The agitator. (Wellsborough, Tioga County, Pa.) 1854-1865, June 25, 1862, Image 2

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    'She wab NE\ys.’|' i.\ ■, ■
Dispatches from Gen. McClellan's’ headquar
ters, up to B‘o’clock Sunday j’^hVstate
that all wAs.qoiet yesterday. Skirini?Jhingcon
tinued all day on Stturdny, and at flight ev
erything indicated that a general
, was at hand. A dispatch from Montgomery,
Ala., dated last Tuesday, la pnbliefjfcd in the
Richmond papers, saying that Beaufsgard and
his staff had arrived at ’Montgomer JnpU their
way to Richmond, and that of
the army of the Mississippi were |b. follow,
Braggholding back enough to keep
vandals. So many stories are told Beahre
gard’s movements that.no one what W
believe,; but this one Is likely to
Beauregsrd could not afford to havbihis com
munications with Bicbinotid OUJ threat
ened byGert. Morgan's movement inShCumber
-1 and Gap; there is literally no : chsvcq for the
Rebels in the Volley ofl the MississfVp;, unless
to make here and there n das If, whiiij-howover
successful at the moment, could bdSifno u!ti
v mate advantage ;so the rumor that
is trying ,1c re-enforce. Johnson is i&. least ex
ceedingly probable,. His personal presence is
of very little consequence either-wify since bis
masterly inactivity and perpetual retreats have
destroyed among bis own men the fprestige won
by the bombardment of Fort Sum^rJ
New Orleans dates up to the lulikjsay that
Gen. Butler sprung a surprise troops
en the 13tb, but the response j w(is|sb| prompt
that he issued a special ordep cOiSpjimenting
the men upon their, alertness, also upon
their general behavior sines they jpeppied the
city. The»General was serenaded ;yf t,ho 14th,
by a large party of Unionists. Cf course be
made a speech, which was. well received. A
new daily paper has just been stirtpd, edited
by the great financier, Jacob B.trjjerl no.w 83
years old. Of course Beauregard ivbeird from,
via. New Orleans; he had 30,000 nick men in
bis army ot.Corinth, and sick and Srell were in
a deplorable conduipn. One Copped,
subscribing himself her MnjestyVff Victoria’s)
Acting Consul, had presumed to;address Getf.
Butler a cpmplaint about the qath'required of'
aliens,! and asking explafiatidnS whereupon
Gen. Butlef returned the i Hibernian
answer- that no reply would b®. to the
itots until Mr. Coppel should by
his dwn Government as its agah^-1- |
There ha's t been some livel-f hips creditable
work—marred by a sad catasti jphfj—jup White
River, in Arkansas., Our
found Rebel batteries at Sc. C B5 miles
from the Mississippi, and whif sd speedi
ly, and handsomely, after aboft and, a
half of brisk work. The’reba'a bisjfcflWQ strong
batteries, defended by 400 to feOO |nert, under a
traitor named Col. Foye, 6nce in the
United States Navy. Our ghysis-df the 43d
and 46th Indiana —landed the works
by bayonet;. 130 rebels were l|illeg- and wound
ed, and 30 captarpd, among.thp Frye.
None of our men were killed aqd hi stfqw wound
ed in the engagement —but a the en
emy's battery perforated the £oiU| cjf the gun
boat Mound City, letting free|thej|tenm,'where
by about I2s‘men were'killed, including seven
or eight officers. Immediate should
bo taken—by extra shielding ; or JiSberwise—to
secure boilers against such pnßßiidlitnes, This
is the second dreadful aocidenl of §>p|tii>d; may
it be the last. ' I.
Corinth dispatches of the $Sd ghyljftat Beau
regard handed his coromanj; tot Irjigg on the
17th and started for Kichijtondkb-Y.hetber to
take active command or to hiwe spt|'jenieht with
Jeff. Davis iff a question. Tlpere
stories, and it is impossible no wheth
er any of ftp Rebel army hnlgone east. Large
• amounts of provisions, received ftojfii St. Louis
for the suffering Mississippiajfis, ’bsvp been lib
erally distributed among the inlVbirants, who
seom grateful for the kindness! 'i,
Richmond papers give brief derails of .a hard
fight, four miles from Charleston,' t»n Monday,
19tb Inst. They say the battle liieteJ all day,,
and that the loss was heavy on baft hides. The
Charleston papers were apprehensive that the
fight would be renewed the nexpdky. The
Mercury 1 has recently become alarmed for its
sslf, and sent its large iHoes press off to Augus
ta, out of reach of bombardment.
