VOLUME 2. Gen. Butler's Official Report. lIUQRS. OK THE ARMIES OF THE T T . S. City Point Va., Jan. 7. 1805. lion. E. M, Stanton S>x'jf. of UVcr. SIR : Herewith I have the honor to forward Maj Gen. Benjamin F. Butler's ami subordinates' reports of the cxpedi tion against Fort Fishor, N. C. As the report of Rear-A jiniral I)- P. Porter has been published in the papers, I would respwtfully ret,nested tliat Gen. Butler's report, with all the paper ae coinpas\y»g Si, bo r.'iso given to the pub lic. respectfully, your obedient ser- U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-Gcn. HDQRS. 1 >KPT. OF VA.AXIIN.C., AR M Y OFTHE JAMES, Is TIREFIKI.I»,Jan.3, IB6S. Lieut.-Gcn. L T . S. GRANT, Commanding Armies of the United States: GENERAL : On the 7th of December last, in obedience o your orders, T mov ed a force of about sixty five hundred (6,500) effective men, consisting of Gen. Ame's Division of the 24th Corps and Gen. Paine's Division of the 25th Corps, under command of Maj.-Gen Weitzel, to an encampment near Bermuda. On the Bth the troops embarked for Fortress Monroe. On the 9th (Friday) I reported to Bear- Admiral I'orter, that the army portion of the conjoint expedition directed against Wilmington, was ready to proceed. We waited there Saturday, the 10th, Sunday, the 11th, and Monday, the 12th. On the 12th, Bear-Admiral Porter in formed me that ihe naval fleet would sail on the I:sth. but would be obliged to put into Beaufort totakeon board ammunition for the monitors. The expedition having become the subject of remark, fearing lest its desti r tion should get to the enemy, in order to direct from it all attention, on the morning of Tuesday, the 13th. at three o'clock, I ordered the transport 'loot (■ proceed up the Potomac during thf da;> to Mathias Point so as t• • lie plainly hie to the scoiii.'> and uti men <>i tin enemy on the uorthoru ;ad to '• trace their course at night and anchor un dcr the lee of Cape Charles. Having given the navy thirty-six hours start, at 12 o'clock noon of the 14th (Wed nesday) 1 joined the transport fleet off Cape Ilenry and put to sea, arriving at the place of rendezvous oft' Xcwlnlet, near Fort Fi shcr, on the evening of the 15tli (Thurs lay.) We there waited for the navy Friday the 10th, Saturday the 17th, and Sunday the 18th, during which days we had the finest possible weather and the smoothest sea. On the evening of the lsth Admiral Porter came from Beaufort to the place of rendezvous That evening the sea became rough, and on Monday, the 19th. the wind sprang up freshly, so that it was impossible to land troops, and by the ad vice of Admiral I'orter, communicated to me by letter. I directed the transport fleet to rendezvous at Beaufort. This was a matter of necessity, because the transports, boiug coaled nd watered for ten days, had already wasted that time, to wit. from the 9th (the day on which wc were ready to sail) to the 19th. On the 20th (Tuesday), 21st ( Wednes day). 22d (Thursday) and 23d (Friday) it blew a gale. I was occupied in coal ing and watering tho transport fleet at Beaufort. The Baltic, having a supply of coal, was enabled to remain at the place of rendezvous with a brigade on board of twelve hundred men. and Gen. Ames reported to Admiral Porter feat he would co-operate with him. On the 23d I sent Capt. Clarke of my staff from Beaufort, on the fast-sailing armed steamer Chamberlin, to Admiral Porter, to inform him that on theevening of the 24th T would again be at the ren dezvous with the transport fleet for the purpose of commencing the attack, the weather permitting. At 4 o'clock on the evening of the 24th I came in sight of Fort Fisher, and found the naval fleet engaged in bom barding it.the p jw'ier vessel having been exploded on the morning previous, about one o'clock. '.through Gen. Weitzel,l arranged with admiral Porter to eommeuce the landing, under the cover ol the gunboats, as early as eight o'clock the next morning if pos sible — as soon as tho fire of the Half Moon and Flag Pond Hill batteries had been silenced. These are up the shore some two or three miles above Fort Fish er. Admiral Porter was quite sanguine that he had silence the guns of Fort Fish er. He was then urged if that were so to run by the fort into Capo Fear Bivcr, and then tho troops could land and hold the beach without the liability of being shelled by the enemy's gunboats, the Tallahassee being seen in the river. It is to be remarked that Admiral lar ragut even had never taken a fort except