O'lE DOLLAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA:
Thursday Morning, August 21, IB£2.
jihltttcb
BEAUTirUL AND STERLING.
[The following beautiful and sterling lines fmm OLIVER
\VKNKKLL OLMKS, appeals to every heart in this hour of
our country's ueed.and should be read and published ev
b, v where r]
Listen, young heroes! your country is calling!
" T j mc <t r ikcs the hour for the brave aud the true !
Kow. while the foremost are fighting and falling
Fill up the ranks that have opened for ydu.
You. whom the fathers made free and defended,
Stain not the scroll that cmblaions their fame !
Vuo, whose fair heritage spotless desceuded,
Leave not your children a birthright of shame !
gtaynot lor questions while Freedom stands gasping !
Wait not till Honor lies wrapped in his pall !
Brief the lips' meeting be, swift the hands clasping—
•• Off for the wars !" is enotlgh for them all.
Break from the arms that would fondly caress toU !
Hark! 'tis the ougle-blast! sabers are drawn!
Mothers .-hall pray for you, fathers shall bless you,
M iideas shall weep for you when you are gone !
Sever or now ! cries the blood of a nation
poured 011 the turf where the red rose should bloom—
jf 0 w is the day an the hour of salvation—
Never or now! peals the trumpet of d >rn !
Never or now ! roars the hoarse-throated canlnJu
Through the black canopy blotting the -kits ;
Kiveror now ! Ilaps the shell blasted pennon
O'er the deep oofb wliele the LT.uiLului.d lies!
j-'ivm the foul dens where our brother-are d\ big,
Aliens and foes in the land of their birth,
l'roin the rank swamps where our martyrs are lying
Pleading in vain lor a litUitilut earth!
From the hot plains where they perl-ll outnumbered ;
Furrowed and ridged by the battle-lield - plough.
Comes the loud summons ; too long J on have -lumbered,
llc ir the last Angel-trumpet—Never or now !
Uliscc llaittßiis.
GENERAL M'LELLA.VS SCJIT.
BY WESLEY BK.vnsUATf.
There is not, perhaps, one of onr numerous
readers who lias not forgotten the anxiety, 'he
doubts and fears, which possessed the public:
mild immediately after the Full Et.uu battle.
Nor is there one peril-p-, who forgets the j
thrill of joy which took the place of all other
I emotions in the people's heart, when in the I
I hrnbie hour or uatioual suspee-e; the slir o!
I 'Jsurge J> McCh-Uin foe promisingly from
I ihu 111 'iiiitaiiis of Western \ irgitiiu. 'L h<-
I Veteran Scott, laving aside ail motives but his |
I country's welfare, said to the nation, " here is
1 jour future guiding star ; follow ilitil and you
w i:J he saved "
Amidst the darkness and teiflpest, lire '
j hation's eye has ever since been bent confid
| iagly on the guiding star, and they have been
led by it to glory and success.
Whoii the gallant young eotfimandcf, who,
j In sp te of the machinations of his enemies, is
I still " first iu the hearts of his countrymen,"
I first arrived in Washington, lib found a single
I h-Uer wailing for liuu. Breaking the seal, iie
I learned thai it was from an old lneiid.u strong
I uuvocal" of' Southern lights, asking an early
I interview on " business of ibe highest impor
I lance to the Governments
For a vvnile McClcllun mused Uputi the tone
I '.if this ini-sive. Treachery was rampant iii
I the Capital ; it l-.u iu every department,
I l'i.i scarcely any cue cJuld be trusted by
j those WHO had been selected to guide public
I iiffnrs. McClellan's decision was, however,
I speeddy made, ai d as speedily put ill eiecu
I lion, for the same evening the writer ot llie
I tmsterious letter was closeted with the uew
I Commander for nearly an hour and a half.
During the interview the latter elicited
I from his visitor information of the utmost iin
I portunce, provided it proved true. But here
I was the difficulty. Tne statements made by
I tbe gentleman wiTc all given in a candid,
I straight foi ward manner,aud uo cross question-
I could shake it iu th; least McClellau fixed
I his eyes upau the face of his old friend, and
I scrutinized every lineament thereof, but tailed
I to discover the least expression that might
I awaken distrust.
