the road for miles, with an eye to their, onel Redfield, was a notable instance of own comfort, but a most unmilitary neg- stealing a march. After a detour of sixlect of rules and regulations. Presently teen miles, Colonel Redfield reached the one of them espied, in the woods near by, rear of the enemy's position. Here he a miserable broken-down mule, which he captured a courier with despatches from at once seized and proceeded to put to his General Taylor, who was advancing with use, by improvising, from stray pieces of a supporting force. A squadron of Colrope, a halter and stirrups. This done, he onel Redfield's was at times completely mounted, with grim satisfaction, and pur- surrounded by Taylor's men, but managed sued his way. He was a wild Texas tat-to keep them in check, while Captain terdemalion, bareheaded, barefooted, and Doxey, with two companies, engaged the wore in lieu of a coat, a rusty looking enemy's pickets. This was cleverly done. hunting-shirt. With hair unkempt, beard His men dismounted, advanced in small unshorn, and face unwashed, his appear- squads directly up to the rebel pickets, ance was grotesque enough; but, to add to greeting them heartily with— it, he drew from some receptacle, his corn- "How are you, boys?" cob pipe, and made perfect his happiness by indulging in a comfortable smoke.

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"Why, who are you?"

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This was accompanied with various slaps on the back, &c., after the manner While thus sauntering along, a company of friends rather than enemies-a confiof bestarred and bespangled horsemen-dence which quite disarmed the rebels, General Bragg and staff-rode up, and who said— were about to pass on, when the rather unusual appearance of the man attracted their notice. The object of their attention, however, apparently neither knew nor cared to know them, but looked and smoked-ahead with careless indifference. "Who are you?" asked the MajorGeneral.

Why, the Third Texas, don't you know us? We have come to help you against these Yankees." "Hurrah! Bully for you!" &c.

In such a cold, rainy night, what could be pleasanter than friends, and especially friends to help against the confounded Yankees?

After getting well warmed, our boys said to them

"Now, boys, you must surrender, for we are the Yankees themselves!"

"No you don't."

"But we do; surrender and sit down!"

And so the disagreeable truth came upon those damp Louisiana fellows. Picket after picket was in this way successfully captured and sent to the rear, without the firing of a shot or alarming the main body.

Captain Doxey then entered the rebel camp with his cavalry, while a body of infantry supports were deployed on his right. There he captured, almost without resist

The capture of the rebel forge at Hen-ance, the surprised and astonished enemy. derson's Hill, by the Sixteenth Indiana Four pieces of artillery were captured, mounted infantry, under Lieutenant Col- two just as they were being brought into

line-one of their officers saying, "Don't conversation, but to which he did not refire! they are our own boys." Unfortu- spond with that urbanity for which the nately for him it did not prove correct, Southern people have usually prided themand the four guns were soon in the posses- selves. He said

sion of the Yankees, as was also the too confiding officer.

A squad of Redfield's command surrounded a house in which a party of rebels were engaged in preparing their frugal repast, and the sounds from within indicated that they were quite comfortable in their minds at least, if their bodies were One of his men then knocked at the door.

not.

"Who's there?" "Federals."

"You think it all very fine, I suppose,

but in five minutes it will be all right, and you will be my prisoners."

It did not turn out that way.

Startling Adventure of General Birney.

A personal adventure of General Birney, at Centreville, in the summer of 1862, showed the heroism of that officer. Our forces were following the rebel Jackson from Manassas, which he had evacuated in his own time and in his own way. "Whither had he gone?" was the quesThe door was opened, and the tion. graybacks were not a little astonished at the sight of the "blue bellies,' as they were pleased to call the Yankees in their sportive moods.

"None of your joking-come in."

"By, that's so;" said one of them, who drew and discharged his pistol.

"Was he at Centreville?" was the second question. Cavalry should inquire. I have no cavalry," or "I can't lay my hand on any cavalry," said General Pope, when General Kearney suggested this to him. It was mentioned that there was one company in General Birney's brigade. His arm was at once disabled by a shot "Let it feel the enemy if he be at Centrefrom one of our men, and the order was ville," said General Kearney. "Go with given them to surrender at once, or they it, General Birney, yourself," he added; would be sent to another and hotter place."I don't like to risk a general officer, but They quietly obeyed, and our men took his report is worth very much more than the whole party prisoners, and found the that of a subordinate." wounded man to be the famous scout Bailey Smith.

