ttilq Ettegitap
P
HARRISBURG, PA.
FRIDAY EVENINu. JUNE 17,
FOIL TEE AKIINDIIIENT OF TIIE CONSTITUTION
ozurrnra TILE
SOLDIERS' RIGHT TO VOTE.
Election Tuesday. Aug. 251864.
NATIONAL , UNION TICKET.
FOR PRESIDENT,
Abraham Lincoln,
OF ILLISTOLS
FOR VICE PRESIDENT.
Andrew , Johnson,
Silence Before Sterne.
The almost death like silenee which hangs
over the lines of the'Federal army in the East,
forebodes a storm of leaden hail which may ,
soon burst upon the enemy's front. What
Gen. Grant may intend, we do not know, but
the quiet which hangs over the opposing forces
in such close proziniity portends a 'struggle
at hand in which the rebel army will Enid that
the Union troops are truly in earnest, and
that no temporary reverses will be deemed
worthy of notice. The Army of the P,otornic
is alive to the importance ofwits position. It
has all confidence in its leader, and more than
feels its ability to compete with the foes
of the Government. --
It has,proven its valor and its powers, of en
durance on a score of battle fields, and now
rests, calmly awaiting the order which shall
announce the hour for an advance. Any
moment may announce to us the- outburst of
the turions'fray, hut we have little fears for
the result, so far as= victory is concerned.—
The doom of the rebel capital is written, and
with it the signal cry which announces the
final overthrow of the traitors now in ming.
Mysterious.
Gens. Beauregard and ForreA, and ex-Gov.
Harris have paid their direct tax upon real es
tateln Tennessee .—telegraphic dispatch.
This is in keeping with several similar an
nouncements we have read within a fortnight.
One of these announced that Gen. Buckner
had paid his taxes on his estate in Illinois.—.
We have heard considerable about the 'confis
cation of the possessiond of rebels in arms
against the Government, wherever such pro
perty was located in territory under control of
the Federal authorities. Every rood . of
ground owned by thede rebels, if offered to be
redeenied by gold enough to cover it, should
not be allowed to wrest from the 'Government
the acknOwle lgment that they could longer
be proprietors of soil protected by the intittul
lions of a free and independent people.
COPPEZEIRAD Draromucr in Bedford county
is in a bad way—one section of that delecta
ble party insisting on the inability of the other
to lead, and both proving the infamy of each—
John Cessna is worming " in and out" of the
fight—wagging hirtongA to please one batch
of his friends and showing his -fangs to delight
others. An oppositio s paper to the Enquirer
is to be started, and altogether the old adage
of " when rogues fall out honest men get
their dims," is about to be verified in Bedford
County.
Written for the Telegraph
Notes of a Visit to the Army of
the Potomac.
In company with several of the delegates of
the Christian Commission, I left Harrisburg
on the morning of May 14th, to spend a few
ee ice in ministering to the wants of the sick
and wounded of our army.
At Washington we found so large a - number
of delegates from all parts, of the country
pressing forward, that we were delayed. for a
day or two, and we seized the opportunity to
go Into the hospitals of that city. Probsb'y.
25,000 of our noble defenders are gathered iu
these institutious, whose order, cleanliness
and comfort reflect so great honor upon the
Government.
I=2
To this point, a small landing on the Polo- .
mac, the wounded were brought from Fred
ericksburg. to be shipped thence to W.ishing
ton. Herewe tarried for a couple of d iys and
assisted in supplying the wounded Mee, alter
a painful journey over the' rough roads of
Virginia in ambulances and army wagons.
with 'milk punch, coffee, lemonade, bread,
crackers, oranges and such other delicacies as
would attract and nourish enfeebled men.
Here too, we beheld several thousand of the
"./ehnnier taken prisoner in the brilliant
chew of Hancock's 2nd corps. Some of
th.m.talked boldly and defiantly, while others
am:lousily sought the, opportunity to take the
oath of allegiance.
PREDERIONSBUBG
We reached this city of wounded and dying
men, after a wearisome day's ride through a
country utterly laid waste by war. The city
has been too often described to need any new
description. Its grasi-grown streets, its de
serted- homes, its ruined buildings, whose
burnt walls bear witness to numerous coals:
graions, its temples of
.worship and public
buildings perforated by shot and shell, the
absence of women and of playing children in
the streets, and instead the presence every
where of wounded men, sitting on door-steps
and curb-stoues, limping on crutches or lean
ing on the shoulder of a stronger, the hurry
ing here and there of the messengers of mercy
with their burden of stimulants, bandages,
Jo., the slow-moving death• wagon bearing
brave men to their last sleep, the 'heavy-laden
atmosphere tainted with death, all, all re
minded us we were surrounded by a vast hos
pital. In this city of originally 5,000 inhabi
tants there were now probably between eight
and ten, thousand wounded men, filling the
churches, public buildings, warehouses, store
rooms and private dwellings everywhere.
TES CHRISTIAN AND SANITARY COMMISSIONS
The value of these two great benevolent
agencies was here most abundantly illustrated.
