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
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