Scatters its squares of red and brown The white church gleaming on the hill Low at their feet, in sweet surprise, Repeating every varied hue, The Mountain Mirror" scoops the skies, And over all sublimely broods The spirit, by Nature only taught; And all is peace, save where intrudes One dark, deep shade of human thought. Embraced within her mountain arms, Few fairer scenes the eye have met: Would that the soul knew no alarmsWould that the gazer could forget! Forget the far-off strife, that shakes His country's glory into shame; Forget the misery that makes A by-word of the nation's name! Forget that she, who years ago, Brought Freedom forth, in throes and tears, Now lies in second labor low, God grant swift safety to the land: God haste the peace-returning morn Then, like this fair and favored place, Like this, shall glow her atmosphere To shame the shadows of her night. THE SERGEANT'S COT. The door-stone fowl affrighted fly, With wide, fell swoop, the airy king One piteous flutter and a plaint-no more! There were bitter tears and tenderness The kitten gambolled, the pet linnet sung; The mother took her to her arms, and said: "Thy chick my child, is gone, is dead, But a kind All-Father rules o'erhead. 'Twas said: "The Tenth had suffered most, The kitten gambolled, the pet linnet sung; THE FOLLOWING LINES Were found in a bundle of Socks, sent by a "Lively Old Lady," in Amherst, N. H., to the U. S. Hospital, corner of Broad and Cherry streets, Philadelphia. By the fireside, cosily seated, To keep him hearty and warm. But her heart is off to the war, Are cheering them on their way, She ponders, how in her childhood, She cannot shoulder a musket, To work for the boys who do. . So prithee, proud owner of muscle, And now, while beginning "to narrow," Will wade to the ankle in blood. And now she is "raising the instep," 64 She gathers" the last of the stitches, Ye men who are fighting our battles, And pray for the grandmothers too, Are knitting the stockings for you. S. E. B. of woods," returned Sambo. "Dr. R. sent me down to tell you to come up quick, or they'll kill the whole of us." "Come in, come into camp," said the soldiers. "No, no," says the 'cute African, "I have got to go down and tell the cavalry pickets, and can't wait a second." So off he sprang with a bound, running for dear life, the rebs, discovering the ruse, chasing him for three miles, and he running six, when he got safely into camp, but minus his chickens, which he dropped at the first fire. INCIDENTS OF CHICKAMAUGA. CHATTANOOGA, TENN., September 24, 1863. The two armies are now confronting each other in the immediate vicinity of the town of Chattanooga. After the two days' battle of the nineteenth and twentieth, the line of the Federal army occupied a position eight miles from the town-the left, with General Thomas, maintaining its former front, while the right and centre had fallen back some two miles from its former position. From the superior force of the rebels in our front, and the great extent of line which the Federals were necessarily forced to defend, after holding the enemy at bay for forty-eight hours, our lines were withdrawn within the support of the works which had been thrown up by the enemy previous to their evacuation of this place. The enemy having been so severely punished in the late conflict, were slow in following us to our present established line. They held back as if to give us full opportunity for a successful recrossing of the Tennessee River. But General Rosecrans did not see proper to take advantage of these favorable designs of the enemy. On retiring to Chattanooga, instead of placing the Tennessee between his forces and those of the rebels, he im mediately called around him his generals, and in a few words explained to them his future intended plans. The Nationals at present occupy the works previ ously constructed by the rebels to prevent the approach of the Yankees. The former strength of these works the enemy know full well. But they have now been made more complete, enlarged and improved upon by those whose approach they were first intended to resist. "This place is to be held at all hazards; we here make the big fight, be the strength of the enemy what it may. Beyond this point the army of the Cumberland will not retire while there is a foe to menace it!" General St. Clair Morton, Chief of Engineers, immediately set about to put the place in a defensible con'CUTENESS OF A CONTRABAND SCOUT.-A private let-dition for the warm welcome of the enemy. ter from West-Point, Va., narrates an exciting adventure which befell a negro scout in the employ of the Union forces, and his shrewdness in escaping from the rebels. His name is Claiborne, and he is a full-blooded African, with big lips, flat nose, etc. He has lived in the vicinity all his life, and is therefore familiar with the country, which renders him a very valuable scout. On Claiborne's last trip inside the enemy's lines, after scouting around as much as he wished, he picked up eight chickens and started for camp. His road led past the house of a secesh doctor named Roberts, who knows him, and who ordered him to stop, which, of course, Claiborne had no idea of doing, and kept on, when the doctor fired on him and gave chase, shouting at the top of his voice. The negro was making good time toward camp, when all at once he was confronted by a whole regiment of rebel soldiers, who ordered him to halt. For a moment the scout was dumbfounded, and thought his hour had come, but the next he sung out: "The Yankees are coming! the Yankees are com ing!" The enemy have been constantly moving around us since our retirement to this place. Large bodies of cavalry, infantry, and artillery are to be seen moving along the heights and through the valleys and plains beyond our present limits. They