SPECIAE I NOTICE. . 1,1, buyers of Diy Goods, Boots and Shoes, Qro- A_ Bats andCapsyAp., oah make money "by toiiog their purchases at-' - ! J. A; PARSONS’ , CHEAP Ct'EH STOKE. ; His.stook is now in dt«t .rap shape, consisting of I -all. kinds of Demesne Goods,,which wilh be sold at 1 less than . • • .’ 't ... . . HEW. [YORK, PRICES/ ■ffo have full line/j of - , Brawn Sheatingarnd 6hirtings, , Bleached 80., Boo imr,Suckings, Striked Shirtings, Cheeks, Blankets, iinons, Towellings, Rarity Hosiery. Cotton Batting, Gloves Ao;, in as g»sa,t tariety ns ever. ’ .D R ' iGQ OPS., PWn Alpl L, figured and Plaip Meripoes. »ei|ncs, Ac, tom the’ rich %oo3s to the lowest f>jee iin market. . . \ 'sfiAWL • A%DfftOAK STOCK. %BdCHE, SHAHfLS. SIIvGLE & DOpBLE, BLANKET ■ '■ ' laNcy wool I " •Oieaks, Saoqnes, (Hoak jcfoths, Trimmings Ac, in 'this stock we can si t evarfy oijc _ ' CLOTSS. iljttfy 'cashmeres. Black and Fancr Cl jssißtereq, Melton’s Black Overef >tin^>,, %£inetts, Coshmeretts, 800 A . iD .CHOrS. MenaßonbleSole,Eip,tq4VM6DB 4 BouWe Sole iKip, Mena Stogd do.; Eo.' \ dfc, Youths do., Womens Custom mode Shoes, Ladies Kui and Jforooco Balmoral Boots, Ladies Ui W Lasting Balmoral ■Gaiters, Ladies Kid and-Lasting Congress Gaiters, Tine. Morocco Boots, Chillrens Shoes, all kinds. We can buUaII oa to '| ti , KINDS ANIil SIZES. and will guarantee the prices |s low as tho'lowest. Butter, Eggd and other Produce, on fayorable ternis. . |J AnEarly .Call Is Solicited! 1 . jamEs- a. PARSONS, : ■' Ifo. 3 CONCERT BLOCK, I j! CQRNING, N. T. ,Oct, 15, 1862. ', i- r f. BOOTS, BHOpr'|EATHER AND “"Wben you hnvti anything to advertise, till the public ot it In plain’; simple-language.” l am manufacture jg goodc utom' made Boots ana Shoes which I will l „cll at; fajr prices, and only for IiEXDT PAT. tannot be sold at as low rates per pair as eigtefh made slop-work, bat it can and will be sold at jajiMs which, will enable the pur chaser to protect hisjteci witlhgood substantial boots more cheaply" than|w|th a jioor. slop-shop article, which, even if. it chShcSs ndt to fall in pieces with the first weeks but' a • doubtful protection in net and cold weathei, tdry me. Buck and 5 soeskins Wanted, in the red blue, fbr which X will pay cash and a good priced i ( . l .BcGfßidc* and" Calfskins Wanted, fonwhich I 'Will also pay?cwhi| »- ' ' Skcep Pdlts' Wanted, 1 for which I will abo p»yca4bj(ind the highest .mar- ket price. * \|f Ad assortment,of calfskins *' n ' n £ s » pegs,ithread, nails, awlsi ktiiyies, shoe-hammers, Ac., Ac., kept constantly Oh. hinfyjwbich I will sell chctfp ior cash. Shop'On JJlain Street between Wilcoxb and ißnllardb. ■■ .j G, W. SEARS. ‘ I can’t .gi-ro to bo plain, I iiaven’t got it to - !■ Welbboro, Augnsljj'ST,- 1862 i; fail and; waster goods. Ho. 1, Balqii Block. 3 E UOM & 'SMITH HAS returned ft on Now iSTork with a splendid assortment «t W i • , i)itr GOODS* uEBADT; MADE! CLOTHING, ■HATS t.CAPjU. .j JI4EDWARE, BOOTS & SHOES’,i GLASSWARE, ■ GROCERIES, DOMESTICS, WaODKNWARE, E.NG.TTSH CLOTHS, LADIES’ DKESS GOODS, SATINS, FRENCH CaSS. ; IMEKES, FULL CLOTH. TWEEDS ANIK ES| U k CKY, JEANS. Attention is .caUjj&.to his stbck of JBlack aod- Fi W=ed Dross Silks, WoHtcdi jobds, .ji / Jtferi joes, ; ; i i • * * : Hafck aba Fignered DeLaines, > V j Xtdn.g’and Sqaac'o Shawls, '* ' I ’ Radies’ Cloth, J * • 'Jj . Opera Flannels, Ac, 'V, „ _ - h, %locfcj, Wate Street, Is the placfe to buy .thq of geod. lowest prices; - , i;! .; JE P OME SMITH., V’toUeborOj ffioV. \}. '■ £ , ffotice 19 BtfiMers. TSBOfP6SASS>iH I (received at the Com* i miseioncr'f Office in ! tfetfiAorough, On Thursday. Hhe sth day of February,* tltj for tbebuildingof two Spans of seventy 6ve feet jach, to compete the bridge at Lawrencevifle. Thosajd spans to he oC the same teadoftsMorial,* Art dewo . (.eight, width and plan •of the bridge at Academy CpWrers m Deerfield. Also for the Building of a bridgje, «rosa the CoWaneaiue at the mouth of Jamisonl crfcek, to 1)0 one span of eovonty five feat, and an oxtfension twenty one feet on /the same plan, -height and width, and of the same kind of material'of the Chahfclin bridge at « cstfield. Plane and specifications may Joe eeen at the Commis sioner's Office; (Said bridges jto be completed by the first day of July next. Per Order of Commissioners. yellsfaoro, Jan. U, IS&jj. 'ji , W, - WELLITIGT])N & GO’S. BANK, N. Y„ '• ' (Located w .»bb- House.) 'American Gcdd.au'lSilyMCoin bought and sold, ..