At lust at let' remaining a minute or so in
I profound thought, lie turned a quick, penetrat
ing gluuce upon his visitor, aud asked with
peculiar emphasis :
" Mr- F , you say that you have the
cause of the Union at heart, that you cherish
it more than aught else ; would you be willing
to run any risk lor its sake V
" 1 would, General," was the immediate aud
Unhesitating reply.
Would you be Willing to give up your fam
ily for the -ake ol your eotiuirv ?"
' The answer to >bn interrogatory was delayed
iuii half a minute, during which delaj
McClellan's look seemed to pierce to the very
•hjnlis ;if the other's soul. A Hush came to
'lie cheeks of Mr F and Ins hand, which
Urust carelessly b u utn tne bre >st ef his c a',
LLIUICII. it something once or twice. The
flash lett Ilis cheek, however, and the conceal
ed bund became still, as he replied iu a voice
S'inost as firm as belore :
'* That, General, is the hardest part, but I
a n willing even to give up uiy family for my
country."
'ike gallant McClellan's generous feelings
fil| d impulses welled up withiu his breast, and
' J e was about to grasp the hand of i)is friend,
* h'fi the position in which lie stood toward
bis counti j re-entered his mind with fill! force,
UI) il lie cum iniicil his qtieslious.
" Mr. F would you be willing to give
70ur hie lur the Union ?"
" I would.',
Ikere was even lees hesitancy abotft this
titiswcr than the most prompt of the others.
" Would you," couinißed McCielbu, "bo
*iliitig to go iu uny portion of the rebellions
o'ates utni obtain inlormatiou such as would
6 Us tful to the Government iu the prosecu
•!Ju qf its plans for the war;'
" I would."'
" Then come here at this time to morrow
evening, and i will give yon instructions iu
regard to a nertuin matter which I wish you
i to ihVestigale. If you successfully accomplish
, the o' j'Ct a u.ed at you wibjn n ler you? coun
ty a most important benefit ."
Willi a cordial shake of the hand, Gen. Mc-
Clelland and Mr. F. parted, the former to ad
dress himself to the tremendous labors before
him, and ihe latter to prepare for one of the
most Lazeidous enterprises that has been un
dertaken since the beginning of the war, an en
terpriee which we would not, c-veu at this time
make public.
During the cOursj of the following dav, Mc-
Clelland sent for a private in the ~Otiio
regiment who had served under liuu in Wes
tern Virginia as a scout. Iu this line the
Onio soldier, who was nick named " Weasel
Bull," on account of his petiuliar abilities, had
no equal. Having traveled from the Atlantic
to the Pacific ocean, and from Oregon to Flo
rida, ho was thoroughly acq tainted with the
country, and the various modes aud lines of
traveling therein.
Weasel Bob adored his commander, and in
return itie latter placed iu tne eccentric sol
dier the lullest confidence. Upon entering the
presence of McClellau, Bob glanced about him
as though from mePe habit, while the General,
smiling at hiui, bade iiiiu be seated, and imme
diately opened the conversation with,
Hubert, I have one of the most difficult
and dangerous affairs to place iu your buud
that >on (late }et had.''
Weasel Bob at tins hung his cap on his
broad knee, and placing his long boudy hands
thereon, he leaned forward and looked intent
ly into the face of his G neral, iu order to tuiss
nothing the latter might hare to say.
" I here will be a man lure tonight," con
tinued McCiellau, " who has oil -red his ser
vice to make a tour of observation through
\ irgii.ia. He is a Southern mail; both by
birth and principles, and yet he professes a
strong attachment to tbe Union.
" Now, it is ray iiileuiiou to send hiin into
\ irginia, Upon an errand of high importance,
which could hardly be accomplished by any
other m ill, lie st-cnis to tie true, mid worthy
of being trusted ; tint, yt't, 1 have a suspicion
tliut he imtV pos-ioly be 111 league with the reb;
♦-i-, and only u ing an apparent loyally to tub
Union as a cloak to hide his fealty and friend
ship to the Confederate Government.
" He will, as I have said, be.,here this even
ing at 10 o'clock, to receive from me certain
instructions, after w Inch he will immediately
naft South. \ou will also he here, and when
he takes his departure, you wiil follow him
and never lose sight of him until he returns,
when you will report instantly to no body but
myself. Do you understand ?"
