"O, we knows dat,' quickly responded another; we knows you's our friends. What we wants to know is, whether you's gwine to send us back.'

The soldier had stopped to rest by the way,
For the air was sultry with summer-heat;
The road was like ashes under the feet,
And a weary distance before him lay.

"Yes, a terrible fight; our ensign was shot
As the order to charge was given the men,
When one from the ranks seized our colors, and
then

He, too, fell dead on the self-same spot.
"A handsome boy was this last: his hair
Clustered in curls rund his noble brow;
With the scarlet stain on his face so fair."
I can almost fancy, see him nɔw,

"I answered that I had no authority over them, and no power to do anything, but that my opinion was 'it would be some time before their masters would see them again.' I said this in a low, conversational tone of voice, without noticing that all the volunteers were eagerly listening; but no sooner had the words fallen from my lips, than a hundred voices shouted, ‘Good! good!' and some in laughter and some in tears clapped their hands and gave three rousing cheers, which brought out the officers and General, who sup-What was his name?-have you never heard? posed I had been making a speech to the troops. "This little incident tells me more plainly than ever, that what I said last winter in the House is true, when I declared that the logic of events told me unmistakably that slavery

must die.'

Where was he from, this youth who fell?
And your regiment, stranger, which was it? tell !"
"Our regiment? It was the Twenty-third."
The color fled from the young girl's cheek,

Leaving it white as the face of the dead;
The mother lifted her eyes and said:
"Pity my daughter-in mercy speak!"

"If I had the time, and you the space, I would give in their own words the material portion of the answers of the most intelliger slaves. There"I never knew aught of this gallant youth," is one thing certain; every slave in the United States understands this rebellion, its causes and consequences, far better than ever I supposed. I asked one old man, who said he was a Methodist class-leader, to tell me frankly whether this matter was well understood by all the slaves, and he answered me that it was, and that he had prayed for it for many, many long years.'

"He said that their masters and all talked about it, and he added, 'Lor' bless you, honeywe don give it up last September dat de North's too much for us;' meaning, of course, that Mr. Lincoln's election was conceded even there by the slave masters, and was understood and hoped for by all the slaves. I asked the same man how many more would probably come into the fort. He said, 'A good many; and if we's not sent back, you'll see 'em 'fore to-morrow night.'

"I asked why so, and he said, 'Dey'll understan, if we's not sent back, dat we're 'mong our friends; for if de slaveholder sees us, we gets sent right back.' And sure enough, on Monday about forty or fifty more, of all ages, colors, and sexes, came into camp, and the guard was bound to arrest them."

CARTE DE VISITE.

"Twas a terrible fight," the soldier said;
"Our Colonel was one of the first to fall,
Shot dead on the field by a rifle-ball-
A braver heart than his never bled."

A group for the painter's art were they:

The soldier with scarred and sunburnt face,
A fair-haired girl, full of youth and grace,
And her aged mother, wrinkled and gray.
These three in porch, where the sunlight came
Through the tangled leaves of the jasmine-vine,
Spilling itself like a golden wine,
And flecking the doorway with rings of flame.

The soldier answered; "not even his name,
Or from what part of our State he came :
As God is above, I speak the truth!
"But when we buried our dead that night,
I took from his breast this picture - see!
It is as like him as like can be:
Hold it this way, towards the light."

One glance, and a look, half-sad, half-wild,

Passed over her face, which grew more pale, Then a passionate, hopeless, heart-broken wail, And the mother bent low o'er the prostrate child.

--

Capt.

EXPERIENCES OF CAPT. WILKINS. Wilkins, of Gen. Williams' staff, who was captured at the battle of Chancellorsville, gave the following account of his experience with the Confederates. At the time the Eleventh corps was routed he was despatched with important orders from his chief:

"On galloping to convey the orders referred to, Capt. Wilkins found that two regiments had already gained their positions. He communicated the orders to their Colonels, and passed on to convey them also to Gen. Kuger, commanding the Third brigade, who was considerably nearer the enemy. Soon after leaving the embankments he passed a double line of skirmishers, and saw, to his astonishment, that they wore gray coats. Up to this moment he had no idea the enemy were so near. It was now about eight o'clock in the evening, and owing to the darkness and the fact of his riding with such speed directly towards them, the skirmishers evidently mistook him for one of their own officers, and allowed him to pass. At this moment he saw the distinguishing flag of the First brigade of Williams' division (every brigade in the Army of the Potomac carries a distinguishing flag of bright colors) to the left, and still farther on. He rode towards it, expecting to deliver the orders to the commander

of the brigade. On reaching it he discovered the gunners fled, deserting their guns, and could that it had just been captured by a Georgia regiment, and was then in the possession of the enemy, by whom he was surrounded. He threw himself upon the neck of his horse, and endeavcred to escape by leaping the abatis; but he found that the rebels were on every side of him. His horse was shot under him, a blow from a musket dislocated his knee, and he was dragged to the ground in a nearly insensible condition.

