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"And blessed be our country-our flag of the free! Though dimmed be thy light, thou art sacred to me; Soon, soon may'st thou cast off thy fetters, and rise, As the sun scatters clouds in his course through the skies."

The sentinel's pacing his dull, weary round;
His soul now is free, though his body be bound;
But hark! through the darkness some sound strikes
his ear;

He stops, as some object doth dimly appear.

Halt!" cries he; "who comes?" speaks the sentinel now;

"A friend with the countersign," 's answered him low;

"Advance with the countersign!"-now it is given His home is now earth, but before it was heaven.

The bright dream has vanished-his home's far away; The night-breeze is speaking that round him doth play;

It tells of a country that's dearer than life,

And his arm feels the stronger for freedom's own strife.

It tells of a foe that would pluck the bright stars
From a flag so triumphant in peace or in wars;
That would make it a by-word-an object of shame,
And he says, "I will die for its glory and fame."

And blessed is a country with stout hearts like these;
The tramp of her army is swelling the breeze;
They rush to her rescue-their lives freely give-
'Twere better to die, than in bondage to live.

God bless thee, O Sentinel, pacing thy round! Safe may'st thou return with the victor's wreath bound;

When the dark clouds of war shall have passed from the skies,

And rebellion is hurled down-never to rise.

-Boston Advertiser, Dec. 11.

ON the 9th of December, the Confederate States Court at Richmond, Va., decided in the case of Elken & Bros., of Mobile, that no change of citizenship after the commencement of hostilities can protect the property of an alien enemy from sequestration.Buffalo Courier, Dec. 19.

GENERAL HEINTZELMAN has a peculiar way of dealing with slave-owners who come into his camp in search of fugitives. He not only refuses to let the slaves return with their masters, but he will not allow the masters to return to their homes.-Idem, Dec. 20.

A PAIR of stockings, sent by the ladies' committee for the use of some gallant volunteer, was accompanied by the following verse:

Brave sentry, on your lonely beat,

May these blue stockings warm your feet;
And when from war and camps you part,
May some fair knitter warm your heart.

THERE is a petticoat at Washington, taken from a she secesh, that weighs fifty pounds. The garment is apparently a quilted one, but instead of the usual filling, it is thickly wadded with the finest quality of sewing silk of assorted colors, the skeins being care

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MRS. DOUGLAS.-Very few people indeed have been placed in a more trying position and sacrificed more for the sake of the Union than has Mrs. Douglas. She has persistently refused to entertain the proposition forwarded to her by a special messenger under a flag of truce from the Governor of North Carolina, asking that the two sons of the late Senator Douglas be sent South to save their extensive estates in Mississippi from confiscation. If she refused, a large property would be taken from the children, and, in her present reduced circumstances, they may thereby eventually be placed in straitened circumstances. Here, then, was an appeal made directly to her tender regard for them, which, if she should refuse, would work disastrously against them in after years. But her answer was worthy of herself and of her late distinguished husband. If the rebels wish to make war upon defenceless children, and take away the all of little orphan boys, it must be so; but she could not for an instant think of surrendering them to the enemies of their country and of their father. His last words were, "Tell them to obey the Constitution and the laws of the country," and Mrs. Douglas will not make herself the instrument of disobeying his dying injunction. The children, she says, belong to Illinois, and must remain in the North. Illinois and the North, we take it, will see to it that they are not sufferers by the devotedness and patriotism of their mother.-Louisville Journal, Dec. 20.

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 Cos grove, asked him to have the ammunition surren dered. Cosgrove 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.

Bull Run battle, and was somewhat startled when the An Irishman from Battle Creek, Michigan, was at head of his companion on the left hand was knocked off by a cannon-ball. A few moments after, however, a spent ball broke the fingers of his comrade on the other side. The latter threw down his gun and yelled with pain, when the Irishman rushed to him, exclaiming, "Blasht your soul, you owld woman, shtop cryin'; you make more noise about it than the man that losht his head !"—Chicago Post.