" 1 think I do, General," answered Weasel
Bob, with a peculiar twinkle ot his Calm, blu
eyes, " 1 think 1 do ; but with your peruiis
sia, I will ask a question.
" Well, goon."
" It I catch him doiug anything wroug am
I to shoot him
" No ! Above ail things,should you diseov
er him at any treachery lie sure to follow only
still more closely than ever, until his return
to Washington,and note Well those with whom
he has intercourse."
" Ali ugh', General, I understand exactly
now,ami I'll do my best to fix everything just
as ttin w-Hflt it.
With these words Weasel Bob rose to his feet
and left the room with the use ' military sa
lut''.
The next night, true Io his appointmeht, j
.Mr. F , was at Genni M'Oiellan's head !
quartets, and having received the instructions
us to Bis; Uoui'sc before mentioned, set forth on
h;s mission.
Like Ins own shadow, a tall lank figure fol
lowt'd liuu, and that living shadow never left
him until the following tragic incident took
place.
Mr. F r- had got as far as Harrisonburg
without any difficulty, ami as Weasel Bob
thoujht at the time,with much more eu.ae than
a gooil Union uia i should be able to do.—
But) did not recognize the fact that his own
presence in the saim- place proved the fallaey
of liis reasoning. Mr F .as we have in
timated, met with his first difficulty in Ilairi
sonburg,where he was recogized by a man who
had been iu Washington, and who, hi.nselt a
rabid secessionist aud traitor, was fully ac
quainted wall the character and sentiments ot
Mr. F .• As the latter was walking oue
evening in one of the principal street of the
town, he was met by Ins enemy who stopped
him and began to tpiest".' u him as to tbe cause
of his presence in ttie place.
A crowd instantly begun to collect about
the two men, and as the conversation proceed
ed. a cry was raised.
" A q>y 1 a traitor ! hang him ! kill hiui !"
In a moment a rush was made upon Mr
I*' ,acd he was knocked down,and would tdoubt
less have iu.-Uuiilly have been trampled io
death, had not our friend, Weasel 13ob, rushed
forward, and scattering his assailants right
ami left, stooped down and raised him to his
feet, with the words :
" I don't believe lie's a Union man ; he is
just as good a secesher as 1 *im myself."
" Who are you ? who are you?" shouted
several of the crowd, who closed up uroud
Mr. F-* -, and his rescuer.
" Who am 1?" quickly answered Weasel
Bob,\ia indignant !une9. " 1 am a South
Gurulina man ; i am "
" That other man's a Union spy," yelled
one of the lioters. " Mr. Williams here says
be is,''..
" Well, it he is, let's atlfi'ird to hiin ; but il
he can prove that he isn't, wliy don't go to
minder uu inuoceut man. Ttidl's what I
BSJ."
This addrt scattered in convincing tones by
Bob, restrained the feelings of the mot), ami
a genera! nsiUmt ttu* given to his opinion
The intended kindness, however proved ol lit
tfe benefit to the poor vietun.for being search
ed ou the spot, a pass given Mr. I by
Gen. M'Chdlan himself was discovered.
This was sufficient evidence, and it it was.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. 0. GOODRICH.
immediately decided by his captors that he
should be taken outside of the town aud bung
in tile woods.
The first impulse cf Weasel Bob was to fight
for the death of Mr. F , whom he felt now
tully convinced was a staunch Union man; but
his orders we~e positive to return to Washing
ton, and therefore, he was obliged io restraiu
his noble feelings, aud witness the execution
of Mr. F .
When he went back to Washington aud
made his report, his voice lost somewhat of its
firmness, s lie narrated to General McClellau
the end of the tragedy. Said he i
" Oh, General, it was just the hardest thing
I ever saw done, and made me feel kind of
bad ever since, but you know I had to obey
Orders. The blood thirsty hounds took hitn
out to the woods, with a rope round his neck.
When they came to the tree on which they
were going to hung him they gave him five
minutes to pray. And such a prayer he made;
it would haVe moved a heart of stone. lie
prayed for our country, and the success of our
armies, and lie prayed for the South that she
might tie brought back into the Union ; and
he prayed beautiful for you and lie prayed for
his wife and children. When he Came to these
lat, his voice trembled like a leaf, and do you
think, them infernal brutes jerked him up to
the tree j .st us he spoke his wife's uurne, Ma
ry, 1 think it was."