At the headquarters of the ChnstiamCom
thilijiiigiimunsion of
a Dr. Hart, now said to be on the staff of
Gen. B. E. Lee, of the rebel arniy, Bwo
dred We in congregated; Most ofd, em
ministers of the Gospel, men of learning' and
of ability, who here in deeds of Mercy' bom -
witness to th, patriotic words.theY had _often,
spoken in their pulpits at hote. Here cheer
fully accepting the roughest fare, they gave
themselves to weeks of toil. Each morning,
having divided the entire city into districts
among them, they went forth, their kaver
sacks filled with stimulants, soft crackers,
oranges, lemons, bandages, writing materials,
reading matter • bearing buckets of coffee,
punch, lemonade ; carrying bundles of cloth
ing, crutches, &c., and spent the day among
the wounded men, dressing their wounds, at
tending to their wants, writing letters for them
to their friends, cheering them by kind Chris
tian words, praying with them, pointing them
to the Saviour of-men, , whispering in the ears
of the dying words of hope and forgiieness,
are buryino• n the dead with the blessed rites of
Christian burial. Such in briefest words is
the work of the ChristiariCettimititlion in such
a place asFredericksburg. , •
Details of the labors of these two hundred
will be carried-and reported to thousands of
homes.
.They perfoimed the lowliest services,
washing the wounds, the feet, the bodies of
the poor sufferers, putting, on their clean.
clothing, lifting and carrying them tenderly
from place to place, illustrating with a noble
humility the name they bore—the Christian
Commission. The time and labor of these
delegates are given freely, and cost the' cont
mission only their board and transportation
from and to their homes, and in many cases
not even this. I met noble men of the Sani-'
tary Commission, busy in the same labors,'
hut with the general work, of their' commis
mission I am less familiar.
The value of• the two commissions in such
a field as that of Fredericksburg cannot be
esti at-d. Great suffering is alleviated and
prevented and numerous lives are saved,
through their instrumentality.
THE MARCH OF Tki ' OB.S.FD ARMY,
Leaving Fredericksburg, in company with a
few delegates of the Christian Commission,:
and running the gauntlet of guerrillas, after•
a hard day's walk I reached Spottsylvania C.
tr, • only to find that our connection with
, Washington by way of Fredericksburg was
severed, the grand army was in motion south
ward.-and we must, willing or no, accompany
it. A night of broken sleep upon the boxes
and bales of our supply wagon was followed
by an early order to pack.up. ThereisAgme
thing in the movement of a great army that
partakes of toe sutlime, especially undercir
curnstances like those under which the army
of Grant and Meade has moved,,a.mighty and
wily foe close in- front and watching ovary.
movement. No More hazardous movements
have ever been attempted. in warfare, than
those by which day afterday the vast,Armyof.
the Potomac has been swung around .as on a
pivot,in the very,face of its enemy. ,
to corps, divisions, brigAlei and regiments,
to hospitals and supply trains came the orders.
for a movement—no one knew whither. With
a sublimed.unquestioning faith, the tents were
quietly striAr, ambulances filled with the re
maing sick - and wounded, knapsacks buckled
On and muskets shouldered, horses mounted,
and soon cavalry, infantry, ; artillery, hospi
tals and supply trains and rear,guard would
all be on , their way to some unknown point.
Accompanying the sth corps, commanded by
Maj. Gen. Warren, my observations during
the subseipient ten, days were limited almost
wholly to this corps. Putting myself in light
marching order,,i. e. leaving my coat behind,
and carrying only a canteen and a stout walk—
ing stick cut near the terrible field of the
" Wilderness," I took my place alongwiththe
rank and file of the army and learned by expe
rience a little of- their life. Under the shade
of some noble trees in front of Massaportax
church, I was permitted , to look upon a num-.
ber of our generals in council, consulting
some maps of the region - though which we
'were moving. A. crowd, of curious eyes with- -
tired around to look upon tke _noted fades for
a moment, while from the gallery windows of
the church I observed a photographic *atm
went seizing the rare chalice. I quietly stn-
died the faces of these mein whom the 'genera
tiOns will delight to'horfor, and having photo
graphed them for private use; passed on, 'ear-.
ing the chiefs in council.,
Missing the brillitult, ditlih. at the PO, in
whiCh, our cavalry scattered'in wild retreat the
cavalry Of the enOn:ii , ,..and seized, uninjured..
the bridge at the Onosii4g,leontented myself
with a bivonais mite arLarmy wagon for the
night, hoping that when next "John tiepin
chanced to ride, I might'be there to see."
Steadily all day, Sunday, 22d; we moved fin..
ward.and steadily all day to our right we 1i.e44
the cannonading of one of our corps 'clearing
its way. •
THZ BATTLE, OF TIM NORTH ANNA.