AMERICAN CITIZEN. by running by and cutting it of from all prospects of re-enforcement, as Fort Jack son and Fort Morgan, and that no case mated fort bad been silenced by a naval fire duriDg the war; that if the Admiral would put his ships in the river the ar ray could supply him across the beach as we had proposed to do Farragut at Fort St. l'hilip; that at least the blockade of Wilmington would be effectual even if we diil not capture the fort. To that the Admiral replied that he should probably lose a boat by torpedoes if he attempted to run by. He was re minded that the army might lose five hundred men by the assault, and that his boat would not weigh in the balance, even in a money point of view, for a moment with the lives of these men. The Admi ral declined going by, and the expedition was deprived of that essential element of success. At 12 o'clock noon of the 25tli, Sun day, ('apt. Glesson, commanding the cov ering division of the fleet, reported the batteries silcnepd and his vessels in po sition to cover our landing. The trans port fleet following, my flagship stood in within 800 yards of the beach, and at once commenced debarking. The land ing was successfully effected. Finding that the reconnoitering party just landed could hold the shore. T determined to land a force with which an assault might be attempted. lirevct Brig.-Gen. Curtis, who deserves well for his gallantry and conduct, immediately pushed up his brigade to within a few hundred yards of Fort Fisher. capturing the Half-Moon battery and its men. who were taken off by the bunts of the navy. The skirmish line advanced to within seventy-five yards of the fort, protected by the glacis which had been thrown up in such form as to give cover, the garrison being completely kept in their boom-proofs by the five of the navv. which was very rapid and en litiui.us th -r -hell bursting over the w>.rk withvnv •••msidevable accuracy. \ t tli - time we 10.-t ten men wounded on the Ai finish line ' y the shells from the fleet. Quitting my flagship 1 went on board the Chamberlain and run in with in a few bnndred yards of the fort, so that it was plainly vissiblc. It appeared to be a square, bastioned work of very high relief, say fifteen feet, surrounded by a wet ditch some fifteen feet wide. It was protected from being enveloped by an assaulting force by a stockade, which extended from the fort to the sea on the one side, and from the marshes of the Cape Fear Hiverto the salient on the other. No material damage to the fort, as a defensive work, had been done. Seven teen heavy guns bore up the beach pro tected from the fire of the navy by trav erses eight or ten feet high, which were undoubtedly bomb-proofs. Tt was easy to maintain this position; but the shells of the navy, which kept the -enemy in their bomb-proofs, would keep my troops ou . When .hese ceased falling the par apet was fully manned. Lieut. Walling of the 142 d New York, pressed up to the edge of the ditch and captured a flag which had been cut down by a shell from the navy. It is a mistake, as was reported to mc, that any soldier entered tho fort. An orderly was killed about a third of a mile from the fort and his horse taken. In the meantime the remainder of Ames's Division took 218 men and ten commissioned officers of the North Caro lina Reserves and other prisoners. From them I learned that Kirkland'« and Ilap good's brigades of Ilokes's Division had left the front of the Army of the James near Richmond, and were within two miles of the rear of my forces, and their skirmishers wore then actually engaged, and that the remainder of Ilokes's Divis ion had come tho night bofi re to AA il mington. and were then on the march. 1 also learned that these troops left Rich mond. on Tuesday; the 2<Hh. Knowing the strength of .Ilokes's Division I found a force opposed to mc outside the works larger than my own. In the meantime the weather assumed a threatening as pect. Tho surf began to rvll iu that the landing became difficult. At this time Gen. Weitzel reported to me that toassault the works in his judg ment. and in that of the experienced offi cers of his command, who had a skirmish lino, with any prospect of success, was impossible. This opinion coincided with my own. and much as I legretted the ne cessity of abandoning the attempt, yet the duty was plain. Not so strong a work as Fort Fisher had been taken by assault during the war; and 1 had to guide my experience, of Port Hudson, with its slaughtered thousands in the re pulsed