in the engine-room; the contents of trunks were. wildly scattered over the decks; the white waves danced with ambrotypes, souvenirs, and the torn fragments of the large package of letters, missives of friendship, records of affection, which had been entrusted to me, and which I at last unwillingly gave to the sea. Here, at last, close alongside of us, in the bright day, was the black, guilty thing, while from her sides were pushing out boats, with welldressed crews in lustrous uniforms, and officers in the picturesqueness of gold and blue a brave sight for grimy confederates! The Greyhound was no sooner boarded, than an ensign, who had his hair parted in the middle, and. his hands encase in lavender-colored kids, came up to me and asked me with a very joyous air how many bales of cotton were on board the vessel. I after-! wards understood that, from my disconsolate looks, he had taken me to be the owner of the cotton, and was probably desirous, by his amiable question, to give a sly pinch to my misery. THE DEATH OF GENERAL STEVENS. - 'The army was retreating from Centreville. 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. Gen. Stevens' division, the advance of Reno's corps, was on the left of the road taken by the trains, and intercepted the enemy. He saw th the rebels must be beaten back at once, or during the night they would stampede the wagons, 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. Having made his dispositions, he led the attack on foot at the head the Eighty-eighth (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!" The answer was, " Give me the colors! If they don't follow now, they never will;" and he sprang forward, crying, "We are all Highlanders; follow, Highlanders: forward, my Highlanders!" The Highlanders did follow their Scottish chief, but while sweeping forward a ball struck him on his right temple. He died instantly. An hour af terwards, when taken up, his hands were still clinched around the flag-staff. A moment after seizing the colors, his son, Captain Hazzard Stevens, fell wounded, and cried to his father that he was hurt. With but a glance back, that Roman father said: "I cannot attend to you now, Hazzard. Corporal Thompson, see to my boy." ANECDOTE OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. — Judge Baldwin, of California, an old and highly respectable and sedate gentleman, called on General Halleck, and, presuming upon a familiar acquain tance in California a few years since, solicited a pass outside of the lines to see a brother in Vir ginia, not thinking that he would meet with a refusal, as both his brother and himself were good Union men. "We have been deceived too often," their men had been tortured and then murdered said General Halleck, "and I regret I can't grant a few days before, and these boys declared that it." Judge B. then went to Stanton, and was very their rule of action was death to all traitors, and briefly disposed of with the same result. Finally to take no prisoners. 66 he obtained an interview with Mr. Lincoln, and | In a few hours with really wonderful speedstated his case. Have you applied to General the break was repaired, and we went slowly on Halleck?" inquired the President." And met with our way. These rapid repairs have caused the a flat refusal," said Judge B. Then you must Georgians to invent a new military maxim: "The ce Stanton," continued the President. "I have, Yankees carry their railroads with thein.” and with the same result," was the reply. Well, then," said the President with a smile of good humor, "I can do nothing, for you must know that I have very little influence with this Administration' -- SHERMAN'S LOVE OF MUSIC.- A correspondent with Sherman's army recorded this incident. Memorable the music that mocked the moon of November of the soil of Georgia; sometimes a triumphant march, sometimes a glorious waltz, again an old air stirring the heart alike to recollection and to hope. Floating out from throats of brass to the ears of soldiers in their blankets and generals within their tents, these tunes hallowed the eves to all who listened. On these ar-tops one often hears tales of deeds of heroism by privates that somehow seldom get into print. On my last trip down, I was speaking to an officer about the hospitals. A soldier who sat next to me said he had been a steward in one of them several months. I asked him if the soldiers, when they were sick, persisted in the continuous swearing which characterizes the army. "No, sir," he said, "they are like little children then; they return to their father's house.' I saw that I had come in contact with a man worth talking to, and had a long conversation with him. Only a few scraps of it can be given now: 66 Oh," he said, they are so grateful for the Sitting before his tent in the glow of a camp smallest favors! I have heard them say so softly, tire one evening, General Sherman let his cigar thank you, sir,' for every little thing I did for o out to listen to an air that a distant band was them, that I was almost ashamed. I thought I had playing. The musicians ceased at last. The gen-seen brave men in battle, but I never knew what oral turned to one of his officers: "Send an orderly to ask that band to play that tune again." bravery was till I went to the hospital. They often told me to fix them out." . 66 What is that?" A little while, and the band received the word. Well, they would see that the doctor gave The tune was The Blue Juniata," with exquisite them up, and they would ask me about it. I variations. The band played it again, even more would tell them the truth. I told one man that, Iautifully than before. Again it ceased, and and he asked how long? I said, not over twenty then, off to the right, nearly a quarter of a mile minutes. He did not show any fear they never away, the voices of some soldiers took it up with do. He put up his hand so, and closed his eyes words. The band, and still another band, played with his own fingers, and then stretched himself a low accompaniment. Camp after camp began out, and crossed his arms over his breast. Now, singing; the music of The Blue Juniata" be- fix me,' he said. I pinned the toes of his stockrame, for a few minutes, the oratorio of half an ings together; that was the way we laid corpses out; and he died in a few minutes. His face looked as pleasant as if he was asleep and smiling. Many's the time the boys have fixed themselves that way before they died." army. last AN INCIDENT BY THE WAY. - On my trip toward Huntsville we found the track torn up, and the cross-ties still burning. Nearly half a mile was destroyed for the iron had been heated till it was bent and useless. Guerrillas were seen at a distance. Pickets were thrown out, and the negroes and white laborers went to work. As it was getting dark, the fences were soon made into huge fires to enable the workmen to see. Suddenly a butternut "laborer came running along the line. The rebels! The rebels!" How many?" asked the captain. Oh! the world is full of them!" he shouted, without stopping a second. "The situation" had quite a serious aspect, a small party of us, enclosed by woods, with thick undergrowth, great fires to show our position, and no knowledge of the whereabouts of Granger's command. But the rebels" proved to be our own men an Indiana cavalry regiment that was hunting a mounted gang of guerrillas. One of transpired here on Wednesday last, in reference AN INCIDENT OF BRISTOE.