not be made to man them. An officer, splendidly mounted and equipped, attempted in a most gallant manner to rally them. A ball struck him on the neck, completely severing his head from his body, and leaving his spinal column standing. His body rolled to the ground, and the horse galloped to the rear. One of the shells struck a caisson full of artillery ammunition, which, exploding, ascended in a crater of variously colored Hame, and showered down on the heads of the men below a mass of fragments of shot and shell

terrible, placing considerably over one thousand men hors du combat, and effectually breaking up he contemplated attack of the column.

An officer of Jackson's staff subsequently stated that it was about fifteen minutes after this that Gen. Jackson with staff advanced to the front to reconnoitre our position, having accomplished which he returned by a different path towards his own men, who, mistaking his approach for that of a party of our cavalry, fired upon him, killing and wounding four of his staff, and wounding Jackson once in the right arm and twice in the left arm and hand.

He was placed in charge of a guard, who took him a short distance to the rear and to the plank road, where he met Gen. Jackson and staff. Jack-The loss inflicted by this fire must have been son had at this time formed a column of attack on the plank road, with the design of flanking our army and obtaining possession of United States Ford. The column consisted of upwards of 15,000 men, massed in columns of sections, having three batteries of artillery on the flank. Jackson was sitting on his horse, at the head of the column, surrounded by his staff. He wore a new suit of gray uniform, and was a spare man, with a weather-beaten face, and a bright, grayishblue eye. He had a peculiarly sad and gloomy expression of countenance, as though he already saw a premonition of his fate. It was but fifteen minutes later that he was mortally wounded. As they came into his presence the guard announced, A captured Yankce officer.' Capt. Wilkins asked if it was Maj.-Gen. Thomas J. Jackson. On being answered in the affirmative, he raised his hat. Gen. Jackson said: A regular army officer, I suppose; your officers do not usually salute ours.' Capt. Wilkins replied: No, I am not; I salute you out of respect to you as a gallant officer.' He then asked his name and rank. On being told, he further inquired what corps and commanders were opposed in front. Capt. Wilkins replied that as an officer, he could not return a truthful answer to such questions. Jackson then turned to the guard and ordered them to search him. He then had in the breast-pocket of his coat Hooker's confidential orders to corps commanders, giving a plan in part of the campaign, the countersigns of the field for a week in advance, and the field returns, giving the effective strength of the Twelfth corps on the preceding day.

Fortunately, before the guard could carry the orders into execution, a terrific raking fire was opened on Jackson's column by twenty pieces of artillery, commanded by Capt. Best, from an eminence on the plank road. The first eight or ten shots flew over the heads of the column. The men and gunners dismounted, leaving their horses and guns. Our artillery soon got the range with more precision, and the shell and round shot ricocheted and ploughed through tl is dense mass of the enemy with terrific effect. Snells were continually bursting, and the screams and groans of the wounded and dying could be heard on every side. As an instance of the terrible effect of this fire, one of the guard was struck by a solid shot just below the hips, sweeping off both his legs. A battery came dashing up; but when they got into the vortex of the fire,

While Capt. Wilkins was being taken to the rear he devoted his attention to disposing of the important papers which he had on his person. He dared not take them from his pocket to attempt to tear them up, but cautiously placed his hand in his pocket, and worked the papers into a ball, and as they were passing along, got them into his bosom, and finally into his arm-pit under his arm, where he carried them all that night. The next morning the guard halted to get their breakfasts, and a soldier was trying to kindle a fire to cook some coffee which they had taken from our men. The wood was damp, and the fire refused to burn. The soldier swore at it until his patience gave out, when Capt. Wilkins asked him if he would not like some kindlings, and handed him the important papers. soldier took them, ard, not dreaming of their importance, used them to kindle the fire.”

TRUMPET SONG.

OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.

The

LIEUT. MCNEILL'S EXPLOIT.

smashed, and they were paroled to remain where they were until morning; were told that the town was surrounded, and it would be impossible for them to escape.