A CONNECTICUT soldier writes home that the commissary at Annapolis has given the boys so much

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thereat.

“And lo, behold, because of the sin of the South, her mighty men shall be as babes, her gates shall be destroyed utterly, saith the Lord; yea, utterly destroyed shall be her gates, and her rice fields shall be

wasted, and her slaves set free.

"And behold, great ships from the North shall devour her pride, and a storm from the West shall lay waste her habitations. Yea, saith the Lord, and her

dominion will be broken.” *

Now if that Divine can find Chapter IV., or any such prophecy as the above in Haggai, his Bible must be a new edition. It will not do for these eminent

Divines to know so much.

-Louisville Journal, Dec. 12.

TRUTH.

PRECAUTIONS ON THE SOUTHERN COAST.-The following letter, explaining the necessity for keeping the Parish Guards in South Carolina at home, was found in the rebel camp at Port Royal :

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, HEAD-
QUARTERS, May 24, 1861.

sacrifices for her country's honor and welfare, yet is her ear ever opened to the call of distress, and her heart quick to bleed at the aspect of suffering humanity. These remarks have been called forth by facts just presented us in regard to the last hours of our young friend Mr. A. C. Lane, member of the Thirty-eighth regiment Indiana Volunteers, whose death we announced as having taken place in LouisLockport. Mr. Lane was taken very sick with maville, Ky., last week, and whose parents reside in lignant fever, and was sent immediately to the hospi tal in Louisville, where he would have remained and died, perhaps, without the knowledge of his friends, had it not been for an angel of mercy, in the person of visiting the hospital to administer to the wants of of a young lady. This young lady was in the habit the sick soldiers. The condition of young Lane attracted her attention, and she ordered him removed to her own father's house, where the most assiduous the hour of his death. We wish we could write the care and the kindest attention were paid him until name of this young lady. She was the daughter of loyal parents, whose hearts beat for the Union and humanity. Such touching incidents as these must serve to strengthen the cords of tenderness and sympathy which bind the Northern patriot's heart to those loyal spirits in the South who are still true to the Stars and Stripes.-Lockport (N. Y.) Journal.

CONTRABAND RECRUITS.

"Tis argued that "slaves," if made speedily free,
And provided with proper equipments, might be

Put to use, in the soldier's vocation!
And, egad! if you'll make them all serve, I propose
That they march to the field, armed with shovels and

hoes,

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As an army of occupation!"

THE SPIRIT OF '76.-While the Senate of Maryland were in session in the State House at Annapolis, a number of soldiers entered the ante-room 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, exclaim

TO CAPT. STEPHEN ELLIOTT, JR.-DEAR SIR: In reply to yours of the 17th to the Governor, I am directed to say that the reason why the Sea Coast and Parish companies have not been called into service here, has been because it was distinctly understood to be the desire of the Parishes that their companies should remain to guard and protect their coast, and to keep up a strict police where the negroes were so numerous; for this purpose sabres were given to them-the cavalry-and not given to the up-countrying companies. Your local companies were required for immediate protection. The Governor begs me to assure you most positively and distinctly, that that was the only reason the Parish companies were not called into service here, and as a matter of course you will at once see the justice of the reasons. The Governor would have most readily called upon you, had this not been the case. Respectfully yours, F. J. MOSES, JR., Aide-de-Camp and Private Secretary.

AN ANGEL OF MERCY.-Amid the desolation and sadness of war, there is a beautiful angel of mercy which spreads her healing wings above the most deso

late scene.

Before this angel, the iron tramp of serried hosts breathes a softer music, and the unrelenting heart of vengeance and hate beats slower and calmer. This angel is gentle woman. Although not wanting in true patriotism, not backward in making

This Prophecy was published generally throughout the United States, Canada, and some parts of England.

that he could stand it no longer, for he "felt his Fourth of July rising too fast."-Baltimore American, Dec. 12.

