the wounded. They talked with great animation of the part they had taken in the fi^ht of the morning, of the glorious conduct of their regiments and brigades, and made light of their wounds as an almost inevitable conse- quence, and from which they would speedily recover. It is strange what a difference there is in the composition of human bodies, with reference to the rapidity with which change goes on after death. Several bodies of rebels strewed the ground on the bank, in the vicinity of the bridge. They fought behind trees, and fence-rail and stone-heap barricades, as many a bullet- mark in these defenses amply attested; but all that availed not to avert death from these poor creatures. They had become frightfully discolored in the face and much swollen; but there was one young rnaa with his face so life-like, and even hi eye so bright, it seemed almost impossible that he could lie dead. It was a lovely -looking corpse. lie was a young man, not twenty-five, the soft, unshaved brown beard hardly asserting tet the fullness of the owner's manhood. The features were too small, and the character of the face of too small and delicate an order to answer 4^k requirements of masculine beauty. la death his eje was ^fclearest blue, and would not part with its surpassingly geutle^uniable, good, and charming expression. The face was like a piece of wax, only that it surpassed any piece of wax-work. One other young man, beardless yet, but of a brawnier type, furnished another example of slow decomposition. His (ace was not quite as life-like; still one could easily fancy him alive to see him any where else than on the field of carnage; and strange, his face wore an expression of mirth, as if he had just witnessed something amusing. A painful sight especially was the body of a rebel who had evidently died of his wounds, after lingering long enough at least to apply a handkerchief to his thurh himself as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. His comrades wore obliged to leave him, and our surgeons and men had so much else to do that they could not attend to him in time. Perhaps nothing could have saved him; or perhaps, again, a skillful surgeon's hand might have restored ha to life, love and usefulness. But he was doomed to lie ther, wreltering in the hot sun, his throat gg INCIDENTS Of crisped with thirst, till the life-blood oozed away, and his weak- ened vitality kindly suffered him to die a pangless death. Cool and stoical as one becomes by being continually in the midst of such. carnage, the battle-field is one of the most revolt- ing, horrible and heart-rending sights that the wildest imagina- tion can conjure up. In some places the dead were lying two and three deep. The death of many is so instantaneous that their arms are in full position of firing their pieces, while others still retain tbe bitten cartridge in their mouths or hands. Here lies one with 1m head buried in a mud hole, perhaps mortally wounded, and finished by the water; there lies another like the corpse in Peale's "Court of death," with his back across a log and his head and feet in the water. Two others were found clasped in each other's arms, but it was the firm grip of hate the clutch of death. Each had received frightful wounds, and their sabres lay beside them, where they had probably been thrown when the combatants grasped each other. But all tliese are ever the sad results of battle. Who shall comfort the bleeding hearts of the fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and wives of these wounded ones, who are, by the relent- less hand of war, torn from their friends, and the bosoms of the loved ones at home? There is one comfort: They gave their lives a sacrifice to the liberty of their country. They have fought, and bled, and died for that banner which is the only em- blem of Liberty, and which, in consequence of their valor, shall yet float in more graceful folds in the blue face of heaven, a type to all nations of the triumph of Liberty. A BRAVE CRIPPLE. When the Second Vermont regiment was mustered into service, a man named Thayer presented himself, who had a stiff wrist. The surgeon considering the litnb too much deformed, rejected him. It seemed to be a severe blow to the young fellow, and he actually shed tears at the refusal. " Bv Gum ! " he exclaimed, " I'm going to hunt them rebels in epite of the darned old doctor. How does he know what I can do?" "You'd better go cook, Thayer," said one. " I'll do it, by gum ! " he exclaimed ; and he was as good as his word, and when the regiment went into service, Thayer was " slewing" the pots and kettles generally. One day there was a battle to be fought. " Say, Tha'yer," said a soldier, " can't you go out and give the enemy a few beans?" SOLDIER LIFK. g9 "Darned if I don't," said Thayer. " I'll give 'em a bean or two that I calculate they'll find pretty hard to digest." Accordingly, when the regiment went into action, he left hie pots and kettles, and taking his rifle sallied forth. At last a charge was made, and during this, tli-e cripple fod himself face to face with a rebel officer, who raised his sword and cried out: " Surrender! " "Calculate I'd better," said Thayer, and immediately shot the officer dead. Seeing a fine sword, sash and opera class hanging; to the rebel. he concluded to make a capture. While he was taking them off, a comrade said: ''What are you about there, Thayer?" "Calculate this is my game, and I've a right to the feathers," he answered. " Don't you see that you'll be surrounded in two minutes?" said his comrade, and. so saying, turned and ran. Thayer had no sooner secured t!ie.traps, than he found his comrade's caution was not exaggerated, for three or four bristling bayonets were pointing in the direction of his heart, and, before he could make up his mind what to do, for bullets burst from these muskets in the same direction; but he was not wounded. Looking around, he perceived that the field in that region was deserted, the four men and himself being the only ones near. Jn the distance, however, he saw a squad of his own regiment coming towards him. Immediately a Yankee trick suggested itself to him. De- liberately raising his rifle, and leveling it upon the rebels, he or- dered them to stand. They, supposing the rifle was loaded, and not wishing to test his marksmanship, did as they were bid. The squad of the Second, seeing the status of affairs, hurried up, and the four rebels were captured and brought to headquarters. When he arrived at camp, Thayer found four bullet holes in hig olothing. When joked about his narrow escape, he replied: "A narrow escape's as good as a wide one, if a fellow don't get killed." PERIJ.S OF A SCOUT. Among the scouts sent out during the battles on the Potomae, was Dick R, of Ohio. He had seen some perilous and thrilling adventures among the rebels, which can not be better told than in his own words. I was out scouting, with three or four others, when we got separated, and on turning a bend in the road, I suddenly came upon a party of