Tns Cacssor tß* Wa*.—“Th** 1 has been
called a fratricidal' s far by gome, by others an
irrepressible conflict between Freedom and Sla
very. We respectfully take issue ■syith the au
thors of both of thesej ideas. s Weijire not the
brothers of the Yankees jandtlw Slavery ques
tion is merely the prdtext, not the pause of the
war. The true irrepressible c itaflilp lies funda
mentally in the hereditary hcutllvt|, the sacred
animosity, the eternal the
• two races engaged. I £
The Norman cavaliet-Oanwct the vul
gar familiarity of tfaje Jjaxon Vn,n tep, while the
latter is continually iletpsing'aom.] plan to bring
down bis aristocratic neighbor tjtiiis own detes
ted level. Thus wak the contesrwjaged in the
old Doited States. So long as Dickinson dough
faces were to be bought, and Ciujhrane cowards
to bo frightened, si) 1 ld»ig was tW l|nion tolera
ble to Southern men; |but wlieb, kwing to di
visions in our ranks! Yankel placed
, one of their own over tl f, sitlitical con
nection became u|iet|daru.ble, 'nn3 separation
necessary to preservetour self-respect.
As our Nor mart kinsman in England, always
a minority, have ifuled their ;Baijon country
men in political vaasHage upj tpljthe present
day, so have we, theislave oligsrihs,’ governed
the Yankees, tin witgiin a twelvemonth. We
■ framed the Cunititiition, for;, seventy years
moulded the polii:y|6f the G and
placed our 'own meDj ° r *Nori hern men with
Southern pnnciplps’j&i power;,,;.!
On the 6jh of Noramber, Puritans
emancipated thebisejves, and nib,now in violent
insurrection again«t‘their form frjsj\Vners.' This
insane hoiliday not da|t long, how
ever, (or dastards an" fight, a id incapable of
self-government, th|y will.inevitably again fall
under the control.ofthe superor wee". A few
more Bull Run thrsEshincswill bpifvg them once
more under tl rjtbe most loy
al of our £ ¥~-LouisciUe
Courier, ij '
The F. 3T, ,17. S. Min- •
ister to the i snon, died at
•ea on the i Mg body was
buried io the ocefn the nfei; ilny. Ha had |
been a long tim'a |n ill heakh,,jJviolf-had in
creased So seriously that he left Buenos ' Ay res
to return-to hi* in Poit4V|tle. —But his
disease had model such 1 pKigresf|ihat the soft
ferings of the sea Mynge bruiigiw On the final'
struggle. He Ijaa been a representative of
Schuylkill counts Jib'the Per nsyfvania Legis
lature, and fur wssiSpeaker of the
Senate, He 'was- appointed Minister by Pres
ident Lincoln, apdisiifled frmi , ;this country in
May, 1861, 'He ifuriy-otiy kright.of age and
leaves a wife ahdlsi* childfenl||hB oldest of
& whom, a young ma 4, acconjpat'afid'&iw to South
HbAucrictw ' : >,
3 |
’ 1
THE AGITATOR.
HUGH YOUNG, EDITOR i PROPRIETOR,
WBZ.Z.SBORODGB, PA., -
.WEDNESDAY, MORNING, JUNE 25.1862,
PEOPLE’S STATS: CONTENTION.
THE PEOPLE OP PENNSYLVANIA, who desire
cordially to unite in sustaining the National Admin
istration in its patriotic efforts to suppress a sectional
and unholy rebellion againet the ,Unity of the Repub
lic, and who desire to support,“by every power of the
Government, one hundred thousand heroic brethren
la orm>, braving disease and the perils of the field to'
preserve the Union of .our Pothers, am requested to
select the number of Delegate's equal to the Legisla
tive Representation ol the State, at such times sod in
sueh manner as will best respond to the spirit of this
call, te meet in State Convention at Harrisburg, on
THURSDAY, the Seventeenth Day of July next, at
eleven o’clock, on said day to nominate Candidates
for the offices of Auditor Genera! and Surveyor Gene
ral. and to take such measures as may be deemejd
necessary to strengthen the Government in this sea
son of common peril to a common country.
A. K. McCLUBE,
, Chairmen People's State Committee. ■
Geo. W. Hammebs.ly, 1 Secrotarlc ,.