ONE of the Beaufort (S. C.) negroes advertised his runaway master in the following clever travestie:

ob dis month, my massa Julan Rhett. Massa Rhett $500 REWARD.-Rund away from me on de 7th am five feet 'leven inches high, big shoulders, brack face. He make big fuss when he go 'mong de gemhar, curly shaggy whiskers, low forehed, an' dark men, he talk ver big, and use de name ob de Lord

all de time.

Calls heself "Suddern gemmen," but I suppose will try now to pass heself off as a brack man or mulatter. Massa Rhett has a deep scar on his shoulder from a fight, scratch 'cross de left eye, made by my Dinah when he tried to whip her. He will make track for Bergen kounty, in de furrin land neber look peple in de face. I more dan spec he ob Jarsey, whar I magin he hab a few friends.

I will gib four hundred dollars for him if alive, an' five hundred if anybody show him dead. If he cum

back to his kind niggers widout much truble, dis chile will receive him lubingly. SAMBO RHETT.

BEAUFORT, S. C., Nov. 9, 1861.

A REBEL OPINION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S MESSAGE OF DEC. 3.-This document, which we spread before our readers on Saturday, came as near perfection, we conceive, as possible, in the art of deception. The Message was doubtless drawn up by Seward, (the cunning old fox,) who uses the English language to conceal his thoughts. We think our readers have, ere this, come to the conclusion that they gained as little insight into the affairs of the Yankee nation by perusing that document, as they would have gained by reading a proclamation from the King of the Fejee Islands. Six mortal columns to conceal from the

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In case of a forced march into an enemy's country, two miles a week shall be the maximum, and no marches shall be made except the country abound in

world that the boasting Yankee dynasty has been whipped in every battle they have undertaken, and would like to back out of the scrape if a decent pre-game, or if any member of the regiment object. text were to offer, is not such a bad production in these war times, with cotton at thirty cents a pound, and anarchy and starvation ataring them in the face, and the almost certainty of having their own ports blockaded by an English fleet during the winter. Norfolk Day Book, Dec. 9.

silk underclothes, cosmetics, and all other rations, to Kid gloves, gold toothpicks, cologne, hair-dressing, be furnished by the Government.

OUR TROUBLES.

The haunting B and double B,
The perjured, thieving F. F. V.,
The foreign bugbear, LL. D.

The sources of all our real distress,
The official A and double S.

-Cincinnati Commercial, Dec. 13.

JENNISON'S PRACTICE.-Jennison is administering rather severe doses to the traitors down in Jackson Co., Mo. He shows them no mercy. He had a member of the Legislature sawing wood for him, and a Judge husking corn for his horses. He says that they do very well, and that he means hereafter to have secessionists and "contrabands" do all his camp drudgery. As a general thing, we like Jennison's "style," and think rough practice is needed with the traitors; but from all accounts, his operations too frequently partake of the cruel and heartless. He may have good and sufficient reasons for some of his transactions, with which the public are acquainted; otherwise, they will not add any to his reputation.—Kansas Chief.

A MODEL BODY GUARD.-"Brick" Pomeroy, of the La Crosse (Wis.) Democrat, on being invited to assist in forming a body guard for President Lincoln, after due consideration decided to "go in," provided the following basis could be adopted and rigidly adhered to throughout the war:

The company shall be entirely composed of colonels, who shall draw pay and rations in advance. Every man shall have a commission, two servants, and white kids.

Each man shall be mounted in a covered buggy, drawn by two white stallions.

Under the seat of each buggy shall be a cupboard, containing cold chicken, pounded ice, and champagne, a la members of Congress and military officers at Bull Run.

Each man shall have plenty of cards and red chips play poker with.

Each member of the regiment shall be allowed a reporter for some New York paper, who shall draw a salary of two hundred dollars a week, for puffs, from the incidental fund.

Every member shall be in command, and when one is promoted all are to be.

Commissions never to be revoked.

THE Norfolk Day Book of the 12th Nov. says:Fifty or sixty of the Federal prisoners confined at New Orleans have taken the oath and joined the Confederate army for the war. There were five hundred in all.