rebel cavalry. They commanded me to halt 90 INCIDENTS or I replied by firing my revolver at the foremost, and then putting spurs to my horse galloped away; but the rebels were not dis- posed, so easily, to lose their prey, and they followed, all of us going at a break -neck pace, and they firing upon me as they could get near enough. Presently I perceived a pathway in the woods, that led off froin the main road. Into this path I turned my horse, as I thought the trees would afford me a better chance to escape them and their bullets. My horse was fleet and used to brush, and 1 gained on them a little. I began to think my chance was tolerable, when I came to a large tree that had blown down directly across my path, and when I attempted to leap it, my horse stumbled and fell, throwing me off, and before I could remount the rebels were upon me. ."Surrender!" shouted a sergeant, "surrender, you d d blue- bellied Yankee, or I'll blow your heart out!" And he pointed his revolver at me, which motion was followed by the rest of the crowd. "See here, old covy," said T, "put up your pop-gun, and take me prisoner if you like; but don't murder a fellow in that bar- barous manner." Of course I was a prisoner, and thought it was the better part of valor to fall in and trust to chance and strategy to get me out So I was soon in line, toted up to the rebel camp, and brought before ^the notorious Stonewall. The General eyed ine about one minnte, and then said : "Well, sir, they tell me you are a Yankee spy." Whew! thought I, this is more than I bargained for; but 1 was determined to put a jolly face on the raatttrr, and I said: "Yes, General, that's what they say; but you rebels are such blamed liars there's no knowing when to believe what they say. I thought the Yankees could out lie any other nation, but hang me if you fellows can't beat us." "Ah," said the General, "You don't seem to have a very ex- alted opinion of your brethren." ''Why should I have?" said I. "I've lost and suffered a good deal in that same Yan ^ee nation." ,' "That's strange," said the General. " Don't the Union officers treat their soldrers well?" "They're like all other officers," said I, "good and bad among them; but that's not where the shoe pinches. To make a long story short, although I live in Virginia, I was favorably disposed to the Union cause, but the beggarly Lincolnites wouldn't believe it; so they fed their troops on my granary and cupboard till I was about ruined, and when I wanted pay they told me 1 was a fool, and said if I was a grod Union man, I ouaht to be glad to aid the Government. One day one of the officers told me if I would enlist th.ey wauld think better of me, and instead of de- SOLDIER LIFE. QJ stroying my property would protect it So the upshot of it was, as my loyalty was doubted, I was compelled to enlist to save my property." "That's a plausible story," said the General, "but not a very probable one. Why didn't you come into our lines at once if you wanted protection?" "That's just what I'm coming at," said I. "I was sent oat with a scouting party, and so I kept on scouting till 1 got within your lines and was taken by your cavalry." "Take care, young man," said the Gederal, sternly; "I under* trvnd you attempted to escape." This was a poser; but as I had got under way, I thought I must try and make the ripple. I felt tolerable streaked about the result, too, but I said, earnestly : "Of course I did. Who wouldn't, with a half dozen horses and bullets after him? I hadn't time to say surrender, and be- sides the officer cursed me. 1 don't like to be cursed, it's against my principles; and then [ was so mighty mad to see such beastly cowards, that I half made up my mind to get away from both sides, and go to Canada." The General looked at me and then at his staff, and they aH smiled, while I looked aa sober as a deacon. I had heard that the General was a pious old fellow, and I thought this would tickle him. "Are you willing," said he, " to take the oath of allegiance fo the Southern Confederacy, and fight in our cause?" " To be sure," said I ; "I told you before that I had been try- ing to get into your lines. But 1 don't want to fight for you if I am not protected in my rights. T want my property respected." "Where do you live?" asked he. "At Phillippi," said I, "and I've got a nice property up there, and 1 want it to be taken care of." "Well," said the General, "we're going up that way shortly, and, whether you go with us or net, we will protect your prop- erty. In the meantime I will think of your offer, but for the present, as the evidence is against you, you will be placed under guard, for you Yankees are too slippery to be trusted with tdb much liberty. Events show that you don't know how to use it." After this I was kept under guard, and was treated, perhaps, as well as they were, and nothing to brag of at that. The next day there was a great battle. '1 here was much commotion in tfee rebel camp; and, for fear that 1 should be recaptured, a guard of two was detailed to take me far back to the rear. We could distinctly hear the thundering of the cannon, and we knew that a great battle was commenced. I overheard the guard chuck- ling at the idea that they were exempt. This put a flea in my ear. I knew they were cowards, and I determined to manage 92 INCIDENTS or them accordingly. My canteen had not been taken from me, and, as lack would have it, was half full of tolerable "rot gut." I also had in my pocket a large powder of morphine, which the surgeon had given ine a few days before, to take occasionally: this I slipped into the canteen. After this was, accomplished, I appeared to take long swigs at the canteen. At last the bait took; the boys got a smell of the whisky, and one of them, turn- ing to me, said : "Look here, Yankee, that whisky smells mighty good. Let us help you drink it, or you'll be so drunk, soon, that we shall have' to carry you." "All rirht, boys," said I, " help yourselves." They did help themselves. The beggarly rebels soon finished the whisky, morphine and all. "It tastes mighty bitter," said one. "What's in it?" ''Quinine," said I. "I always put quinine in my whisky this time o' year." This satisfied them, and I soon had the satisfaction of seeing my guard tolerably drunk, too drunk to walk, and so they tum- bled down, and they did not get up again so n. Finding they were getting pretty stupid and sleepy, 1 shook them and said : "See here, guard, tl-.is is a shame. How do you expect to guard me. drunk as you are?" " Yes, jruard," muttered one. " Your turn now you guard us. Don't leave or by G d, I'll shoot you when wake up." "But hold on," said I! "how do you expect me to guard you when I don't know the password ?" By vigorous strokes and punches, I so far routed him that he muttered: " liattie-snake ! " 1 had no doubt but this was the magical " open sesame" that was to give me my liberty. In five minutes the men were sound asleep. The place where we were was a deep gulley in the woods, and about a mile distant was the