Jda.V -M. SCLLIVA.V, I
ggy* Don’t fail to read nn article from the
Louisville Courier on the cause of the war, to
be found in another column- We clip it from
the Nashville Union and u is given ns a speci
men of the sentimeiits of “our Southern breth
eren” whose rights ore so dear to the dough
face papers, of the North. Th# Courier is for
■"the Union ns it was.’’ ,
B®" We printed last week a letter from a
staunch lender of the democracy of Philadel
phia, on the subject of the war and its cause,
which wo have not had the pleasure of seeing
in any democratic or “Union” paper—not even
in the Banner. We ask our neighbor to let its
readers"sco-that letter of Col. Owen, of the gal
lant 69ih, in which he says that the infernal
jystemwhich caused (his tear, must he wiped out.
Jlowcver, we don’t expect to see this letter in
the Banner, for of cbnrse the wiping out of
slavery would be disastrous to “the Constitu
tion as it is, and the Union as it was,” and also
to the party which uses this clap-trap phrase as
a rallying cry.
fi@*The Confiscation bill passed the House
of Representatives on Wednesday, by a vote of
82 to 54. The bill provides for the emancipa
tion of the slaves of all officers of the army
and navy ; of all high of State, Judges
and Foreign Ministers and Consuls; of Gov
ernors and members of State Conventions,
Legislatures and Judiciary ; of all who hold
any office or agency whatever under the Con
federate States, accepted since the adoption of
the secession ordinance of the State in which
siid person resides; of every person who, after
the passage of this act, shall be in rebellion
ngdinst the United States, and who shall not
within sixty Jays return to allegiance. All
the above specified persons are disqualified
from holding office under the Urirted States.
The President is authorized to negotiate for
territory whereon to colonize the liberated
slaves.
JBQy* The Harrisburg Telegraph says that
about 500 Rebel prisoners arrived at Camp
Curtin on Monday last. They were captured
by Gen. Fremont in the Valley of Virginia.
They are described as ragged, filthy, and igno
novanl. They expressed surprise to see work
of all kimjs.gomg on in Pennsylvania, the same
ns if we bad no' tremendous war on hand;
whilst at home they left everything in alarm,
and anarchy. Orders have
been issued to have government clothes and ra
tions furnished them. We trust that the Dem-
ocratic Convention which meets at Harrisburg
on the 4th pros., will be permitted to visit these
“ Southern brethren,” as likely enough they
can give some valuable hints as to “ the wel
fare of the Democratic party,” which is the
avowed object of the Convention. The welfare
of the country is a secondary affair, worthy of
attention only when the paYty is tinkered up.
fiSa?“TheNew York Times of Friday says:
"The rapid completion of the tremendous prep
arations which McClellan has made for the
discomfiture and confusion of the Rebels be
fore Richmond, authorizes a belief that hardly
a week will pass before a great battle shall have
"decided the event of the war. Of the rein
forcements recieved and dispositions made by
the Union General, it is improper to speak,
(t is enough, to know he heads an army nu
merically and physically the strongest in the
New World, that in point of artillery and mu
nitions be has vastly the advantage of the
enemy ; and that there is to be no such thing
as a "siege of Richmond,” and especially is
there to be no such thing _as defeat. General
McClellan will attack the rebels in their en.
campments, drive them back with artillery and
the bayonet, and enter the Rebel Capital close
on the heels of their broken and flying columns.
To effect this, our gallant General conceives
himself abundantly competent, a faith, we
hare roasop to know shared to the fullest extent
by bis officers and men.”
Col. Raastoff, charge d’affaires of Den
mark, has addressed a letter to the Secretary of
State upon the subject of the advantages offered
by the Island of Sr.'Croix for the employment
of persons of this county, of African extrac
tion, and negroes found on board vessels cap
tured" ~hy our cruisers. The island, be says,
has been checked in progress for want of man
ual labor, and be invites the United States to
enter into a Convention whereby the contem
plated emigration may be placed under the pro
tection and guarantee of the two Governments.
The Governor of the Danish 'West Indies has
also appointed a special agent, who has arrived
in this country, to make the necessary arrange
ments. Free transportation is offered to all
who" will engage to labor on the sugar planta
tions for three years, at the same compensation
as is given to the native population. Re-
the TIOG A COUNTY
captured Africans, being semi-savages, must
however, undergo apprenticeship. . .
Secretary Seward, in replying, says he is not
authorized to accept the proposition at this
time for a Convention. Tbs disposition" of re
captured Africans-is now prescribed by Jaw.
It is probable, however, that Congress may be
disposed so to modify the existing legislation
upon the subject aa to meet the wishes of the
Danish Qorernment. He has submitted cop
ies of the correspondence to the Chairman
of the Judiciary: Committee' in cash house of
Congress.