Canada Thistles.
[1 Wo weeks ago we briefly alluded to the Act passed by
the la t l.egisia.ure, in reiereuee to the destruction of
Canada thistles. As a matter of public interest, we give
below the entire law, approved the 22D March, ISG2 :"j
Be it enacted, (.)•€., That from and after the
passage of tliic act, it shall be the duty of ev
ery person or persons, and of every corpora
tion holding lauds in this commonwealth, eith
er by lease or otherwise, on which any Canada
thistles, or weed commonly known as Canada
thistle, may be growing, to cut the same, so as
u prevent such weeds or thistles from going to
seed, and the seed 01 the same from ripening ;
and any person or persons, or corporation as
aforesaid, who shall off 111.1} have land as afore
said, in the said counties, and who shall ne
glect or refuse to comply with the provisions
uf this act, shall forfeit and pay a fine of fif
teen dollars, one half to the county treasuer,
and the other halt' to tiie us - of the person su
ing for the same, who shall be a competent
witness to prove the facts, to be recovered as
other debts of the like amount before any jus
tice of the peace, or iu any court of raeord iu
said county.
SEC. 2 That if any person or persons,
so holding laud as aforesaid, on which
Canada thistles, or the Weed commonly known
as siicll, shall be growing and likeiy to ripen
send theieon, sluili neglect or refuse to cut and
destroy the same, so as to prevent the seed
thereof lioiu ripening, it shall and may be law
ful for any person or persons, who may consid
er themselves aggrieved, or about to be injur
ed by such neglect or refusal, to give five days
notice in writing to such person or persons, or
corporation, to cut and destroy such weeds or
thistles ; and on their neglect or refusal to
cut and destroy the same at Lie end of five
days, it shall and may be lawful for any per
son or persons so aggrieved, or believing them
selves about to be injured thereby, to enter up
on, or hire other persons to enter upon such
premises, and cut down and destroy such Can
ada thistles ; aud the person or persons ecem
ployed, shall be entitled to recover from such
person or persons, or corporation, owning or
holding such land, compensation at the rate of
two dollars per day, to be sued for aud recov
ered as debts of like atuCii.it, before any jusl
tiee or court iu saiu counties.
fiisy* At the feceut exchange of fI.UUO pris
oners ut Aiken's Landing the difference of
treatment was strikingly man fested. The
rebel exchanges were transported iu confuta
ble vessels, were well fed and in cleanly trrni;
our Union men were matched thirteen miles
ou foot, had no food the entire day beyond
two small biscuits each, and had suffered tor
ture indescribable for want of water. At the
urgent entreaty - f Robert (Juld, the Rebel
commissioner iu charge of tliem, thev were
graciously permitted to drink from a Yi.ginia
well. Food was supplied to them by our own
men. The gentlemau who furnishes this in
formation says that the exchange of private
soldiers is now completed, and names several
officers, who bare ulso been exchanged. He
says that Col. CORCORAN will be given for the
Rebel Col. HANSON. We trust there will be
no further hesitation, and that we may soon
have the pleasure of greeting the brave Colo
nel of the gallant Six'yninth. But we doubt;
Jeff. Davis is a treacherous vidian j he has lied
and deceived many times before in this case,
and the story now ; s that he has si ddenly
stopped the exchange of prisoners iu conse
quence of General POPE'S orders about guer
rillas.
CURIOSITY OF NATURE —Among the papers
published iu a cosily sttle by the bmithsonian
Institute at. Washington, is one on the micro
scopic plants and animals which live on and
in the human body H describes quite a nuin
ner of insects. Tne animal, which produce the
disease called itch, is illustrated by an engrav
ing half an inch iu diameter, which shows not
only the Ugly little iellow's body and legs, but
bis very toes, although the aniiflat himself is
entirely invisible to the caked eye. When
Lieut. Berryman was sounding the ocean, prep
aratory to laving the Atlantic telegraph, the
quit at the end ol the sounding line biought
up mud, which, on being dried,became a puw
ler so tine tliut on rubbing it between the
thumb and finger, it disappeared in the crevi
ces uf the skiu. On placing this dust under
the micro Scop, it was discovered to consist
of millions of perfect shells each of which had
a living utiiuiul.