General Birney galloped away in the direction of Centreville, at the head of his company, which, by the time he reached Centreville, mustered some forty men. With this small command at his back, General Birney proceeded to feel the en

Redfield, with a few of his men, were guarding a squad of some twenty prisoners about a camp fire, when a rebel officer dashed up and said"Good evening, gentlemen-enjoying emy: felt his way into Centreville street, yourselves, eh?" and seemed to have an impulse to dismount, but suddenly seeing the condition of affairs, his impulse was quite strong to ride away, so he said: "Good evening and good night," and put his horse into a gallop; but it so happened that two of Redfield's men, of a polite turn, galloped by his side and soon brought him back, and allowed him to sit around the cheerful fire with the rest. Colonel Redfield, not unmindful of the duties of hospitality, endeavored to engage him in

and into the tavern, where he stopped to make inquiries. He was lecturing the landlord on his rebel proclivities, when one of the videttes, whom he had posted on the hill to the right and left of the town, reported a cavalry regiment approaching with the Stars and Stripes flying. He was sure that it was the Stars and Stripes. "What regiment?"

"Can't tell; but it must be one of the new regiments, its ranks are so full.”

General Birney sent another man to

make sure it was one of our regiments. | is in the rear of the regiment at the Run, The report again came that the Stars and and orders them to fire at the rebel pur Stripes waved at its head. General B. suers, who were unable to draw rein in stepped out to look for himself. season to escape. front line was forty rods distant.

The

The

Stars and Stripes were there, sure enough; Howe, the little Drummer Boy in the Fifty

but a large infantry flag, almost new. Every sabre was drawn, a thing not done by our cavalry when entering a town. The caps were different from ours; the uniform differed. It was the enemy-the flag a capture from one of our regiments. It was time to evacuate the town just retaken. General Birney ordered the bu gle to sound, and at the head of his command of forty men moved rather rapidly toward Bull Run.

fifth Illinois.

In the spring of 1864, President Lincoln placed Orion P Howe, who was for a time the little drummer boy for the 55th Illinois Volunteers, in the Naval School at Newport. This act was in consideration of the little fellow's bravery, as narrated by General Sherman. General S. wrote to the Secretary of War of him, saying that at the assault on Vicksburg he came to him at the front, crying out: "Gen. Sherman, send some cartridges to Col. Malmborg, the men are nearly out."

shot me in the leg, Sir; but I can go to the hospital. Send the cartridges right away." Even where we stood, the shot

In response to his bugle the enemy sounded a charge, and a race began. A regiment had been posted at the Run" What is the matter, my boy?" "They three miles distant, and toward that our General hastened, after paying his farewell respects from the muzzles of his carbines. The enemy returned the compliment, with little or no effect. "Forward!" was the word, along a road not over good. Occasionally

a horse stumbled ; over his body and that of his rider the company galloped.

The best horses of

the regiment in pursuit were gaininggaining; but the Run and the regi ment on guard were in sight.

"Spurs to your horses, my men! shouted the General. More stumbled and fell, but the rest kept on. Still the enemy gained-gained! upon them; and now one bold rebel just reaches General Birney's shoulder with his sabre. The General draws his pistol, and the rebel falls dead. Another moment, and the General

fell thick, and I told him to go to the rear at once, I would attend to the cartridges, and off he limped. Just before he disappeared on the hill, he turned and called as loudly as he could," Caliber 54." "I have not seen the boy since, and his Colonel (Malmborg,) on inquiry, gives me his address as above, and says he is a bright,

Portable Iron-Clad Breastworks.

intelligent boy, with a fair preliminary ing the romantic. Far down the plank education. What" continues the Gen- road where Hancock fought, beyond the eral, "arrested my attention then was- thickest rebel dead, lay a boy severely and what renewed my memory of the fact wounded, perhaps not less a soldier, that now-that one so young, carrying a mus- he was but a boy. He had fallen the day ket ball through his leg, should have before, when the Union army was farthest found his way to me on that fatal spot, advanced, and had remained unmolested and delivered his message, not forgetting within the rebel lines. They had not rethe very important part, even, of the cal- moved him, and he was alone, making his iber of his musket, 54, which you know company among the dead. When first is an unusual one." discovered, the little fellow was crawling about, gathering violets. Faint with the loss of blood, unable to stand, he could While search was being made of the not resist the tempting flowers, and had passengers on the Central Railroad train, already made a beautiful bouquet. When one evening in June, 1863, a soldier no- a stretcher had been sent for and arrived, ticed that a lady's dress appeared more he was taken up tenderly and borne away, full breasted than it naturally should be; wearing a brave, sweet, touching smile. and his quick eye also detected the fact Could the violet bouquet thus made by that the artificial contents of the lady's that brave young patriot have been on bosom were pressed out against the folds sale at any of the great Soldiers' Fairs it of the dress, so as to make it almost cer- would have been transmuted into a golden tain that pistols were there. He was a double-eagle. very polite soldier, and in the most gentlemanly manner approached the lady and said

"Madam, I want those revolvers."

"Sir," she replied indignantly, "I am a respectable woman, and have no revolvers." "Madam," again said the soldier, very coolly, "I wish you would give me those revolvers,"-pointing to her bosom.

She again denied that she had any; whereupon, without further parleying, the soldier, in discharge of his duty, thrust his hand into the place of concealment and drew out a revolver, and kept on repeating the operation until seven were captured from their sacred citadel. Then gathering up the pistols, he politely remarked to the fair but utterly discomfited deceiver,

"Madam, your breastworks seem to have been iron clad."

Gathering Violets on the Battlefield.

"California Joe" and his Telescopic Rifle. "California Joe" will always be remembered as the very apostle of sharpshooters. While before Richmond, a rebel

sharpshooter had been amusing himself and annoying our General and some other The battle fought by General Grant on officers by firing several times in that dithe first Friday, while on his way to Rich-rection, and sending the bullets whistling mond, was fruitful of incident, not except-in unwelcome proximity to their heads.

"My man, can't you get your piece on that fellow who is firing on us, and stop his impertinence?" asked the General.

"I think so,” replied Joe; and he brought his telescopic rifle to a horizontal position.

"Do you see him?" inquired the General.

"I do."

"How far is he away?"
"Fifteen hundred yards.”
"Can you fetch him?"
"I'll try."

And Joe did try. He brought his piece to a steady aim, pulled the trigger, and sent the bullet whizzing on its experimental tour, the officers meantime looking through their field glasses. Joe hit the fellow in the leg or foot. He went hobbling up the hill on one leg and two hands, in a style of locomotion that was amusing. Our General was so tickled-there is no better word at the style and celerity of the fellow's retreat, that it was some time before he could get command of his risibles sufficiently to thank Joe for what he had done.

Zouaves on Picket Duty.

An industrious and shrewd typo from the Queen City of the Lakes, under Colonel Ellsworth, was out on picket duty in the Old Dominion, when a haughty son of the chivalry rode up, driven of course by his servant. Zoo-zoo stepped into the road, holding his bayonet in such a way as to threaten horse, negro and white man, at one charge, and roared out "Tickets!" Mr. "F. F. V." (he was one of 'em) turned up his lip, set down his brows, and by other gestures indicated his contempt for such mudsills as the soldier before him, ending by handing his pass over to the darkey, and motioning him to get out and show it to Zoo-zoo.

person, which sent him spinning several paces down the road.

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Now, Sir, what do you want?" said Zoo-zoo, addressing 'the astonished white man,-who now showed that he had recovered his tongue.

"What? I want to go on, of course. That was my pass."

"Can't help it," replied Zoo; "it says 'pass the bearer,' and the bearer of it has already passed. You can't get two men through this picket on one man's pass, no how."

Mr. V. reflected a moment, glanced at the bayonet in front of him, and then called out to his black man to come back. Sambo approached cautiously, but fell back in confusion when the 'shooting stick' was brandished toward his own breast.

"Where's your pass, Sirrah?"

"Here, massa," presenting the same one he had received from the gent in the carriage.

"Won't do," replied the holder of the bayonet; "that passes you to Fairfax. Can't let any one come from Fairfax on that ticket. Move on!" A stamp of the foot sent Sambo down the road at a smart gallop.

Colonel Fry, of' the Fourth Kentucky Regiment, who killed the rebel General Zollicoffer, was for many years a personal friend of the latter, and in their youthful days the two were associates in school. Col. F.'s regiment came up and formed "All right," said the latter, glancing at along a fence which separated the road it, "move on,”—accompanying the remark from the field on the left, and the Tenth with a jerk at the coat-collar of the colored was on the right. The two regiments