- Goi. Raastoff, in response, says the place he
bad furnished would he entirely satisfactory
from a Christian and humane pfoint of view,
and would, moreover, relieve the United States
from a great moral responsibility, and from the
very large expense which, if be was correctly
informed, is contracted -with the present ar
rangements for the transfer of the recaptured
Africans to the Republic of Liberia.
Santa Cruz, or St. Croix, is one of the finest
and richest islands in the West Indies,. It al
ready contains a population of 25,000, and will
sustain 50,000 more. We look with interest
upon the reception of the proposition by Con
gress.
J®“ The Harrisburg Telegraph says that the
government at Washington ia seriously embar
rassed by the knowledge which the leaders
possess of the most secret plans. No matter
whot new plan be adopted; the rebels are sure
to know of it before the first steps have been
taken to carry it into execution. General Jo.
Johnson knew of the proposed advance of Mc-
Dowell from Fredericksburg several days before
the time appointed far the army to set out upon
its march. The Washington Republican al
ludes to the embarrassments of the government
in this respect, and suggests that the treason
is somewhere in the families of high officials.
It is a notorious fact that the rebellion has
some of its most devoted supporters among the
aristocratic women of Washington, and some
of them are the wives and daughters of loyal
men who sustain confidential relations with
the administration. It is thought that this is
the avenue by which secret information goes to
Richmond. Ordinary spies have no chance of
ascertaining the military plans of the govern
ment, which are carefully concealed from even
the warmest politicat supporters of the admin
istration. Nor are the subordinates of the War
Department permitted to know anything that
would be important information to the rebels.
This subject has occupied the attention of the
War Department of late, and all leaks are to
be stopped if possible.
The correspondence of the Chicago Timet
states that ort the person of Colonel Washing
ton, rebel, was found a complete and correct
list of the army of the Potomac, including a
minute statement of its present organization in
corps, divisions and brigades. The name of
every division commander and of every briga
dier general Was correctly given, with the name
and number of every regiment in each brigade,
and the approximate strength of each regiment.
More than this, there was also attached.a plan
of the country on the Chickahoroiny near
Richmond, with the position of each division
of our army correctly marked on it. That it
bad very recently come into the rebel's posses
sion was evident from the fact that several of
the divisions bad moved their positions only
two days before, and their changes of position
were carefully noted on the sketch. The com
pleteness and accuracy of the entire document
proved that it could have emanated from no
tyro in military matters, and give,ground for
the painful suspicion that there is a traitor in
the camp who has access to the secret move
ments of the army.
Proslavery Unionism.
We call the attention of the members of-The-
Co n s 111 utinn-as-it-is-andthe-Union-as it-was-
Democratic Union-Party of this County, to the
Call of the Pro-slavery Democracy of New
York, and the comments of the Tribune, which
we print below. It will be seen that the lan
guage of the call, is nearly identical with that
of- the proposition submitted to the Republican
Committee of this County, by the selfstyled
Union Committee. We know that there are
some earnest Anti-Slavery men who are* op
posed to the Republican organization, but they
ought to look about them and see where the
democratic element of that ehaotio party is
steering the mto.— Ed. Agitato*.
Pro-Slavery Unionism.
Qun Rally ros the U.tioh !—The cittzena of Vow York
oppoeed to the farther agitation of the Neprd qnsutioa and
in favor of the restoration of the Union as it! van, and iho
maintenance of the Consittatlon as it is.'nre invited to meet
at the Ctoper Institute, Tuesday evening July 1,1863.
The above is the first advertisement of a new
political firm which has just gone into business
under the style and title of Fernando Wood,
James Brooks & Cumpany._ Presqrtiiug that it
intends (manger all protestations) to supplant
and subvert the rickety old contjern which
hangs out from Tammany Dali, we give it a
conspicuous, free insertion of its card and this
first rate notice.
The card tells us that these gentlemen and
their prospective associates are "opposed to the
further agitation of the Negro question.” This
is moat gratifying. Hitherto, they have done
little for years but screech “Nigger '"“Nigger!"
*‘Niooe»!” at the very top of their voices. It
was a gross insult to. the popular understand
ing, and wo are glad to bear that they have hi •
come ashamed uf it. For our - own part we
should be happy, to blot the word "negro” out
of our constitutions, politics, and statutes, and
know no distinction in law founded upon color,
or race. If any man is a rouge, a fool, an ig
noramus, a vagabond, a pauper. Jet the laws
treat him accordingly. Deprive the incompe
tent, the ignorant. the good-fur-nothing, of po
litical power if you will i but do it on a just,
tangible ground, and not on Che totally irration
al .pretost that their color is block, fed, or white.