On Monday evening, about 5 o'clock. the
let division of the sth cOrps, with which a
friend and myself had been marching from
early dawn, reached the bank of the North
Anna. The 2d and 3d divisiOns . came up:
and while the pontoons were being laid the
divisions of Griffin and Cratiford, the Penn
sylvania Reserves, forded the stream. The
North Anna is a mud ly river, from two - to
four feetin depth and about'one hundredyards*
in width at Jericho Mills, the Place where the
sth, corps crossed. Both banks of. the stream
rise soiree fifty or one hundred feet to high
rolling ground. skirted by wools. In conge
4rtenoe of the three days' rapid marching, onr
troops gained the ground. forded the river and
took positicAn on the south bank without any
resistanc6 by the enemy at this point. They
soon, however, foUnd a foe in front. Stand
ing near the General's headquartera on' the
north bankimy companion and myself watched
our troops'as they crossed, flied up' the hills
and formed in line of battle in "some open
fields on the south bank. A single battery was
taken across the river, while the remaining
ones were posted on the crown of the hills
along the north bank on either side' of head
quarters. Off to onr right, as we lay in the
clover beneath the shade of an oak, and nearly
a mile away, sat a rebel horseman as-inunova
ble as a statue. watching our operations, and
ready at the slightest warning to flv across
the river and loin his friends. When the
skirmishing opened he vanished and was_seen.
no more. Soon a line of skirmishers was
formed, and now opened a scene very exciting
to one who had never:yet seen an engagement
of any kind. The skirmishers- boldly, yet
cautiously advanced to the edge of the woods.
While we watched with painfuleagerness they
enter the woods. Then came'the first single
shot, then another and another, an enemy was
there—then two or three shots in rapid
succession, when suddenly the rebel yell
burst upon our ears, followed by the rattle of
quick volleyS of musketry,. and, our •skirmish
ers came flying out of the 'woods in double
quick and fell'back upon . the line of battle for
support. The object was gained—the pre
sence of the enemy discovered, and now•caute
the marshaling for conflict. Generals and
their aide were buily forming our forces into
lines of battle preparatory to a movement
in force into the woods. An hour' passed
away. One line of battle has entered the
woods, the sun is sinking in the west, the pros
pect of a battle for the evening seems to have
passed, and'passing to the rear stew hundred
lards I lay down:by the roadside (being ex
ceedingly weary) and was about falling.asleep,
when I was brought to my feet by such a roar
ing and screaming of shells and terrific rattle
of musketry as surpassed, infinitely, all my
conceptions of battle. A little 'stretch of
woods lay between me and the field of con
flict, which 'concealed the : combatants from
VOA. I only heard the roar of cannon and
explosion of shells that sheathe...earth under
my feet and filled the'hetiveriteoirer rri"head.
A body of. surgeons:, who had incautiously ad
.viiiicod too far, came hurrying past tolget
yond ding* The enemy had - aitoldeo*
gellea.witli musketry and arqpry Wien our
advancing troops. On a high hill, to our left
front, a body of rebel cavalry dashed turiously
across a ploughed field on the brow of, the
hill. Their object was almost inimediately
manifest, when, beneath the cloud oldustthey
raised,. a battery of artillery opened upon our
headquarters. The fight thus' began lasted
for an hour. when the enemy, finding all at
tempts to dislodge us and drivaui across the
river futile, fell back, and our army, giving
three rousing cheers that made both banks ( f
the river, the fields, the woods and the sky
resound, advanced and held now positions.
The day was ours. The rebel dead were left
on the field to be cared for by the hands of
inhuman Yankees. Several hundred prisoners
were captured. The battle of Jericho Bridge_
ceased as the twilight of evening was deepen
ing into darkness; It was at this engagenient
I heard, for the first time, the famous rebel
yell. It is but a single, confused, fierce
scream and stands ,in .marked contrast with
the cheers of 'int' ceixf Men. The two cannot
be mistaken' fOr akch other*-by , Stry one who•
has ever heard' both. the one is a fierce,
mobbish yell of voices screaming without
concert ; the other usually three. open,
manly, rousing cheers, given in concert. As
far away on a battle field as the sound can be
heard, listener maytellltow die tide 00 bat 4
tle wivers,atid turns by'llie 4ilteinare, , rebel
yells and Union cheers.'
TETE HOSTS 741, drag; /4„, 8A.17L.5.
The aribullinces had already been Cent'
across the river. The stretcher-bearers had
been picking up the wounded. Wounds were
hastily dressed; baVdages applied to stop the
flowing of blood, the ambulances were filled
and the sad:Procession werided'its way. back
to the hospitals. The scene passes all de
scription. Darkness had now set in; steep
roods deeply cut by the heavy artillery wagons
led up from the river on each side; there was
but a single pontodn bridge. Every yard.of
the way from 'the field to the rear where the
hospitals were placed was filled; for the 9th
corps, under Burnside,
-was moving up with
infantry and artillery to the support of War
ren. Wounded soldiers; pale and weary,
some limping upon one foot; some carrying a
bandaged arm, some with bound and swollen
Meads,. some leaning on the shoulder of a COM
pinion, were !minting their-way back to the
hospital, while ^ the more seriously wounded
were borne in ambulances. 7:The -cheers and
songs of Ale men who werillurrying to the
front, • the. shouts:of .driver's.`-whose.. wagons
'had stalled in some deep rug the hurrying
here. and there of. horsemen ; the blaze of fire'
along the road flung outinte the darkness of
the forest, all conspired to - make scene
which can never pass from 'memory. About
tWo,hundred wounded men Were brought in.