GEN. FREMONT attended service at Henry Ward Beecher's church, and the congregation rose en masse as the General and Mrs. Fremont entered. Mr. Beecher's discourse was on "Greatness." After the service, the people made a rush for the General's pew, and detained him half an hour with hand-shaking; and when he was seated in his carriage, at the churchdoor, they crowded the street and gave him three cheers.

CAIRO, Dec. 5.-A special despatch to the Memphis papers of the 2d December, gives an account of a great battle at Morristown, in East Tennessee, between the Federal forces, under Parson Brownlow, and a rebel force sent in pursuit of him. The battle was fought on the 1st of December, in which Parson Brownlow was completely victorious. The rebel despatch calls it the first Union victory of the war. Brownlow had three thousand men. The rebel force was not ascertained, but their rout is admitted to have been total.

ONE OF THE JAPANESE SWORDS RECOVERED.—It is well recollected that, whilst the Japanese Embassy was stopping at the Gilmore House. two of their swords were stolen. Colonel Kane offered a reward for their recovery, and the police made a diligent search for them, but were unable to find them. A few days since Deputy Marshal McPhail, acting upon some information imparted to him, sent a posse of officers to the house of a citizen, which was searched in the hope of finding the weapons, but it was unsuecessful. Receiving additional information, however, he sent for a young man who was said to have one of the swords in his possession. The party appeared

and afterward produced the sword which was taken from the well-remembered Tommy. It seems that a member of the Maryland Guard was in company with Tommy on the night of the arrival of the Embassy, and, after both had drank to excess, he carried off the weapons. There is no doubt that the sword recovered is one that was stolen; and if there be any curious to know the name of the party who committed the theft, they can apply at the Marshal's office. The young man is now enlisted in the Confederate ranks. The sword will be returned to Japan through the State Department. There is a great desire felt for the return of the other, and it is hoped that it will be returned forthwith.--Baltimore American, Dec. 6.

YANKEE INGENUITY.-We have seen a curious and ingenious specimen of handiwork, executed by William Henry Baldwin, Jr., a prisoner of war, who was wounded in the battle of Manassas. It is a pipe, made of mahogany, and richly carved with imitations of leaves and flowers, while the mouth-piece and mountings are wrought of beef-bones, polished like ivory. The only instruments used in this extraordinary specimen of carving were old steel pens, which the prisoner managed to pick up. He has presented it to Dr. Higinbotham, surgeon of the post, as a token of gratitude for kindness shown him during a long period of suffering.-Richmond Dispatch, Nov. 28.

BUCHANAN NO MORE.-A town named Buchanan, in La Crosse County, Wis., recently petitioned to have its name changed to Washington, on account of the disgrace attached to the name of Buchanan, and their petition was unanimously granted.-Cincinnati Gazette, Dec. 11.

A YANKEE PROPOSITION.-Messrs. Ellis, Britton, and Eaton, of Springfield, Vt., make the following proposition to the Administration:

1. If they will confiscate the estates of rebels near Port Royal, to the extent of ten thousand acres, we will lease the land from them, and take five thousand contrabands as apprentices to work it, on the following terms:

2. To the negroes we will give three months' attendance at school each year for all those over five and under thirty years of age, with good teachers and a sufficient supply of books, both for school and "for reading during their leisure hours," and will provide them with comfortable dwellings, food, clothing, furniture, and care during sickness, for themselves and families, and at the expiration of their apprenticeship will give them each a new suit of clothes and twenty-five dollars in money. The term of apprenticeship to be ten years for all those over fifteen years of age, and until twenty-two years of age for

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ring that if the floating battery now moored at our levee be only half as good as Capt. James O'llara and his command, Company 2, Pelican Guards, in the fighting line, Commander Hollins will have no reason to be ashamed of its performance. Speaking of naval operations reminds us of the disappearance from that arm of Capt. Higgins, and his translation to some other service, where his versatile talents are no doubt in active requisition. He is the kind of blue jacket we want about this river-the sailor man who, in conjunction with the ever-ready Colonel J. K. Duncan, will give the Yankee boys a belly full of bard knocks should they try the Port Royal operations about the mouth of Old Muddy. The Pelican lads are, too, the kind of stuff such leaders as their own captain and those we have named will be worthy and proud of. Hurrah for the floating battery !— N. O. True Delta, Nov. 17.

