For the purpose of a more perfect range in our immediate front, it has been our painful duty to burn all the dwellings between the Federal lines and those of the enemy. More than fifty buildings have thus been levelled to the ground, some of which were quite valuable, and the premises most beautifully ornamented with all the surroundings of comfort and pleasure. But all is now a complete waste; every thing has been levelled and destroyed. Houses, trees, shrubbery, fences, and all are gone-made to give way to the result of rebellion and the curse of war. Over this now desert waste the guns of the Federals have complete control. On the twenty-third, the enemy were observed in continued until all was known have not replied to our batteries for the last two days. What may be their present or future intentions cannot be well conjectured. During the day of the twenty-third, the enemy were known to be moving cavalry, infantry, and wagontrains along the south side of the Tennessee, toward Knoxville. Whether they are intending another invasion of Kentucky is more than your correspondent can correctly determine. But it is to be presumed that our military authorities here are fully aware of all the demonstrative movethe necessary changes consequent to ments of the foe, and will make a rebels will, the attempt of getting into position with their bat- no doubt, make great efforts Casionupt our line of teries. From this the Federals opened upon them with a few of the guns of General Negley's command, from their powerful and commanding "Star Fort," the design and partial erection of the rebels, which work has been fully completed and improved upon by the Nationals. This introductory soon had the desired effect, the enemy withdrawing with their pieces to a more secure position. As the enemy had been observed in taking up their position in line of battle, a few shells were thrown in among them to notify them of the Yankee objection to their close proximity. From these pesky annoyances they hastily retired. Large bodies of the enemy were seen moving to our right, but feeling fully prepared for them at all points, no diversion was made from our lines to counteract the rebel movements. On the right some picket-firing occurred with the enemy's skirmishers, but no further aggressive movements were indulged in. During the day considerable enthusiasm was manifested along the rebel lines. Great cheering at the remarks of orators was indulged in. At the outpost pickets they were heard to exclaim, while haranguing the soldiers, "that the fate and success of the Southern Confederacy now depending upon the crushing of the present army of the Cumberland." But that they have found to be a game that more than themselves can indulge in. The day of the twenty-third closed with nothing of particular importance transpiring along the lines. Toward evening the Star-Spangled Banner was raised to the top of a long staff erected on the Star Fort, in honor of its completion, and expression of thanks to the enemy for their unintended favors in the planning and labor bestowed upon this strong work. The flag now floats where the enemies of their country can have a plain and distinct view of its stars and stripes, waving over the battlements of their former possessions. Some picket-firing was indulged in during the night of the twenty third. The enemy seemed quite desirous of advancing their lines under cover of darkness, but they found the Unionists in sufficient force and strength to successfully dispute any encroachments upon their established lines. From some hostile demonstration on our centre, a battery was opened upon the enemy, which soon made all quiet again in that quarter. Rockets were to be seen in the air during the night, with which the Federal pickets had been furnished for the conveyance of information, should the enemy make any demonstrations of advance or other movements. Toward morning a heavy fog hung over the ground in our front, completely screening the position of the enemy from view. In anticipation of the rebels taking. advantage of this circumstance to advance and post their batteries, a fire was opened upon their lines, and communication with the North, and thus cut off our army supplies; but in this they will be mistaken, as there is now a large supply of provisions here for future consumption, sufficient to prevent any inconvenience that might occur from the designs of the enemy. Nearly all of the sick and wounded of our army have been removed from this place to Stephenson, from which point they will be taken farther north as rapidly as the facilities of the railroad will admit. THE NATION. BY ALFRED B. STREET. Union! it draws from heaven its birth, The systems with the throne of God. Strongest this mystic web is twined; What soul can live in lonely ban? Heart leaps to heart, and mind to mindDeed vibrates unto deed-the chain Joins with another's weal or woe; The father's sins, in