_-Here was work enough ior Surgeons and, the
- delegates of the:Chriatian lOortnitiasioxii - The
men had gone into:the conflict after a weary
day's march:. Stimulants and nourishing food
was- needed. The members of the commis
sion distributed of their stores. The • ampu
tating tables were occupied and candles gleam
ed upon ‘the dreadful- brit necessary' work.
Before twelve o'clock eamo themounds ortwo
hiindred men were dressedithemselveti washed
and fed and-laid under the shelter of tents on
beds or pine boughs and -=blankets, and the
camp was quiet, save for the-tramp of-passing
men and the rumble of artillery wagons, and
the shouting of drivers, all moving on to the
front. In the morning a few fresh gyaves
wore seen,- In' the , afternoon the wounded
were sent tciTott Royal, and we moved for-
Ward again a utile or so ead.awaited a decisive
battle. : Ft %. -
iNCrittEß' G.:13.111D /MANIC mo-vEntzwr.
As we were awaiting anxiously the expected
battle bet Ween the North and SoutivAnna, and
jags at dusk, one evening t ,,ecune the quiet or
der : "Prepare to move immediately— The
hospital. train will fall into . the rear of-the Bd .
division." In a half hounMe were ready; had
moved out to the road,,ax4halted to let the
army pass—.-rather.the sth•cor?s of it. From
8 o'clbek P. at • till - 8 We waited by the
toad-Side, while" the l "sasidY tramp of men,
ehearful,, joking and: hill, of spirit, aint the
heavY rumble of artillery Telpiniled us an army.
WS near, us. Tftb 'dayfi- - ellesyy and con
tinued .:MArbliing 4 ,l4kought us across the Pa
nunikey,"in front or Lie's army, and within
ten miles of Richmond,
I ,shall regard it as 'rine pf the greatest pri
vileg,es of my life that I have been permitted to
be with - tilt. grand Army_Of the Potomac dur
ing the splendid movements that took it from
Spottsylvania Cotirt House,to the,immediate
front of Richmond. I- hair& seeri something
of armies before; have read and heard of bat.
ties and of marches before, but My experience
and "niy conceptions haie all been surpaSsecl
by the events in-which Iliaiirmingled: It has'
been worth ten years- of .peabeffil I& to go
amid those stirring scenes; to follow,
.and ac
company that host. of Min in their glorious
movements; to look' day'after clay upon their
bronzed faces; to march with them% tent by
hem; •to sleep as they, under quiet stars;
to fare as they fared; to grow' weary as they;
and, like theni, to fall by the road-Side tor an
hour's sleep. It has.been, worth more than . l
can &ware to study their unflinching ra
triotism; to be a _Witness of that calm endur
ance which could march by night andfight by
day for weeks together= to look upon the men
who so cheerfully stand between us and ruin,
walking bravely up-lo - - the great sacrifice of
home and life as dear to then' as ours to go.,
It has been Worth more than lean name to
look upon their chiefs in council on the march
and in the field; to see the calm deliberation;
the high resolve; the confident hope that rest
ed on the conn enanoes of the Meu Whom we
delight to honor—Warren atid'Bithiside, and
Hancock, and Meade and Grant. There may
be a spirit of despondency and of repining
here and among those who have never put
their hands to this great work- - -it cannot be
found in the army. There the spirits of men
rise to something of the-greatness of the
occasion. No repulses; no lessees 'dampen
the ardor or shake the confidence of the
army. From the highest general down to
the lowest private in the rankti, I marked a
unity of spirit, a confidence of 'each in each,
a strong faith in ultimate success, a persist
ence against all obstacles, and a patience un
der all sufferings that prophesied the' best
things. I saw men-manfully bearing daring
those days-of -heavy marching, who had lost
all regular sleep for weeks, and had -been liv
ing on part rations for days. It had' been said
by the enemy tharthe fields and the woods in
the rear of Grant's army= were full of strag
glers. They , were invisible to me.. Fly noth
ing was I more astonished than by the spirit
and discipline of this great army, which pre
vented it from becoming - disorganized by
forty days of almost unexampled toil.
DitIJNEENITESS IN THE ARMY
Another • fact pleased me. I spent two
weeks with the army, _with its officers and
men every day. The only drunken man I.
saw from the time I left Fredericksburg till I
reached _Baltimore, wasan.offfoer on the boat
from Fortress Monroe.
PROnaixa x AND 191=EDWESS OF THE AILIII7.