AGITATOR.
That would be an effectual end to all "further |
agitation of tl e Negro question." The British
West Indies—nay, the French and Danish also
—have thus, conclusively terminated all spoh
agitation?' Weald that-our country could have
dona this years ago, and thus saved the terrible
waste of blood and wealth in this desolating
wat% ; .
But these gentlemen are not merely in favor
of stopping all “further agitation" as aforesaid
—they want it restoration of ‘‘the Union ns it
Was." This, Wough sufficiently vague, has yet
some glimpse of ,jneaning. if ill the gentlemen
be more spec fic f For instance:
I. In “the Union-aa- it was,” the President
elect of the United States—who, never harmed
any man in thought, word, or deed—was com
pelled to pasii through Baltimore in the night
when unexpected-, or be would surely have
been set upon and probably killed, os the Mas
sachusetts volunteers, pissing to the defence of
the Federal Metropolis against armed treason,
were butoherjed a few weeks afterward. . Had
the President chosen to take New Orleans nml
Charleston pn his way to Washington, he
would most certainly have been murdered long'
before reselling his goal. Do Messrs, Wood,
Brooks & Co., Want this state -of things re
stored ?
11. In “jthe Union ns <lt was,” Messrs.
Wood, Broojks & Co., and their political cro
nies, prosecuted the last Presidential contest
almost entirely by means of bullying. The
People of tine Free States were daily told, “ If
you elect Liinooln, the South will -revolt and
dissolve the Union,” We cannot see that this
is one whit less reprehensible than to do what
was thus threatened. If " the Union as it
was” tneanJ a Union wherein the North is al
ways to be ’bullied by threats of Southern in
surrection, let that fact be plainly stated. We
do not hesitate to avow our preference for a
Union wherein each man may vote as he thinks
right, uninfluenced and unannoyed by menaces
of treason end civil war.
111. In “ the Union as it was,” Senators
of the United States were liable to be bludg
eoned tb death’s door in their seats to punish
them for speaking ill of Slavery and its out
rages on tlie rights of freemen. We wish
to know whether ihai is among the bygone
elements df our political condition which
Messrs. Whod, Brooks & Co. propose to re
store. ;
IV. In " the Union as it was,” Slavery gave
law, political and social, to our Federal Me
tropolis, where men, women, and children were
regularly pold and advertised for sale like
sheep or oxen. This has just been changed,
in defiancejof the remonstrances and the votes
of the political friends of Messrs. Wood,
Brooks & Co. Do they propose to restore it ?
If not, we can assure them that they will have
a “further agitation of the negro question’’
in their own camp, and a very hot one at
that.
V. In “ the Union as it was,” Slavery
claimed a right to diffuse itself over every foot
of National Territory, from the Missouri to
Puget’s Sound. The jifesent Congress has en
acted that Freedom shall be universal in’all
Federal Territories. Do Messrs. Wood, Brooks
& Co. propose to acquiesce in or upset ihit
act T
—These are but ft few of the questions
which the oharopiops of the new agitation to
repress agitation are'hound in candor to meet.
If they rfoimeet them frankly and fairly in the
resolves of their meeting, wa shall endeavor to
give them [the benefit of a full and faithful re
port, •
PROM THEj BUCK-TAIfiS,
Camp near Cbickahohant 1
i June 16. 1862. )
Friend Acitatob. — The first and third bri
gades of [the reserve corps, are now within
twelve miles of Richmond. The third landed
at While House yesterday, and will be here
this afternoon : we shall then advance to the
main army in front of the Capital. ,
This is an exciting place in which to live ; ev
erything indicates that the last fortification is
being built—the last ditch dug, and the last
gun mounted, which will in a few days batter
down the walla of this doomed city, and send
joy to the longing hearts of the anxious mill
ions of the north. What a day that will be in
American history, when the ' wires flash the
news across the continent, and through every
state, that Richmond has fallen. But the tears
of joy Which will be sited over.tbnt great event,
will be mingled witn tears of sadness, for the
loved ones which must fall on this broad battle
(field. There is "skirmishing along the lines ev
ery day, and nearly every morning, the cannons
thunder for hours ; the ball may be opened at
any hour, and perhaps not in a week, or ten
days. Ttnreis a | constant stream of soldiers
flocking to ibis place; great preparations are
being made, and two of the.largest armies that
over met in America, are now congregating
around the walls of the city. '
We have just (passed through an exciting
time. Last Friday night, our brigade was
drawn up in line of battle for an advance, and
while we were waiting orders, with arms
stacked, a men ciime running info the camp,
nearly out of breath, without coat or hat, cry
ing that a large army of rebels bad broken
through our* lines, threw the oars . from the
track, killed alt oil hoard, burned the cars and
station, captured [our wagon train, and were
committing jill sorts of depredations. This
looked unreasonable, and but few credited the
story, until we were ordered in that direction,
for a whole brigade of our men bad passed
over the road during the afternoon. It was
about 10 o’clock in the evening, when our reg
iment accompanied by two others, the 2d and
Bth, started down the Rail Road in the direc
tion of the White! House, where the not was
said to hate been committed. All pasted off
quietly fur sis miles, with scarcely a word to
break the '-stillness of our moonlight march,
when a fire was'seen in the distance. It grew
larger and larger, as we grew nearer, until we
could see that the cars were on fire. As we
reached the station, we found the track -torn
up, the oars bn firs, and a mangled form of a
soldier lying upon the track, who had been .
