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Drum! drum!

Ha! here they come;
And now how peer

All, fraught with fear,
With eager signs,
Along the lines!..
And crave to trace
Therein the face
Of him they kissed,
And through the mist

Of tears, saw fade
In sombre shade!

Drum! drum!

God! what a shriek!
A poignant beak
Of vulture hath
In mystic wrath
Pierced one poor heart!
Keen with the smart,
She blankly stares
With fickle glares,
Her palm close-pressed
Against her breast,
And dumbly reels!
She knows or feels
Not now the blow
Of death and woe!
Nay, do not wake
Her now, the ache
Of sore regret
She feels not yet.
The awful shock
Hath stunned to rock!
God stay the fang!
God help the pang!

God bless them all!
Who dared to fall
Face to the foe
When blow on blow
In death crushed low,
Yet with a front
No foe could daunt,
Still looked with proud
White face to God!
Laud high their deed-
Crowns are their meed!

Ah! few remain
To tell the pain,
The frenzied strife
And wasted life

Of that red day!

In sad array
They pass along
With silent tongue,
And brows sublime

With scars and grime!

And slowly throbs that solemn beat

Of martial lines of weary feet

Down, down the stony street!
And loud reverb'rant from the ground,
The city's walls. exultant sound
The lordly metre, deep and strong,

That proudly wakes the awe-struck throng;
Till on their beats from heart to heart
The truth sublime with subtle art-
"Pledge, cordial hands, true hearts and all,
United stand; divided fall!"

Drum!

REQUIEM.

Requiem Eternam dona iis, Domine !.
Give them eternal rest,

Father, with thee,
On thy paternal breast,

God of the free!

Dumb is the cannon's throat,
Broken the brand,
Feebly the pennons float
O'er the red land;
When, on the battle-field,
By the rude torch revealed,
Slumber the brave,

Pillowed on foes o'erthrown;
While round them shriek and groan,
Blent with the night-wind's moan,
Ceaselessly rave.

Them shall the thunder's roar
Nevermore, nevermore

Rouse up amain.

Theirs is that olden sleep,
Sacred and golden sleep,
Free from all pain.

So sleep the dutiful,
Dreamless but beautiful,
Their duty done;
Sinking in tranquil rest,
As in the purple west
Sinketh the sun.

Fast closed the fight round them,
Vast rose the night round them,
Night at noonday-

Night of the sulph'rous smoke,
Glad with the sabre-stroke,
Death-shot and thunder-roar,
Deluge of human gore,
Dreadfullest fray!

Oh! they fought fearfully,
Bleeding, but cheerfully,

On for the free,
Dealing their dying blows,
As o'er the flying foes
Rose victory!

Close up each ghastly wound
Gaping so wide;

Lift them up from the ground,
Liberty's pride.

Wrap round each gory form,

Torn though it be,

The star of the battle-storm,

Flag of the free!

Calm is their slumber now;

Fame on each bloody brow

Sits like a star,

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BY EUGENE H. MUNDAY.

Amid the throng that gathers where
The mail dispenses joy and care,
I saw a woeful woman stand-
A letter falling from her hand:

C. A. M.

She spoke no word, she breathed no sigh;
Her bloodless cheek, her sad, fixed eye,
And pallid, quivering lips apart,

Showed hopeless grief had seized her heart.
I spoke; a word of kindness cheers
The heavy heart, and heaven-sent tears
Refresh the eye dry sorrow sears.

"Ah! sir, my boy! my brave, bright boy!" In broken voice, she said;

"My only son! my only joy!

My brave, bright boy is dead!"
"Sorrow is sacred!" and the eye
That looks on grief is seldom dry:
I listened to her piteous moan,
Then followed to her dwelling lone,
Where, sheltered from the biting cold,
She thus her simple story told:
"My grandfather, sir, for freedom died,
On Eutaw's bloody plain;
My father left his youthful bride,
And fell at Lundy's Lane.
"And when my boy, with burning brow,
Told of the nation's shame
How Sumter fell-oh! how, sir, how
Could blood like mine be tame!

"I blessed him; and I bade him go-
Bade him our honor keep;
He proudly went to meet the foe;
Left me to pray and weep.

"In camp-on march-of picket round-
'He did his equal share;
And still the call to battle found

My brave boy always there.

"And when the fleet was all prepared
To sail upon the main,

He all his comrades' feelings shared-
But fever scorched his brain!

"He told the general, he would ne'er
From toil or danger shrink,

But, though the waves he did not fear, It chilled his heart to think

"How drear the flowerless grave must be, Beneath the ocean's foam,

And that he knew 'twould comfort me To have him die at home.