It has frequently been said tbAt" the great
peril of the country will be when the - army re
turns home and scatters its, wickedness, pro
fanity and recklessness through society. The
country will suffer an hundred fold morc,by
the men who stay-at home to support drink
ing and gambling saloons on all the streets of
our cities, than it ever will from -the rough and
sunburnt -men of the army. There la pro,
fanity . in this" aimy... There' is profanity here._
on every corner of ciur,i:reets, moke of it, and
less excusable, than in the army. Here it
breaks over all restraints of society and de-
the gIAY ti;01m49144,
of serious men, of noble and gentlemanly
bearing, among whom one may move from
day to day without beholding an act or hear
ing-a word that need cause a blush on the
cheek, of virtue. There is no mercenary and
mean. spirit. The army is lifted up to a broad,
American- and Patriotic feeling .uch as does
not elfiraciternte all who stay at home. lam
'happy to he able to speak from my-awn ob
servation_ of -these citizen soldiers. I have
keen theta_ - in camp, on the march, on the
brink . of battle, "storming the imminent
breach," borne wounded from 0116 tiald, lin
geniucin the hospital, and gasping in death,
and can say that I believe a nobler band
never went forth to war, a band inspired by a
higher impulse than .the "Army otthe Union-7_
There may be still faint-hearted men at home,
or" worse than faint-hearted men, who are re
peating yet, in this fourth year of the conflict,
the question; lathis
army entertains ..no &flit -on that matter.
he arm of the Soldier panies not to strike at
any man who would trample, under foot the
banner of the country. He loves his Govern
ment and is willing to_die for it. It is uo
spi it of - adventure, nor love ofWeed, that has
sustained these men in the ferirfig conflicts of
the Wilderneds and led' theliWintirthe very
L face of death.. The spirit that/ animates the.
rranis animates the ladders. -Like Wadsworth ;
many of them have left fortune, family;lifgh,
social position, chances of distinction in civil
life, and gone out to the privations of the
camp and the perils of the field, moved by one
great obsorbing love of country.
TER SOLD/ER IN' TER HOSPITAL.
Nowhere has the endurance of;.our brave
men been more severely tested, and more suc
cessfully proved than in the hospital. With
wonder and simple amazement I have looked
Upon the courage of 'these men, who, with
bullet holes through leg or arm; with ghastly
wounds in shoulder or face; with shattered
hand or broken thigh, laY in the tent or, were
carried to the amputating table, with never'a
murmur of complaint or dissatisfaction break
ing from their lips. I felt last in spechless
admiration, and almost questioned whether
they had.not become ,Mseintille to totliti,;theil
were so cheerful and so uncomplaining. I
have seerrthem walk coolly up th=tife surgical
table where They were to lose a right arm, or
carried thereto bite a fOokor 'a limb; Without
a moan.
,J have heard thelmaing, "Bally round,
the flag; bays," When'suffilringideefese pain'
or lay with 4beaded sweat_ gathering on the
brows, mid with fists. and teeth clenched as
they suppressed every. grban.° an the floor of
the town hall of Fredericksburg-lay a young«
seldier from Brooklyn, N. Y., by the name of"
Morris. His face was as gentle as a girl's.
• Ha i littil_ just been—brought- in- from—the
'baffle-field; over a rough' road of 'fifteen ,
or twenty miles. He -had fallen on the
field pierced at nearly the same instant
in three • places; The right arm was torn
entirely oft' near the shoulder by a shell; the
lett hand was terribly shattered, and a ball
bad passed through' the body; piercing the
lungs; his wounds,fiad been undressed for
nearly two days; his Calm face wore an aspect
Of pain, but not tilnarmur- escaped his lips.
It seems te, „sever erase from• Irv ;
vision thathingl have seen; the ghastly
that asked" it , clip . of water;' the wean dad
men staggering up to seek,;e," , bite 'to eat';
the exhausted men, who,• amid all t./ . . 0 din
and noise, were sleeping soundly as a ti re d
-infant on a mother's knee--the grat/Al.meii,
whose thanks made me,j ashamed- of myae
Men at home may walk our street,s, saunter
ing along art:their ease, pass .
_criticisms
on the conduct' of
. the war,' - wonder why the
army does not advance,,wl.y.ii., does not move
more rapidly-may .charge rep.,iments;brigadm
'divisions and corps with. cowardice _ , but for
myself, every recollection of what I have seen
'4411 silence my tongue if it ever: begins to
utter a reproach against the xnenf.whoi, in. my
place and for me, have, gone to meet the terri
ble onset of a War that, has no parallain.
tory.