shot, and bad fallen under the qare. No one,
was there to tell the tale, so our movements de
pended upon the tracks around us. Two com-
patties, A, - and F, were instantly decayed as
skirmishers on the right side of the rdad, while
the rest of the regiment went a few rods be
yond, and put out a burning bridge, which was
not much damaged. We found long triins of
urmy wagons on fire,-for they had- no time to
take them with them—and the mud lined with
everything which couid mark the trail of a band
of barbarians. For two long honrs we searched
the fields, swsmps, and woods, but to ho effect,
no enemy was there, and nothing left but de
struction. We were then ordered to the W hite
House, where it was supposed they would make
the-next Strike; It wna now past-midnight,
and we Begnti to feel weary, huUhe.rehels must
be headed, and the Buck-tails, were the boys tq
do it; snion we went like somany hounds mpur
suit of. game. As we p i ««i along the road,
we found tho pickets in line .of battle, and at
the Wbilte House, where we arrived at the dawn
of day.; We found every soldier, sailor, and
sutler ini arms really for a fight, but no one was.
there toifight—all sorts of stories were afloat.
We were now too tired to go any farther,.eo we
spread tjur, blankets in the hard road whore we
camped down nnd slept until about? o'clock. —
\v!hen we awoke in' the morning, the burning
sun was pouring down upon us, and we felt
rather sort over our previous night’s mnrob,
hiit everything went to show that a bard day’s
work was ahead, so we hurried down our break
fast and was soon on the march, in pursuit of
the flyirig demons. ,This was without any ex
ception the hotaft day I ever'saw, and many of
the men fell faint and weary by the road side,
some of them were sunstruck. Luckily for us,
we did not travel far, but halted and staid the
rest of the day, while a regiment of lancers
pursued the rebels until they crossed the Chick
ahominy, and burned the bridge behind them.
Now for the explanation/
.Thursday night four regiments of rebel cav
alry and two light field pieces left Richmond,
add by the aid of a ,traitor succeeded in break
ing through our pickets nqar Hanover Court
House- came down th£- river guided by Col.
Lee, who knew every rod of this country, ami
burned two schooners loaded with government
stores, fired into the oars loaded with sick,
killed five or more, and wounded 17, chopped a
small girl to pieces who tried to save her father,
tore up the tr«sk and'burned the cars, stopped
our wagon "train, took the driver;* prisoners
and burned the wagons, captured a number of
sutlers’ wagons, and baited at one of our hos
pitals, made lots of sport of the sick and
wounded, hut did n <t hurt or tike any, then
crossed, the river with a loss of only three pris
oners. This is one of the boldest moves that 1
have yet heard of, snd so sudden was their dash
and swift their flight that they crossed the river
before 'onr men couid overtake them. The
damage done was very light,, in comparison
to what might have been done, had it not
been flip the raped manner in which they were
pounced upon by a regiment of lancers, and
forces of every description which were after
them in every direction. A report came indent
night that (hey were captured by Gen. Stone
man on the other side of the river which I
hope is true. I have heard of barbarous acts
since the war broke out but none to compare
with this. I know many are disposed- to look
upon such stories as being exaggerated, but in
this case the half has not been told. The danty
age done to the telegraph wa? repaired that,
night,—they had only time to take one rtiw
from the truck, —the bridge fired was putyofit
before damaged, and when the engineer frond
that he was fired into he put on fall_St«am,
laid down in the tender and run the train over
the burning bridge, nnd thus saved, them, and
by 8 o’clock the next morning the engine was
again snorting over the road.