have been trying the range of their guns upon our position, but have not as yet succeeded in the accomplishment of any advantage to themselves or injury to the Nationals. Their shot and shell have all fallen harmless to the earth. They are distinctly to be seen in very strong force, in successive lines of battle, on the hillsides and in the bottoms. The dense woods in our immediate front are also swarming with them, but they thus far have shown but little disposition to advance and again try their strength and fortune with the little army of despised "Just up in front of Dr. Roberts's house, in a piece menials with which they are at present confronted. Where? where ?" inquired the rebels. For the purpose of a more perfect range in our immediate front, it has been our painful duty to burn all the dwellings between the Federal lines and those of the enemy. More than fifty buildings have thus been levelled to the ground, some of which were quite valuable, and the premises most beautifully ornamented with all the surroundings of comfort and pleasure. continued until all was known to be safe. The enemy have not replied to our batteries for the last two days. What may be their present or future intentions cannot be well conjectured." During the day of the twenty-third, the enemy were known to be moving cavalry, infantry, and wagontrains along the south side of the Tennessee, toward But all is now a complete waste; every thing has Knoxville. Whether they are intending another inbeen levelled and destroyed. Houses, trees, shrub-vasion of Kentucky is more than your correspondent bery, fences, and all are gone-made to give way to the result of rebellion and the curse of war. Over this now desert waste the guns of the Federals have complete control. On the twenty-third, the enemy were observed in the attempt of getting into position with their bat teries. From this the Federals opened upon them with a few of the guns of General Negley's command, from their powerful and commanding "Star Fort," the design and partial erection of the rebels, which work has been fully completed and improved upon by the Nationals. This introductory soon had the desired effect, the enemy withdrawing with their pieces to a more secure position. As the enemy had been observed in taking up their position in line of battle, a few shells were thrown in among them to notify them of the Yankee objection to their close proximity. From these pesky annoyances they hastily retired. Large bodies of the enemy were seen moving to our right, but feeling fully prepared for them at all points, no diversion was made from our lines to counteract the rebel movements. On the right some picket-firing occurred with the enemy's skirmishers, but no further aggressive movements were indulged in. During the day considerable enthusiasm was manifested along the rebel lines. Great cheering at the remarks of orators was indulged in. At the outpost pickets they were heard to exclaim, while haranguing the soldiers, "that the fate and success of the Southern Confederacy now depending upon the crushing of the present army of the Cumberland." But that they have found to be a game that more than themselves can indulge in. The day of the twenty-third closed with nothing of particular importance transpiring along the lines. Toward evening the Star-Spangled Banner was raised to the top of a long staff erected on the Star Fort, in honor of its completion, and expression of thanks to the enemy for their unintended favors in the planning and labor bestowed upon this strong work. The flag now floats where the enemies of their country can have a plain and distinct view of its stars and stripes, waving over the battlements of their former possessions. Some picket-firing was indulged in during the night of the twenty third. The enemy seemed quite desirous of advancing their lines under cover of darkness, but they found the Unionists in sufficient force and strength to successfully dispute any encroachments upon their established lines. From some hostile demonstration on our centre, a battery was opened upon the enemy, which soon made all quiet again in that quarter. Rockets were to be seen in the air during the night, with which the Federal pickets had been furnished for the conveyance of information, should the enemy make any demonstrations of advance or other movements. Toward morning a heavy fog hung over the ground in our front, completely screening the position of the enemy from view. In anticipation of the rebels taking advantage of this circumstance to advance and post their batteries, a fire was opened upon their lines, and can correctly determine. But it is to be presumed that our military authorities here are fully aware of all the demonstrative movements of the foe, and will make all the necessary changes consequent to the occasion. The rebels will, no doubt, make great efforts to interrupt our line of communication with the North, and thus cut off our army supplies; but in this they will be mistaken, as there is now a large supply of provisions here for future consumption, sufficient to prevent any inconvenience that might occur from the designs of the enemy. Nearly all of the sick and wounded of our army have been removed from this place to Stephenson, from which point they will be taken farther north as rapidly as the facilities of the railroad will admit. THE NATION. BY ALFRED B. STREET. Union! it draws from heaven its birth, The systems with the throne of God. The ocean with the drop of dew, Strongest this mystic web is twined; Joins with another's weal or woe; The father's sins, in lengthened reign Of influence dire, the son shall know. His virtues, too, the child shall bless; And thus a touch shall yield its meed Of misery or of happiness In this electric web of deed. Union the car of progress