(New York ■ j< ' do. - !. !. { do. United States Dew jhd jN'otcs u old issue" bought. Collections made i \ Tail of the Union at Cnr 'rent rates of Excbaij-fe. | J . ' i 'Particular pains tQI betaken to accommodate our 'fatrons from the Ti<sa Valiev. Our Office will be open at % A , Mi, anLql&e ’‘a| f P. M.,. giving parties passing over- the* kafl. Road ample time to transact their businpja, -b|fdijc the departure of the traii in tho mont»r&;»u& kfter its arrival in tho* ev&iug. • Q* 1 ' Wj&lr-tIKGTON, Preridcnt. Getting, fr. T., K •yiJ|3 t ls62. ' Charleston »tllotfßiNo mills.— Slaving secured the bcjt mills in the ’County, lire sod 1 prepared to do '< _ 1 Cnslotn lljorcliant Work, in fact everything that £an hp dona in Country •fclills, so m to- give perfect riitUfaction. , FLOOR, ETEAIi i AND . FEED, AT WHOLESALE OR RETAIL, . nfonr Btor* in WcllsbcW, dr zt the mill. Cash D* Goods exchanged for grain jjt the market price. All goods deittyred-freO oft charge within theecrpo ration. f. WRIGHT it HAILEY. _ ~VYeUthoro, ~Ptb. 13., lEftl.j ■> ■•iHßaMßfc. ■ ■ cAbiar is t ~ ;igafi|sVW;.AmE BOOM. THE Subscriber, tf asijrespectfuUy announces that he has on hand 1 A the jold stand, dhdToreale a j»lj Furniture. ‘comprising in part 'V _ • j ■ iDreufag ttnd Comwci], \(trequs f £ecrcf<rric* Booh ‘{Ja9es,'oei\ter, Tier Table*, Dining and Srcdifdai Tables r St.p \U-tpppcdaird Common Stands, J CstiageM $ other Bedsteads, Stands, 3o fa* ’mid Vhairtf and} Itosetcood Mouldings Jar Picture JVfflTret. ,S . 00ST1N& madi b order oq short notice. A hearse will be td y djeelrcd. N. B. Turning anc to order. £ugastll/185?. ';j - f j B. T. VAK.IIORK; J THE AGITATOR. 33thotc«J to the intension of the &rea of jFVcehom atth the Speeah of healths Reform. WHILE THEBE SHALL BE A WRONG UNSIGHTED,- AND UNTIL “MAN’S INHUMANITY TO MAN.” SHALL CEASE, AGITATION MUST CONTINUE.' vol. n. Select fto’ettg. ON . THE MARCH. A soldier lay on the frozen ground. With only a blanket tightened around His weary and wasted frame; Dotnj at hmfeet theiitfuklight .' Of fading coals, in the freezing night. Fell as a mockery on the sight, Aheartless, purple flame. All day long with his heavy load,- ■ Weary and sore, on the mountain road. And over the desolate plain; . All day tong through the crusted mod, Over the snow and through the flood, . Marking his way with a track of blood, He followed the winding train. Nothing to eat at the hivonae, But a frozen crust in bis haversack, The half of a comrade’s store— A crust, that after a longer fast,' gome pampered spaniel might bare passed, Knowing that,morsel to be the last his master’s door, "No other sound on bis slumber fell. Than the lonesome tread .ef the sentinel, Xbat~equal, measured pace, And the wind that came from the cracking pine, And the dying oak and the swinging vino, In many a weary, weary line, To the soldier’s hollow face. Bat the soldier slept, and the dreams were bright As the rosy glow of bis bridal night, . With the angel on his breast; For he passed -away from the wintry gloom - To the pleasant light of a cheerful room, Where a cat sat purring upon the loom, And his weary heart was blest. _llis children came—two bine-eyed girls, TYltb laughing lips and sunny curls, And cheeks of ruddy glow— And the mother pole, but lovely now, . As.when upon her virgin brow Ka proudly sealed his early vow. In the summer, long ago. -But the reveille wild, in the morning gray, Started the beautiful vision away, Xike a frightened bird of the night; And it seemed’to the soldier’s misty brain •But the shrill tattoo that sounded again, 'And he turned with a dull uneasy pain, To the camp-fire’s dying light. Select JWistclXang. THE ocean depths. A DIVER’S TALE. The life of one who explores the mysteries of-the sen, .is not more perilous than fascina ting. The charm' of terror hangs around it, and the interminable succession of exciting events render it dear to its professor. Not to ,the common diver of the East, who can remain but for a fraction of time beneath the wave, and grope fearfully among rugged ocean mounds', but to the adept iu the civilized mode of diving, who, in his protective armor, may remain submerged for hours, and wander, with impunity, for miles along those unknown re gions far below'the sea. To him are laid open the horrors of the watery creation, and he may gazo upon such scene’s as Arabian story tells us were presented.to the fearful eyes of Abdallah. To him the most thrilling occur rences of the upper world seem frivolous; for, in his memory, he retains thoughts that may well chill the soul with drsa|i. T am a diver—a diver from choice—and I am proud of my profession. "Where is such' courage required as is needed here? It is nothing to be a soldier ; a diver, hbwever—but I forbear. I will tell my story, and leave others to judge concerning it. An appalling shipwreck occurred, not. long ago, opon.the wildest part of the const of New foundland. The tidings of this calamity reach ed the cars of thousands ; but, amid the cro-rd of accidents which followed in qaiefc succes sion, it was soon forgotten.