Rouge and march to Port Hudson. The regiment (the First) broke out in cheers for General Butler and Colonel Stafford, and marched off singing the song, "John Brown." The correspondent of the Times has told how these colored soldiers fought on the twenty seventh, and I need not repeat the story here. The unflinching courage shown on that day has been exhibited nearly every day since, for they have had frequent skirmishes with the rebels, and in every instance the latter have been driven back with loss. Only last week one company of the First regiment charged upon a ridge where there was a company of rebels in a rifle-pit who had annoyed our soldiers very much. The rebels were put to flight and driven into their works, with a loss of two killed, and two or three wounded; our loss was the same. The rebels left behind them their supper, canteens, blankets, etc. Our boys were much joyed with their success; and it may be added that they have been constantly advancing on the rebel works, and have never given up an inch of ground that they have once gained. All honor to our brave colored soldiers! General Banks has spoken in the highest terms of the fighting qualities of the negro soldiers, and it is probable that they will no longer be kept in the background for want of his confidence. The unflinching courage of the black soldier, as displayed at Port Hudson, shows that we may depend upon him to do his part in the present contest. The siege progressing favorably, and will soon end in success to our arms. J. T. PAINE, Surgeon-in-charge First and Third Infantry, A LETTER FROM PRESIDENT LINCOLN. At the commencement of the rebellion Melancthon Smith was postmaster of the town of Rockford, Illinois, and his wife was acting as deputy-postmaster. Feeling it his duty to participate in the struggle, Mr. Smith raised a regiment, of which he was appointed Colonel, and entered service under General Grant, leaving Mrs. Smith to attend to the duties of the post-office. Colonel Smith distinguished himself on several occasions, and at the recent storming of the first redoubt at Vicksburgh, led the forlorn hope, and was shot through the head and killed. Application was then made for the appointment as postmaster of a gentleman who, under ordinary circumstances, would have been a proper person to fill the office. Counter applications to retain the widow were also sent in. The matter was brought before the President; he indorsed the application for the widow, and afterward sent a letter to the Postmaster-General, of which the following is a copy: EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, July 24, 1863. Hon. Postmaster-General: SIR: Yesterday little indorsements of mine went to you in two cases of postmasterships sought for widows whose husbands have fallen in the battles of this war. These cases occurring on the same day, brought me to reflect more attentively than I had before done as to what is fairly due from us here in the dispensing of patronage toward the men who, by fighting our battles, bear the chief burden of saving our country. My conclusion is, that other claims and qualifications being equal, they have the better right, and this is especially applicable to the disabled soldier and the deceased soldier's family. Your obedient servant, A. LINCOLN. WALTER S. NEWHALL. OB. DECEMBER 18, ET. 22. CAPTAIN WALTER S. NEWHALL, of Philadelphia, Acting Adju tant-General upon the staff of General Gregg, was lately drowned in a tributary of the Rappahanock. He was one of the. earliest volunteers in the war, leaving all to serve his country. First distinguished in the famous charge of Zagonyi at Springand dangerous service; and, always a hero, he never disappointfield in Missouri, he was afterward engaged in the most active ed the fond faith of the hearts that loved him. He leaves two brothers in the service; and at the time of Lee's invasion last tive military duty. The following lines, by a mother whose son summer we believe that his parents had five or six sons on achad been in Captain Newhall's company, have a truly lyrical fervor. Not 'mid the cannon's roar, Not 'mid red fields of gore, When the fierce fight was o'er, His young life parted; But low beneath the wave, Slept the true-hearted. All seamed with noble scars Here ends his story. Stern was the strife and brief- Once, in Rome's elder day (So her old legends say,) Across the Sacred Way, Wrath's fearful token, Earth opened wide her breast; Nor might the land find rest Till of her wealth the best There should lie broken. Vainly poured gold and gem, Wealth's hoards uncoffered. Lord, in our hour of woe, In streams unfailing: Yes, purer offerings stillMeek faith and chastened will, All that, through good and ill, Thy mercy gave us: Honor, and love, and truth, Bright joys and dreams of youth, Thou, Lord, in pitying ruth, Oh! let them save us! Hear! for our cause is just Bring thy salvation! Point thou through clouds our way, CHRISTMAS, 1863. OPENING OF THE MISSISSIPPI. Hail, Father of Waters! again thou art free! Fit emblem of Freedom! thy home is the North! 