lengthened reign Of influence dire, the son shall know. His virtues, too, the child shall bless; And thus a touch shall yield its meed Of misery or of happiness In this electric web of deed. Union the car of progress speeds- The chain in fortune's fiercest flame; Our glorious young Republic came. Nobly they dared the dangerous deep,... Spurning the cultured joys of life; And in the forest's boundless sweep. Existence linked to endless strife. But though the ambush gleamed with death, Disease and famine aimed the dart, They faced their fate with tranquil breath, And wrought their work with trusting heart. For tireless hope and energy, And faith sublime, and lofty pride, And so they grasped the magic ax, The hamlet rose-the harvest bent. And, vital pulse of every heart, The frenzied flood, the whirlwind's shock, O Liberty! gift celestial, Twined deep in the Deity's plan! And yields the best blessings to man. No blossom art thou of the garden, To the roar of the grappling storm. The strength that would challenge the whirlwind The voice that sounds mate to the thunder A warrior, grim and frowning, Or die in the moment of need. O Liberty! gift celestial, What glorious joys are thine? Yet to few of the earth is given To watch o'er thy holy shrine. Oh! many the hearts that are fettered In tyranny's cruel gyves; But among them the seed is scattered Where Liberty's germ survives. And sometimes the seed springs upward To wildest and fiercest life; Ah! how the world has tottered In the quake of the dreadful strife! The earth has turned red with slaughter, And Liberty, torn and stained, Down to the dust has been cloven; And again, to its feet upleaping, And such the light our fathers knew; With voice of storm and eye of flame. And where the broad Potomac flows, Then to the struggles of the free And sharpening ax, and guiding plough, Of government to rest on all Of law, whose broad and steadfast light Our starry flag, with trophies won In the expanse that God had joined. In the red lightning's angry glare, Kindling alone the blackened air, Our once proud Ship of State we see. And, bearing down, a phantom bark, In lurid light its trappings woundSides darting fires along the dark, Terrific thunders roaring round— Comes flashing through the awful gloom With threatening of impending doom. Heaven save the Ship! in godly care The stately mould our fathers wrought; Their hearts the planks that formed the pile, Their prayers the blue above it bent, Their virtues the surrounding smile. And shall that Ship, in hopeless shock, See some gray tinge of softness cast, The glorious sunburst throws at last? Ye stately shades-O glorious sires! Bend from the clouds of darkness now With memory-waking battle-fires, Flashing from every awful brow! The brighter from its new array. Dear flag of our fathers! how wildly It streams to the hurricane's might! Yet no more shall be quenched in the darkness Than the sunshine be swept from the sight. It was born in the tumult of battle, When the land rocked with wrath at the foe, And Liberty, striving and reeling, Rained blood at each terrible blow. There was naught on the yoked earth to render So the sky-the grand symbol of freedom- The stars shone for hopes to be kindled Anew from dark tyranny's sway; Thus favored above, changing fortune And now, as we gaze on its splendors, High lifted-the foremost among them- And Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin And battle-fields, trophied in honor, And Trenton's wild winter-tossed strife. And proudly our own Saratoga, Where the first of our triumphs was won; And Yorktown-that height of our glory, Where burst our victorious sun. Then, hail to our sky-blazoned banner! It has brightened the shore and the sea; And soon may it wave o'er one nation, The starred and striped FLAG OF THE FREE! TREACHERY OF THE REBELS. CAMP OF FIFTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY, WILLIAMSBURGH, VA., June 6, 1863. During the last few days there appeared a flag, purporting to be a sign of distress, on Hog Island, opposite King's Landing, on the James River. The mat ter, as soon as reported to Major C. Kleinz, received due attention by an examination by the Major in person, who, after satisfying himself of the existence of the flag, ordered Lieutenant James Smith, of company A, to take a small boat and visit the island, to ascertain the object of the parties displaying the flag of truce. Lieutenant Smith took one man (and two contrabands to row the boat) with him, and started for the Island. When coming within two hundred yards of the east end of the island, he could distinguish a camp in a clump of trees, also a flag floating in the air; he then drifted his boat westward along the island, without being able to see any thing more than the white flag, which was constantly displayed in an invit ing manner. By the aid of a field-glass he could see every object about the houses, barns, and sheds, with the exception of a