Busf' A Northern editor predicts that "wool
will be king." Pr.ntiee wants to know wheth
er he means wool on the back of u sheep or
wool on tbe head of u uegry.
"REGARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
THE SOUTH CAROLINA SEVEN.
BY WESLEY BKAOSUAW, ESIJ.
During the struggle for independence the
American patriots were as much harassed by
the Tories as by the hired mercenaries sent by
despotic royalty to conquor and force them in
to submission to a power which they hated.
Soon after the Southern forces were placed
under the command of General Greene, the
latter sent out General Morgan with one thou
sand men to cut off those Tories infesting the
western portion of South Carolina.
Scarcely had Morgan mid his brave band
taken their march, ere Coruwallis, the British
commander became aware of the movement,
aud instantly dispatched the blood thirsty
Colonel Tartleton in pursuit. The indefatiga
ble Morgan soon learned of this and he ac
cordingly halted and prepared for battle.—
The enemy appeared in such force, however,
that Morgan retreated as far as Cowpeus, a
little town in the northern part of what was
then Union County, where he determined to
meet the foe at ali hazzards.
The sun of January 10th, was going down
as he entered the town, and so close was the
pursuit that the dim shadows of evening had
not yet deepened into the darker shades of
mghr, before Tarietou came up. Of course it
was too late to commence battle; but each
commander spent most of the night in issuing
orders to, and arranging his troops for the
contest of the morrow. Tiie greater portion
of Morgan's band consisted of the militia, who
though brave, were comparatively undicipliu
ed, and of course, uot likely to long withstand
the shock of a charge of thoroughly trained
troops.
To the disposition of this part of his com
mand, therefore, General Morgan directed his
particular attention, aud endeavored, by ap
propriate addresses to infuse within their
breasts the same indomitable courage that
possessed bis own heart.
Among the militia were seven persons—a
father and his six sons whom General Mor
gan specially complimented. These seveu
patriots soldiers were nicknamed, by their
comrades, " THE LITTLE REGIMENT," for a
reason which the reader will easily compre
hend from the following description :
John llilier, sir, then some fifty years of
age, stood six feet five and a half inches, was
of line proportion, and weighed over three
hundred pounds ; while the youngest, John
Ililiier, Jr., aged twenty tw , measured six
feet tnroe inches, and weighed two hundred
and fifty pounds. The five other brothers
varied in size and weight between these two
In addition to those gigantic proportions, the
Hiliiers were possessed of enormous courage.
Though often before engaged in skirmishes,
this was the first time they were to take part
in a regular pitched battle, and of course, the
rest of the army were somewhat anxious to
lifiow how they would behave.
" John,"said General Morgan to the elder
Ililiier, who, with his sons, was eating a hasty
and frugal meal from off a fallen tree, " I
suppose that you end your brave boys would
rullu r light together than be separated ?"
" Yes, General," replied the patriot, touch
ing his rough cap respectfully, and rising to
his feet, " I think we would He of much more
service to you aud to our noble cause, when
united than when separated. You know
General tha''" What Washington's all the time
telling us Americans—to stick together else
we'll get heat. And I tell you what General
Washington knows what's what."
" Well, Johiij" rejoined General Morgao,
smiling at tiie h ro's quaint expreffion of his
opinion of Washington's judgment," we'd have
some warm woik in the morning, and I am
going to give you and your lads here the most
dangerous position in the battle. To morrow
you shall bear tue first standard into the
light, and 1 know that the glorious banners of
our country cannot be placed in better hands.
"Thank you, General, thank you, for the
compliment, aud I and my lads will promise
you this, that while we stand and fight, or
kneel arid fight, or lay down aud fight, you'll
see them stars and stripes floati g.
"Then, as time is pressing, move up to the
front, answered General Morgan, gathering
up his reins and riding slowly away. Aud
remember," he continued, as his steed praueed
along, impatient of the curb, "I shall keep my
eyes upou " THE LITTLE REGIMENT V' Good
uight."
" Goad night, General," was the reply, ac
companied by t'ne usual inilUary salute; and
thus they parted.