MAT - CAN WE DO ?
answer th ielpractical question by saying.
saved..biuti. A computation has
been made that of All who die by war only
one-fifth (1-5) die en the field, the;other •four. ,
fifths(4-5) die after the tiattle—fri;nn.neglected
Wounds, froneeihamition; from:thirat, and
)irmger, from. , the unstminched. llowineof,
blood, from,thejaelo of stuhubblts, from uriL
alleviated anguish Ed. p4tkie : lies the
sphere of Christian`charlty—to-, save these
four-fifths, to seeurcirforAliern immediate at
tention, skillful help , and full supplies. In.
the Crimean war the,proportion'Of deaths to
the thousand reftefron2 190. to 913 ! - The
.pro
portion of deaths in tair )11nerican army is 53
to 1,000, a grand triumph for•the Republic,
for our charitlea, for -the Christian religion.-
let thousands liven still are lost that might
be saved... Suffering, too, can be greatly di-
El:aniseed. The two hundred delegates of the
Christian Commission at Fredericksburg .were
well nigh appalled by the magnitude of the
work. Their stores almost failed._ Calls came
for articles that could not be had. `Men died
daily becanse What wee. needed was not at
hand. Painfursufferings were witnessed that
could not beireligyed,:bectiftse' thersiipply of
necessaries was so scant to meet the wants of
ten thousand men. .
So human government ever made such
a noble provision for wounded men as has our
own. Her record will astonish the world, but
emergencies will arise in all great wars hi&
this, when all the preparations of Govern
'ment and all.the help;of public and of
vidind charities Will be put to the test. dur
Government has selected the two great orim
missions, the Christian and the Sanitary, as
its helpers. Their agents are the only civil
ians allowed to eccompany the army, save a
few correspondents of the press. • Theyaar-e
pernlitted to go everywhere throughout the
lines of the army irotheir work of mercy.
The great principle of the hristian
doinmission is the personal distribution,
'of hospital stores; accompanied` by the
personal ministrations of men ... - who have
gone forth, without any remuneration,
often at great Became and exposure
—moved only, by a pity and love for the
soffering. Their hands should be kept full of
supplies. The economy- of this - systern is re
markable. The•_ Services of an able man far six
weeks in this way, costs the eon:mission often
ne more than two, three or five dollars for in
cidental expenses. Nearly everything contrib
uted to the Christian , . Commission is ex
pended difectly:- .upon the needy and suf
fering men of the. army, 'Urgent calls come
from every 'department for an extension
of the work. Scores of men -- have been
offering to go unpaid, men of high standing.
who were declined, because the supplies of
the commission would not warren.. the use of
a larger number of men. ' The great 'Want of
'the commission is not men =but' money, to
fill the. hands of our delegate's with all the
needed' Supplies. • •
The day will come wheii we and our chil
dren,,vill be prod& that -we we have. bad some
hand in bringnig about the enbliine issues of
this great conflict, though it be only the giv
ing of a cup of water in the name o patriot
ism and of religion to the men whd bear the
heat and burden of it. Hot burns the fire
where giant wrongs eipire. God is re-casting
and moulding anew the .-nlition, and we are
enduring the pangs of the great_tran.sfarma
don. "The - sages of a n earlier age saw and
feared the hand breadth Chiud - that, filling now
the whole heaven; iftlropping its bloody rain
upon us. There - are' hard lessom3. on _every
page of the book that GOd's mighty hand- has
opened for us to read. But they who trust in
Him and in the age of pesos and righteousness
which He has ii . Okah3 - 4, need:not coreplan'Or
„
SEE
present loss or pain. Before the joys of peace
must come the pains of purifying; " first
pure, then peaceable." Our righteoils cause
cannot suffer harm, since He has taken its
part. Behind the dark clouds of to-day He
will surely show us the calm sky of to-mor
row, and after the storms have passed away
will lay anew, with a wiser hand than man's,
the corner-stones of Liberty.
dig Eiereorapo.
EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
EEE=I
INLAND-LINES.
FROM THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
ivitvvv..am - E'N - T*
CROSSING OF THE JAMES RIVER.
' * - z; --. 7 .7-:;.'t . ..,, ~. 1... t •!''. ;,
NO FIGHTING ON THE ROUTE.
DENS. GRANT, HA COCK AND yilii,DEN VISIT
GEN. BUTLER.
WHITE HOUSE ENTIRELY EVACUATED.
Grant Wit eompel Lee to Fight.
Second Edition of the Misting Campaign {
•
IMPORTANT RESII . I4S EXPECTED
ON THE FOURTH OF JULY.
Foirrasss MONROE, June 15.
We have at last something in the shape of
news from the front here at Old Point, after a
long and tiresome interim, during which the
Only words that greeted our ears OA the arri
val of the different boats were " nothing
new!" .
TIM Steamer John A. Warner., CaPtain Con
elms, just arrived, and she brings the intelli
gence-of thelmebessful crossing of the - James
river by OA whole of Gen. Grant's army.
`Also, that rapid and heavy :firing was heard
this morning at break of day, apparently at
the very outskirts of Pete'rsbnig, and the
opinions 'vary general , that ere this will reach
you, that to*.vn will he protected by:Milani
troops.
The cannonading near; Petersburg com
menced about four o'clock this morning, con
tinued with considerable brislmess tor. some
honrp,.
Petersburg is said to be very weakly forti
iPed on the south side, and the presumption
is that the town will be entered from that
point, and the troops left for ihr defence- be
prevented from making their ent fluffier into
Dixie.
General Baldy Smith's forces hava-been on
their way from the White Houtla t liassing
Vround this- point, en rpute, it is understood,
I for Point of Rocks, on Appomattox river.