- Not by na, how ever. We found .that the vessel bad sunk upon d spot where’the water’s dep‘.h was by no means great, and that a daring man might easily reach her.. She was a steamer called Marmion, and had been seen going suddenly down, without an instant’s warning," by some fishermen neat by. She had, undoubtedly, struck a hidden rock, and had thus been, in one moment, destroyed. 1 spoke to my associates of the plan, and they approved it. No time was lost in making the necessary preparations, and a short time beheld us embarked in our schooner for the sunken ship. There were six of us, and we 'anticipated extraordinary success. I was the' leader, and generally ventured upon any exploit in which there was uncom mon danger. Not that the others were cow ards; on the contrary, they were all brave men, but J.was gifted with a coolness and a presence 'of, mind of which the others were destitute. As two persons were needed, in prder to explore the Marmion, I had selected as my companion a young fellow, whose stead-' iness and dauntless courage had several times befobe been fearfully tested. J , It Was a calm , and, pleasant day, but the southern and eastern horizon looked deceitful. ‘Small, suspicious clouds were gathered there, ill of aspect and “ sneaking fellows, regular hang-dog fellows,” as my comrade Rimmer; remarked to me. Nevertheless, we were not to be put off by a little cloudiness in the sky, but boldly prepared to venture. So deep was the watery that no vestige of a ship’s mast remained above the. surface, to point out the resting place of the Marmion. We were compelled, -therefore, to select the scene of operations according to the best of our ability. Down went the sails of our schoon er, and Rimmer and I put on our diving arntor. We fixed on our helmets tightly, and screwed on the hose. One by one each clumsy article was adjusted, the weights were hung, and and we Were ready. •‘lt looks terrible blackish, Berton’,” said Rimmer to me. “Ob,” I replied, gaily, “it’s only a little mist—all right!” > “Ah I” 1 He uttered j a low exclamation, .which sounded hollow! from, his caverno’us ■helmet. • . 1 , “ All ready,” I cried, in a loud voice, which however, could not easily distinguish. Then, making a proper sign, I was swung over the side. . Down wo went, I first, and Rinimer close behind me. It did not take a long time fur us , to reach to bottom; We found ourselves upon WELLSBORO, TIOGA COUNTY, PA., WEDNESDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 4, 1863. what seemed a broad plain, sloping downward, toward the south, and rising slightly, toward the north. Looking forward then, a dim, black object arose, which oor experienced eyes knew to be a lofty rock. I motioned to Rimmer; that we should pro ceed there. ■ I cannot tell the strangeness of the sensa tion felt by one who first walks the bottom of theses.. Therenre a thousand objects, fitted to excite astonishment, even in the mind of him who has dared the deed, a hundred times. All around ns lay the plain, covered by water; but here the eye could not pierce far away, as in the upper air, for the water, in the distance, grew opaque, and seemed to fade away into misty darkness.- There was no sound, except the in cessant gurgle which was produced by the escape of air from the breast-valve, and the plash caused by our ’ passage through the wa ters. We walked on at a good pace; for this armor, which seems so clumsy up above,' is excellent.helpw, and offers little inconvenience to the practiced wearer. Fishes in crowds'were aroumhus. FisheS of every shape and size met our eyes, no matlSt where they turned. They swam swiftly by ns; they spotted in the water above us; they raced and chased one another, in every direction.— Here a shoal of porpoises tumbled along in. I clumsy gambols, there a grampus might be seen rising slowly to the surface; here ah im mense number of smaller fish flashed past us, there soma huge ones, with ponderous forms, floated in the water lazily. Sometimes three or four placed themselves directly before ns, solemnly working their gills. There they would remain, till we came close up to them, and then, with a start, they would dart away. All this time we were walking onward, along the bottom of the sea, while above .ns, like a black cloud in the sky, we could see our boat slowly moving onward upon the surface of the water. And now, not more than a hundred yards before us, we could the towering form of that ebony rock which had at first greeted qur eyes from afar. As yet, we conld not be certain that this was the place where the Marmion bad