long tobacco warehouse, which is situated on lower ground, but, getting to a favorable position, he did distinguish three soldiers, partially concealed from view. On a nearer approach and closer examination, he saw a man sitting on the stairway loading a musket. Still, the white flag was displayed by a single person. On getting within fifty yards of the shore the flag was taken down, and near the flag-bearer sixteen men suddenly made their appearance. On Lieutenant Smith asking the object of the flag of truce, they ordered him to land his boat, and immediately the rebel flag was hoisted over their heads. Lieutenant Smith, aware of their treacherous intent, headed his boat from the shore, encouraging the colored men to pull for their lives, and began to beat a hasty retreat. As soon as the rebels saw the boat headed off they were ordered to fire; they did so, but their fire fell about six yards short of the boat; another squad about three times as large, from the tobacco warehouse, fired, but their fire went too high; a third as large, and from the same place, fired, filling the air round the little boat with bullets. Fortunately Smith and his party escaped uninjured, owing to the precautionary preparation after the first fire, which was to stoop down in the boat, and work her out, exposing nothing more than their arms and heads. Many other shots were fired by small squads running along the shore to head the boat off, but injuring nothing. As soon as Smith got beyond the range of their pieces there was a black flag displayed for over an hour. Lieutenant H. E. Whittlesey, who first reported the appearance of traitors on the Island, had seen signal lights on the Island, on Jamestown Island, and on the south bank of the James River, both east and west of Hog Island. June 7.-The following is from the Raleigh State Journal, a secession paper: "We fear that the same conflict between the State authorities and the confederate government which was witnessed in this State at the session of the last Legislature is to be renewed. The Governor has assumed the position of an avowed advocate of the supremacy of the State judges, and has in advance decided all cases against the claims of the confederate government. We have observed with regret a recent order of the Governor, by which he commands the officers of the State to resist by force the arrest of any person claimed as a conscript, who has once been discharged by the decision of a State judge. We look with alarm upon these unsettled and conflicting claims. The only honest course for a State of the Confederacy is to give her all to the contest now raging, or to quit the field at once. There can be no divided service compatible either with honor or safety." the wharf at Vicksburgh, an order came from General Grant requiring the captain to pay back to his passengers all money received by him as fare in excess of five dollars to enlisted men, and seven dollars to offi cers, or submit to imprisonment for disobedience and have his boat confiscated. The order was an astonisher to the captain, but the presence of a guard rendered it useless to refuse, and so, amid the shouts of the soldiers over General Grant's care of their interests, he complied with as good grace as possible, and paid back the money. Our informant, himself a passenger on the Hope, was present when General Grant issued the order above referred to. The General, upon being informed of the impositions being practised upon furloughed men and officers, by steamboat men, the lesson," said the gallant General, "that the men was very indignant. "I will teach them, if they need who have perilled their lives to open the Mississippi River for their benefit cannot be imposed upon with impunity." No wonder that the soldiers of the army of the Mississippi fairly worship their General. INCIDENTS OF PICKET LIFE ON THE RAPIDAN.-The pickets indulge in the usual badinage of the outposts. One-a Louisianian-asked why we did not throw up some rifle-pits. The answer was: "What for?" "Why, because we might come over and attack you." "Oh! is that all ?" was the sentry's answer; "come along; we wouldn't throw any thing in your way; it's what we want. Come over and bring all your friends; we shall not stop you. Did you throw up that dirt to BURNSIDE.