rebel camp. My pur- pose WHS soon fixed. I swapped clothes with one, which was considerable trouble, as he was as flimsy as a rag; but 1 suc- ceeded at last in making the exchange, and had the satisfaction of seeing the drunken rebel nicely buttoned up in Yankee regi- mentals. Takinir his arms I hurried away. When I got out through the woods I came into a road, and had no sooner dona BO than I saw a sijuad of rebel soldiers. "Halt!" was the word, which 1 responded to with soldierly precision. " What are you doing here?" said the Lieutenant command ing. 1 told him that two of us were guarding a prisoner, and that SOLDIER Line; 93 ray comrade and the prisoner were both so dead drunk I could do nothing with them. " That's a h 1 of a story," replied the Lieutenant. " I believe you're some d d Yankee spy. I've a mind to clip your head off, on suspicion." And he raised his sword. "Let him prove what he says by showing us the men," sug- gested one of the squad. At this they all laughed, supposing I was bluffed. But when I readily assented to this, they followed me, cautiously, however, as I suppose they feared I was leading them into ambush. When the Lieutenant saw the men one in butternut and one in Yan- kee blue as 1 had represented, he gave each a hearty kick and aid : " Well, this is- a h 1 of a mesa. What are you going to do about it?" "Going to hunt a wagon and have them. carried on," said I. This was satisfactory, and we parted. Finding it would not do to take the road, I skulked around in the woods all day. When night came 1 took as i supposed a route that would lead me to the Union camp. All night i climbed about over the hills; twice 1 was hailed by rebel pickets, but rattlesnake carried me safely by. Just at daylight I discovered a camp. 1 could ewe the tents twinkling through the strip of woods before me, and I felt certain it was the Federal camp. When I had got about half way through the piece of woods, I aw something that completely took all the exultation of my delivery out of me. Well, I've been in many a perilous position. I have had bayonets, bullets and bowiea rummaging round in the region of my lojal bosom; but never, in all my life was I so astonished and chagrined so utterly taken down. There, in the bottom of a broad, deep ravine, not ten steps from me, lay the two drunken guards! Lord! this was a pretty fix, to be ure. 1 had accomplished a feat equal to the hero of Mother Goose, who went " Fourteen miles in fifteen day*) And never looked behind him." One of the guard was sitting up, and endeavoring to rouse the supposed prisoner; for he was still too much stupefied to recog- nize the cheat. Perceivip? me, he sung out: "Say, Bill, this d d Yankee's too drunk to wake up. What's to be done with him?" Have we been here all night? Lord! what'll the old General ay? Come over here." "No," said I, feigning his comrade's voice, "We've been drunk here all night, and I'm going to report before he wakes up, or they'll have us in the guard house You stay and watch him, while I go." "No, let's wake the devilish lubber up, and take him where 94 INCIDENTS or we're going to. But blame me if I know where that is. Don't go-" '' But I will," said I ; and, hurrying away, I was soon out of sight This day 1 hid myself in a hollow tree, and, when night cume, 1 took a good look at the stars, and, getting my bearings, started again for the Union camp. I several times came upon the rebel pickets, but the '' Rattlesnake " snaked me along with- out any trouble: all but one, the last one I came to. He was a sprightly little fellow, and appeared to be determined that 1 should go with him to headquarters. I offered every excuse I could think of, but it was of no avail, so I at last agreed to go, and we started. 1 went with him about half a mile, and, during this time, I engaged him in conversation about the affairs of th war, playing the rebel, of course, and talking in a jolly way, till, finding him a little unguarded, 1 sprang upon him and took him down, and, before he knew what was the matter, he was unarmed. " Now, you beggarly whelp," said I, as I snatched his gun and sprung away from him, "about face, and put, or I'll shoot you in a minute." The fellow was scared, sure, and lost no time in getting out of my sight. It was now beginning to grow light, and I found my- self on the banks of the Potomac, with the Federal camp far in the distance. As there was no other mode of conveyance, I was forced to swim the river, which was no easy job, considering I had two muskets to carrry. However, I got safely over, and was ju.st climbing the bank, when a musket was leveled at me, and a clear voice rung out: "Stand! who goes there?" This 1 knew was a Union picket; so I told him I had been taken prisoner, and had escaped; had been two days without eating; and I wanted him to let me go, or take me at uiice into camp, where 1 could get something to eat, and some dry clothes 1 had no doubt but he believed this, and would immediately com- ply; but the answer was an ominous click of the trigger. " 1 believe you're a real Butternut Rebel," said the picket, "and I've a notion to give you a pop, any how." " But I ain't," said I. " What are you doing with them butternut regimentals on then, and them two muskets?" said he. 1 saw my fix, and hungering, dripping and shivering as I was, I stood there before that grinning musket till I had told the whole story. Finally upon my giving him the names of our Colonel and Captain, and mentioning several other matters fa- miliar to him, he was satisfied, for he belonged to the same regiment that I did. SOLDIER L1FK. 95 LOYAL MICHAEL. An Irishman of the 60th New York, was taken prisoner, and by some strategic movement managed to shoot his captor and escape. Taking a circuitous route, and skulking about for half a day, he came upon a group of officers. Rushing into the midst of them, and fantastically kicking up his heels in true Irish pclka style, he said : "Be Jasus, but I'm safe at last! Hurray for the Shtars and Shtripes iv me own blissid Ameriky, an' the divil flay away wid the ribbels ! " "Helloe, Paddy, what's the matter?" said one. "Mather is it? Begorra ! there'll be mather enough, out in the field yonder where I laid the dirtliy spalpeen that 'ud be afther stailin' me body. Divil a won o' them's able to take the likes iv a 69th. Me name's not Paddy, at all, at all, but Michael O'Graff, jist. At yer sarvice, sir." "You were taken prisoner by the rebels, were you?" said the fficer.' "I was, si:, an' sure it's r.D disgrace if I get away, sir." "And vou escaped?" "That's thrue for yer, sir. "And you killed your captor? "1 did, yer honor, and his thavin' carkiss lies out in the field beyant, a proof iv it, sir, and an imblim iv me currige." " You seem to be a loyal Union man," continued the officer. "Niver a loyaller iver lammed aribbil," answered Michael, tri- umphantly. "Very good, sir." Then, turning to a subordinate, much to the astonishment of the Irishman, he continued: "Lieutenant, secure this prisoner.". "Holy Jasus!" exclaimed