The still hours of the night passed slowly,
solemnly on, and each patriot soldier, as he
watched the twinklings of the faraway stars,
and listened to llie frosty wind aS it moaned
past, thought, that perhaps those self same
6hining worlds would, the next night, send
dowu just such twinklings on his own bloody
corpse ;or roughiy made grave. The stars,
however, gradually paled away, and then,faint
grey gleams in the eastern sky told that diy
was coining to light the war deraou and death
angel to their work. Presently, as the sun
came fully above the horizon,and streamed his
glowing beams over the icy hillocks and along
the snowy fields, the trumpet's shrill UOM
sounded iiie enemy's advance, aud tbe pa
triot baud prepared for the onset.
In front, and a little from the van of Mor
gan's force were John Ililiier aud his six
giant sons, the father himself bearing aloft
the flag, while the latter ranged themselves
three on each side of him as a guard.
" Well done, Little Regiment !" exclaimed
the General, as he rode dowu the line encou
raging his men to 6tand firm before the foe,
who" were now approaching.
On came Tarleton and his merciless butch
ers with that steady coolness and feterau de
termination, which always have such a fatal
effect upou militia. Anxiously Morgan glanc
ed upon his undisciplined force, which he
noticed was alreudy beginning to sway from
side to side, and back and forth. But even at
the critical moment, he was unable to repress
the thrill of joy which passed through him, as
be beheld tbe Hiliiers, at a word from tbeir
I ather cocliy and deliberately drawing their
' long, heavy swords.
| " Would to God I had a hundred such
j Little Regiments," he said between Lis closed
' teeth, " I would "
The sentence was unfinished, for, at this
j instant, at a given signal, Tarletou's troops
j clapping spurs to tueir steeds charged with
fearful fury,
j For a moment or so the militia tottered,
and surged, and struggled, and then break
j iug, fled in wild confusion, thus leaviug the
I devoted Ilillmrs wholly unsupported. Mor
! gan expected to see tbe latter swept to darth
and ridden down like reeds before the tem
pest ; but even he did not know the Little
j Regiment. Quailing before the formidable
j gianis, Tarletou's men swerved either to
right or left of them, and thus threw away
their own advantage, which the Spartan
Americans turned to their account. In a
voice that was clearly heard above the din of
battle, the elder Ililiier, as he raised himself
to his height, shouted :
" Close up lads, close up ! Our Hag ! Oar
flag forever 1"
Instantly he was encircled by uis cons,
whose herculean exertions actually kept the
whole force of the enemy at bay. Determin
ed, however, to take the rebel standard, Tarl
etou's men raged wildly about their iuleuded
victims, but as uselessly as the storm tossed
oeeau lashes the beating cliff. Man and hor
ses sank to earth, till ut last their bodies form
ed a rampart, within which " The Little Ileg
iuieut," wounded aud bleeding, fought like li
ons. Seeing, at lust, that sabres were useless,
a British dragoon now drew a pistol, and lev
eling it at young John Hiiiier,skot Liu through
the breast.
"C'iuse up, lads ! close up ! Our flag ! our
flag lorever !" again thundered the father,
and the fearless circle was once more serried
aud brokeu.
By this time Morgan had succeed in bring
ing up his regulars, and heading them himself,
he rushed to the rescue of the noble Hi liters.
But, aias ! too late ! A second of the
" Little Regiment" fell—then a third, and a
fourth, and a fifth !
" Back to back, Ned 1 Our fiig forever!"
hoarsely commanded the elder Uiilicr, as ho
saw his fifth son sink at his feet.
For a whileJMorgan'sfierceJassault attracted
the attentiou ol Tarletou's men. Like tigers
did the patriot commander and his handful of
men strive to cut their way to the two envir
oned heroes, and save them ; but fate had or
dered it otherwise, and the last sou falling,the
father was left alone iu the midst of his relent
less assailants.