-The Louisville Journal gives the follow-prevent our advance? O pshaw ! when we advance ing judgment up against the flood of abuse poured out upon him: "Burnside looks and acts like a great man; and the manner in which he has managed the affairs of this department shows him to be a statesman as well as a General. The more we see of Burnside the more we like him. He has done much for Kentucky. His Order No. 38 has worked like a charm, and has given peace, quiet, and security to many portions of the State which have been invested by rebel sympathizers and marauders. Previous to its publication, many parts of the State were invested by Morgan's men and other rebels, whose presence brought fear and terror, but since the enforcement there are none to be found within our lines, except a few desperate characters, who come and go secretly, to act the spy-and those are caught whenever found and executed." we'll walk right round them." One of the rebel artillerymen was anxious to know whether a soldier's pay was good for any thing now. He was told that it would buy thirteen dollars' worth of goods, the same as ever. "Well, I'll tell you what we do with ours," said he. "We tell off the battery into fives, and play poker till one man out of five gets the money. The winners tell off into fives again, and so at last somebody has enough money to treat his friends." General Early's headquarters are in a white house near the ford. His portly form, in white shirt and an enormously highcrowned hat, with a feather, is occasionally seen about the opposite shore. It is stated, on the authority of a sergeant, who was down at the river-bank arranging a little matter, in which coffee, tobacco, and a Richmond Examiner figured prominently, that the General himself came down and made this offer: "If any of you Yanks want to trade a first-rate pair of high boots, good leather, and so forth, I'll pay for them in gold." Whether he has yet achieved the boots, is a matter upon which no testimony has been offered. Michigan, lately made a long war-speech to his fellowcitizens of Detroit. Among other things he told them the following: How GENERAL GRANT CARES FOR HIS SOLDIERS. General Grant, says the Cleveland Herald, has issued a special order forbidding steamboat men to charge more than five dollars to enlisted men, and seven dollars to officers, as fare between Vicksburgh and Cairo. COLONEL MORROW'S RECOLLECTIONS.-Colonel MorImmediately after Vicksburgh had fallen, a large num-row, the brave leader of the famous Twenty-fourth ber of steamboats cleared from Northern ports for that place, and were in the habit of charging soldiers going home on furlough from fifteen to thirty dollars fare to Cairo. A friend relates to us that the steamer Hope was compelled by General Grant to disgorge its ill-gotten gains the other day, under the following circumstances: This boat had about one thousand enlisted soldiers, and nearly two hundred and fifty officers, aboard, en route for home on short leave of absence, after the fatigues of their protracted but glorious campaign. The captain of the Hope had charged these men and officers from ten to twenty-five dollars apiece, as fare to Cairo. Just as the boat was about to push off from One of the rebel officers captured by us afterward met me in Gettysburgh, where I was a prisoner. A man came up to me in the street and said: "Colonel, how do you do? You don't know me, and think don't know you. (I had cut off my straps to prevent my being recognized as a colonel.) Come and take a drink." Of course, I drank with him, and then asked who he was. He took me one side from the rebel officers, and said: "Your regiment captured me at Fitz-Hugh's Landing, d-n you!" Said I: "Glad of it. Didn't they treat you well?" "Bully," was his the year agreeable. Lee's rumored movement up the reply. "Then treat me the same.". "We will; where river is still the subject of much speculation, and there are your straps?" "I have lost them for the time be- are good reasons for believing that he has transferred ing." "All right, I shan't say a word." He kept his a part of his force to the vicinity of Banks's Ford. promise, and when I left the rebels, they took me for The river-pickets report that trains of artillery and a surgeon. wagons are heard nightly wending their way up the Twenty-four hours after crossing at Fitz-Hugh's Land-river, and the balloonist, stationed at present near the ing, we recrossed and went to Chancellorsville. There Wrotton House, one mile below. Banks's Ford, discov we were stationed at a separate space, and guarded ers a large rebel encampment opposite that point. He two roads, a position of honor, given, as I was assured also reports a large force still confronting our left wing, by General Hooker, as a compliment to the regiment. and opposite "Washington's Farm." This camp is, We were unsuccessful at Chancellorsville, but through perhaps, three or four miles from the river, and is disno fault of General Hooker's. It would have been a glo- cernible only from the balloon. But four or five small rious victory, had it not been for the defection of an army rebel camps are visible, below and above Frederickscorps, and this was due to the bad conduct of its officers, burgh from our side of the river. The secretiveness and not to any lack of courage among the men. The of the rebels is quite remarkable. Not a single rebelEleventh corps occupied à position directly in front of lious ensign can be seen up or down the river; but why, the enemy, and was, nevertheless, allowed by its offi- is a matter of conjecture. Possibly, the