struck. But soon a round,' black object became discernible, as we glanced at the rocky base. Rimmer struck roy arm, and pointed. I signed assent, and we moved onward more quickly. j A few moments elapsed : we had come near er to the rock. The black object now looked Kke the stern of a vessel whose hull .lay there. Suddenly, Rimmer struck me again* and pointed upward. Following the direction of his hand, I looked up, and saw the upper surface of the water all foamy and in motion:. There was a momentary thrill through my, heart, hut it passed over. We were in a dangerous con dition. A storm was coming on ! But should we turn back now, when wo were so near the object of our search? AI ; ready it lay before us. We were close beside it. No, I would not. I signalized to Rimmer to go forward, and we still kept our course. Now the rock rose np\Ju>fore ns, black, (rug ged, dismal. Its rough sides were worn by the action of the water, and, in some plkces, wore covered by marine plants, and nameless ocean vegetation. We passed onward, we clam bered over a spur, which jutted from the cliff, and there lay the steamer. The Marmion—there she lay upright, with everything still standing. She had gone right down, and had settled in saoh a i position,' among tho rocks, that she lay do at her wharf. We rushed eagerly along and clanibered op her side. There was n low moan in the water, which sounded warningly in our ears, and told ns of a swift-opproaohing danger. What was to be done, must be dqbe speedily. We hurried forward. Rimmer rushed to the cabin. I went forward, to descend into the hold. I descended the ladder. I walked into’ the engi neer’s room. All was empty here! all was water. The waves of tho ocean had entered, and were sporting with works of man. I went into tho freight-room. Suddenly, I iwas star tled by an appalling noise upon the deck.— The heavy footsteps of some one, running, as though in mortal-fear, or most dreadful haste, sounded in my ears. Then my heart throbbed wildly ; for it was a fearful thing to hear, far down in the silent depths of the ocean. Pshaw ! it’s only Rimmer. 1 hurriedly ascended the deck by the first outlet that appeared. When I speak of hurry, I speak of the quickest movement possible, when cumbered with so much armor. But this movement of mine was quick; I rushed upwards ; I t sprank out on the deck. It was Rimmer! He stepped forward and clutched my arm. Ho pressed it with a convulsive grasp, and pointed to the cabin. I attempted to go there. ' He stamped his fopt, and tried to hold me back. lie pointed to the boat, and implored me, with frantic gestures; to go up. , It is appalling to witness-the horror-struck, soul trying to express itself by signs. It is awful to see these signs when no face is plain ly visible, and no voice is heard. I could not see his face plainly, but,his eyes; through his heavy mask, glowed like coals of fire. “I will go!” I Exclaimed. I sprang from him. He clasped his hands together, but da red not follow. Good heavens 1 [ thought, what fearful thing is here? What scene can be so dreadful As to paralyze the soul of practiced diver. I will see for myself. I walked fbrwaid; I came to the cabin door. I entered the forward-saloon, but saw nothing. A feeling of contempt came to me.’ Rimrner shall not conte with me agftin, I thOnght. Yet I was awe-strdck. Down in the depths of the sea there is bnly silence—-oh, how solemn 1 I paced the long saloon, which had echoed with the shrieks of thej drowning pasJehgera. Ah I there are thoughts which fill the soul, which arc only felt by those to whom scenes of sublimity are familiar. Thus think ing, I walked to the after-cabin and entered— Oh, God of heaven 1 Had not ffly hand clenched the door with ft grasp, which mortal terror had made convul sive, I kti'ould l»v« fallen to the floori I Stood nailed to the spot. For there before.me stood a Crowd of people—men and women—Caught in the last death struggle by the overwhelming waters, and fastened to the| spot, -each in the position in which death had found him. Each one had sprung from his chair at the shock of the sinking ship; and, with one common emo- tion, all had sfkrted for the door. But the waters of the sen-had been Itoo swift for them. Lo I then—some wildly grasping the table, others the beams, othors the sides of thecabin : —there they all, stood. , Near the- doqr ,wos a crowd of people, heaped upon one another— some on'tlm floor, others' rushing over them— all’ seeking, madly, to gain' the’ outlet. There was one who sought to clamber over the table, and still was there, holding on to.an iron post. So strong-was each.