"They tell me that the general's eye With tears did overflow:

GOD BLESS THE BRAVE MAN! with a sigh He gave him leave to go....

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"Quick down the vessel's side came he;
Joy seemed to kill his pain;
'Comrades!' he cried, 'I yet shall see
My mother's face again!'

"The boat came bounding o'er the tide;
He sprang upon the strand;

God's will be done! my bright boy died,
His furlough in his hand!"

Ye, who this artless story read,
If Pity in your bosoms plead

And "Heaven has blessed your store "-
If broken-hearted woman meek,
Can win your sympathy-go, seek
That childless widow's door!
PHILADELPHIA, February 3, 1862.

A SCOUTING EXPEDITION.

-

CAMP OF THE ELEVENTH CORPS,
VIRGINIA, June 8, 1863.

Scouting is a very pleasant business if one is fond of novelty and adventure, and does not mind taking the chances of the weather and of meeting the enemy in too great force. I went out on an expedition of this kind a short time since, and found it quite as agreeable as I had anticipated. The object of our foray was not to reconnoitre, but to pick up straggling rebel soldiers and guerrillas, of whom there are many in the country, not far outside of our lines. Secesh soldiers get furloughs to visit their friends in this portion of the State, and many of them are sent here to glean information regarding our army. During the day they remain concealed, or play the role of peaceful citizens; but, when night arrives, they often collect in squads and capture or 'shoot pickets, or commit other depredations. Hence expeditions, such as the one I accompanied, always go out in the night. Small parties are the best for this purpose, and ours consisted of four men besides Captain Newcomb and myself.

The Captain had information that five men of the Stafford Rangers were in the country, about ten miles outside of our lines. All of these men had families or friends in the neighborhood, and were stopping at their own homes or at those of acquaintances. They were mostly furloughed men, but were fond of amusing themselves by getting together and capturing an occasional Yankee picket, for the sake of the spoils, such as horses, arms, and equipments, which are important to the ill-supplied rebels, and worth some trouble and risk to obtain. Indeed, a poorly clad rebel will frequently risk life and liberty with the prospect of capturing a blanket or an overcoat.

We knew the rendezvous of the party we were after and the residences or stopping places of most of them. Some of the same clan had already been captured by Captain Newcomb. If it should be one of their gather.

ing nights, there was a chance that we might take the whole party together; otherwise, our design was to take the individuals from their abiding-places.

morning, having made a circuit of perhaps thirty miles during the night. Such is a scouting expedition, with less than average results.

INTERCEPTED REBEL MAIL.

We were piloted by a scout named Hogan, one of those who became so efficient under Sigel's directionthan whom no general in the army appears so well to understand the business and the benefits of scouting. Hogan and all the privates of our party belong to the First New-York Mounted Rifles, captured a large rebel June 16.-A day or two since Major Wheelan, of the First Indiana cavalry, a detachment recruited as a body-mail near the North-Carolina State line, which was desguard, and which has acted as such under Rosecrans, in Western Virginia, Fremont, Sigel, and is now with

General Howard.

Better soldiers than those of this guard do not exist, and their "story" is much more worthy of being told, while it would be more interesting, than that of the Missouri Guard to which Mrs. Fremont devotes a book. It was this guard, with some of the Sixth Ohio cavalry, that, led by Captain Dahlgren, made the famous raid into Fredericksburgh last fall, and which rebels even confess was the most daring feat of the war. The story is worth repeating. Fifty-two men, more than fifty miles from any support, pierced through the enemy's pickets, forded the Rappahannock, and dashed into Fredericksburgh, which was occupied by five hundred rebel cavalry, of whom they killed and wounded a number, and at one time captured one hundred and twenty, bringing off over forty, recrossing the river and returning with a loss of one man killed and one taken prisoner. The rebels were so badly scared that many of them did not pause in their flight until they reached another body of troops several miles below Fredericksburgh.

To return to the narrative of our expedition-which, however, will be found to amount to very little. We started at about four o'clock P.M., and travelled by unfrequented roads and paths through the woods, fording creeks, picking our way among trees and transcending fences in a rather aboriginal style. We did not find our nomadic friends at their rendezvous, and it was necessary to seek for them at their several places of abode. This is a rather unpleasant business for men of humanitarian feelings- -as all of our party werefor one does not like to batter at doors in the dead of night, frightening women and children out of their wits when they peep out and behold armed men surrounding their domicil and hear them thundering for admittance. A soldier's duty in such a case is plain, for it will not do to let a house which may conceal a rebel soldier, or perhaps arms and supplies, remain unsearched. When a hastily dressed dame appears with a tallow candle and a supplicating air, her fears must be quieted in the most delicate manner, and if she assumes the indignant and hurls all sorts of epithets at the Yankee barbarians, a little pleasant raillery suffices; but, in either case, the search must be proceeded with. When these people find that they are treated with courtesy, and that all their rights are respected as much as is consistent with military necessities, they soon lay aside the one sort their demeanor of apprehension and the other of railing scorn. In most of these houses will be found supplies of provisions concealed in cellars and garrets, and in some cases arms and munitions of war.