Still,however, the flag Coated proudly above
the doomed hero, and stiil that gory sword
swept below its folds in many a horrid circle
and still, as frenzy took the place of reason,
Ililiier shouted in wild, hoarse tones :
" Close up, lads ! close up 1 Our flag ! out
flag forever 1"
For moment the giant patriot raised him
self up to his full height, whirled his sword
aloft, aud delivered his last vengeful stroke
auioug his enemies, one of whom he clove
nearly to the saddle. Such was the force cf
the blow that the blade snapped assuuder,
leaving only the hilt iu the hero's baud, who,
casting this from him, sprang up and seized J
the starry buuuer that he had so long aud
bravely defended, and convulsively wrapping |
it about him,sunk beueatb a shower of blows, '
exclaimed with his dyiug voice :
" Ciose up, lads 1 Close up ! Ourflagl ou
flag forever I"
Uuuble to tear the flag from about the fal- ,
leu man, the British now turned their full I
alteniiou upon General Morgan, who, after a
desperate resistance was forced to fly. In the
course of the pursuit, however, the enemy fell
into irretrievable disorder, and, ever ou the
alert, Morgan, taking advantage of this, ral
lied his broken force, aud charging the foe
totally routed them, thus re-wiuuiug the victo
ry which he had so signally lost.
His first thoughts, alter the defeat of the 1
enemy, turned upou the brave but fated Hil- |
liet'S. aud, together with his aids,he rode back :
to the spot where thespartan band had fought
and lulleu. Surrounded by their victims lay
the seven gigantic iitlliers, about the eldest of
whom was still closely wrapped the colors
which had been committed to his care in the
moruing now riddled with builets, torn uuu
soaked with blood of its champions.
As Morgan gazed dowu upou the silent
forms at his feet, tears gathered iu his eyes,
aud, with the words : " Bury them side by
side : and, above all uon't remove the flag
Mom old Jobu ; it is a beroe's shroud, aud a
beroe is iu it"—he was about to turu uway,
wheu one ot his aids exclaimed ;
" lie lives i he lives
A groau aud a slight movement of the body
proved this to be correct. A suigeou Was
quickly in attendance, who after an examina
tion, gave it as his epiuiou that in lees than
tweuty minutes the life which was stiii linger
ing in the old hero would be gone
The group, therefore, continued around the
dyiug man, who at the end of about ten min
utes, revived so far as to raise himself ou his
elbow, and exclaimed :
" Close Up, lads ! close up \ Cur flag 1 our
flag forever 1"
This was his lust effort, aud spasmodically
drawing bis spatfgied and blood stained shroud
closely about him, he fell back to earth a
corps.
With tbe thoughts of such sires aud such
dtw s as these living iu our memories, is there |
to-day, Withiu the bouudariesof the laud which j
our fathers have bequeathed to us,is there oue j
American, who in /us heart does uot love aud
venerate the starry banuer uuder which the
heroes of '7O fought aud died. Is there to- j
day, in the wide expause of the republic, oue
American, who will uot exclaim with tnapy
iug hero of Cowpons :
" OUR FLAG 1 OUR FLAG FOREVER."
Mrs. Fartiugion says that " nothing
despises her so much as to see people who pro
fess to respect salvation go to chuch without
tbeir purses when a collection ip tp b& takeo " '
VOL. XXIII. —KO. 12*
Letter from Virginia.
YORKTOWV, VIRGINIA, \
August 2, 18ti2. )
j E. O. GOODRICH, Esq., Dear Sir t —ln the
present dearth of exciting war uews, perhaps
I you can find space in the REPORTER, lor a let*
1 ter from a soldier serving with the army of
the Peninsula, though it should possess no real
' merits of interest. I have seen all the grand
; encampments of our army between Ship Poiut
and Mechanicsviile, as well as all of the frog
! " ranches" of the Chickaboininy. Only seven
| weeks ago our battery (Ist New-York Artil
: cry,) and General Kearney's Jersey Brigade,
i were on picket duly at Mechanicsviile, five
miies from Richmond, and in sight of some of
its church spires. While our boys—by turns
I stood at the guns night and day, for ten days,
: in the very face of the rebels, with now and
then a shell whizzing by our heads,
only to shak off our drowsy fears, every bos
om swelled witti high hope of a successful eu
couuter with the rebels, and of a triumphant
: entrance into their Capital. But the fate of
war has turned the tables agaiust us, and we
now fiud ourselves within the enclosure of
1 Yorktown, instead of Richmond. Although
this city is of Ex-volutionary renown ; yet it
j is|a email dilapidated village of some twenty
brick houses, built in the ltui Virginia style,
J with large out door chimuejs—at either end.