(joov.ulsive grasp, so fierce the straggle of each with death, that; their hold had not yet been relaxed; tut each one stood and looked frantically to the door. 1 • To the door—good God I To me, to me they were looking! . They were glancing at me,'all those dreadful, those. terrible eyes I Eyes ith which the fire of life hud, been displaced by the chilling gleam of death; Eyes which still glared, like the eyes of the maniac, with no expression. They froze me with their cold and icy stare. . They bad no meaning ; for the soul had gone. And this made it still more horri ble than it. could have,been in life; for the;ap palling contortion of their faces, expressing fear, horror, despair, and whatever else the human soul • may feel, contrasting with the cold and glassy eyes, made their vacancy yet more fearful., Hb upon the table sqemed more fiendish,than the others; for bis long, black hair was disheveled, and floated, horribly down —and bis beard and mustache, all loosened by the water, gave him the griraness of a demon. Oh, what woe and torture 1 ; what unutterable agonies appeared in the despairing glance of those faces—faces twisted into spasmodic- con tortions, while the souls that lighted them were writhing and straggling for life. J I heeded hot the dangerous sen which, even when we touched the sleamfer, had slightly rolled. Down in these awful .depths the swell would pot be very strong) unless it should in crease with ten-fold fury, above. But it ■ had been increasing, though I had not noticed it, and the motion of the'water began to be' felt in these abysses. Suddenly the steamer was shaken and rocked by the swell: At this the hideous forms were shaken and fell. The heaps of people, foiled asunder* That, demon on the table seemed to make a spring directly towards me. I fled, shrieking—all .were after me. I thought; I rushed out, with no purpose but to escape. I sought to throw off my weights and, rise.-' • ’ My weights could not bo loosened—l pulled at them with frantic exertions, but could not loosen them. *Tho iron fastenings had grown, stiff. One of them I wrested off in my con vulsive efforts, but the other still kept me down; The tube, also, was lying down sf?llfiir-»jypaB-- sage-way through the nfachinh ( j]ooms. T-diif not know this until I had exhausted my strength, and almost my hope, in,‘vain efforts to loosen the weight, and still the horror of that scene in tho cabin rested upon me. Where was Rimmer? 1 The thought flashed across me. He was not here. He had re turned. Two weights lay near, which seemed thrown off in terrible haste. Yes, Rimmer had gone. 1 looked up ; there lay thehoat, tossing and rolling among the waves. I rushed down into the’ machine-room, to go back, so as to tube. I had gone through passages carelessly* and this lay there, for it was unrolled from aboye as I. went on. X went back in haste to extricate myself; I could stay here no lohger ; for if all the gdld of Gol conda was in the vessel, ! would not stay in company with the dreadful dead ! Back—fear lent wings-to my feet. I hurried down the stairs, into the lower-hold once more, and retraced my steps through the passages below. 1 walked back to the place into which I had first descended. It was dark ; and a nbw feeling of horror shot through me; I looked up. The aperture was closed I Heavens ! was it closed by mortal hand ? Had . Rimmer, in his panic flight, blindly thrown down the trap-door, which T now re membered to have seen open when I descend ed ? or had-some fearful being from the cabin —that demon who sprung towards me ? I started back in terror. But I could not wait here; I must go;‘ I must escape from this den of horrors. I3sprang up the ladder, and tried'to raise the door. It resisted my efforts ; I put my helmeted head against it, and tried to raise it; the rung of the ladder broke beneath me, but the door was not raised ; my tube camp down through it and kept it partly open, foritVas a strong tube, and kept strongly expanded by close-wound wire. d seized a bar of iron, and tried to pry it up; I raised it slightly, hut there was noway to get it up farther. I looked around and found some blocks; with these I raised the heavy door, little by little, placing a block in, to keep what I bad gained. But the work was slow, and la-, borions, and I had worked a long while before! I had it raised four inches. The sea rolled more and more. The sub! merged vessel felt its power, and rooked. Sud denly it wheeled over, and lay upon its side.' , I ran around to get on the deck above, to try ifnd lift up the door. But when I came to the other nutlet, I knew it was impossible; for the table would not permit me to go so far, and then I would rather have, 'died ’ a thousand deaths than have ventured again so near the cabin. ' \ ' I returned