'Twas midnight-in secret the traitor conclave Had sworn: "We will throw off the bonds that unite us: Our king shall be cotton, our watchword be slave !" What ghostly intruder hath come to affright us! "I'm the god of the river, from source to the sea, I bear proudly onward the flag of the free!" "Accursed is your treason-no power can break And down, with its torn banner, fell The pulpit and the press, In the parlors and the highways Good men beyond the ocean, Now many a brave heart trembled ; To turn the battle's tide; And turn away his face? Will the cause of truth go under, And crime usurp its place? Will the fields of so much glory, Such as the Kaiser saw- His conquering sword to draw! So some doubted and debated, And marvelled and deploredWith unswerving faith some waited The justice of the Lord. Soon, brighter than the morning fire, His stately steps are seen-Chariots, blazing with his ire, Amongst the clouds careen! Now! GRANT girds on his armor, And leads his legions forth- That at the signal peal, Their ranks shall scale, through iron hail, The mountain sides with steel. The columns, swiftly formed in line, As if they know the haughty foe Is sure to fly or yield. And, rebels, now look to your works, See that your aim be true, For Grant commands those loyal bands, And this is no review. Full fierce the mighty struggle swells; Death roars from every gun, While through a flood of human blood The rifle-pits are won. Our forces follow up the steep, Loud shouting as they go, Nor heed the shot that, thick and hot, Come crashing fast below. And when they gain the crested ridge, Of demons in the sky. Round them rolls the sulph'rous smoke They reach the very last redoubt, Hell yawns at every fire; Midst sword and lead, o'er piles of dead, And routed, scattered, and dismayed, All honor, then, to all our men, To leaders and to guard, Let holy tears bedew the graves Let history write in golden books; Let bards with song enshrine; WEST-CHESTER, Pa. THE DOVE OF THE REGIMENT. AN INCIDENT OF THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA. "And the dove came into him in the evening, and lo! in her mouth was an olive leaf!"-BIBLE. It will be remembered that, during the battle of Chickamauga, stragglers from our army spread extravagant reports of disaster and defeat, and that the enemy, supposing the destruction of our army complete, exultingly announced that the road was clear to Nashville. So spake a haughty Southern lord, with stern and flashing eye, Gazing upon a recent throng that slowly straggled by. Cease, babbling fool, your soul to soothe with this delusive strain; Though stragglers flee the field of death, the soldiers yet remain. When storms assail the rugged oak, its giant form may rock, But withered leaves and worthless boughs alone yield to the shock. The fight is done, and from the field, the rebels on their track, A weary host, our scattered bands come marching slowly back. "Now fire the dwellings, fell the groves, these sylvan bowers lay low, That o'er the plain our guns may speak a welcome to the foe! Though driven from the bloody field we almost won, and lost, Back from this mountain citadel we'll hurl the rebel host; As, after Canna's fatal day, the Roman armies bore Their standards from Tiber's banks to Afric's hated shore; fight, After the retreat, while placing Chattanooga in a state of de- As when the northern bear waned weak, in Borodino's fence, General Rosecrans ordered groves levelled and houses burned, when so situated as to afford shelter to the enemy, or interfere with the range of the artillery. A dove escaped from a burning building, and took shelter in the tent of an offi cer of the Forty-nrst Ohio regiment. It remained with its protector during the siege, which terminated in the rout of Bragg's army at Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge. When the regiment marched with Granger's corps to the relief of the beleaguered army,at Knoxville, it accompanied it, and when the Fortyfirst reenlisted, this "dove of the regiment" came with it to Cleveland. The Sabbath day-toward Welden bridge slow stoops the autumn sun; As when by prophet's mandate stayed, he paused on Gideon. Above the crest of Mission Ridge the shifting cloud we see Is not the fleeting morning mist that shrouds the Ten nessee. A hundred thousand freemen pale struggle beneath its shade; While, from old Lookout's rugged front, echoes the cannonade. "Now glory the stars and bars, what may not valor do? Our foe, in Georgia's dread defiles, has met his Waterloo! Napoleon's host recoiled before the vengeful Muscovite; So yet from Chattanooga's walls we'll spring, the foe TO ROBERT GOULD SHAW. A toast I'll give, to finish, it will please you all, I know, Buried by South-Carolinians under a pile of twenty-four