-A correspondent to a soldier of the Tenth N. Hampshire who had of a southern paper writing from Cook's brigade been condemned to be shot en charge of desertion. of the Confederate Army, relates the following The facts were briefly these. The soldier, a young incident:-"I will now give you an incident man of 24 years of age, was a native of Virginia. in the battle at Bristoe, which I can assure you With other young men who had loved the old is strictly true, as the oflicer who saw it, and told flag, he had been conscripted and forced into the me about it, is a man of undoubted veracity. rebel army. During the siege of Washington, There was a man of Company A. Twenty-seventh N. C., a year since, he served in the Eighteenth North Carolina troops, named George P. Piner, Virginia one of the regiments that attempted to who went into the fight, with a small Testament take that town. When, however, the rebel ariny in his breast pocket. A bali struck the book, and withdrew without accomplishing its object, he with penetrated as far as the fifth chapter of Matsix other Virginians, and three East Tennesseans, thew, twenty-first and twenty-second verses. deserted and came into our lines. I remember them It merely blackened that passage, glanced off, distinctly and had a number of conversations with and left the man uninjured. The verses read: them while they were kept under guard. They "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old all took the oath of allegiance at length, and en- time, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall listed in the Union service, except the one named kill, shall be in danger of the judgment, and above. He desired to go north and was permit- whosoever is angry with his brother without ted to do so. When the last calls for troops were cause shall be in danger of judgment." The made he found himself at Portsmouth, N. H., and man said, that Yankee ball was like the devil,was finally induced, by the large bounty and love it had to turn its course when met by scriptural of military life, to enlist in the Tenth regiment of opposition. that state. The regiment came out here and was stationed some eight or ten miles from this city. He desired, it seems, to visit the city, and frequently applied to his captain for a pass, but was as frequently refused. In an evil hour, he resolved to get a suit of citizen's clothes and come to the city without a pass. A man living on the borders of the camp furnished him the suit, and thus attired he started for the city. He had only just come into the road when he met his Lt. Col. and Captain, and was challenged, disarmed, arrested and finally tried by court martial for desertion and condemned to be shot. He was absent from camp ouly six hours all told, and affirmed to the last that he never dreamed of deserting. His sentence was read to him on Tuesday, and on Wednesday at 12 o'clock, he was to be shot. He was overwhelmed with amazement and fear, not having once conceived so fatal an issue to his case. From that time till he was led out of his prison to be executed, one or more chaplains were with him a large part of the time, to offer him the spiritual counsel and comfort that he needed. He, in the end, became calm, and looked on death with composure, forgave all who had sought his life, and left messages for his friends. There was a man also of the same company and regiment, named J. H. Parker, who discovered a Yankee sharp-shooter behind an old chimney. He ran up to him, and bayoneted the Yankee through the body, killing him instantly. Parker was killed himself shortly afterwards. TEAMSTERS' CONUNDRUMS. Army teamsters are proverbial for the scientific volubility with which they swear. A teamster with the Cumberland army, not long ago got stuck in the mud and he let fly a stream of profane epithets that would have astonished "our army in Flanders," even. A chaplain passing at the time was greatly shocked. My friend," said he to the teamster, “do you know who died for sinners?" "D-n your conundrums. Don't you see I'm stuck in the mud?" How To CLEAN A WELL.· A gentleman in Atlanta, Georgia, whom we will call Mack, had a well pretty much filled up with rubbish and trash of different kinds, which he wanted cleaned out. He spoke to a freedman about the job, and In the mean time efforts were made to obtain in a very confidential way intimated that there his reprieve, but up to nine o'clock on Wednes- was a treasure hid in that well he was anxious day morning, nothing had been effected, and the to exhume. He imposed profound secrecy prisoner was taken from his cell, and started for upon his sable help, and sent him off in search the field, where his coflin and grave, and troops of another one of his hue who could be trusted. drawn up in hollow around them, awaited his The upshot of the matter was that about one coming. But on the way the hoped-for reprieve, hundred negroes soon knew that an iron safe befor seven days, overtook him. The train was longing to the express company, and which con stopped and the commander of the escort read tained almost an invaluable amount of gold, had him the unexpected paper. In a moment he been precipitated into this well when the city was turned deadly pale, and then threw his arms evacuated. The affair was speedily brought to around the neck of the guard, who sat in front of the ears of the Provost Marshal and Mack on him, and wept aloud. It was a scene I never going to see about his well one morning, found shall forget. Strong men wept like children, in it guarded by a strong provost guard, who forbade the great joy that had well-nigh killed the pris any one coming on the premises. Mack protested against any such proceeding, and persisted oner. |