to the fallen door I sat down in despair and waited for death. I saw no hope of escapo. This then, was to be my end. But the steamer gave a sudden lurch, agafn acted upon by tho power of tlie waves. She had been balanced upon a rock', in such a way that a slight action of the water was safficient to tip her over. : | She creaked, and groaned, and labored, and then turned upon her side. I rose; I clung to the ladder; I pressed the trap-door, open, while the steadier lay with hec deck perpendicular toi the ground. I sprang out, dud touched the bottom of,the sea. It was in'good time; for a moment offer; tile tnass weul over bock jjjdidl i i Then, with a last, effort, I. twisted the iron fastening of the weight which kept me down ; I, jerked it. .It was loosed, it broke, it fell. In a moment I began to ascend, and in a few min utes I was floating on the' water—for the air which is pressed down for the diver's consump tion constitutes a buoyant mass, which -raises him up from the sea. - -Thanks to heaven 1 There was the strong boat, with my hold-, brivve men! They felt me rising; they saw me, and came and, saved me. Ilimmer'bad fled from the horrid scene when I entered the cabin, hot remained in the boat to lend kit aid. He never went down again, but became a sen captain. As for me, I still go downj but only toweesels whose crews have been saved. - It is needless to say that the Marmion was never again visited. Camp hear Bell Plains, Va., 1 ' January 11, 1863. J ! Friend Agitator : It is now more than two since I lost wrote yon. I should have written -before now, but was aware that our friends generally knew that this army is lying inactive, and that, consequently, there would be comparatively little of interest to write. ! I wrote you that we had been ordered to build quarters,-as if for the winter. We had encamped in. a little valley, through wbieb winds a brook,, along the banks of which, on gentle slopes descending to the miniature flat in the valley, grows timber of many kinds and convenient' proportions. The weather, which for the last week since the battle had been cold, raw, and Very -severe upon the soldier wandering over a rough, inhospitable country, was now mild and beautiful as onr September sun, and the work of building went on with a merry will. -There was rTscarcity of tools; but the few at bur command were used with a most commendable- industry. The wood on every j side echoed to the sound of the woodman’s axe, I and companies and squads vied with each other in a spirited emulafion'tq determine who were the most successful architects. In a day or two quite a “ city” was built, with its regular streets, alleys, .and towering” chimneys. To he sure, they bad.no windows, {for that is a luxury which even the inhabitants about here do hot enjoy,) hot, when the sub structures of their habitations were completed, they covered them with their tents, which serve the double use of coyering. nud light. It was no small job to build such houses, carrying the timber by hand, with so few Conveniences; but now that they are in most part done, they are very comfortable. Indeed, it'seeracd quite like home to me, where, somewhat ailing under accumu lating disease, and growing worse under out door treatment, I was kindly provided for in ope of these, to a soldier, comfortable houses, where for the .first time, since leaving Wash-, ihgton, we reposeth upon a raised bed, free ■ffOßLlhe chilling effects of lying upon the cold ground! SooeowLthey have their cheerful, blaz ing fires, round which "theygather in friendly chat, recount the stories of their Own experi ence, dr rehearse the deeds of others, which" they deem of greater interest. Meantime, acquaintances and friends from qther parts of the army, pass a friendly day or evening here r and our boys return the compli ment when time and liberty will allow. Thus there is ihutual interchange of sentiment^ nows and story, 'there is a quiet satisfaction in wit nessing all this,' for our soldier friends, the “common soldiery," os we are termed, suffer enoogh atbest’frdm the tyranny of the army, and when .a conquest of a contented hour can be, .made, ought ; it not to be enjoyed ? The pa triot sons of the country came not here to merge their rights as citizens, into submission as soldiers, farther than is necessary for their own protection, in securing the existence of their country and the supremacy of their gov ernment. . Then, what may be done and allow ed for the comfort of the soldier, without impair ing his efficiency as such, ought to be! permit ted. Yet how frequently this is denied them I Many officers, oven in the volunteer service, have no sympathy with the men, many of whom are more than