It's "champagne" to our real friends, and “real pain" negroes. ON Alaric, buried in Busento's bed, The slaves, the stream who turned, were butchered thrown, That, so his grave eternally unknown, No mortal on the Scourge of God might tread. In Wagner's trench, beneath brave freemen hid, to our foe. MUSTERED OUT. BY REV. WILLIAM E. MILLER. Let me lie down, Just there in the shade of this cannon-torn tree, Oh! it was grand! While "Come up higher, Friend!" thou hearest God The tempest-its fury and thunder was there; Like the tempest we charged the triumph to share: say. THE MERCEDITA. L. HOLBROOK. AIR-The Battle of Bull Run. Come all you loyal seamen, a song I'll sing to you, The prizes we have taken have shown that he's about; The next is Mr. Dwyer, no braver man can be; Then Steine and Rogers, they come next, both good men and brave; On, on, o'er intrenchments, o'er living and dead, With the foe under foot and our flag overhead; Oh! it was grand ! Hark! there's a shout! Raise me up, comrades! We have conquered, I know! Up, up on my feet, with my face to the foe! Ah! there flies the Flag, its Star-spangles bright, The promise of glory, the symbol of right! Well may they shout! I'm mustered out! O God of our fathers! our freedom prolong, GENERAL JOE HOOKER. Some generals' sole thought is a well-secured base; Supposed to be sung by one of his Division, on the summit of The great forte then of others intrenchments to trace; I've e'en heard of commanders "skedaddled" out Look-Out Mountain, subsequent to its capture, November, 1863. THE camp fire burns bright and the cider is sound: Blue, 'Tis of one who ne'er shunned to encounter the foe, You must know whom I mean, it's our own "Fighting Joe." Come, fill every cup-for a fight he's the cooker, With three cheers and a tiger, we'll drink to Joe Hooker. The old proverb it runs, "Every dog has his day," But some dogs have two chances when dog's work's to play, And the people at home, when the truth comes to light, Will accord second chance to the dog who can fight: It is only for fighting that Hooker's a glutton; Listen, comrades, we Yankees are most reading men, Which commanders are those that a soldier will mention, Who's studied his books with delight and attention? Why, Gustavus, and Fred'rick, Charles, Blücher, and Saxe, And the like, who trod ably in Hannibal's tracks, 'Mong our own, Greene, "Mad Anthony," Schuyler, and Lamb, And Montgomery, dead near the field of Montcalm That field where Wolfe died, all content as victorious Leaving names that are watchwords-whole nation's themes glorious. Well who most in this war showed a spirit like theirs? Grant and Farragut truly have done their full shares; Because he's a game-cock will fight well as crow, If the country would win though he lost by the work. read; And at Look-Out, when counted all out of the fight, "Twas Hooker who triumphed, 'twas Joe stormed the height. "If a man's got fight in him, laughed 'ruddy-faced Joe,' When a fight's to come off he'll in stirrup get toe:" Then three cheers and a tiger for him who will plan And then try to accomplish his thoughts like a man. right, And 'mong these, once, great Fred'ric, if read I aright; Or, at newspaper clamor, send thousands to die, mire Of political strategy keep out of fire, And the rank and file scout a political plan, And in stern path of duty, showed, led on, the way; INCIDENTS OF THE OCCUPATION OF HAGERSTOWN. July 7.-During the stay of the confederates in town, the boys ranging from twelve to sixteen reaped quite a harvest by confiscating all the revolvers that were left in the holsters upon the backs of officers' horses, which they (the boys) were holding. Our informant was shown some sixty revolvers thus captured, and the Union boys are making good use of them. at Hagerstown, and the streets are continually crowded Business has been suspended for nearly three weeks with men, women, and children. The Union men congregate in front of the Hagerstown Bank-at times numbering hundreds-all bearing a cheerful look and hand, the secesh make their headquarters at the Washdiscussing the prospects of the war. On the other ington House, immediately opposite the Bank, where they can be heard vowing vengeance upon the loyal portion of the community. A pleasing incident occurred during Ewell's stay in town. The Fourth North-Carolina, Colonel Grimes, was encamped in the public square, doing provost duty. Attached to this regiment was an excellent brass band, and on the first evening of their arrival they enlivened the town by playing rebel airs. At last they struck up "Dixie;" immediately some twenty young ladies, headed by Miss McCameron and Miss Emma Wantz, joined in singing the "Star-Spangled Banner," which soon drowned the rebel horns. This created intense feeling, and the Union boys sent up shout after shout. Another incident, worthy of note, occurred after a portion of the rebel army had passed into Pennsylva |