! The public buildings area Court House, Clerks
i Office, a Jail and an apology for a church.—
This port is commanded by General "Van Allen,
and the troops here arc the Fourth Penosyl
j vania Cavalry, the Bth New-York Muliiia, an
independent Battailion of four hundred styled
the Lost Children, autf two Batteries of Light
j A rtilery, the Seventh Mass , aud First N'ew-
Yorb, it is rumored here and generally be
lieved that the rebels are concentrating troops
at West Point, for the purpose of re-taking
this piaee. Bui. they will find us ready fof
! them. Ail the heavy guns they had to de l
' fend the river, we have moved so as to eoli
laue the whole country approaching the town.
A few nights ago, about live hundred rebel
: cavalry made a dash ou Gloweaster Point,jbut
j they found the guns left there dismounted and
I destroyed. They set fire to several shanties
or barracks, auu attempted to fire some ship
: timber laying 0:1 the beach, but the gun boat
! Chccura opening on them with shell, they left
' ou double quick, taking with tbein sotue half'
1 a dozen conscripts and ail the iiegioes they
j could fiud, and threatened to come back aud
hang every citizen that sold any provisions td
i the Yankees, aud since then, our stoei of oth
1 ions and potatoes have been light. Last week
twelve hundred Contrabands were sent from
' this place lu Harrison's Landing, to McClel
ian's army. Though our army has suffered a
J sad reverse—a defeat—the soldiers art, not dis
heartened. We were told laet fall by our gen
era's that a few months delay would secure
uu eaiiy victory for our army—that delay
would demoralize the rebel army, aud would
be destroyed by its owu internal factious.—
And, last spring, wheu it was known that the
rebel army had nearly doubled its number dur
ing the winter,we were told that most of them
were good Luion men, and had been forced
into the rebel service by conscription, aud that
they would desert the first opportunity. But
with aii the tender treatment ol Lite "peculiar
institution,'" and all the kii dness shown to reb
els, and the protection offered Jtheir property
not one of them has been induced to reveal
any plan of Jeff. Davis, or do any act that
would injure the rebel cause. Our generals
have sacrificed fifty thousand lives,rather than
lay violent bands on the "sumof all viilaules."
Our army has beeu placed in the category of
a man fighting an enemy with his child in his
arms, to shield off the blows, and the
ou crying lilt iho man but spare the baby.—
Down with rebellion but spare the iustituliou
of slavery. Bat thank GOD aud Congress,the
" kid glove" policy of dealing with traitors
and their peculiar institution ol waiting on, of
hemming in, of starving out, aud of coaxing
back these vile traitors, has been abandoned,
and henceforth we are to fight the enemy of
our Government as rebels auu not us deluded
brethren. The Poclamation of General Pope
Inspired every soldier v. itii new life and vigor,
and causes the ho; of to spring afresh
in every beait. it is uot too late to save our
government ii the people respond immediately
and with a will to the call for troops. Old
Bradford has done nobly, many of her sous
covered themselves with glory at Mechanics
vide and Gaues' Mill. But she can do more;
bous of Bradford 1 if you love your country,
prove it by lending your aid i:i this hour of
her peril. Your help is needed now, —your
couutry and frieuds arc in danger I Remem
ber it is better and far more glorious to die on
field battieing for liberty, than be ruled by
fciave Oligarchy, and enemies 0! Hunan free
dom. L necessary, let the patriotic ladies of
the North, resolve themselves into recruiting
officers, discard ail their beaux,and treat with
contempt every mau that em; e.tid will not fight
for his country. Let every one remember that
Pennsylvania sous gathered a rich harvest of
fame in our week of battles, but the ead is not
yet. While lue whole soul of the rebellion
clusters around Richmond, com down nnd
help us to give it the death vote h&i
elected a President and one soldier may save
an army, aud his country. N". L.
We belive it Was Kingsley who said ■
"To be miserable, think about yourself—
about what you want, what you like, what re
spect people ought to pay to you, what people
think of you— and then to you nothing will bo
pure. You will spoil everything you touch ;
you will make sin nnd misery for yourself out
everything which GOD sends you ; you will
be as wretched as you choose ou earth, or id
heaven either."
- S&r An ambitous young lady was Itflkiug
very loud and fast about her favorite authors,
when a literary chap a.-ked her if she liked
Lamb. With a look of ineffable-' disgust, she
answered her interlocutor that she cared very
I little what 6he ate, compared with
knowledge.