assault and the double assault of Fort Wagner, where thousands were sac rificed iu an attempt to take a work less strong than Fort Fisher, after it had a "Let us have Faith that Right makes Might; and in that Faith let us, to the end,dare to do our duty as we understand It"—A. Lmoom. BUTLER, BUTLER COUNTY, PA., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1865. continued and fully as severe a firo; and in neither of the instances I have men tioned had the assaulting force in its rear, as I had. an army of the enemy larger than itnelf. I therefore ordered that no assault should be made, and that the troops should re-embark . \\ hile superintend ing the preparations of tb:s. the firing of the navy ceased. Instantly the guns of the fort were fully manned, and a sharp fire of musketry, grape, an canis ter swept the place over which the col umn must have advanced, and the skir mish line was returning. Working with what diligence we could, it was impossi ble to get the troops aboard before the sea ran so high as to render further em barkation or even the sending of supplies ashore impossible. T lay by the shore until 11 o'clock the next day, Monday, the 26th, when having made all proper dispositions for getting the troops on board, T gave orders to the transport fleet, as fast as they were ready, to sail for Fortress Monroe, in obedience to my instructions from the Lieutenant-Gener al. I learned from deserters and prisoners captured that Jhe supposition on which the Lieut.-General directed the expedi tion. that Wilmington had been denuded ot troops to oppose Gen. Sherman, was correct; that at the time when tlie Army n rived oft' Wilmington there was less than 400 men in the garrison of Fort Fisher, and less than 1,000 within 20 miles; but the delay of three days of •xood weather, the tilth, 1 t th and 18th, waiting for the arriva- of the navy, and | the further delay from the terrible storm of the2lst, 22d and 2:M. gave time for. the troops to be brought from Richmond, three divisions of which were either there on on the road. The instructions of the Lieut.-General to me did not contemplate a siege. 1 '1 d no''Lev c iegc trains nor supplies for tirli i contingency. The exigency of ! ; ■.-le r.t v for which the foresight of ' thi ' inn nderof the Armies had provi ■ . j,l |,ud -.risen to wit: the large re-en i'oriementsof the garrison, wiili the fact that the Navy had exhausted their sup ply of ammuuition in tlie bombardment, left me no alternative but to return with my Army to the Army of the Jauies. The loss on Friday, Saturday,and Sun day, the l(sth, 17th, and lKth of Decem ber, was the immediate cause of the fail ure of the expedition. It is not my province even to suggest b auie to tlie navy for their delay of four days at Beaufort. 1 know none of the reasons which do or do not justify it. It is to be presumed they are sufficient. I am happy to bring to the attention of the Lieut.-General the excellent behavior of tho troops, officers and men, which was all that could be desired. lam under especial obligations to Capt. G lesson of tho Santiago de Cuba for the able and effectual manner in which he covered our I,'teding; to Capt. Aldenof the Brooklyn, for his prompt assistance and the excel lent gunnery with which thft Brooklyn cleared the shores of all opposcrs. At the moment of debarkation, Li Ait. 1 arqu har of the Navy, having in charge the Navy boat which assisted in tho landing, deserves great credit for the energy and skill with which he managed the boats through the rolling surf. Especial com mendation is due to Brig.-Gen. Graham and the officers and men of his Naval Brigade, for the organization of his boats and crews for landing, and the untiring energy and industry with wnicli they all labored in re-embarking the troops du ring the stormy night of the 7th and the day following. For this and other meri torious service during the campaign since the Ist of May, which have heretofore been brought to tlit notice of the Lieu tenant General in my official reports, 1 would respectfully but earnestly reccow mend Gen. Graham for promotion. The number of prisoners captured by us was 300, including 12 officers; also, 2 heavy rifled-cuns, 2 light guns and 0 -sons Tho low of the Army was 1 man drowned, 2 men killed. 