here through space. Men are frequently killed y the wind of a cannon-shot. There is a law which causes the atmosphere to cling to the earth, or which presses upon it with a force, at he surface, of fifteen pounds to the square inch; loes the same law, or a modification, pertain to cannon-balls in flight? I do not remember of meeting with a discussion of the subject in any published work. It is certainly an interesting philosophic question." AN INCIDENT OF ROMNEY.- While the National forces were standing under the enemy's fire, on the day of the battle at Romney, Va., and the shot and shell were flying in every direction around us, a little incident occurred which is worthy of notice. Capt. Butterfield, of the Eighth Ohio regiment, (being one of the ranking Captains,) acted as Major upon that occasion, and was obliged to ride an old sorrel horse, which had been used as a team horse, and required both spurs and whip, which the Captain had provided himself with, the latter cut from a tree, and about five feet long. It was found that our small six-pound guns would not reach the enemy's battery, and Col. Mason ordered Capt. B. to bring forward a brass twelvepounder, which was in the rear. Off sped the old sorrel and his brave rider, and in a few moments up came the gun. Its position was assigned, and made ready for the match, but the Captain came dashing back in front of the gun, and the smell of powder, or something else, had made the old sorrel almost unmanageable, for in trying to wheel him from the front of the gun, the more the Captain applied the whip and spur, the more the old sorrel would not go. This kept the gunners in terrible suspense, for much depended on that shot. Finally, the Captain finding his efforts to move his steed fruitless, he sang out, at the top of his voice, "Never mind the old horse; blaze away;" and, sure enough, they did blaze away, and it proved a good shot, for it caused the rebels to limber up their battery, and take to their heels. At that moment, orders came to charge, and off dashed the old sorsel, frightened at the discharge of the gun, which had scorched his tail, and mingled in the charge. He was lost to view until he arrived in the town, where he was brought to a halt, and the Captain, standing in his stirrups. with his cap flying, cheered for the glorious victory that had been achieved. A DYING SOLDIER PRAYS FOR THE PRESIDENT. - Never, until we stood by the grave of the Green Mountain boy, did we realize how much stranger is truth than fiction. A private was court-martialed for sleeping on his post out near Chain Bridge, on the Upper Potomac. He was convicted; his sentence was death; the finding was approved of by the General, and the day fixed for his execution. He was a youth of more than ordinary intelligence; he did not beg for pardon, but was willing to meet his fate. 66 The time drew near; the stern necessity of war required that an example should be made of some one; his was an aggravated case. But the case reached the ears of the President; he resolved to save him; he signed a pardon and sent it out; the day came. Suppose," thought the President, "my pardon has not reached him." The telegraph was called into requisition; an answer did not come promptly. "Bring up my carriage," he ordered. It came; and soon the important state papers were dropped, and through the hot broiling sun and dusty roads he rode to the camp, about ten miles, and saw that the soldier was saved! He had, doubtless, forgotten the incident, but the soldier did not. When the Third Vermont charged upon the rifle-pits, the enemy poured a volley upon them. The first man who fell, with six bullets in his body, was William Scott, of Company K. His comrades caught him up, and as his life-blood ebbed away, he raised to heaven, amid the din of war, the cries of the dying, and the shouts of the enemy, a prayer for the President, and as he died he remarked to his comrade that he had shown he was no coward, and not afraid to die. He was interred, in the presence of his regiment, in a little grove, about two miles to the rear of the rebel fort, in the centre of a group of holly and vines; a few cherry trees, in full bloom, are scattered around the edge. In digging his grave a skull and bones were found, and metal buttons, showing that the identical spot had been used in the revolutionary war for our fathers who fell in the same cause. The chaplain narrated the circumstance to the boys, who stood around with uncovered heads. He prayed for the President, and paid the most glowing tribute to his noble heart that we ever heard. The tears started to their eyes as the clods of earth were thrown upon him in his narrow grave, where he lay shrouded in his coat and blanket. The men separated; in a few minutes all were engaged in something around the camp, as though nothing had happened unusual; but that scene will live upon their memories while life lasts; the calm look of Scott's face, the seeming look of satisfaction he felt, still lingered; and could the President have seen him, he would have felt that his act of mercy had been wisely bestowed. ADVENTURES OF Two HooSIER SOLDIERS. A couple of boys, of the Twenty-sixth Indiana regiment, Marshall Storey and William Waters, were sent with despatches to Independence, Mo., distant from Sedalia