price of buntcers to lay down its arms and make coffee. It was ing in Dixie is incompatible with the rebels' idea of then attacked by the rebels with those unearthly shouts economy. of theirs. The rebels beat any people out shouting. One half the battles in that neighborhood were fought by power of the lungs rather than the bayonet. The lungs of the rebels are not so strong as ours, but they have a boy-like scream, which is much shriller. (Colonel Morrow then related an amusing anecdote of the counter-cheering of the rebels and the Twenty-fourth at Fitz-Hugh's Landing.) General Hooker, at Chancellorsville, exhibited splendid generalship. I was told by a prisoner, a rebel colonel-a fact never before printed, I believe that General Hooker succeeded in transporting thirty thousand men across the Rappahannock and Rapidan, and right into the centre of the rebel position, without their obtaining the least knowledge of it. In fact, General Hooker succeeded in dividing the rebel army, cutting off Stuart from Lee, and obliging the former to cut his way through in order to reach headquarters. However, we lost the battle, and fell back into our old camp. At Gettysburgh, with my assistant surgeon, Dr. Collar, indefatigable in season and out of season, I visited the hospitals and the battle-field-the latter at twelve o'clock in the night on the third, determining the names of those that had fallen. In a barn, among two hundred others, I found a little Irish boy from this city, Patrick Cleary, a bright boy, and a brave little fellow. I said to him: "Patrick, how do you feel?" He said: "Pretty well, but the doctor says I can't live." I looked at his wounded leg and saw that mortification had set in. I said: "I don't know; the doctor is the best judge. If he says you can't live, you had better prepare to die." Said he: "Colonel, if you'll have the leg taken off, I'll be with the regiment in a week." I told him that was impossible. He then said: "Colonel, an't you proud of the Twenty-fourth? Won't the people of Wayne County be proud?" God bless that boy. He is dead now. [A voice:" He is alive yet."] I am glad to hear it. He is a credit to his native and adopted country. The last thing the boys think of is what those at home think of them. They feel proud of themselves, and they want you to feel proud too. Write them cheering letters. Encourage your soldiers. Bid them God speed. Tell them they are fighting in a just and holy cause, as they certainly are. INCIDENTS OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK.-Quietness still reigns on the Rappahannock, and there seems an absence of certain infallible indications which foreshadow a general movement. The weather is fine, with just enough airiness to render camp-life at this season of Yesterday morning a party of rebels approached the river opposite Falmouth with a seine, and immediately commenced preparations for a little piscatorial recreation. The officer of our picket, acting in compliance with orders, called out his guard, and ordering the men to prime their pieces, hailed the would-be fishermen after the following manner: "Hello, over there! What are you going to do ?" "Fish," was the brief response from one of the party. "Don't you know that General Hooker has forbid. den fishing in the river?" inquired the officer. "Yes, but we thought you'd have no objection as long as we kept on our side." "But we do object," replied the officer," and if you put that seine in the river I'll order my guard to fire on you." A short consultation among the rebel party ensued, and in a few moments they withdrew, taking their seine with them. Communication between the pickets is no longer allowed, but occasionally a brief conversation is indulged in. A picket informed your correspondent, yesterday, that, when last on picket, a rebel on the other side held up a paper as if to say: "Don't you wish you may get it !" The Union picket beckoned him to come over, and finally the rebel waded to the middle of the river, but would come no further. Finding that he could not induce the bluejacket to meet him half-way, he returned to the other side. On inquiring of the picket what course he would have pursued had the rebel ventured over, he replied: "I should have taken him prisoner." The vaunted discipline of the rebels is scouted by our men who can observe the movements of their pickets. The sentries are relieved with any thing but military precision, and the relief goes shambling along like "the whining schoolboy unwillingly to school.". With coats off, and with an air of lazy indisposition, they lounge, with their muskets behind them, along the other shore, gazing listlessly on our soldier-like pickets pacing with regular and steady step their respective "beats." Two deserters forded the river this morning below Banks's Ford, and were received by the pickets of the Third corps. They told the usual story of destitution and suffering on the other side. |