their equals in all that is manly, and many times superior in intelligence; and in such cases much discontentment arises, and deprivation is caused. High officials and our Friends at home hardly realize the amount of disaffection for our great cause which accumu lates in the army from this source of injustice. And this very treatment tends to make them condemn the government and war, in the be lief that there is a conspiracy in high circles against their interests. Repeated defeats and repulses of this army tend to confirm this opinion, and thus in a manner to.create a high degree of demoralization. The Fate glorious news from the West inspires a greater humili ation. For my own part, I believe that tjiis part of Virginia is 100 strong in natural de fenses, to indulge a hope of n successful ag gressive warfare, without ft great superiority of force. Grunt that our forces ure superior; yet a great price must be paid for success in the loss of "human life. True, the Union upon terms of humanity and justice, is worth any price, which leaves our wives, mothers, sisters and children, to enjoy it. But the .army is a heterogonious mixture of men of different prin ciples; and-wfiat one may deem right, just, or oven expedjent, another ns firmly declares wrong, nnju'stp and impracticable.' Now, this vast army was raised by volunteering; when the policyof the. Administration was doubtful; and susceptible of various interpretations ; so that each man was in a great degree at liberty to enlist into the army without sacrificing his own opinions, upon the great question of slave ry, which had caused all our national trouble, and which some firmly believed must fall, while others*as firmly believed and declared It must survive, and be protected under the Constitu tion, claiming that even traitors had rights \vhich must be respected finder that sacred in strurnent. Volunteers were thus left at liberty to mark out a policy fur the government to suit themselves, circumscribed only by the gen eral declaration i The Union must and shall bo preserved.” Nowall agreed-iip"n‘tbis policy at that time, 1 koine littiiting tlie “ (twist and 'Shall” by what * From Hammond's Company. I they call the obligations of the Constitution, and others leaving those words without limit. .In-Other words, .many believed that the, war would bo successful upon the_“ friendly” policy of doing bur enemies as little damage sible, and that the institution of slavery would thus be perpetuated; and they had the fre quent declarations of our .loyal President, in effect that be would, if possible, save both' the Union and slavery, to support their doctrine i while many others, probably then a majority of tha people of the North, believed that slavery was the.cause of the war—that traitors had no rights under any law—that we mnst declare war in earnest against both slavery and, the south—that slavery itself ought to be. used to perpetuate freedom—that the war could not be successfully prosecuted upon a basis of slavery prbtectionrahd that, therefore, the. sooner we should declare in earnest against the caii.se.thB sooner would-we succeed in accomplishing the end and object, njion which we ail, of every party and opinion, agreed, viz : The entire ana complete triumph of the Union and Constituj ties. Thus it is, that the army is composed of men of different parties, and dissimilar opin ions ; so that, though in the beginning of the tear, when the President declared {hat every “ indispensable”! means should housed tolpul down the rebellion, all volunteers were left free to determine what is “ indispensable” for them selves, nous the proclamation declares alike for both parties tchat shall be deemed indispensa ble, consequently, those who then failed to the matter squarely in the face, are now con strained ifo. remain in \tbe service under a ban ner to which they would hot . subscribe. Thu patriotism of the army is thus dampened.— Men openly complain against' tba,governmeht’, and ail its ministers and agents in high place's. Favoritism runs higher than patriotism. . Some worship McClellan and depreciate others in the hope of adding laurels to his name. In the meantime, the result of the last elections at tbs NO. 25 1 North is claimed as a veto on the war polic|Lof the government. The great and high doctrine* ' of the-President upon the important question of emancipation, are repudiated by a certain class id and out of the army; and this- class to-day constitutes a powerful opposition party, capable of distracting and dividing the powers of the government, and creating a strong cur rent of reaction against it even in ouryery midst. No,w this was a source of opposition which’ we all well, knew