We were not fortunate on this occasion, and it would seem that those we sought had information of our approach. We found but one rebel soldier comfortably sleeping in his bed, and his gun was discovered hid in a closet. Two horses were found in the stable, one of which had evidently been captured, as it was branded "U.S." We reached camp about sunrise the next

VOL. VII.-POETRY 6

tined for Richmond. The greater number of the letters were written in Portsmouth and Norfolk. Many of them referred to the Union forces of the vicinity, and copious clippings from the columns of the Northern papers were included. The mail was delivered to General Peck. One of the letters which has been handed to your correspondent covers fifteen pages of closely written letter paper, and is extremely variegated in sentiment. From grave political questions it diverges into the most common household affairs. A few extracts will not be amiss, and here they are:

"MY DEAR BOYs: The Yankees presume that we rebels have no rights. Even the market-carts and oyster-boats have to hoist the Yankee flag. The Yankees force their way into the houses of respectable citizens, under all sorts of false pretexts, and when they can't get in at the doors they come through the traps on the roof. The old white cow went dry last week, and the rest of the family are very well. Hoping that you are the same, I remain devotedly, "S"

Many other letters are as ridiculous as the above few sentences, which are copied from the lengthy epistle.

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BALTIMORE, June 25, 1863.-Upward of two years ago, in these very streets, the Massachusetts volunteers, while marching to defend the national capital, were assaulted by a mob. To-day, an armed guard patrols every corner and square of the city; and for two whole years a rebellious population have been taught the bitter lesson of loyalty by the threatening guns of Fort McHenry.

Strolling along Eutaw, or any of the principal streets, of an evening, your ear will probably catch, as mine has already, some fragment of conversation like the following: Miss Blank is sitting upon her door-step, musing, with her large, dark eyes fixed absently upon the heavens above her. A gentleman in linen trowsers is directly ahead of you. The shadowy form of the sentry is about disappearing in the ill-lighted street a few yards further on. The gentleman recognizes Miss Blank, and inquires is she enjoying the breeze, or makes some other equally intellectual remark.

"Oh! no," Miss Blank replies in a subdued, melancholy tone, "I had not thought of the breeze; it

is delicious; I am waiting for our dear Southern army."

This is the spirit that prevails in Baltimore this month of June, 1863.

Here, as in Alexandria, the streets are barricaded, and the pedestrian is often obliged to leave the sidewalk in his progress through the city. But the barricades are of the shallowest description, and would throw but little obstruction in the path of a resolute enemy. They consist of a number of barrels placed side by side, with beams resting on them. Only yesterday a lady, riding down Lombard street, touched her horse with her riding-whip, and cleared one with a bound. What possible defence could these be against a charge of cavalry?

On the outskirts of the city earth-works are being rapidly constructed, and guns of considerable calibre mounted commanding the Northern and Frederick roads. By order of Lieutenant-Colonel Fish, ProvostMarshal, no person is allowed to visit the fortifications without a proper pass. I must postpone, therefore, going more into detail, until I have had an opportunity of inspecting them.

General Halleck was here yesterday, but returned almost immediately to Washington. There is but little excitement in the city, law and order prevailing, without interruption even of the slightest kind.

N. G. S.

the impressment law has fixed the price of shelled corn at two dollars per bushel. This is complained of very much by the farmers, who think it is under the average price, corn in Virginia being fixed at four dollars per bushel. The Commissioners, however, promise to raise the schedule of prices according to circumstances. It would be desirable if the Commis sioners in each State would agree on a uniform system of prices, which could be easily done.

The movements of our army toward Murfreesboro indicate that General Bragg is determined that General Rosecrans shall show his hand, and not keep up an appearance of strength under false pretences. We have, therefore, made an advance to feel of the enemy, and already several skirmishes have occurred. A portion of our forces have advanced to within five miles of Murfreesboro, and if Rosecrans will come out of his fortifications, an engagement will take place. But if not, it is supposed General Bragg will not attempt to storm the enemy's works without having learned his strength; in the latter case we may attempt to turn the enemy by a flank movement and gain his rear.

ORA.