1 officer cap tflrcd who accidentally wandered thro' our pickets), and 2 more wounded, while upon <he picket line, by the shells of the Navy. Always chary of mentioning with commendation the acts of my personal staff, yet I think tfci troops who saw it will agree to the cool courage and daring of Lieut. Sidney B. I)eKay, A. D. C., in landing on the night of the 25th. and re maining and aiding in the re-ouibarka tion on the 27th. For the details of the lauding and the operations, 1 beg leave to refer you to the report of Maj. Gen. Weitzel, commanding the troops, and Brig.-Gen. Ames, oomuianding the divis ion lauded, which are hitherto appended. Trusting my action will meet with the approval of the Lieut.-General, this re port is respectfully submitted. BEKJ. F. BUTLKR, Maj.-Gen. LOVE'S FIRST DREAM. DT TtlE BARD OF 01tIt*C0. Wlmt In more pttuinc t<» tly* youth Than !/>re'« first flitting rannjr dream; The heart Intplrnl with hope, forsooth— Young Hymen's torch the guiding gleam. When sparkling eve* look lore to eye«. And touch of lip the heart doth thrill; Like ocean heatea the breaal with Highs; Emotion* the hoeom till. M> heart doth lore, and ne'er will tire; I'd rather spill it* crimson fl«>od Than loeee that spark of living fire;— 1 love the, angel, next to <JI*HI ! WIT AND WISDOM* —The best kind of Agricultural Fairs Farmer's daughters. —Why is a gun like a newspaper ? Because it makes reports. —Many a fellow, when whiskey is at hand, makes a rye mouth. —Millionaires are not so called from the amount of airs they put on. —Why is a sermon delivered on hoard a ship like a necklace ? Jiecausc it is a decoration. —Why is an infant at (he brest like a resident of Illinois'! Because it is in the sucker state. —The saying that ' there is nothing like leather," is justified by the fact that it is our sole reliance. —Colt's arms are useful when you want to fight, hut if you want to run away, colt's legs are better. —What three words lid Adam use when he introduced himself to Evo, and which read the same backwards as for wards ? Madam I'm Adam. —"My son. what would you do if your dear father was suddenly taken away f(om you ?" "Swear and chjiw tcrbac- Iter." —"A miss is as good as a mile,'' says mi old adage; and as three miles make a league, it is calculated that three missrs would make a leoijue —with a bachelor. —A gentleman bragging of having killed a pan .her, whose tail was three feet long. Brown observed that the animal ilied seosonably, as the tail was long enough not to be continued. —"Henry, you ought to be ashamed to throw away bread like that. You may want it some day.' " Well, mother, would I stand any better chance of getting it then, should I eat it up now ?" —No man who is ever thoroughly a sliamed ot himself should be classed among the irreclaimable. The real fool never regrets the right thing or for the right season, and under no circumstan ces sees himself as other see him. —A scotch advocate, who in his broad, Scotch pronounced the word water, watter, being asked in Court by the Conccllbr if he spelled water with two t's, replied, "No, my Lord, but I spell manners with two n's." —Two young ladies sit cosily by a comfortable fire. The married one says: "Whenever I want a nice snug lire all to myself, I tell George my mother is com ing, and then I see nothing of him until one o'clock in the morning."— launch. ; —One of the little fellows got off an odd expression in this form: "Mother, did General Mitchell goto Heaven?" "Yes, my child, I think he did." "Bully for him." —At a recent railroad dinner, in com pliment to the legal fraternity, the toast was given. "An honest lawyer, the no blest work of Godj" but an old farmer in the back part of the hall rather spoiled the effect by adding, in a loud voice,' And about the scarcest." —A merchant examining a hogshead of hardware, on comparing it with the invoice fouud it all right except a ham mer less than the invoice. "Och, don't be troubled," said the Irish porter; "sure the uagur took it out to open the hogs heod with." —There is nothing in which the prin ciple of life is so indestructible as an ill natured epigramic sentence; a dozen words spoken at one moment and forgotten the next, will goon through years, hurting more persous and doing more absolute mischief than a piece of artillery would do. —A cobbler at Leyden, who used to attend 4hc public disputations held at the Academy, was once asked if he under stood Latin. "No," replied the mechan ic ; "but I can tell who is wrong in the argument." "And how can you tell that?" asked his friend. "Why, by seeing who is angry first." —"Come here, my lad," said at attor ney to a boy about nine years old. "A ease between the devil and the people; which do