we should bare to meet, even in the beginning of this great strug gle ; for we very well knew that sooner or later we must declare against slavery, and that so soon as this should be done, that we should have this organized opposition to meet; inas much as we but too plainly saw that those same men who think traitors must be bun£ according to law,, and that battles must be fought only when the grant of power for that' purpose is found plainly written in thaiConsti-' tution, think more of slavery and. thait party: than they do of their great country 1 .' But the army is organized, and it matters comparatively little what the opinions of its owni minor members may he, if it only fight well. Host of this army are loth to gojinto battle, if we take the common expressions we. hear as an index; still I think the number who!, would flinch when ordered forward, would bo' comparatively few, for most men have too' much prido to merit the name coward. Tet I think the enthusiasm and patriotism of this armyTlT's low ebb. Defeats, marching and counter marching,-continual changes, of com menders, have produced the dissections result ing, in the unfavorable spirit which prevails - too generally in this army. _ , The country seems to he expecting rnnftf’ from .this army.,. It seems to nje that the gov-" eminent should send every disposable man to] the West, in aid of Rosecrane, and our gallaht commanders on the Mississippi, even ‘if the rest of the. whole army he thus necessarily thrown upon the defensive. ’ We have too long failed to accomplish any great results in this' 7war, because our forces have been too much scattered, and out of reach in the trying ordeal of battle. Now that vre have undertaken n, campaign in the west, with the great object of , .severing the dominions of the enemy, and es tablishing at once tho supremacy of the gov-- eminent in all the States and territories west, of the Mississippi, it seems but reasonable that every energy of tho country should !he,bent in’ that direction till tho accomplishment'of that' object should be rendered certain beyond the least contingency, meantime preserving the.line of defense from the great river to the Atlantic," and then, when the Mississippi shall he estab lished as a line of defense and base of opera-- tions, the whole army can be precipitated upon . them with a fair prospect of'success, and q great hop.?, of restoring peace to the’ country upon terms honorable to the government, and in vindication of the rights of man, and the claims trf humanity. But I am diverging’ greatly from the text; which we must hear in mind is simply the perience of company “A," in brief. ’ She yet maintains an honorable position and reputation in the regiment. Companies B and D, ifmusf be remembered, are mostly from our own coun-f ty, a portion of the former beingjfrom Luzerne," and the company commanded by Cajit. Mooney; a gallant officer and patriot, from the county. The companies all did great service, and receive due credit for it. Tha'-country' about hero is desolate to the last degree. I have been in several houses* and find them all dreary and dirty in the exv treme. They can’t afford windows; find thn’’ the country abounds in snakes and scorpions during the warm seasons, there is a “cat-hole’’ in every corner. “ Hoe-cake” is. the only lux ury. They have no stoves or ovens. One would think upon looking around him, that he lived in the time of Noah, or before the time of the “hewers of wood and drawers of water,” for they do not have the logs of their rude huts hewSd, and the enterprise of ten miles squat* would not accomplish the digging of a well,' so that the drawers of water are not needed: 6h 1 the beauties of slavery 1 "What a benign; what a holy, what an elevating institution! r Humors are afloat that the army Is soon to move; but most mem believe it* impracticable unless it Is absolutely necessary’. Most of the artillery horses have died at the rate of one a day in a battery ; but new horses are being sent here. This, however, would be a neces , sary precaution in any event. The weather i» now unfavorable, and the roads becoming very bad. Brig. Gen. Robinson now commands one division, vice Gen. Taylor, who took command after the gallant Gibbon was wounded at Fred ericksburg. Gibbon, I understand; is going back to his Brigade; which will be most glad to receive him again. There is no serious sickness in our company; and our wounded boys were doing well the last we heard from them. 'tours, very respectfully, Jxo. I. SfiTcnEiX A. cnEETtrci. wife is n r vnbcAv in lie sfcjJ ■when her husband's rnii ii is tossoi 6n tHfe etortris of anxiety anil We re*-
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