Last Sabbath, the thirty-first ultimo, General Bragg was confirmed in the Episcopal faith by Rev. Bishop Elliott, of Georgia. General Bragg has thus set an example to his army which will not be without its influences. On visiting General Lee's army of Northern Virginia, I was struck with the high moral charaeter which prevailed among the officers and soldiers, A SEVERE SUFFERER.-An old German gentleman, as well as the deep religious feeling that pervaded, esby the name of George Gerwig, who resides in Brax- pecially in the lamented General Jackson's corps. It ton County, arrived in this city yesterday, having in will be a source of congratulation should General charge an insane daughter, en route for the insane asy-Bragg succeed in producing the same beneficial result. lum at Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Gerwig is seventy-two There is no occasion for men becoming reckless and years of age, and is a thoroughly loyal man. He demoralized on entering the army, but on the conowns in Braxton County six thousand three hundred trary, a different feeling should prevail. acres of land. During the last raid, the rebels robbed him of sixty head of cattle, nine horses, four hundred bushels of dried peaches, a large lot of hay, and, in fact, every thing he had. There is scarcely a good fence upon the farm, and the accumulated wealth of twenty-five years has been destroyed and cast to the winds. He has two sons in the Union army. The boy who was killed by Kuhl and others about a year ago was an adopted son of Mr. Gerwig's. It will be recollected that Kuhl and his companions caught the boy in a field, and cut his head off with a scythe, for which they were court-martialed and hung at Sutton. The daughter whom Mr. Gerwig brings with him lost her reason in consequence of the troubles to which we allude.-Wheeling Intelligencer, June 25.

CHATTANOOGA, Saturday, June 16, 1863.-The week has been characterized by a series of dreary rains which have continued up to this morning. At the present writing it is warm and clear, but lazy-looking clouds still hang heavily in the east, indicating that the "rainy term" is not yet over. The corn never yet promised a more abundant yield, but the wheat in some districts is slightly touched with the rust, produced by the late rains, and there is some difficulty in being able to save the immense crop in Eist and Middle Tennessee for want of hands to secure the har vest. The flour-mills in East-Tennessee last year principally supplied our whole South-Western army, and it is to be hoped that some means will be afforded to farmers to gather their crops before it is too late to save them.

The Board of Commissioners for this State under

A THREE DAYS' SCOUT OVER ELK RIDGE MOUNTAIN. RED HILL, ELK RIDGE, June 29, 1863. Messrs. Editors Baltimore American:

On Tuesday morning, twenty-second instant, Lieutenant Martindale, accompanied by Lieutenant New and eight men of company H, First New-York cavalry, made a reconnoissance of the enemy's position and progress from the crossing at Sheppard's Ford. The numerous camps that had the previous evening studded the hill-sides from Sharpsburgh back to the Ford, had now disappeared, and nothing was visible under the glass but a few solitary pickets and some four companies of cavalry, but on the road passing through Keedysville toward Boonsboro several horsemen were seen taking their onward course through the rich fair fields of "my Maryland."

Lieutenant Martindale conceived the idea of spoiling their sport, and sent down five or six from his little squad, who, descending on the unfortunate graybacks with that impetuosity which has ever characterized the men of the First New-York cavalry, returned each with a prisoner. Amongst the number was the son of Colonel Miller, of Sharpsburgh, belonging to the Twelfth Virginia cavalry, and a notorious scoundrel called Hill, who has acted as a guide to the invader since they set their feet on our soil. Four more were taken during the same evening, and of this number one was courier to General Lee, who had been returning to him with a message from Ewell.

On Wednesday morning we resumed our old position on Red Hill, which is one of the highest of the

Elk Ridge, overlooking Sharpsburgh and the pleasant village of Keedysville, situated on the Sharpsburgh and Boonsboro pike. Lieutenant Martindale, having learned from citizens the plunder of several stores in Keedysville by the straggling parties of the enemy, resolved to put a stop to it by the capture of some of their number. Accordingly, as soon as he observed them entering the village, he descended with a few of his men on whom he knew, from past experience, he could rely, and invariably returned with captives. We thus took four of the Seventh Virginia cavalry, horses, arms, and equipments, including an officer, who seemed grieved as the prospect of a rich harvest of plunder was suddenly taken from his view.

Soon after, four of our men descended, and directed their attention to a party, consisting of five or six, who, by their uniforms, looked like officers. This party was General Wright and staff, belonging to A. P. Hill's corps. They wheeled round, however, and our boys gave chase, and succeeded in capturing Lieutenant Wright, (the General's son and aid,) wounding one of the horses, and probably some more of the party. The General, having a fast horse, escaped with the loss of his hat, which is preserved as a memento of the chase after a live general. Five or six more were captured afterward.