you thiuk will be most likely to gain the action 112" The boy replied, "I guess it will be a hard squeeze—the people have the money, but the devil has the most lawyers." Fall of FortFißher. WASHINGTON, .lan. 17. The following was received at the Na vy Department, from Admiral l'orter: FLAG-SHIP MALVERN, OFF FORT FISHF.U, N. C, January 14, 1805. Sir, I have the honor to inform you that operations have been resumed against the forts at the entrance of (Jape Fear Uivcr. Since the attack on that place, anil the subsequent withdrawal of the troops, 1 have been employed in tilling the ships with ammunition and coal. The difficulties we hav encountered no one can conceive. All our work had to be dono with the larger vessels anchored on the coast, exposed, you may almost say. at sea. to the violent gales that blew here al most incessantly. On these gales the en emy depended to break up our prepara tions. You will see we have gone thro' the first of it—have held on through gales heavy enough to drive everything to sea. and we have sustained no damage what ever. After the troops arrived, the wea ther set in bad, and the gale was very heavy. As soon as it was over, I got un der way on the 12th inst., and forming the vessels in three lines, with the trans ports iu company, T steamed for Ft. Fish er. On the morning of the 13th, the licet took its station in three lines closo to the beach, and the boats wcrosent at once to take off the troops. These were land ed, with about twelve days provisions, at about 2 o'clock p. in. This time I pursued a different plan in attacking the rebel works. I sent in the new Ironsides, Commodore Radford, lead ing the monitors Sanguso, Cauonicus, Monadnock and Mahopee. At half past seven in the morning, the forts opened on them ns they approached, but they qui* etly took up their old positions within 1,- 000 yards of Fort Fisher, and when rea dy they opened their batteries. In this way 1 tempted the enemy to engage the mouitors, that we might see what guns they had, and what we were able to dis mount by fire. Quite a spirited engage ment went on between the fort and the Ironsides and monitors. It was soon apparent that the iron ves sels hail the best of it. Traverses began to disappear, and the Southern angle of Fort Fisher commenced to look very dili pated. The guns were silenced one after the other, and only one heavy gun in the southern angle kept up its Ore. The fire of this gun was not at ail accurate, if it inflicted .no damage on the iron vessels. They were hit seveial times. By way of letting the enemy see we had some shell left on board the wooden ships, and did not intend to take any unfair advantages of him by using the iron vessels alone, I ordered lino Mo 1, led by Capt. Alden, of the Brooklyn, and line No. 1, led by Commodore Tatchor, of the Colorado, to go and attack the batteries. This was done in the handsomest manner. Not a mistake was committed, except firing too rapidly and making too much smoke.— The heavy fire of the large vessels shu t up the enemy's guns at once, and after firing till after dark the wooden vessels dropped out to their ancorage. The Ironsides and Monitors maintained their position through the night, firiug a shell now and then. They arc now lying within one thousand yards of the fort,ami the monitors within seven hundred yards, and the fort does not fire a gun at them, thinking, no doubt, that it is a waste of powder. The firing from the fleet will commence as soon as we get breakfast, and be kept up as long as the Ordnance Department provides us with shells and guns. " , There is perfect understandingbetween Gen. Terry and myself. I believe every thing has been done to suit him. I have heard no complaint, and know that we have felt every disposition to help the ar my aloug. A detailed report of our ope rations here will be sent in when we get through. I see no to doubt our success. The forts will be used up soon. We have a respectable force landed on a strip of bnd which our naval guns com pletely command, and a place of defense, which would enable us to hold on against a very large army. I will report to you every opportunity. I have the honor to be. very respectful ly. your obedient servant, DAVID I>. IVIRTKII, Hear Admiral. To GIDEON WELLES, Sec'y of Navy. SECOND DAY OF THE BATTLE. A number of the troops advanced dur ing the night to the abandoned ebet Ft. Anderson, and now holds the whole breadth of the pcniusula to Cape i'ear River. FLAG-SHIP MALVERN, Saturday, 11 a. in. Up to this hour nothing has been done. This morning the monitors are lying qui etly with the Ironsides under the guns of Fort Fisher. Not a shot has been dis charged since 4 o'clock. A gun burst on the Mahopee yesterday, slightly wound ing two officers, and one man seriously. These were the only casualties in the fleet. • . Two O'CLOCK, P. M.