Sunday we traveled baok to this camp, which
1 presume we will leave tornight op in the
morning. Your, readers have ere this learned
the sad lot of the four companies of our regi
ment which left some weeks ago under the
command of Col. Kane. No oho but a soldier
Can tell- the feelings of a soldier’s heart, as
they rend the list of killed and wounded and
there find the names of those they had learned
to lovej those who were as tp.ue as the steel they
had learned to wield, those with whom they
have marched, drilled, and fought side by side,
either suffering upon n wounded soldier’s bunk
or sleeping in a warrior’s grave. Yet it is
cheering for us to know that they died at their
post with their face to the foe, gallantly fight
ing for their country !
The mail boy is now at my tent, so I must
close. Many of our friends at home imagine
that when we move our address changes, but
this is not : 40. Friends, write often, wait not
for us for we'hare but little lime.
From the 52d Pennsylvania Regiment.
Extract! from a Private Letter.
Near Savage Station, Va., 1
Juno 11, 1862. j
* * * * * *
You have, no doubt, read much about the
groat battle at Fair Oaks, but I may give a few
items In regard to my own regiment. It most
he remembered that our division is composed
in a great measure, of raw tioops, who have
been put into the field and had to do as much
work and fighting in the same time, as tbs old
est troops in the service.
When wo came to the Chickahominy, we
were shoved ahead, and ■ cleared the way to
within five miles to Richmond. Owing to the
unusual hard marching, and hard work, which
it had to do, it was at the time of the fight, re
duced to about 6,000 effective mep, and these
were holding a front of about four miles, and
so scattered that it was, in. fact, but one picket
line, without support. The rebels attacked us
with ten to one, but with all their numbers, we
lost only a mile of ground in three and one
half hours. There is not a regiment in the
divison, but what has lost one or more staff of
ficers, and hardly a company that has not lost
one or more of their line' officers ; but for all
1 this, we are branded as cowards, by McClellan*
and made the laughing stick of those that were
nut fighting one fourth of thg time that we
were.' I do not think an instance can be found
in this war, in which one fuurthrof the men ib
a division, were killed and wounded: but for
all that, McClellan telegraphs to-the War De
partment, that “with the exception of Casey’s
division, the men behaved splendidly.” It has
raised a storm among the officers and men that
will be difficult to quell. Many of the officers
have resigned, and many more wilUdo so, un
less something is dune to refute the! statement
that Casey’s division are all -cowards.
At the time of the attack, our regiment was
encamped about a mile'beyond the Fair Oak
station,’ and about half a mile from the rebql
pickets. At the first fire, we were under arms,
and in ten minutes after, were being mowed
down by-the volleys of musketry that the reb
els poured into us from a thick woods, where
they were much protected by the trees. Wo
fought them till we were surrounded on three
sides, «nd there was scarcely aman
injr, when we were ordered to fell' back totkl
toad, abont fifteen rods distant. ***
Perhaps you would like to j know how J r,u
when the men were railing around me like
When they first opened on us, it caused nit
feel anything but agreeable, but after I cn 7
drew sight on a rebel, and saw him fall
got all about danger, and was self-possessed u
though I was shooting at a mark. I W4g lotA
ing my gun when the order came toretieat ho*
just then I saw a rebelofficer (acaptain IthinVV
waving his sword, and cheering on his m 6n *'
I took deliberate ttirti at his. breast and triT
he git re a yell that sounded above the din i
battle, flourished his heels in the air, and
when-he was dragged hack by his men. jjl
bullets were wfaistling.-past -pie by the
but had it cost me my life,;! could not hth!
waiting to witness the effect of ray shot, fffol
I saw him fall, I “scratched gravel” fur
till I came to our company, or whst was lefttf
It. ! got one bullet through |my blouse, nsfa
my arm, and another into my gonstock, hit
happened toescape unhurt. ‘tVe lost everything
butwhat we had on. We hive, howeter, beef'
supplied in part again, and -willbe in full, b*.
fore long. J
Since wo took the lead, wml have fought three
battles, namely, one at Bottom’s Bridge, one
at Seven Pines, and one at Oaks. I h M ,
keen in ali of therm and have not been hurt
yet. 1 guess my time hae not yet come,-'soldo
I think it will very soon, for lit is not thought
that we wilt be put in the advance again right
off. ,
I am Well and healthy, and have been ever
since I entered the army.