For the past two days quite a number of
transports, have passed here heavily laden
With his troops, and it is thought:- he Jute ad
vatnced directly on Petersburg.
- Burnside's Ninth Army Corpsferes - Bed' the
-James river, yesterday, at Wilson's Wharf, on
ta pontoon bridge sent up the previous evening
from Fortress Monroe.
-. On the same day a portion of Hancock's
Stinond Corps and Wright's Sixth Corps also
crossed. The Fifth Corps (Gen. Warren's)
crossed to-day, and by ,a,„&elock in the after-,
noon, were all over, including wagon trains,
&c.. •
.
'Gr ant's army, on its 'march to the James
river- -metwith no opposition... With the ex
ception OT'aome desujOry - bring-bri the • rear
guard.
Fears were entertained that desperate at r
tacki Wotill be, made on the flanks of the,
'army, but nothing of the kind occurred. The
whole movement was n,pertsct success.
Gen. Grant, in compartywith Geri;
coc,l; and Warren, paid a visit to Gen. Butler's
headquarters yesterday morning and...spent
some time - in Consultation.
The JohrrA. Warner, - on nearing Wilson's
Landing, had. -to wait until the 'wagon
traini of tlie:sthArniy_Corps crowed thevon
toon bridge-at that point, when several sec
tions of the structure were temponrily re
moved and she passed through on her wa,rto
th'e Fortress.
The White House, on the York river, is en
tirely evacuated. This morning the Sanitary
and,Christian Commissions left with ell,their
stores, and that historic point ceases to be a
place of the least interest.
ATterlt season of 'unusual ciaietness, 'el/exits,
are now transpiring that indicate movements
of the most complicated character, sndwhiOh
will be 'fraught with the most important re
sults to the country.
Gem Grant is evidently bent on not p,er
,mitting Geri. Lee to evacuate Iticlune.nd with.
tout fighting, and we all look for &second.
edition of the Vicksburg campaign and the
belief
is general that . the 4th of July; 1884,
will be fraught with resultiethan
National. holiday was last year. •
GLORIOUS ,NO.S Flog vilinow.
Petersburg Captured by
the 18th Corps.
The Whole Army Athritneing.
Foanizes Monsen June 16.
Yesterday morning, at four o'clock. the 18th
Corps, under command of Gen. N. F. Smith,
left City Point, and marched into Petersburg
Gen. Kautz's cavalry, comprising the sth
and 11th Pennsylvania, and the Dis
trict of Columbia regiments, attacked
the entrenchments of the rebels out
side of Petershurg; at eleven o'clock
yesterday morning, and succeeded in carrying
them and entering the City: They were sup
ported by the advance guard of -Gen. Smith's
forces.
The troops were at the last act:mnts rapidlS ,
marching in the direction of ,Petersbarg as
fast as they landed. - • --
.The crossing of: the James Aiver-by tinr
irmy is described by those who Wilke good
fortune of viewing it es , one of the most bril
liant scenes of the wax. - :
An endless strearm , "of tranaperts , 'barges'
and schooners had been making•thety.:waynp,
the James River to the new base of supplies
all - day.. '- • - •
The Late Defeatr'of Gen.Sttirgls..
MIEMEMITEI, June 14,
via Cnspirwrz, June 16.
. . The following ActaileCinformation in, re
'gird to the late defeat. of • Gen. Sturgis isgat&
Bred mostly from. , officers accomparrYinOhe
expeditiOn, and is mainly correct:
Nothing Or interest occurred until the miPe
dition passed Salem, -Mississippi, ors theVtl4 - -
-4 rilen 30 0 17 me- were sent in ndvance ! 'liaming
through Ripley Capturigg mien Partrile. f "
ir
moulyzand movutg.,diree..y. uPo BoXliwand
3 ,tl=4olr,
Danville; destrtisini the railroad, burning
the depot at the former place, and constantly
skirmishing with a considerable body of the
enemy.
They rejoined the main column on the Bth
inst., with twenty-five prisoners.
On the 9th the main column passed through
Ripley, moving south-east on the mornin g of
the 10th. The cavalry moved in the direction
of Gnntown, leaving the infantry in camp.
After proceedings few miles they encountered
the enemy's pickets, and soon came upon a
large body of the enemy in position, and the
battle became general. The cavalry dis
mounted and drove the enemy some distance,
when the latter were reinforced, and our men
fought four hours against great odds, when
the infantry came up and the cavalry re
turned.
At 3 P. M. another large body of the enemy
arflied onlhdrneilroad, in sight of the battle,
which was raging furiously, All our force
being engaged, it was soon evident we could
not withstand such attacks as, were being
made by such superior numbers, and our men
began to fall back, contesting every inch of
ground.
The colored troops fought with desperation
and were the last to give way. The column
retreated to .13.44 v, a„ distance of 25 miles,
that night, after burning a large portion of
their supply train and destroying ten pieces of
artillery which they were unable to move
through the swamps.