—The division of wooden vessels are within short range of Fort Fisher, and firing rapidly upon it, but eliciting no reply. 1 must close now. as the Cuyler is just about to leave with dispatches for Fortress Monroe. JANTAKV 13. —Before the commence ment of active operations this morning, the following order from Admiral Porter, was read on the quarterdeck of the Satia go do Cuba, by Lieutenant Fnrgubar, ex ecutive officer of the ling-ship Malvern : JANUART 14. —Before going into ac tion the commander of each vessel will detail as many men ns he can spare from the guns as a landing party, that we may share in the assault when it taker place. Hoats will bo kept ready lowered near the water on the oil' side of the vessels. The sailors will be armed with cutlasses well sharpened, and with revolvers. When the signal is made toman the boats, the men will get in, but not show themselves. When the signal is made to assault, the boats will pull around the steru of the monitors, und land abreast of them, and board the fort on the river in a seaman like way. The inartuea will form iu the rear, and cover sailors. Whilst the sol diers are going over the parapet, the sail ors will take the sea face oi Fort fisher. We can land 2,000 men from the fleet and not feel it. Twothousand active men from the fleet will carry the day. [Signed] D. D. PORTER, Rear Admiral. WASHINGTON, Jan. 17. The Navy Department has received the following: FROM OFF FOKT FISHER, Jan. 15,1805. Telegraphed from Fortress Monroe Jan. 17th. To lion. Hithon Wvttt, Sec. of A r ti >y : Sill—Fort Fisher is ours. I send a bearer of dispatches with a brief account of the affair. Gen. Terry is entitled to the highest praise and the gratitude of his country tor the manner iu which he has coiinuctcd his part of the operations, lie is my beau ideal of a soldier and a Gener al. Our co-operotion has been most cor dial. The result is victory, Which will always be ours when the army and nayy go hand iu hand. The naval loss in the assault was heavy; the army loss is also heavy. (.Signed,) D. D. PORTER, Hear Admiral Commanding. WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 T'J Mnj. Gen. Dix : —The following official dispatches have been received at this Department dated Headquarters United States Forces, on Federal Point, N. C , January 15, via Fortress Monroe, January 17 :— Hrigadicr Geuwal J. A. Kawlins—General: I have the honor to report that Fort Fisher was carried by as sault this afternoon and evening by Gen. Ames' Division and the second brigade of the First division of the Twenty-fourth Army Corps, gallantly aided by a battery of marines and seamen from the navy.— The assault was preceded by a heavy bom bardment from the fleet, and was made at 2:30 p. m , when the First brigade, Cur tis' of Ames'division,effected a lodgment upon the parapet, but full possession of the work was not obtained till ten p. m. The behavior of both officers and men was most admirable. All the workssouth of Fort Fisher are now occupied by our troops. We have notless than 1,200 pris oners, including Gen Whiting and Col. Lamb, the commandant of the Fort. I regret to say that our loss is severe, espe cially in officers. lam not yet able to form any estimate of the number of cas ualties. (Signed,) ALFRED II TERRT, Brevet Maj. Gen. Comd'g Esped'n. i&f The following is related a* the " resident's last story In dismissing a party of three hungry place-seekers, who had often wearied him, aud finualiy ex hausted his patience, Mr. Lincoln said they reminded him of the story ot the schoolmaster who told one of bb pupils to read the third chapter ot Daniel. The boy began, but when became to the names of Shadracli, Mesheck and Abednego,he stumbled. The master required him to yroceed. He tried again and failed. Ped agogue then tried flogging,tbut atillnog i. Kcleniiug, the master told the boy he might read the jaeceding chapter, and let the present one go. The boy bright ened up aud took hold with a will. Ho got on famously until he reached the last verse, when pausing, a look of consterna tion overcame his countenance, aud he dropped the book, exclaiming in a doleful voice : " H'/iy here