We have had a great deal of rain down hare
and the weather is sometimes as cool u
could wish for. Corn -is taseelliog oat, end
wheat will do to harvest in or four weeks •
but there are none to harvest it, for the
holders have all fled and took their negroes with
them, all but what ran away, and they are not
few by any means. Cicit A. Dnta
The President s Response to the General At*
sambly (Naw-SfcbooL)
The ReV. Dt*. E. E. Hatfield of New York Sts*
ted Clark of the New-SchooljPresbytemn Gen*
eral Assembly, has received! the following let*
ur from the Hur. Wm. 11. Seward, in reply to
' a communication addressed! by that body to
the President of the United States:
Department or State, Washington, >
- June 9j. 1862. , j
To the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church of the United States, holding its an*
nual session in the City of Cincinnati:
Reverend Gentlemen ; l! have the honor of
receiving your address to the President of thl
United States, and the proceedings of your
venerable body on the subject of the elilting
inspection, by which that! address wu so*
oompanied.
These papers have beenj submitted to thl
President. I am instructed to convey to you
his most profound and grateful
rnents for the fervent assurances of support
and sympathy which they contain. For many
years hereafter, one of the greatest subjects of
felicitation among good men will bo the signal
success of the Government Of the United Statu
)in preserving our Federal Union, which is lbs
ark of ciV'l and religious liberty on thl'
Continent and throughout the world. All the
events of onr generation' which proceeded this
attempt at revolution, and all that shall happen
after it will be deemed unimportant in con*
sideration of that one indispensable and is*
valuable nchivement. ;
The men of our generation, whose memory
will be the longest and the most honored, will
he they who thought the most earnestly, prayed
the most fervently, hoped t)ie most confidently,
fought the most heroically, and suffered the
most patie'ntly, in thetsaertd cause of Freedom
and Humanity. The record of,the aolionflf
the Presbyterian Church norms,| to the Presi
dent, worthy of its traditions dnd its aspira
tions, ns an important ’branch of the Chnroh
founded by the Savior of men.
Commending our yet distracted country to
the interposition and gunrdean care of the Rn*
ler and Judge of nations, the President wff
persevere steadily and hopefully in the grei
work committed to his hands, relying uponll
virtue and intelligence o|j the People of l!
United States, and the candor and benevolent
of all good men. :
I have tbe honor to ba, Reverend Gentlsnua,
J Tour very obedient sarrsel.
I William H. SisaW*
On the 21st of February, 1861, months «f«
nil show of loyalty bad disappeared in rebel
diim, a body.! of men assembled at Hsrrisbi
and pass'd the following iWo’uton;
Rejoiced, That we will by nil proper and I*l
imaie .means, oppose, discountenance, and
vent ony attempt on the part of the Repul
ang in power to make any armed Aggrin
upon the Southern States, Especially »e Ion;
laws contravening their rights shall remain
repealed on the statute books of the Nnn
States, and 'sej long as theijost demands ol
Sooth shall Continue unrecognised by the
publican majorities in these States, and '
cured hy the proper amendatory eiplsnatn
of the Constitution. ' ,
It is sometimes useful to refer to the past,
order to see where men stood in the hour,of
country’s danger. Now i those who Mf
and adopted Jthis resolution —but one sti
moved from treason—were not members 01
People’s Party, nor Republicans, and not
Abolitionists jj but represented the same 01
Pure Patent (Democracy . which the peopl
now told roust be restored to power to prt
the Union ! What wouldihave been thong
such patriots jn the revolution, and in the
of 1812, and what ought tp bo thought of
now ? —Lew is town Gazette■
Col. Croceitt,
J©“ TIIO Philadelphia Daily Neat 88JE
the lion, Henry D. Moor,; State Treasurer,
on Saturday, to the Assistant Treasurer o
United States, the sum of three
fifty thousand dollars, asja final ir»taln> £l
of the war tax to be raised by our
this operation 1 , Mr. Moore saves
monwealth fifteen per cent, an the eST
amount of the tax ; doing what has
been attempted, as we believe a n J
State in the Union. Nejv /STork, wit 9
grandiloquence, does nothing to appro ft£
substantial and patriotic action of the K,e J
State. She is probably j waiting b°wef '
rsisefunds for the purpose bf filling P
quota of troops, which has been long 810
under the call of the President.
A cotemporary says: “If J e &
to get a enfe .place,.we advise w e
■high tree and draw it up after him
gest an improvement upon this r ,8 "~"
connection be first made between ce • -
tree by meant of a stout hemp rope.
A Heminisanoe,