Michael; " What have I done? Be gorra. thin, I'll make me word good wid ye, an' may the divil take the hindmost." So saying, and before they were aware of his object, he turned and ran with all his might; but the Lieu tenant s horse could outrun him, so the loyal Michael was again a prisoner of war. It was General Wilcox and staff whom he had encountered. THE DRAFTED EXEMPT. Among the able-bodied men drafted frjm one of the Heidel- bergs, there was an obese specimen of Humanity, but whom the chances hit as one of the elect. When he received his ticket, 96 INCIDENTS or he hastened to Reading, and, knowing where JiveJ the cutest apecimen of a lawyer, he went straight to his office. Said he: " I'm drafted." "The deuce you are; it must have been a strong man that* drafted you." " Well, I'm drafted, and I want to get out. Can't march. I'M pay well." " Very well." The twain proceeded to the office of the Commissioner. " Here, Commissioner," said the lawyer, " I have got a substi- tute." Commissioner looked at the wheezy specimen for some time. ''He won't do; can't march." " But he must do," blustered out the lawyer, "and you know he will do, too." "He can't march: he wont do, and 1 can't take him." This was what our smart friend wanted. "He won't do, eh?" ''No, he won't." "Well, then, scratch his name off the list; he is drafted^ and wants to be exempted." The Commissioner looked at the lawyer for about a minute, then regarded the fat draft, and, without speaking a word, scratched off the name. CHIVALRY vs. THE YANKEE. There is considerable difference in the fighting policy of th* two American armies. The contest is like that of an iceberg and a volcano: there is sizzling, smoking and gassing. Some 01 the fire is put otit and some of the ice melted. The following joke tells the whole story : A rebel officer once remarked that the success of the rebel armv was attributable to its fiery spirit, and the violence with which it rushed into battle, and they thus beat the Yankees before tliev were through with their prayers. "That is so," remarked a bystander. "You fellows threaten an^ then take a drink, the* you brag of your chivalry and take anther drink, and when you are too drunk to know any better, yon rush franticallv into danger. But the Yankee prays and then cleans his mnsket, prays asrain. attends to his family and prnys again, and then, after this third prayer, you rebels may look out for hell. SOLDIER LIFE. 97 A DETERMINED PATRIOT. A young man with a family, a cashier in a large mercantile house in Boston, enlisted in a cavalry company. His employer did not wish to part with him, and offered to raise his wagea from eight to twelve hundred' dollars a year. But the soldier's reply was: ''My country needs my services, and no amount of money can change my purpose." TURNING THE TABLES. Major Clark Wright and his rangers were a source of great terror to the rebels of Missonri. When the war broke out he had no hesitation in expressing his sentiments; but these senti- ments did not please some of the rebel brethren of the Baptist church, in that vicinity, and they accordingly determined that he should leave the country, and a committee of three was ap- pointed to inform him of their decision. But one of them, who, al- though an ardent rebel, was still a friend to Wright, informed him of wl':it.was to take place. Wright and his wife then held council, the result of which was that they would fight. When the committee called, they hesitated about broaching the subject, and began stammering. "Stop!" said Wright; " 1 know your business, and before you tell it 1 wish to say a word. I have just promised iny wife that I would blow hell out of the first man that told me of it, and by the Eternal God, I'll do it!" The committee saw murder in his eye, and concluded to post- pone the announcement. The next Sunday the church appointed a larger committee, it being no less than a whole company of rebels, properly officered. Wright's friend informed him of this also, and, when the day arrived when he was to be ejected from the State, Wright gave a large party and secretly sent for all hia friends to come and see him. This brought 300 armed men, who promised to back him to the death. They then secreted themselves in a cornfield back of the house, and awaited their time. After a while, eighty armed men rode up to his house, and the Captain informed Wright of their mission. " Won't you give me two days to settle up my affairs?" asked Wright, "Two days be d d!" exclaimed the pompous Captain, "I'll. give" you just five minutes to pack up your traps and leave." 93 INCIDENTS OF "But 1 can't get ready in five minutes," urged Wright. "I have a fine property here, a happy home, and if you drive me off 1 am a beggar. I have done nothing to deserve this." "To h 1 with your beggary, you must travel! " said the Cap- tain. "Give me two hours!" 'I'll give you just five minutes, not a second longer;" per- isted the Captain. " If you ain't out in that time I'll blow your cussed abolition heart out!" "Well, if Imust 1 must," said Wright manfully, and, turning towards his house as if in deep despair, gave a shrill whistle; and immediately 300 men sprang from their concealment, and surrounded the astonished Captain and his company. "Ah! Captain," said Wright beseechingly, "won't you grant me two days two hours to prepare myself for beggary and starvation?" The Captain at last found voice to say, "Don't kill me." "Kill you!" exclaimed Wright, vehemently, "No, you black Jivered coward ! I f I want that dirty job done I'll get one of my niggers to do it. (Jet down from that horse ! " The result of the matter was that the whole company dis- mounted and laid down their arms, and then, as they filed out, were sworn to preserve their allegiance inviolate to the United States. An hour after Mr. Wright had organized a force of 240 men for the war, and by acclamation was elected Captain. The next Sunday he started with his command to join the National troops under Lyon, stopping long enough on his way to surround the Hard Shell Church, which had been the cause of his troubles. After the service was over, he administered the oath of allegi- ance to every one present, including the reverend Pecksniff who officiated, and then left them to plot treason and worship God in their own peculiar, pious and harmonious manner. ADVENTURES OF A UNION PRISONER. A prisoner, although limited in his liberties, has considerable opportunity for studying the manners and customs of the enemy. At Baldwin we first met the motley currency of Dixie Con- federate notes, cotton bills, due bills, shinplasters, and, most curious of all, railroad money printed on second-hand paper, which had been used for ledgers and day-books. Think, ye antiquiiruins, of pecuniary palimpsests! I said to the officer of the guard: "You seem to have plenty of money hereabouts?" SOLDIER LIFE. ""Oh, yes all you've got to do is to print the head of a woman on a piece of brown paper, and it will pass. We were generally respectfully treated by the rebel soldiery; the abuse we received almost invariably came from non-combat- ants, women, citizens, and the like. One of our party of captives the list swelled as we proceeded was loudly attacked with curses by a person in uniform, who rode up to him in the main street of luka. The Illinois officer quietly responded: " What is your rank, sir ?" "First Lieutenant." *'In the Quartermaster's department ?" "Yea." "1 thought so." Why? ;> "Because I have noticed, in both armies, that the men who are most malignant toward prisoners are those who never get where the ballets whistle!" (Great discomfiture of the Quartermaster, and lond latighter and applause from the rebel soldiers who stood by.) Next morning we were dispatched by rail to Tupelo, some twenty miles further South, on the Mobile and Ohio road. 1 was met at the cars by a Captain of General Moore's staff, who took me to breakfast, and played the host for the better part of the day. What a tall, round-shouldered, amiable Texan he was, to be sure ! A graduate of West Point, a Secessionist from the beginning, a devotee of the doctrine of State rights and South- ern wrongs, he was yet as gentle as a woman in his discourse. All that bright September morning we sat in the shade of a broad piazza the house was deserted, as about half the houses in Dixie seem to be and talked of history and politics. Of course we laughed at each other'-s "extreme views," and came to no agreement on any proposition. " You of the North,*' s&id he, " have invaded our country." "No, sir; Mississippi is a part of our country Do the police of New York invade the Five Points when they go there to quell a riot?" " You of the North have contracted an enormous debt. How are you going to pay it?" ' Fund it and pay the interest. And you of the South have a littte debt of several hundred millions. How do ycu intend to pay that?" " We do not intend to pay it. As soon as the wai is ended we will repudiate it?" "Will that be honest?" " Certainly; we owe it only to our own people, and they may as wull lose the principle outright as to be compelled, year aftcc- ye;u-, to pay eight per cent interest on it." |QQ INCIDENTS QF Shade of Ricardof there was a new idea in political economy. "But,' said I, "would not that be an outrage to the individ- ual? Suppose your entire fortune consisted of Confederate tfcrip, and your neighbor's of land and negroes, would repudia- tion affect you both alike?" "Oh, we'll see that each man has hia proper share of Confed- erate scrip! " Perhaps you will hardly believe this report of our talk; it is aevertheless true. On what a foundation of political and economical falsities is this Confederacy reared up? That evening we left Tupelo for Jackson, by the way of the Mobile and Ohio, and Southern railroads. We saw a great deal of corn on the route and very little cotton, but the corn was not, as a rule, good. There is a large tract just before Tupelo which is a fair crop. It is said to contain 400,000 acres. If so, it would be an excellent idea for our army to move down there. We did not see an open store between Baldwin and Jackson, a distance of more than two hundred miles. I suppose their scanty stocks ot goods have been sold out and cannot be replen- ished. "it looks like Sunday," said one of our party "happy land. Where congregations ne'er break up, And Sabbaths never end." From the moment I became an involuntary visitor in Dixie, I found myself an object of interest. My boots were the attraction. No feat of arms, or evident superiority of mental endowment, made me the cynosure of rebel eyes. Leather is not, in the Confederacy. The paper blockade excludes it. My boots were made by Fulton street Brooks, were of the cavalry pattern worth, perhaps, ten dollars. Firstly, my guerrilla friends tried to steal them while 1 was asleep on the first night of my captivity; so says the wounded soldier who lay awake and heard them discuss the plan. At Baldwin officers and men alike worshipped those boots, and were loud in verbal adoration. At Tupelo I was oiTered one hundred dollars in Confederate scrip for them. Nothing tends to raise the prices of the necessaries more than a blockade, except it be a famine, and it is even productive of that. On my journey from Tupelo to Jackson, a tall young Texan stood on the platform some thirty minutes, and gazed at me with rapt attention. Then he took courage, came in, and pat down by ray side. His conversation may be condensed to this: "Fine day. Whar are you from? You can never subjugate the South. Wo have plenty of arms, plenty of provisions, SOLDIER LIFH. ]y j plenty of everything. Good Lord! what splendid boots thos are ! ' "Arc boots scarce in the Confederacy?" "I paid twenty-five dollars for those shoes." And he pointedl to a pair of flimsy pumps he wore. " Why don't you make leather in the Confederacy?" I said. " Don't know how ; but they are making clay pipes in Alabama," And this was said with an air of exultation, as if to make a red clay tobacco pipe were a triumph of mechanical art It seems that thus far the prosecution of the war has proved, to the South, a bootless task. Forgive the feeble joke. 1 wore during my trip an old felt hat, the ugliest on thia continent, which had been thrown aside by my Colonel. Ai Tupelo I said to the genial Captain who entertained me : '' If I had foreseen this visit I would have worn some decent head gear." " Humph ! that hat is worth thirty dollars in this town." After this, as I gazod upon the "shocking bad hats" of these rebel natives, 1 donned my dilapidated "tile" with greater sat- isfaction.' We reached the capital of the State about 5 o'clock Monday afternoon. It is a decent looking town, of three or four thou- sand inhabitants, with that shiftless look which results from the climate and the "institution." We were marched about the Streets for a time in a rather indefinite manner, not for show, I fancy, but because some one had blundered. At length we were paraded in front of headquarters, and General Tilghman, cf rort Henry fame, stood picturesquely on the steps to receive as. He is a well-dressed, good-looking rogue, with the smile of a demagogue and the eye of a gamester. I use these terms ad- visedly. The subscriber happened to be the only officer among the prisoners, and so to the subscriber the lovely Tilghman made thia sweet speech: "Lieutenant, you will go to Vicksburg to-morrow morning. In the meantime you will have a private room fitted up for you, and your meals will be sent to you from the hotel at the expense of the Government. We desire to make you as comfortable as possible. 1 ' We touched our Twenty-five Dollar Hat, and the crowd around us gaped in admiration of Tilghman and that Government which, through him, promised to pay for our supper. We lifted our Hundred Dollar Boots with alternate step, and marched toward the private room. We reached the private room. It was so called because it contained nine private soldiers. In fact, it was a guard room, It also contained a Captain of the Twenty-seventh Illinois and a surgeon of the Fifth Minnesota, who had coiie down as pri- 102 INCIDENTS O* oners the dny before It wsis "fitted up" with two broken shat- ters and a half inch of dust lying on the floor. The nine pri- vate soldiers, Confederate, were smoking, chewing, and playing draw poker. The room was twelve by sixteen. Eight o'clock came, but not the supper promised at the ex- pense of the Government, whih reminded me of tho Texan Cap- tain's repudiating policy; aud alao convinced roe that the Con- federate Government does not pay expenses. The fcict wa* that the keeper of the hotel received an order for it, but, like Louis Napoleon, did not recognize the Confederacy. We rose in our wrath : "Sergeant of the guard, your General made me some very kind promises, but they are not performed, Shoulder your mus- ket and take me out to eatJ' - He obeyed; we marched half a mite and got a- sapper, paving a dollar for it. You pay one dollar per meal all over the Con- federacy. It is generally a corn meal, as it consists of corn fcread, corn coffee, and corn-fed bacon. We returned to our private room, hired a piece of blanket from the Sergeant they have no blankets in Dixie to speak of- laid it in a corner, made a pillow of one of the broken shutters, and thereupon the Captain of the Twenty-seventh Illinois and the reliable gentleman lay down and slept the sleep of innocence. Next morning, without breakfast, we took the 7 o'clock train- for Vicksburg, O, Tilghuaark! At the depot; on his wny to join. Price at Tuka, we saw that chief of political sinners, John C. Breckinrklge, the man who played a game for the Presidency, got beaten*, and now refuses to give up the stakes. For this let second-rate gamblers look down on him. with contempt. He seemed to be in good health, wore a linen coat, and a sort of Bowery collar and scarf. It was easy to detect in his manner a mind ill at ease. To the careless observer, the South might seem a unit in ita plans, both for the present and the future. The men who talk with prisoners for the most part sing one song " We nerer will subciit." Yet underneath this external sameness lie the force of dissent and revolution. A lieutenant of rebel cavalry at luka said to a friend of mine: "1 am from Memphis; owe*New York City $50,000, which I am able to pay whe-n peace comes. I am a Secessionist from the ground up. And I te-11 you, sir, we shall be successful. We will hold Virginia. We will take Kentucky with her con- pent, if we can, without it if we must. And with our northern line on the Ohio we will build up the most magnificent aristo- cratic republic the world has ever seen. D n Democracy, we want an aristocracy capital must own it* own labor." SOLDIER LIFE. ]Q Yet when my friend reported this speech to another rebel officer at Vicksburg, the latter clenched his teeth and said : "lam a 'poor white;' never owned a negro and never want to and [ can tell you that when rich slaveholders try to set up an aristocracy there will be another rebellion here on Southern soil!" Another curious fact. On our journey from Tupelo to Vicks- burg we twice drank with rebel officers this toast: "The restora- tion of the Union." We were told, of course, that there were no Union men in the South. Yet two companies of Mississippians were lately re- cruited and drilled by our officers at luka, and many more individually joined Northern regiments. An Illinois Captain, who helped to drill them, told me that with two hundred cavalry at his command, he could have gone into the hill country of North Alabama and there raised a brigade of four thousand men. The prayer of Northern Alabama, as of Eastern Tennes- see, has been from the beginning, "Come over and help us.". One thins I especially observed in conversation with soldiers and citizens moderate and radical an intense desire for peace. "When will the war end?" was the sad, weary question ad ; dressed to me a hundred times. In Vicksburg 1 replied sol- emnly: " Well, I am no prophet, but 1 think that in two or three years the Union forces of the nation will fairly get under way, and begin to prosecute the war in earnest." It was amusing to see the look of dismay which clouded the face of my inquiring enemy. No wonder they desire peace. A self-indulgent people reduced to destitution and almost total abstinence from the material comforts of life, they can not but sig'i for the good old times. The fact is. the rebellion is a gigantic game of "bluff." In cards, that is the representative game of the South, and partic- ularly the South -West. Its greatest triumphs are achieved by betting largely, and with a confident countenance on a weak hand, and so frightening your adversary into a surrender of the stakes. Nor is the rebel army a unit. I heard several times an ex- pression of the opinion that half its officers ought to be shot. Bragg is especially odious. A private soldier said in my hearing: " T reckon he'll be shot by his own men in the first fight." About noon we rolled into Vicksburg, and were sent to the Washington Hotel, the best house in the city. There you pay $4 per day, and live on corn bread without salt in it. No milk, no tea, no coffee, no butter, no wheaten bread. We were kindly told that if we had no Confederate money, our bills would be paid by the Government. We had no Confederate money. J04 INCIDENTS OF Next morning our deliverance came, and in company with Major Watts, the portly Confederate Commissioner for the exchange of prisoners, we boarded the steamer Paul Jonea and sailed to our flag-of-truce fleet, which lay seven miles above. Its boats, eight in number, had just brought down the rebel pris- -oners from Johnson's Island, Alton, Camp Douglas and Camp Butler. As Major Watts parted from us and handed us our paroles, I said: " Major, does this document prevent us from going up to Min- nesota to fight the Indians?" "Eh?--yes, yes, certainly." "Are those red skins allies of the Confederacy?" " Well I don't know." Nor, I ''ancy, do we of the North know whether or not the wrath of the Sioux is prompted by Davis, Pike fe Co. We lay alongside the steamer T. L. Magill. The blessed bun- ting of America floated brightly at the stern, a white flag waved its low wings at the bow, the gunboat Cairo gave us a grim smile with its iron lips. We stepped aboard and bade, not mournfully, good-bye to Dixie. A REBEL OFFICER'S STORY. At Powell's river I stopped and engaged more milk of an old Lincolnite jade, keen as a brier, and mother of three (and I don't know how many more) rather nice looking gals. She complained 'to me of having been rudely treated by a North Carolina officer the morning previous. Arriving at camp I informed the officer of the old lady's story, and he told me that, knowing their polit- ical status, he had placed a guard around the house, to keep any of the family from going to the Gap, while our army was cross- ing the river, and that, in the meantime, the following conver- sation took place : Officer. (Entering the house.) "Good morning, ma'am." No answer. " Where is your husband, ma'am? " Old Woman. "None of your business, you rebel you.' 1 Officer. "1 know. He is in the Yankee army." Old Woman. "Well he is. What are you going to do about it? He is in the First Tennessee Federal Regiment at Cumber- land Gap, and will take off your rebel head if you go up there. 1 ' Officer. "Yes. But we have him and your General Morgan's whole command completely surrounded hemmed in with an army on both sides of the Gap, and in a few days they will b starved out, and have to surrender upon our own terms." SOLDIER LIFK. Old Woman. "We know all that, and are easy. But Lincoln will send an army through Kentucky, which will wipe out voup General Smith, just like a dog would lick out a plate, and 'then you and your army of barefooted, roasting-ear stealers will hav to leave here in the dark again, and badlv scared at that. Be- sides this " Officer. "That's your opinion, but you are deluded Where were you born?" ^)ld Woman. " Born ! Why I was born and raised in Ten- nessee. I am an Old Hickory Tennessean dead out against Nullification, and its bastard offspring, Secession. But where are you from?" Officer "I am from North Carolina, but a native of South Carolina." Old Woman. ''A South Carolinian scion of Nullification double rebel, double devil. Old Jackson made your little turnip patch of a State walk the chalk once, and Old Abe Lincoln will give you rebels hell before spring." Officer. (Quitting the old lady and turning to the eldest daughter, whom he recognized as a mother.) ''Madam, where i your husband?" Youug Woman. ''That is none of your business." Officer. " Hut it is my business. Where is he?" ^Young Woman." Where L hope I'll never see him again. Where 1 hope you'll soon be." Officer. " Where is that?" Young Woman." Why, a prisoner in the hands of the army at the Gap." Officer." What is that for ? " Young Woman. "For being what you are, an infernal rebel." Officer. "Oh, if that's all, 1 will send him back to you as soon as we take the Gap." Young Woman." No you needn't. Cust if he ever sleepa in my bed again. Here, Bet, (calling a nurse,) take this little rebel and give him Union milk. Let us try and get the 'Secesh' out of him." Officer. (Turning to a Miss.) " Did you find a beau among the Yankee officers?" Miss. "Yes, 1 did; a nice, sweet, gallant fellow; one who stepped like a prince. When you become his prisoner, give him my love; and tell him for my sake to put a trace chain around your infernal neck." Officer. " When do you expect to see him again?' Miss. ''Just after your General takes the next "big scare," which will be in ten days from this time." Daylight having broken, and the army having crossed the river, the conversation I have given terminated. ' 10g INCIDENTS OT FORESHADOWING OF DEATH. Presentiments on the battle field often prove prophetic. Here is an instance: While Col. Osterhaua was gallantly attacking the center of the enemy on the second day, a sergeant of the Twelfth Missouri requested the captain of his company to send his wife's portrait, which he had taken from his bosom, to her address in St. Louis, with his dying declaration that he thought of her in his last moments. "What is that for?" asked his captain, "you are not woun ded, are you?" "No," answered the sergeant; "but 1 know I shall be killed to-day. I have been in battle before, but 1 never felt as I do now. A moment ago, L became convinced my time had come, but how J can not tell. Will you gratify my request? Remem- ber, I speak to you as a dying man." ''Certainly, my brave fellow; but you will live to a good old age with your wife. Do not grow melancholy over a fancy or A dream." "You will see," was the response. The picture changed hands. The sergeant stepped forward to the front of the column, and the lieutenant perceived him no more. At the camp-fire that evening the officers inquired for the set- geant. He was not present. He had been killed three hours before, by a grape-shot from one of the enemy's batteries. WIDOWS PROVIDED FOR. When the Corn Exchange's last corps left Philadelphia, there was, among the men, one who had been recently married. While they were waiting for the order to march, the young wife was taking leave of her husband, in accents broken, and eyes that lay bedewed in tears, like violets in a summer shower. The man caressed her, but the tears still started; lie told her of th patriotism and munificence of the Corn Exchange Association, yet the crystals continued to fall; he told her of the country's danger, but her anguish was not soothed. At last, weary of hi* endeavors, he tried another tack. "Sally," said he, "quit crying. You see what the Corn Ex- change has done. They've paid you my bounty, fitted me out, and everything." "Yes/ the girl sobbed, ''but" "But what?" l '15ut if you get killed what then?" SOLDIER LIFE. j^-j u Why" the man hesitated far a moment until a lucky thought truck him " Why then the Corn Exchange will find you a- tther husband." The ludicrousness of the idtea changed the current of the girl's feelings, and a smile wreathed her pretty mouth and dina- ples in a manner that was pleasant to behold. The last tear rolled away, and as the word '"forward" was given, she gave the young recruit a last kiss, and departed ia good cheer. A BOWIE KNIFE CONFLICT. This rebellion has been prolific of many deeds of wanton daring, and deliberate hand to hand conflicts. The following is one of th-e most frightful: A aold-ier belonging to the 25th Missouri and a member of Mississippi company became separated from their commands, and found each other climbing the same fence. The Rebel had one of those long knives made of a file, which the South had so extensively paraded, but so rarely used, and the Missourian had one also, having picked it up on the field. The Rebel challenged his enemy to a fair, open combat with the knife, intending to bully him, no doubt, and the challenge was promptly accepted. The two removed their coats, rolled up their sleeves, and began. The Mississippian had more skill, but his opponent had more strength, and consequently the latter could not strike his enemy, while he received several cuts on the head and breast. The blood began trickling rapidly down the Unionist's face, and running into his eyes, almost blinded him. The Union man became desperate, for he saw the Secessionist was unhurt. He made a feint; the Rebel leaned forward to arrest the blow, but employing too much' eneriry, he could not recover himself at once. The Missouri-an saw his advantage, and knew he could not lose it. In five seconds more it would bo too late. His enemy glared at him like a wild beast: was oa the eve of striking him again. Another feint; another dodge on the Rebel's part, and then the heavy blade of the Missourian hurtled through the air, and fell with tremendous force upon the Mississippian's neck. The blood spurted from the throat, and the head fell over, almost entirely severed from the body. Ghastly ight, too ghastly even for the doer of the deed! He fainted at the spectacle, weakened by the loss of his own blood, and was soon after butchered by a Serainole, who saw him sink to the earth IQg INCIDENTS OK THE HEROINE OF SPRINGFIELD. At the time when the rebel General Price was marching his troops towards Springfield, Missouri, the report got spread about among a few loyal families that they were the Federal troops. On the strength of this news a few ventured to hang out Union flags. A rebel sergeant, noticing one of these hanging from an upper window, boldly marched in, and meeting the lady of the house, a Mrs. Hart, acvcosted her in the following rebellious manner: "See here, you old she Lincolnite, just haul down that striped rag, will you ?" Now Mrs. Hart, having full confidence in the report she ha-1 just heard, looked the rude intruder full in the eye, and an- swered : " No, air; that is my flag and my window, and they are not to be parted, at present." "The h 1 you say," replied the sergeant. "Then I'll do it myself. We ain't iroing to have any more of them dirty rage disgracing Springfield." ~ Mrs. Hart sprang before him, as he stepped towards the stairs, exclaiming: "D.ire you pollute that sacred flag with your miserable rebel fingers? Shame on you ! Leave my house, instantly !" "Will you take down that flag, then?" asked the sergeant. Mrs. Hart was alone in the house, and she felt all the peril of her situation; but she was determined to protect her flag, and she replied, firmly : "No, sir. never! Neither shall you. Again I command you to leave my house, or you shall feel the consequence. Go about your business." "Go about the devil!" replied the sergeant, rudely. "There's no doubt about that," said Mrs. Hart, coolly, "and the quicker you go the better." The sergeant was exasperated, now, and catching her rudely by the arm, he jerked her on one side, and rushed up the stairs. .The brave woman followed close at his heels, and just as he had dragged the flag from the window, she caught it, and stripping it from the staff, which he held in his hand, she thrust it out of the window and held it there. ''You cussed hag!" exclaimed the sergeant furiously, "if you don't give .me that flag I'll pitch you out of the window." " Do, sir, if you dare !" said the woman. "There's a Union army coming into town, and if you don't leave you'll be made a prisoner." "Union h 1!" said the sergeant. "It's General Price'i army." SOLDIER LIFE. JQQ " I don't believe you, sir," replied the heroine; ' but if it was the whole rebel host, this flag shall wave at the window as long as I have an arm! " The sergeant canght her by the arm and was pulling her away from the window, when the boom of a cannon was heard. "There," he said, "Price has coine. Now you abolitionists will catch h 1 ! " He had no sooner uttered this, than crash came a twelve pound shot through the room, not three feet from their heads, dashing the crumbling plastering in their faces.. The sergeant sprang across the room, and giving one look at the woman, rushed down the stairs; while she, the pale, but cool and fear- less heroine, stood there, grand in her pallor, gloriously waving the flag from the window. When the man was gone, she fastened the flag to the staff, and replacing it in her window, started downstairs; but the excitement had been too excessive. The reaction had come, and when she reached the foot of the stairs, she fell senseless in the hall. One of her neighbors, who saw the shot pass through the house, at this .moment came in to see if any one was injured, and found her in this condition. The shock had been so great upon Mrs. Hart that she lay for many weeks between life and death, but finally recovered, and still lives to see the stars and stripes floating from her window. General Price did not bombard the city, but merely, by way of announcing his arrival, fired a twelve pounder through Main street. He took possession of the place, but did not long retain it, for he was shortly driven out by General Curtis. THE JOLLY SOLDIER. It is wonderful to what an extent jollity and good nature prevails among the wounded and disabled soldiers. They seem to consider it a natural consequence of the war a sort of matter of course affair, and bravely submit to their misfortunes with a fortitude that is truly surprising. Among the most remarkable characters of this class, was Joe Parsons, of Baltimore, a rude, boy, who formerly belonged to that fraternity of freedom called " Roughs." Poor Joe! his was a sad fate, though he took it pleasantly enough. He was one of the first to enlist in the 1st Maryland regi- ment, and marched boldly and recklessly forth at the call of his country; and all through that long, hard fought, terrific battle of Antietam. he hurled death to the foe, thinking little of him- self and caring less, until an unlucky bullet passed through both his eyes, destroying Ins sight forever. He was taken to the HQ INCIDENTS OF hospital, and while there he was visited by a Boston correspond- nt, who gives the following graphic account .of the interview. Joe was busily singing ''I'm a bold soldier boy." Observing the broad bandgage over his eyes, I said to him: " What,' s your name, my good fellow?" "Joe, sir," he answered; "Joe Parsons." 'And what is the matter with you?" 'Blind, sir; blind as a bat." 'In battle?" ' Yes, at Antietam. Both eyes shot out at one clip. 'Ah, that is dreadful," said I. 'Yes, tolerable;" said Joe, "but yer see it might ha' been worse a heap worse. I'm glad enough that I'm alive at all." " How did it happen ? " "Well, sir, yon see 1 was hit, and it knocked me plum down. I didn't mind it much. 1 lay there all night, and the next day the fight begun agin, hot and heavy. The cannon boomed and the old muskets rattled. I wanted to be with 'em I wanted a hand at that ar myself; "but yer see I couldn't on account of my eyes, that I hadn't got any more. I could stand the pain, yer see, but the balls was a flying all around, and I wanted to get away. I couldn't see nothin' though. So 1 waited, and listened; and at last I heard a feller groanin' beyond me." 41 Hello ! " says I. "Hello yourself" says he. "Who be yer?" says I "a rebel? " I am that," says he. " I reckon you're one of the bully "Vankees?" "So I am," says I. "What's the matter with you?" "My leg's smashed," says he. "C;in't yer walk?" " No." "Can yer see?" "Yes.'' "Well," says I, "you're a d d rebel, but will you do me a little favor?" " I will ef I can." Then I says: "Well, ole butternut, I can't see nothin'; my ,cyos is knocked out; but I ken walk. Come over here. Let's get out of this You pint the way, and I'll tote yer off the field on my back." " Bully for you ! " says he. "So we managed it together. We shook hands on it. I took a wink on ten his canteen, and he got onto my shoulders. I did the walkin' and he did the navigatin'. And ef he didn t make me carry him to his Colonel's tent, annile atray, I'm a liar. Hows' ever, the Colonel came up and says he: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 070 7O9R1I C001 INCIDENTS OF THE WAR, OR, THE ROMANCE AN 30112025369858