are them three ratcal■ NUMBER 7 ly fellou-$ again." The trio sloped, and some of their friends sty it was a fair hit. The Dead Soldier and his Children. Sergeant Humiston lived at l'ortsville, N. Y., an upright and industrious me chanic. In thesummerof 18C3 he offer ed himself on the altar of his imperilled country, and enlisted in the 154 th regi meut New York Volunteers, on the assu rance of citizens that his dependent fam ily would be well cared for. The testimony of his captain was that Humiston made one of the very best of soldiers. The 154 th regiment was in the 11th oorps, and suffered terribly in the first day of the Qettysburg struggle, only a handful of men reporting themselves after the battle. It was here that Sergt. Humiston fell News came from one and another that went from Portville, uutil all were heard from except Humiston : no tidings came from him. Some fonr months had elaps cd, and hope had well nigh died out in that poor wife's heart. And lieto occurred on<~ of those remarkable providences, had it not been for which the fate of Sergeant Humiston would have ever remained a mvstery—one of those beautiful illust' i tions of the kind enre of our heavenly Fother, who watches over tho humblest individual. ]>r. J. Francis Hourus. of Philadel phia, a very eminent physician and kind hearted gentleman, went to Gettysburg n. t a volunteer surgeon, and delegate of the U.S. Christian Commission; and al r completing his duties, started for " lb* front" on the Potomac. In crossing tho mountain*, he and his follow-travellei - were forced by nn accident to stop at th" house of .Mr. Schriver, late Shoiiff of Adams county. While there, one or two relics of the battle field which they had with them, when Mr. S. remarked that hit had a relic that ho would prize more highly than all these, lie then produe an ambrotypeof three children which was found, he said, in the hands of a dead I'nion soldier on the field the day after the battle. It appeared from the uaiuro of the wound that the soldier might have lived some timo after it was received.— His coat and hat were gone, and there was nothing found upon him by which it could be known who he was or to what regiment he belonged. Tho unknown soidier died! O! to him how preeiou must havo boen this picture—how hi:* thoughts must havo wandered back to home, wife and children, as he gazed up on it! When i)r. Mourns returned to Philadel phia, he rotated the incident. The pub lie beewne much interested in it; and he conceived the idea of identifying the sol dier by means of the Picture. He pro cured it from Mr. Schriver, and had it noticed in the Philadelphia papers. Tho notice was copied by other papers all over the country. A lady at Portville saw it, the thought occurred to her that it might be a picture of the Humiston children. It was as certained that such a picture had boen sent to the father a while before tho bat tloof Gettysburg. A letter was dispatel ed to the Doctor. He immediately sent a copy of tho picture, and lo! 'he lostsol dier was identified Dr. Bourns had previously been turn ing this touching event to material advan tage. He had the pictuae exposed for sale, the proceeds togo for tho benefit of tho family when discovered; and whea the aid of many kind people of Philadel phia, it became a decided success. Peo ple from abroad began to Inquire fc.r them, and goon he could not get them printed fast enough to supply the de mand. He is hoping now not only to provide a good home, maintain the family, and ed ucate tbe children, but to provide for tho orphan children of other soldiers who have perished in defending oar eountry. This is truly a praise-worthy and Chris tian object. May the hearts of the peo ple be inclined toward it, and may no sol diers widow and no helpless orphan be for gotten in tho pTayers and aims of Chris tian Patriots. Soldier's orphans are of right the children of a grateful country. Sunday School Timrt. Seek society. Answer your letters. Meet good wilhhalf way. All good men excite each other'sactivify. '■ etterthines are said, more incisive, more wit and in sight are dropped in talk and forgotten by the speaker, than get into books. jGf What great man. though al wavs in England, never visit 3 Lon don? Ana.—Manchester. What man will instruct you with out speaking, and submit to be car ried in your hands ? Ans.—Manual What man is quietly permitted to | embrace a lady in the street ? Ana. Mantl*. 'I I ... i- r
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers