The first man who fell, with six bullets in of course, the general theme of conversahis body, was William Scott, of Company tion. "War!-war to the death!" was K. His comrades caught him up, and as nearly the only expression that could be his life blood ebbed away, he raised to heard. Every body was volunteering, and heaven, amid the din of war, the cries of the whole city seemed to be in uniform. the dying, and the shouts of the enemy, a In the midst of the excitement a little boy. prayer for the President, and as he died about five years old, came out of one of the he remarked to his comrade that he had shown he was no coward and not afraid to die.

Wigs on Rebel Majors.

Colonel A. K. Johnson, of the Twentyeighth Illinois, shared in the dangers of many a bold adventure. On the last day of the action at Pittsburg Landing, and while the rebels were flying in confusion from their works, three of the officers in their flight passed very near the place where Colonel Johnson was stationed. The Colonel instantly started in pursuit. Coming within pistol range, he fired at the nearest of his flying foes; this brought the rebel officer down on his horse's neck. parlors, dressed in the full uniform of a Colonel Johnson believing this to be a feint Confederate Captain. He looked so pretto avoid a second shot, determined to drag ty and smart that I patted him on the head. him from his saddle by main force. Riding saying, "You're a very little man to be a up to his side for this purpose, he seized soldier." He turned, measured me with him by the hair of his head, but to his his eye, and replied, "You're a very big astonishment and disgust, he only brought man not to be a soldier!" The crowd apoff the rebel Major's wig. Instantly re-preciated it, and I paid for the liquor. covering his headway, he again started for

He was too big not to be a soldier

Lincoln.

the delinquent, but his pistol had done its Military Notation according to President work, and before the Colonel reached him his lifeless body had fallen from the saddle.

He was Too Big not to be a Soldier.

Somebody asked President Lincoln how many men the rebels had in the field. He replied very seriously, "Twelve hundred thousand, according to the best authority." When the present war commenced [says The interrogator blanched in the face, at a contributor to Harper's Drawer,] I was this reply, and ejaculated despairingly, practicing law in the State of Georgia. I"My God!" "Yes, Sir, twelve hundred was a strong Union man, and concluded to thousand-no doubt of it! You see, all leave the land of secession and return to of our Generals, when they get whipped, my native city. I started for Mobile to say the enemy outnumbers them from run the blockade; when I reached Mont- three or five to one, and I must believe gomery, Alabama, I found I would have them. We have four hundred thousand to remain until the next day. That even- men in the field, and three times four make ing, after tea, there was a large crowd in twelve. Don't you see it?" The inquisithe rotunda of the hotel, and the war was, tive man looked for his hat soon after

"seeing it." The President's arithmeti- did not see any way of escape until one cal logic was altogether too square and of them, noticing his splendid pair of resimple to be withstood, without question- volvers, said they would relieve him of ing the veracity of somebody's statements. them. "Certainly, gentlemen," said the Perhaps Mr. L. P. Walker, or Mr. Judah Captain, drawing them from his belt beP. Benjamin, the Confederate secretaries hind him, and cocking them silently; "here of war-and so well known as 'gentle- they are!" As he said these words, he men of undoubted veracity!' could ex- fired each, and two men fell dead at his plain the discrepancy in numbers which so feet, while he wheeled and secured cover puzzled the good President. in some thick bushes, eluding the immediate pursuit of all but two bullets, one of which pierced his canteen, the other, a small round pistol ball, passing through his left cheek, and coming out of his mouth, without injuring a single tooth, but slightly cutting his tongue!

Judah P. Benjamin.

Carter's Polite Mode of Giving Information.

General Carter's expeditionary tour into East Tennessee, in the winter of 1862-3, was attended with many brilliant successes as well as noteworthy incidents. Among the latter was a little occurrence, brief and decisive, at Blountsville and Zollicoffer, the former being the countyseat of Sullivan County. As the forces, or a portion of them, entered that town, Captain Strong Delivering his Revolvers. a lady was observed at her door, throwing While on duty extending the line of up her hands, and exclaiming: "The pickets, three miles north-west of Chain Yankees! the Yankees! Great God, we Bridge, Captain Strong, of the Second are lost!" After stopping at BlountsRegiment, Wisconsin Volunteers, was ville, a few minutes, to feed their horses, taken prisoner. As he neared the river they proceeded toward Zollicoffer, forhe left three men, while, according to the merly called Union Station, on the Virorders of Major Larrabee, he reconnoi- ginia and East Tennessee railroad. At tered, preparatory to assigning them posi- this station were encamped about one huntions. Having proceeded about a quarter dred and fifty of the Sixty-second North of a mile without discovering the slightest Carolina regiment, Confederate soldiers, trace of the enemy, he returned by a under command of Major McDowell. slightly different route, to avoid the rough Colonel Carter, being in advance, met road he had passed over, when he sud- three citizens, and, after passing the saludenly was surrounded by six rebel pickets tations of the morning, inquired the news -two cavalry and four infantry. The of the day, when one of them replied that Captain surrendered; and while they there was "a rumor of there being a lot marched him about twenty rods, amused of Yankees within a few miles of themselves by applying the choicest epi- Blountsville.”

thets, and promising themselves the pleas- "Ah! indeed," said Colonel Carter; ure of a hanging bee. The Captain won- "who is in command at the station bedered they did not disarm him, but still low?"

"Major McDowell, Sir, and he is now coming up to find out the truth of the report."

"Well, gentlemen, you are all my prisoners. Guards, take them to the rear," said the Colonel.

In a few minutes Major McDowell rode in sight, and four of the Union troops filed across the road in his rear, whep Colonel

Carter approached him, saying:

66

Major McDowell, I believe?" "Yes, Sir, that is my name." "You are my prisoner, Sir." "Pray, Sir, who may you be?" "Colonel Carter, Second Tennessee regiment, Federal troops!"

The Major looked utterly blank and down-hearted, but concluded that resistance was useless, when the Colonel informed him that he would impart to him, with the greatest pleasure in the world, the information he was seeking, namely, that there was a large Federal force in his rear—and, in order to prevent the effusion of blood, it would be policy to advise a surrender of the post. The poor Major agreed to this, and accordingly advised Lieutenant Inloes to surrender, which he did. It was a big day's business both for Carter and McDowell, though a little more satisfactory to the former than the latter.

Disguised as a Bell-Wether.

Bishop Meade told him truly that he differalready held a commission in a very ent army, to which he owed allegiance till life's journey ends.'

"I know that very well," replied Bishop Polk, "and I do not intend to resign it. On the contrary, I shall only prove the more faithful to it by doing all that in Among the loyal Tennesseeans who, in me lies to bring this unhallowed and un'the times that tried men's souls,' came natural war to a speedy and happy close. into the Union Camp in Kentucky, was a We of the Confederate States are the last little fellow of about five feet four inches, bulwarks of civil and religious liberty; with gray and grizzled beard, dilapidated we fight for our hearthstones and our alnose, and an eye as keen as a fish-hawk's. tars; above all, we fight for a race that The manner of his escape from the mili- has been by Divine Providence entrusted tary clutches of the secessionists was re- to our most sacred keeping. When I acmarkable and highly ingenious. He cept a commission in the Confederate army, headed a large squad of his neighbors, therefore, I not only perform the duties of and eluded the Confederate pickets, by a good citizen, but contend for the prinwearing a big sheep's bell on his head, and ciples which lie at the foundation of our bleating away over the mountains, fol- social, political, and religious polity." lowed by a herd of men who did likewise. By this stratagem he deceived the Con- that the Bishop soon afterwards accepted

The result of this conversation was,

the appointment which so soon cost him Cat expedition, asked the darkey on his his life. return to Nashville, how long the army was on the march from its encampment to the battle-field.

Polk was a native of Tennessee, and at an early age entered the Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated with distinguished honors,-a contemporary of Jefferson Davis, General Lee, General Johnston, and General Magruder, all birds of the same feather and hatched in the same nest.

"About four days," was the reply. "Well, how long were they in marching back?"

"About two days, massa.'

"Why, how is that, Joe? Could the men travel any faster back, when they were broken down with their four days' march and a severe fight, than they traveled forward after a good rest in camp?

?"

"Oh, I'll tell you what made the difference, massa," said Old Joe; "it was the music. They marched toward Wild Cat to the tune of Dixie. When they marched back, the tune was-Fire in the mountains-run, boys, run!'"

his Thigh.

Yielding only when He Lost His Head. Of the many instances of personal bravery among the privates, in the fight at Fort Donelson, probably but a small proportion will ever be recorded in the printed page. Here is one instance, too memorable to allow to pass unnoticed: A private in the Ninth Illinois regiment was shot through the arm in the early part of that sanguinary engagement, which par- Firing Twenty-two Rounds with a Ball in alyzed the limb for a moment. Leaving A very remarkable and praiseworthy the ranks, he went back a short distance to where the temporary hospital was case is recorded of a young man attached placed, had his arm dressed, and returned to the Thirty-first regiment of Illinois volto take his place. Shortly afterward he unteers, when in battle. He received a received a shot in the thigh, which pros- musket shot wound in the right thigh, the trated him. To some of his companions ball passing through the intervening flesh, who came up to render him assistance, he and lodging in the left thigh. The boy remarked, “I guess I can manage to get repaired to the rear and applied to the back," and by the assistance of his gun he doctor to dress his wound. He however once more limped to the hospital. Feel- was observed to manifest a peculiar reserve ing considerably better after his wound in the matter, requesting the doctor to keep was dressed, he again sought his regiment his misfortune a secret from his comrades and took his place in the ranks. While and officers. He then asked the surgeon if in a stooping position as a skirmisher, a he would dress his wound at once, in order ball entered the back part of his neck, and passed lengthwise through his body. Before he fell headlong to the ground, four or five other balls struck him in the head, literally shattering it to pieces, and scattering his brains in every direction. The name of those whom no extremity of danger and blood could daunt, in the war against rebellion, was Legion.

Change of Tune and Position.

A gentleman whose slave accompanied a young Confederate officer on the Wild

that he might be enabled to return to the fight. The doctor told him that he was not in a condition to admit of his return, and that he had better go to the hospital; but the young brave insisted upon going back, offering as an argument in favor of it the fact that he had fired twenty-two rounds after receiving his wound, and he was confident he could fire as many more after his wound should be dressed. The surgeon found he could not prevent his returning to the field, so he attended to his wants, and the young soldier went off to rejoin his

comrades in their struggle, and remained, and was congratulating himself on the dealing out his ammunition to good account probable success of the ruse, when the until the day was over, as if nothing had soldiers seeing the U. S. on his cap, yelled happened to him. Several days after, he out: "That's a Yankee son of a returned to the doctor to have his wound give him!" On hearing this, re-dressed, and continued to pay him daily Montgomery dashed the spurs into his visits in his leisure hours, attending to horse, threw his head over the animal's duty in the mean time. neck, and made for the road. A perfect volley of Minie balls passed over and

Montgomery's Ride into the Hampton Le- around the Captain-killing the horse,

gion's Nest.

who rolled over, carrying his brave rider West Point, Va., was the scene of one of with him down to the ground. Knowing the bloodiest of battles, May seventh, 1862. that apparently nothing but time would Of the various incidents by which it was save him, Montgomery lay with his head distinguished, none was more notable than back in a ditch, as he fell, and appeared the escape of Captain Montgomery, Gen- dead for some ten minutes, not moving a eral Newton's chief-of-staff, from the Hamp-muscle or a feature, although the soldiers ton Legion. were swarming around and threatening to

66

"Well, men, I yield as a prisoner of war."

"You have been shamming," they said, "you d-Yankee scoundrel, have you?" "Certainly, everything is fair in war."

It was about one o'clock in the after-"end him." He remained in this way noon, when the Captain received an order until they came up, took away his pistol from General Newton to go forward into and commenced a general plundering; as the woods to ascertain whether the seces- they thus fingered away he could not supsionists were falling back, and whether a press a smile-and then rising, said: certain Federal regiment held its position there. Captain Montgomery went forward at once as fast as his well tried horse could run, and upon entering the woods moved cautiously until near a barricade, when, hearing voices, he plunged into the woods, thinking, of course, it was a Federal regiment—the Thirty-first New York --but was surprised to find that he had gone right into a perfect nest of the Hampton Legion, from South Carolina, who were lying behind trees, standing behind bushes, and kneeling behind stumps like

bees.

They then commenced to abuse him as a d- Yankee this and a d- Yankee that, when the Captain turned upon them and said—

"I have yielded as a prisoner of war: I demand to be used as such. We in the North know now to treat dogs better than you do men; now lead me to your commanding officer."

At once perceiving his mistake, and They gave him another volley of abuse, aware that nothing but the most consum- at which he merely smiled, and then a mate coolness could save him, Captain M. shell, fired by the Federal artillery to the saluted them, and they, taking him for a place where the Captain was seen to enter, Confederate officer, inquired how far Gen- burst like the wind amongst them-skineral Hampton was then. Without hesita- ning the Captain's nose and scattering the tion, and with rather more assurance than Confederates like chaff. Seizing their he ever thought he possessed, Captain M. muskets, they pointed two of them at him, replied, "I left him about ten rods below and said, "come along, you d— Yanhere—and now, boys! the General expects kee!" He still continued conversation, you to do your duty to-day!" He then in order to gain time, when another shell turned his horse slowly to lull suspicion, bursting amongst them, they moved on