On the 11th the enemy made a desperate
attack on the infantry, which was repulsed,
but the - attack was renewed and considerable
portions of the infantry were cut off and cap_
tared.
111611
After the ammunition had become exhaust
ed it is stated that many of the negro troops
boarded the ammunition train as it was being
destroyed, filling their pockets and bosoms
with cartridges. Others gathered the ammu
nition from the cast-off accoutrements of the
white troops and thus were enabled to keep
up the fight until they reached Memphis.
It is stated:that one body of 1,600 infantry,
which was cut off and supposed to have I een
captured, was defended by 200 negroes, from
repented assaults of the rebel cavalry. and
arrived at Colliersville soon after the main col
umn. Another body of 300 negroes arrived
this 'morning, having escaped by by-roads.—
'All bring in their arms.
This hiss is now estimated at 125 negroes,
4 pieces of artillery and about 1,50 d men.
All of the 57th United States colored have
'come in except 200 men and six officers; 300
of the 55th United Stales colored are missing.
Among the casualties in the 2nd N. J. cavalry
are Capt. Rielly, killed ; Lieut. Rudolphi,
Lieut. Brada,l..Lient. Smith, Lieut. Rainer,
Lieut. Applegate and Asst. Snrgeon Keautz
are missing in the 7th Ind., cavalry. Lieut. Col.
Brown and Capt Elliott are wounded in the
93d Indiana, and I lent. Col. Pool and Ade.
Weedy were killed; Capt. Courissier was
wounded and Lieut. Rees is wounded and
Missing. In the 95th Ohio, Capt Allies and
Lieut. Kelton were killed and Capt. Harrison
wounded and is missing.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN
The Attack on Petersburg.
isrtiss FIGHTING.
Rebel Retreat Across the Appomatox
The Rebels Not Expecting the Crossing 'of
James River.
BA.LDY SMITH AT WORK.
GALLANTRY OE THE COLORED TROOPS,
Captiire •of 13 Cannon, 4,000 Prisoners
and Aininerous Stands of Culors.
lIALMCOCIK ON BAND.
Petersburg in Our Hands
REBEL REPORT .OF A ROUT OF SHERIDAN.
Yrom Gen. Sherman.
WAR DEPARTMENT, t .
WASHINGTON, IRMO 17-9.30 - A.
Maj. Gen. Dix. New York:,
The following dispatch has been received
by tfiea - pair ti enf .
• CITY* POINT, June 15, 'VIA
Jaramarowa harienig-June 4-5.30 A. at.
Smith with fifteen thousand-,15,0i•O) men,
attacked Petersburg this morning. Gen_ But
ler reports from his observatory near Ber
muda Hundred, that there lass been sharp
fighting that the troops and trains of the en
emy were, as he writes, moving across the Ap
pomatex as if retreating. _Hancock is not near
enough to render Smith any aid.
The Richmond papers have nothing to in
dicate a suspicion of our crossing the James
river. They expect to he attacked from the
'direction of Malvern Hill.
_ Crrr Poisr, Va.,June 15--7:30 P. M. - Our
latest report fromSmth was at 4:01 P. IL
-He had carried a line of entrenchments at
Beatty's House—the colored troops assaulting
and carrying the rifle-pits with great gal
lantry, but he had not- )et carried the main
line.
" He describes the rebel artillery fire as very
heavy. He expected to assault this line just
before dark. Hancock is within three miles
of Smith.
At 7 20 p. sr. yesterday Smith assaulted and
'carried the principal line of the enemy before
Petersburg, taking; 13 cannon, several stand of
colors and between three and four thousand
prisoners. This line is twa miles from Peters
bu
Hancock got up and took position on
Smith's left at 3A. st. to-daY. There was
heavy firing in that airection from sto 6. ho
report' have been received yet.
Doan HARDLANDING, Va., .Tune 16-1 P. nr..
—After sending my. dispatch of this morning
from:the heights :.sontheast of Peteratug,
went over the conquered lines with General
Grant and the engineer officers. The works
are of the very strongest kind, more difficult
even to take than., was Mission Ridge.
The hardest fighting was done by the black
troops. The forts they stormed were, I think,
the first of all taken. After the affair was
over, ()en. Smith went to thank them, and
tell them he was proud of their courage'and.
dash- He says they cannot be exceeded as
Soldiers, and that, hereafter, he will send them
in as difficult places as the best white troops.
They captured six oat of eighteen cannon,
which we took.
The following dispatch - does not designate
the hour, but it is supposed to he later than
the preceding ones: _ _
The. prisoners he took Were fiximd3eaure
gard's command; Some of them said they
- had just crossed the lansis . ,' - ffi3ove Drury
I do not lldithany Of - LeWs army had rearbed
...etersburg when -Smith . stormed it They
seemed to he th,MW thialsorning, however, -
and to be making .pratiarations to bold the -
west !IMO Of the-Appantstol. The town they,
•
Crtr Pow., VA., june 16, 7 A. EL., I
•re TAAcesTows IsLitin, 11 45 A. M.