DECEMBER IN VIRGINIA.
CONTRABAND, loquitur.
De leaves hab blown away,

De trees am black and bare;
De day am cold an damp,

De rain am in de air.
De wailing win's hab struck

De strings ob Nature's lyre;
De brooks am swollen deep,

De roads am mud an mire.
De horses yank de team,

De wheels am stickin thar;
De Yankee massa yell-

De Lord! how he do swar!
De oafs dat he do take,

De nigger disremember;
De Dutch, De Deuce, De Debbil,
De-all tings dat am ebil-
DE-CEMBER!

A REBEL ARRESTED BY TWO YOUNG LADIES.~A Cynthiana (Ky.) correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial says that the daughter and niece of Colonel

1. To the Government we will give, for the use of, concluded, recently, they would have a little the land, one-fourth part of each crop, or its market fun, and to carry out their plan, dressed themselves value in specie. in men's apparel, procured an old shot gun, and proceeded to the field where the Colonel was at work. One of the girls, shot gun in hand, took her position a few paces off, while the other stepped up and laid her hand on him and said: "By the authority and in the name of the United States Army, I arrest you as guilty of treason." The Colonel submitted without resistance, but said: "Gentlemen, in the name of God, what have I done?" The reply was that he would learn that, and have all things satisfactorily explained at Camp Chase, which caused the Colonel to turn very white; and they all walked to the house, where the children were all posted in the matter, and got into a titter, which caused a loud burst of laughter from all hands except the Colonel, who was very belligerent when he found that he had actually been arrested by two small young ladies, his daughter and niece.-Louisville Journal, Dec. 7.

all those under fifteen.

The Government shall guaranty us protection against armed bodies of rebels, and lease the land for a term of ten years, and we will give good and sufficient sureties for the faithful performance of our part of the contract.

THE NEW ORLEANS FLOATING BATTERY.-We do not affect much knowledge of things nautical, and confess to a full-developed skepticism regarding all extraordinary invention by way of destructive experiment-nevertheless we think we are safe in aver

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"SKADADDLE" AND "SKIOUTE."

FORT SKADADDLE, VA., October 23d, 1861. To the Editors of the Evening Post: I see by your paper that the name of "Skadaddle" given to one of the rebel forts near Munson's Hill, is This is not attributed to some German soldiers.

the case. Captain W. N. Angle, Company B, Thirty- | And Johnston in Kentucky will whip the Yankees fifth Regiment New York State Volunteers, gave it the name.

Captain Angle still occupies the place, which has been strengthened by our folks by digging a line of rifle pits of eighty to one hundred rods, and the building of field works to mount five guns. The name was given on account of the rebels leaving before they even saw a Union soldier or heard the click of a lock.

That the terms used by soldiers may be better understood, I will give you two words much used by them: "Skioute," to go ahead, pitch in, &c.; "Skadaddle," to run away, vamose, slope, &c. The rebels skadaddled out and we skiouted in!

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too,

And start them to the lively tune of "Yankee Doodle-doo."

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dom."

-Richmond Dispatch.

The following stanzas were written soon after the Shall own our independence of "Yankee Doodlearrest of Messrs. Mason & Slidell, but from reasons unavoidable their publication has been delayed: 'Twas out upon mid-ocean that the San Jacinto hailed An English neutral vessel, while on her course she sailed;

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WHAT THE SPIRITS OF THE FATHERS OF

THE FIRST REVOLUTION SAY TO THEIR
SONS, NOW ENGAGED IN THE SECOND.

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