speeds- The chain in fortune's fiercest flame; Our glorious young Republic came. Nobly they dared the dangerous deep, Spurning the cultured joys of life; And in the forest's boundless sweep Existence linked to endless strife. But though the ambush gleamed with death, Disease and famine aimed the dart, They faced their fate with tranquil breath, And faith sublime, and lofty pride, And so they grasped the magic ax, The hamlet rose-the harvest bent. And, vital pulse of every heart, O Liberty! gift celestial, Twined deep in the Deity's plan! Thy glorious life is immortal, And yields the best blessings to man. Thou art twin to the chainless lightning, The maddened tornado's flight; Thou dancest in bound of the billow And glancest in gleam of the light. No blossom art thou of the garden, To the roar of the grappling storm. The strength that would challenge the whirlwind The voice that sounds mate to the thunder A warrior, grim and frowning, Or die in the moment of need. O Liberty! gift celestial, What glorious joys are thine? To watch o'er thy holy shrine. And sometimes the seed springs upward Ah! how the world has tottered In the quake of the dreadful strife! The earth has turned red with slaughter, And Liberty, torn and stained, Down to the dust has been cloven; But its life-its life remained. And again, to its feet upleaping, And such the light our fathers knew; With voice of storm and eye of flame. And where the broad Potomac flows, Then to the struggles of the free And sharpening ax, and guiding plough, Of government to rest on all- Our starry flag, with trophies won In the expanse that God had joined. In the red lightning's angry glare, Kindling alone the blackened air, Our once proud Ship of State we see. And, bearing down, a phantom bark, In lurid light its trappings woundSides darting fires along the dark, Terrific thunders roaring round Comes flashing through the awful gloom The stately mould our fathers wrought; Their hearts the planks that formed the pile, Their prayers the blue above it bent, Their virtues the surrounding smile. And shall that Ship, in hopeless shock, See some gray tinge of softness cast, The glorious sunburst throws at last? Ye stately shades-O glorious sires! Bend from the clouds of darkness now Flashing from every awful brow! The brighter from its new array. Dear flag of our fathers! how wildly It streams to the hurricane's might! Yet no more shall be quenched in the darkness Than the sunshine be swept from the sight. It was born in the tumult of battle, When the land rocked with wrath at the foe, And Liberty, striving and reeling, Rained blood at each terrible blow. There was naught on the yoked earth to render So the sky-the grand symbol of freedom- The stars shone for hopes to be kindled Thus favored above, changing fortune And now, as we gaze on its splendors, High lifted the foremost among them— With figure in mould so majestic, And Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin And battle-fields, trophied in honor, On the breast of the banner are rifeThe evergreen summit of Bunker, And Trenton's wild winter-tossed strife. And proudly our own Saratoga, Where the first of our triumphs was won And Yorktown-that height of our glory, Where burst our victorious sun. Then, hail to our sky-blazoned banner! It has brightened the shore and the sea; And soon may it wave o'er one nation, The starred and striped FLAG of the Free! TREACHERY OF THE REBELS. CAMP OF FIFTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY, WILLIAMSBURGH, VA., June 6, 1863. During the last few days there appeared a flag, purporting to be a sign of distress, on Hog Island, opposite King's Landing, on the James River. The mat ter, as soon as reported to Major C. Kleinz, received due attention by an examination by the Major in person, who, after satisfying himself of the existence of the flag, ordered Lieutenant James Smith, of company A, to take a small boat and visit the island, to ascer tain the object of the parties displaying the flag of truce. Lieutenant Smith took one man (and two contrabands to row the boat) with him, and started for the Island. When coming within two hundred yards of the east end of the island, he could distinguish a camp in a clump of trees, also a flag floating in the air; he then drifted his boat westward along the island, without being able to see any thing more than the white flag, which was constantly displayed in an inviting manner. By the aid of a field-glass he could see every object about the houses, barns, and sheds, with the exception of a long tobacco warehouse, which is situated on lower ground, but, getting to a favorable position, he did distinguish three soldiers, partially concealed from view. On a nearer approach and closer examination, he saw a man sitting on the stairway loading a musket. Still, the white flag was displayed by a single person. On getting within fifty yards of the shore the flag was taken down, and near the flag-bearer sixteen men suddenly made their appearance. On Lieutenant Smith asking the object of the flag of truce, they ordered him to land his boat, and immediately the rebel flag was hoisted over their heads. Lieutenant Smith, aware of their treacherous intent, headed his boat from the shore, encouraging the colored men to pull for their lives, and began to beat a hasty retreat. As soon as the rebels saw the boat headed off they were ordered to fire; they did so, but their fire fell about six yards short of the boat; another squad about three times as large, from the tobacco warehouse, fired, but their fire went too high; a third as large, and from the same place, fired, filling the air round the little boat with bullets. Fortunately Smith and his party escaped uninjured, owing to the precautionary preparation after the first fire, which was to stoop |