ninety miles. They were dressed as citizens, without arms or papers that would detect them if captured or examined. The despatches were snugly secreted in their hats and boots. Their route was directly through the country infested by the bands of jayhawkers under the famous guerrilla chief Quantrell. The boys made their way without molestation, until within about twenty miles of Independence, when, passing through the brush, they were halted by five shot-gun armed rebels, who ordered them off their horses and demanded their business. The boys said they were hunting for a horse which had been stolen by some home-guards, and, as they had learned, taken through that part of the country. They protested that they were secesh of the right stripe, and lived six miles north of Booneville. They were, however, searched. Finding nothing but a few fishing-hooks, which Marsh had in his vest-pocket, and which the rebels appropriated, they were allowed to go on their way. The boys, thinking all safe now, pushed on; but in crossing a neck of woods about five miles farther on, they were again called to a halt by a band of seven men, armed in the regular jayhawking style, who were some fifty yards from them. Marsh, whose wit is ready on all occasions, whispered to his companion that he would "play crazy." Waters should be his brother, taking him home from St. Louis. Marsh has a peculiar way of drawing one eye down, which makes him look rather comical. This, with the slobber running down his dusty whiskers, and his long hair hanging over his forehead, enabled him to play the game successfully. As soon as they came near, he jumped off his horse and ran towards them, and Waters yelled out: "Don't mind him; he's crazy; he don't know what he's doing." Marsh looked very foolishly at their clothes, guns, horses, &c. He became particularly fond of a pretty black pony, which he concluded he must have instead of the poor old horse he had been riding, and even got on the pony and started off. This tickled all the rebels except the owner of the pony, who caught him and jerked him off. Marsh, to carry on the joke, gathered a stick of wood and made fight. This caused the others to yell with laughter. Waters came to his rescue, and told them not to provoke him, as it made him worse. In the mean time, Waters had been searched from head to foot, but with no better success than rewarded the first hand. Waters tried to get Marsh on his horse; but no, he must have the pony, which he almost fought for. Finally, one of the band came forward and assisted Waters. Marsh very reluctantly left pony and rebels. As soon as they were out of sight, they put spurs to their nags, and reached Independence, after a ride, including the two stops, of four hours. shut up the shop. The father remonstrated, but the boy would enlist, and enlist he did. Now the old gentleman had two more sons, who worked the farm" near Flushing, Long Island. The military fever seems to have run in the family; for no sooner had the father and two older brothers enlisted, than the younger sons came in for a like purpose. The paterfamilias was a man of few words, but he said that he "wouldn't stand this anyhow." The blacksmith business might go to some other place, but the farm must be looked after. So the boys were sent home. Presently one of them reappeared. They had concluded that one could manage the farm, and had tossed up who should go with the Fourteenth, and he had won the chance. -- This arrangement was finally agreed to. But on the day of departure the last boy of the family was on hand to join, and on foot for marching. The old man was somewhat puzzled to know what arrangement could have been made which would allow all of the family to go: but the explanation of the boy solved the dif ficulty. "Father," said he, with a confidential chuckle in the old man's ear, "I've let the farm on shares!" The whole family, father and four sons, went with the Fourteenth regiment. INCIDENTS IN THE BATTLE OF WILDcat. - The hill upon which it took place is a round, lofty elevation, a third of a mile from our camp, surrounded by deeply-wooded ravines, and cleared for the space of about two acres on top. To take and hold this, Col. Coburn, with half his regiment, dashed off through the bushes in a trot from the camp, like boys starting out on a turkey hunt. In ten minutes they could be seen on the high summit taking places. Very shortly they were fired on; the fact is, it was a scramble between Coburn's men and Zollicoffer's which should A PATRIOTIC BLACKSMITH.- Before the de- get on the hill first, approaching from opposite diparture of the 14th New York regiment for the rections. When the firing had fairly commenced, war, a man, who carried on a blacksmith shop in at intervals in the roar could be heard, in the connection with two of his sons, went to the head-camp, the shrill, wild voices of Coburn, and Durquarters, and concluded to enlist. He said that ham, his adjutant, crying out, "Give them hell, he could leave the blacksmith business in the boys!" "Dose them with cold lead!" Shoot the hands of the boys. He couldn't stand it any hounds!" "Load up, load up, for God's sake!" longer, and go he must. He was enlisted. "Give it to old Gollywhopper!" Then the boys, Next day down comes the oldest of the boys. I would cheer and yell till the glens re-echoed. The blacksmith's business "wasn't very drivin', Capt. Dille, during the fight, in rushing around and he guessed John could take care of it." and helping on the cause, ran astride a brier "Well," said the old man, "go it." And the bush, the nethermost part of his unmentionables oldest son went it. But the following day John was torn, and a flag of white cotton was seen made his appearance. He felt lonesome, and had flaunting in the air. One of the boys said, "Cap letters, a diary, &c., giving details up to the hour of battle. The utmost confidence in victory was expressed. tain, it can't be said of you that you never turned tail on the enemy." By the way, the Captain is a heroic fellow, and did, as the boys say, a big job of fighting." He has a queer old fellow in Since the battle, some of our boys were out his company named John Memherter, a crack looking at a grave of one of the secesh; he had marksman, with a big goggle, rolling eye. John not been well buried, and one hand stuck out. would take his tree, fire, and then move on a lit-"He's reaching for his land warrant," says one. tle. At one time he was peeping over a stump When Col. Coburn and Capt. Dille were rallytaking aim, when a ball struck the stump a few ing the flying Kentuckians, the former found a inches from the top at the opposite side, which crowd sheltered behind one stump: he cried out, knocked bark and splinters in his eyes. "Bully" Pile out, pile out, boys; it don't take sevenfor Jake!" says John. This is now a cant phrase teen men to guard a black stump." It was elecin the camp. "Bully for Jake" can be heard at tric; they after this fought like men. all hours. When Major Ward, of the Seventeenth Ohio, came over the hill with a part of the regiment, Col. Coburn took him down the hillside in front of the Kentuckians in a somewhat exposed place. Some one asked the Colonel why he put him there. "Well,” said he, “I eyed him, and he looked like an old bull-dog; so I put him down where he could wool the hounds." The Major, you know, never before had a compliment paid to his homely, sturdy face, being rather hard-favored. Next day some of the boys got the joke on him by telling him they had heard his beauty complimented. He asked for the compliment, got it, and dryly remarked, "that it was rather an equivocal recommendation of his pretty face." 66 66 Cos THE IRISH WIT ALWAYS READY. It is now known that the surrender of Lexington was rendered a necessity by the want of ammunition, as well as by the want of water. A few of the companies had one or two rounds left, but the majority had fired their last bullet. After the surrender, an officer was detailed by Price to collect the ammunition, and place it in safe charge. The officer, addressing Adjutant Cosgrove, asked him to have the ammunition surrendered. grove called up a dozen men, one after the other, and exhibiting the empty cartridge-boxes, said to the astonished rebel officer, "I believe, sir, we gave you all the ammunition we had before we had stopped fighting. Had there been any more, upon my word, you should have had it, sir. But I will inquire, and if by accident there is a cartridge left, I will let you know." The rebel officer turned away, reflecting upon the glorious victory of having captured men who had fired their last shot. The lat Almost every officer fought gun in hand, except Cols. Coburn and Woodford, who were armed with navies. Capt. Hauser, Adj. Durham, Capt. Dille, Lieuts. Maze and Scott, more than the men themselves, blazed away at the rebels. What could not men do with such examples set them. When part of the Kentucky boys Hed, Capt. Alexander screamed out to the men, An Irishman, from Battle Creek, Michigan, was Boys, if you are such damned cowards as to at Bull Run battle, and was somewhat startled run, I'll stay and die." Instantly a boy scarce when the head of his companion on the left hand sixteen years old turned back, ran up to the Cap-was knocked off by a cannon-ball. A few motain's side, saying, “ Yes, Cap, and I'll stay and ments after, however, a spent ball broke the findie with you." He did stay, and others followed gers of his comrade on the other side. his example. In the afternoon, when the fighting ter threw down his gun and yelled with pain, had ceased, General Schoepff came over to the when the Irishman rushed to him, exclaiming, hill, and taking Cols. Coburn and Woodford by" Blasht your soul, you ould woman, shtop cryin'; the hand in the presence of the boys, thanked you make more noise about it than the man that them for saving the hill, for it saved Camp Wild- osht his head!" cat, and prevented a retreat of our whole force to the other side of the river. Just then a shower of balls whizzed around, and one knocking the dirt in his eyes, the General quietly rubbed it out, and looked around as unconcerned as if at dress parade. He is a noble-looking man, a Hungarian patriot, one of Gen. Bem's officers, who spent three years in Turkey with him drilling their army. A WIFE ON THE BATTLE-FIELD. - The following extract from a letter, dated at Corinth, on the 6th of October, 1862, vividly portrays the fearful emotions and anxious thoughts which torture the mind of an observer during the progress of battle, and narrates but one of the many harrowing scenes of war: "O, my friend! how can I tell you of the tortures that have nearly crazed me, for the last three days? Pen is powerless to trace, words weak to convey one tithe of the misery I have endured. I thought myself strong before. I have seen so much of suffering that I thought my nerves had grown steady, and I could bear anything; but to-day I am weak and trembling, like a frightened child. Just before the enemy made their charges, there could be seen two regiments in a neighboring field. One of the boys said to Col. Coburn, "We'll have to retreat." Another sturdy little fellow stepped up and swore he was not of the running kind, and he'd stay and fight anyhow. He got three cheers; so the boys concluded to stay, and did stay about there all that day and night. Such pluck makes one man equal to four. The "But do not wonder at it. My dear husband boys captured an orderly sergeant's book, lovelies besides me, wounded unto death, perhaps. I have lost all hope of saving him, though I thank all night. O, think how awful to stumble over the dead, and hear the cries of the wounded and dying, alone, and in the night-time. I had to start off alone, else they would not have let me go. God for the privilege of being this moment beside him. And, besides this, all around me the sufferers lie moaning in agony. There has been little time to tend them, poor fellows. True, the surgeons are busy all the time, but all the wounded have not yet been brought in, and it seems as if the time will never come when our brave men shall have been made comfortable as circumstances may permit. It is awful to look around me. I can see every imaginable form of suffering, and yet am helpless to aid them any of consequence. "Since night before last I have not left my husband's side for a moment, except to get such things as I required, or to hand some poor fellow a cup of water. Even as I write, my heart throbs achingly to hear the deep groans and sharp cries about me. F- is sleeping, but I dare not close my eyes, lest he should die while I sleep. And it is to keep awake, and in a manner relieve my overburdened heart, that I am now writing you under such sad circumstances. "On the morning of the third instant the fight began. The attack was made on Gen. McArthur's division, and we could plainly hear the roar of the artillery here, as it is about two miles and a half distant only from this place. O, the fearful agony of that awful, awful day! I had seen F a moment early in the morning, but it was only a moment, when he bade me goodby, saying, hurriedly, as he tore himself away: Pray for me, my wife, and if I fall, God protect you!' There was something in his look and tone which struck a chill to my heart, and every moment after I knew the fight had begun, I felt as if he had indeed fallen. I cannot tell how long it was before I heard that Oglesby's brigade was engaged, but it seemed an age to After that my agony was nearly intolerable. I never had a thought of fear for myself; I was thinking only of F. Then I got the word that he had been hotly pursued by the rebels, and had fallen back. me. "Late in the afternoon I succeeded in gaining a little intelligible information. Poor Gen. Hackleman was shot through the neck, while giving a command, and fell mortally wounded. He died between ten and eleven o'clock the same night, I have since learned. Up to the time of receiving the wound he had acted with the greatest bravery and enthusiasm, tempered by a coolness that made every action effective. When dusk at last put an end to the first day's conflict, I learned that Gen. Oglesby had been dangerously wounded, but could gain no intelligence of my husband. I could not bear the suspense. Dark as it was, and hopeless as it seemed to search for him then, I started out to the battlefield. "O, how shall I describe the search of that night? It looked like madness. It was madness. But all night long I staggered amongst bleeding corpses, over dead horses, trampled limbs, shattered artillery-everything that goes to make up the horrors of a battle-field when the conflict is over. They were removing the wounded "As you may suppose, I could not find him, either amongst the living or the dead. But the next morning, just after sunrise, I came to a little clump of timbers, where a horse had fallen his head shot off, and his body half covering a man whom I supposed dead. His face was to the ground; but, as I stooped to look closer, I perceived a slight movement of the body, then heard a faint moan. I stooped and turned the face upward. The head and face were both covered with blood, but when I turned it to the light, I knew it in spite of its disfiguration. O God! the agony of that moment sickened me almost to suffocation. With a strength I thought impossible in me, I drew him, crushed and bleeding, from beneath the carcass of our poor old horse, whom we had both so loved and petted, and dipping my handkerchief in a little pool of water amongst the bushes, bathed his face, and pressed some moisture between his parched, swollen lips. He was utterly senseless, and there was a dreadful wound in his head. Both limbs were crushed hopelessly beneath his horse. He was utterly beyond the reach of human skill to save, but as soon as possible I had him conveyed to the hospital. I have nursed him ever sincehopelessly, and with a heart breaking with grief. O, how many wives, how many mothers, are to-day mourning the dead and dying, even as I mourn my dying! He has not opened his eyes to look at me, or spoken to me, since he fell. O, could he but speak to me once before he dies, I should give him up with more resignation. But to die thus without a look or word! O, my heart is breaking!” THE GUERRILLAS. BY S. TEAKLE WALLIS. AWAKE and to horse, my brothers! For the dawn is glimmering gray, And hark! in the crackling brushwood There are feet that tread this way. "Who cometh?" "A friend." "What tidings?" "O God! I sicken to tell; For the earth seems earth no longer, And its sights are sights of hell! "From the far-off conquered cities And the shrieks and moans of the houseless "I've seen from the smoking village Our mothers and daughters fly; I've seen where the little children Sank down in the furrows to die. "On the banks of the battle-stained river "Where my home was glad are ashes, And horrors and shame had been there, For I found on the fallen lintel This tress of my wife's torn hair! "They are turning the slaves upon us, And with more than the fiend's worst art Have uncovered the fire of the savage That slept in his untaught heart! "The ties to our hearths that bound him, "With halter, and torch, and Bible, And hymns to the sound of the drum, They preach the gospel of murder, And pray for lust's kingdom to come. "To saddle! to saddle! my brothers! Look up to the rising sun, And ask of the God who shines there Whether deeds like these shall be done. "Wherever the Vandal cometh Press home to his heart with your steel, And when at his bosom you cannot, Like the serpent, go strike at his heel. "Through thicket and wood go hunt him, Creep up to his camp-fire side, And let ten of his corpses blacken, Where one of our brothers hath died. In his fainting foot-sore marches, "In God's hand alone is vengeance, "By the graves where our fathers slumber, "That he will not sheath nor stay it, They swore and the answering sunlight And by Schuylkill's banks a knell, And the widows there, and the orphans, How the oath was kept can tell. THE SPIRIT OF '76.- While the Senate of Maryland were in session in the State House, at Annapolis, a number of soldiers entered the anteroom, and inquired if the Senate Chamber was not the place where Gen. Washington once stood. An employee of the House answered that it was, and showed one of them, as near as he could, the spot where Washington stood when he resigned his commission. The young man reverently approached the spot, and standing for several minutes apparently fixed to the place, hastily turned and left the chamber, exclaiming, that he could stand it no longer, for he "felt his Fourth of July rising too fast." THE CRUISE OF THE ALABAMA. NARRATED BY HER OFFICERS. - IT was the 13th of August, 1862, that we left Liverpool in the chartered steamer Bahama, to the Western Isles, where we were to meet the Alabama, which had gone out before us to receive her armament, officers, and crew, for service. Our party consisted chiefly of the former officers of the Sumter - - the gallant little vessel which created so much terror amongst the Yankee bottoms on the American coast, and although pursued by all the Federal fleet, crossed the Atlantic in winter with safety, and found a harbor refuge under the guns of Gibraltar. There, however, she was blockaded, and was sold on account of the Confederate States Government. She was re-purchased privately, and her hull was taken over to England, where she was to be refitted, and is now, no doubt, afloat again under another name, but still bearing proudly the Southern flag. Her officers followed their captain, ready to obey his orders, for all admired him as a skilful seaman, a good tactician, an excellent diplomatist, and a brave man. They spent a short time in England, when the Alabama, or 290, as she was then named, was purchased, and Capt. Semmes at once prepared to take command of her, under commission from President Davis, with the object of doing as much damage as possible to the enemy's commerce on the sea. -one At Porta Praya, in the Island of Terceira, (Azores,) we found our ship taking in guns, ammunition, &c., which had been brought to this place by chartered vessels. The Alabama pleased us all. She is a fine ship of 1040 tons; the length of keel, 210 feet; breadth of beam, 32 feet; depth of hold, 17 feet 3 inches; has two engines combined of 300 horse power, and three furnaces, each below the water line; the diameter of her propeller is 14 feet, with two blades 3 feet in width and 21 feet pitch; and is capable of running 14 knots. She mounts eight gunsrifled 7-inch Blakeley's patent, and one 8-inch shell or solid-shot gun, (pivots,) and six 32pounders of forty-two hundred weight, (broadsides.) Her motto is: Aide toi et Dieu t'aidera. The officers numbered twenty, and the crew at this time only eighty- and the terms which the latter insisted upon on engaging called forth the remark from Capt. Semmes, that the modern sailor has greatly changed in character; for he now stickles for pay like a sharper, and seems to have lost his former love of adventure and recklessness. The ordinary seamen get as much as £4 10 per month; petty officers, £5 to £6; firemen, £7. All the |