The same officer, at a truce entered into the next day for the purpose of looking after the dead and wounded, while riding as near to the rebel lines as he could get, was hailed by a confederate officer within the works with the question, whether he did not think, upon reflection, that he was coming nearer than was exactly proper. Our officer replied in the negative, saying that he had men wounded and killed as near the enemy as he himself then was. A conversation then ensued, in which the rebel officer spoke of Sherman's charge of the preceding day, and remarked that: "Inside they regarded it as the finest thing of the war.' Our officer did not belong to Sherman's division.

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PROPOSITION TO HANG THE DUTCH SOLDIERS.-June 12.-Of late, in all battles and in all recent incursions made by Federal cavalry, we have found the great mass of Northern soldiers to consist of Dutchmen. The plundering thieves captured by Forrest, who stole half the jewelry and watches in a dozen counties of Alabama, were immaculate Dutchmen. The national odor of Dutchmen, as distinctive of the race as that which, constantly ascending to heaven, has distended the nostrils of the negro, is as unmistakable as that peculiar to a pole-cat, an old pipe, or a lager-bier saloon. Crimes, thefts, and insults to the women of the

bodies of animated sour-krout. Rosecrans himself is an unmixed Dutchman-an accursed race which has overrun the vast districts of the country of the NorthWest. It happens that we entertain a greater degree of respect for an Ethiopian in the ranks of the Northern armies than for an odoriferous Dutchman, who can have no possible interest in this revolution.

Yesterday morning, about seven o'clock A.M., we were again on the lookout. Now we see more crossing the ford looks at first like a brigade, but length-South invariably mark the course of these stinking ens evidently into a division, and about noon was certainly a corps, supposed, from the report of prisoners, to be Longstreet's. It stretched-artillery, cavalry, infantry, and wagon-train-over a line of four miles, and as the last of their train disappears beyond the Dunkers church, where fell the gallant Mansfield, and where Hooker showed his bold front to the enemy last fall, another column appeared, coming from the Why not hang every Dutchman captured? We river. Our captures to-day amounted to some twenty will hereafter hang, or shoot, or imprison for life all rebels and two sutler's wagons. We took infantry-white men taken in command of negroes, and enslave men belonging to Eighth Florida, Sixteenth Mississippi, Third and Sixteenth Virginia. Thus you see, Messrs. Editors, we are getting along pretty well. I forward you these particulars as an eye-witness and participator in the honor of most of the captures. The line of the enemy's march for the last two days has been in the direction of Hagerstown. The previous days they had passed through Boonsboro and some toward Frederick, but since the main body has been moving on to Hagerstown-where next, heaven knows! unless we meet and repel the invader from our soil. This is no time for fireside talk on the probabilities of this grand raid. Now is no time for delay. Let us meet them when and where they be found, and teach them once for all the lesson that Maryland and Pennsylvania have no sympathies with their ruthless invaders.

Yours, as ever,

C. C.

INCIDENTS AT PORT HUDSON. --An officer with Banks's army relates, in a private letter, an incident which occurred during a temporary truce at Port Hudson on the twenty-seventh of May. He availed himself of the opportunity this afforded to ride up to the rebel works as close as he could, to get a good view of them, when he saw a regiment of the enemy throw down their arms, and heard them give three cheers and exclaim: "We surrender." The rebel officers at once approached them, and, with drawn swords and pistols, overpowered and controlled them, and compelled them to take up their arms and resume their position.

the negroes themselves. This is not too barsh. No
human being will assert the contrary. Why, then,
should we not hang a Dutchman, who deserves infin-
itely less of our sympathy than Sambo? The live
masses of beer, krout, tobacco, and rotten cheese,
which, on two legs and four, on foot and mounted, go
prowling through the South, should be used to manure
the sandy plains and barren hill-sides of Alabama,
Tennessee, and Georgia.
Whenever a Dutch
regiment adorns the limbs of a Southern forest, dar-
ing cavalry raids into the South shall cease.
President Davis need not be specially consulted, and
if an accident of this sort should occur to a plun-
dering band like that captured by Forrest, we are
not inclined to believe that our President would be
greatly disgruntled.-Knoxville Register.

SONGS OF THE REBELS.

THE FLORIDA'S CRUISE,

BY A FORETOP MAN OF THE C. S. S. FLORIDA.
AIR-Red, White, and Blue, (Southern edition.)
One evening, off Mobile, the Yanks they all knew,
That the wind from the north'ard most bitterly blew ;
They also all knew, and they thought they were sure
They'd blocked in the Florida safe and secure.

Huzza! huzza! for the Florida's crew!
We'll range with bold Maffit the world through
and through.

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