Entering town on the west side, they passed another picket on the right bank of the North Branch. By this picket they were not halted. Crossing Wil's Creek, (which flows through the town,) at the Iron Bridge, coolly and deliberately up Baltimore Street they ride, some whistling, some laughing and talking, as if they were Yankes, at home among friends.

To and fro, on the street, by the gas-light, are seen walking Yankee guards. 'He.loa, boys! whose command is that?" "Scouts from New Creek," is the response.

Presently here they are, between two and three o'clock in the morning, in front of the St. Nicho

After the sur-las Hotel, Kelley's headquarters. Down spring, prise and capture of New Creek, Va., by Gen. quietly and calmly, the men who, by previous arRosser, Maj.-Gen. Crook, of the Yankee army, rangement, are to visit Kelley's room. They enwas assigned to the command of the department ter the hall, and having procured a light, they in which that station is embraced. Maj.-Gen. enter the General's room. The General, aroused Kelley, who previously commanded the depart- by the knock, resting on one elbow, "You know ment, still remained in Cumberland, having his me, General, I suppose," says Joseph W. Kuyheadquarters at one of the hotels in the town. kendall, who had charge of this party. "I do," Gen. Crook established his headquarters in the said the General. "You are ," giving his same town, at the other principal hotel. As name. "General, you had me once; it is my soon as this state of affairs became known to honor to have you now. You are a prisoner.' Lieut. Jesse C. McNeill, upon whom has devolved" But," says the General, "whom am I surrenthe command of McNeil's Rangers since the death of his father, the lamented old Captain, he resolved to risk an attempt to surprise and bring off those two Generals.

Having posted himself thoroughly in regard to the situation of affairs in and around Cumberland, the night of Monday, 20th inst., he, with sixty trusty men, crossed Knobby Mountain to the North Branch of the Potomac. Reaching this stream, at a point below the first picket post that overlooked the selected route of ingress into Cumberland, he crossed, and in a few minutes the Yankees on duty were relieved. "Your countersign," demanded Lieut. McNeill, to a burly Dutchman, with such accompaniments as seemed to impress the fellow with the notion that to divulge it was a matter of self-preservation. "Bool's Kaah," (meaning "Bull's Gap,") was the quick response.

dering to?" "To me, sir," was the emphatic response. "No place or time for ceremony; so you will dress quickly." The order was obeyed.

While this was going on at the St. Nicholas, another scene was transpiring at the Revere House. Thither went promptly a portion of the men, as per arrangement, under Lieut. Welton. Reaching it they halt-five men, in charge of Joseph L. Vandiver, dismount, and "Halt!" is the greeting of the sentinel, standing in front of the entrance. "Friends, with countersign, bearing important despatches for Gen. Crook," is Vandiver's answer. "Advance, one," &c. In a moment, Vandiver had the sentinel's gun, and ordered him to stand aside under guard. The door is rapped at a voice from within asks, "Who is you? I don't know you." Open the door; I must see Gen. Crook." The door is opened, and there stands a small darkey. "Is Then on briskly down the county road towards Gen. Crook in?" "Yes, sir." Show me his town, near five miles distant, he moved. As the room." "I'm afeerd to; but I will, if you don't little band struck what is known as the old pike, tell on me." Crook's room is reached; a rap soon," Halt! who comes there?" rings out on the given. "Come in." In obedience to the invitaair. "Friends, with countersign," is the response. tion, a tall and stalwart form, with light in one 'Dismount, one, advance, and give the counter-hand, and pistol undisplayed in the other, stands sign," is the picket's next order to the Lieuten

ant.

66

66

erect, cool and deliberate, before the General. "Gen. Crook, I presume," says Vandiver. "I Having lately had his ankle crushed, the Lieu- am, sir." "I am Gen. Rosser, sir; you are in tenant was not in a condition to obey; and so my power; you have two minutes to dress in." urging his horse forward, he quickly heard from Then the General rubbed his eyes, as if he thought the astonished picket, "Don't shoot; I surren- he dreamed. "Come, General, there are your der." clothes; you can either put them on, or go as On they rushed, and the reserves were gath-you are.' The Genera. quiclily arose and dressed ered in. The first picket captured was cavalry, The prisoner and his captors make their exit the next infantry. The former were brought to thei vigilant comrades without. The Genalong; the latter were disarmed, their guns eral is made to moz. Lehind Vandiver. Off