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5URG, N. ¥., FRIDAY, FEB. 20, 1863. WHOLE NO.iBJnet ; doorTo THU Editor or thr News*.Allow m« to »et' Before your reader# the fol-lowing little “brilliant” taken at random ftom the casket of a ft it id: e.OLEON.fome-doorsY.reethRub-11.Y.andiner*Tru*Pas-r, m.utelyitingnageitor.' 1*2 torn* Ines* i Ca-INN,,lt;uuirtfter■tinguage001.,*lb,Ilockaionfru:ainoilyd atJ 00 ) 00 ) 00iptrdi*idpThere art sjrinqdid names on the roll of fame, That shall live in song and story j There are giant forms in the minds of men,• That float in a wreath of glory ['There are iron souls that h»Ve kept the world And moulded its solemn fashion,’There are lives and deaths, we have read with awe In the fervor of deathless passion There is chivalry laid in the cypress gloom, Stately and grand and tender;There is all thf world gone down before,In its great unbearable splendor *Bui who shall whisper, when all is told,That hat passed in the world’s arena,The greater name of* an Emperor—dead In the island of St, Helena?Dead!—and out of the aea he rose—Out of the passionate people,Towering into the azure dome Like an old cathedra! steeple—Rose in the strength of his Iron will.Volcanic and atern and hoary,While fame that slept for a thousand years, Awoke in his martial glory.Dead! and into the tea he set Alone in his terrible beamy,Trailing a stream of dazzling «tara Into the silent Thule,Who bhaU picture their purple pomp?—* Belsres, Key, Murat, Massena— lhat marshalled the train of an Emperor dead lu the island of St. Helena?'Only a requiem stern and wild,Rung*out by the stormy ocean,Ever can utter an eloquence fit To murmur the world’s emotion*,Only a rhapsody told at night By the element’* pealing thunder,Echo trio am the beaided years Theiriegendtil ftar and wonder—But low and stiU on the winding Stene,In the tongues of many a people,By many a minster gray and old,With its lofty ivied steeple,And far sway, w hen the grass is green O er M.ireugo and gory Jena,Shall float the name of an Emperor, dead, la the isUnd of St. Helena, c. c, p.CAMPAIGN SKETCHES.BY A VOLUNTEER.M.selfve-mgandeepareizes-LI-ndw»U*ton-»didofa-mI*s-r-idr%reeri-x.NUMBER FIVE.We were not destine*! to remain )onlt;r in idleness at Washington. Gen. McClellan was assigned to the commaudof the army, to the great gratification of the troops, and commenced moving up the. Potomac, on the Maryland side, in the direction of Frederick City, where the headquarters of the rebel army were established. Gen. Lee had crossed the river midway between Harper’s Ferry and Washington and issued a bombastic proclamation to the people of Maryland, calling upon them to rally to the support of the Stars and Bars,” and pledging the assistance of the army under his command to throw off their allegiance to the despot Lincoln, and unite their fortunes wi.h those of their sister States, under the liberal rule and enlightened policy of Jeff Davis. The Marylanders u couldn’t see it,” and refused the proffered alliance. Lee, disgusted with their ignoranca and lackof * appreciation, shook the dust fromhis feet and retired across the Potomac, not, however, until the battles of South Mountain and Antietam had offered additional inducements for hjs retograde movement.OlelJan had establiihed his headquarters. We moved forward on two par-rallcl roads, the right wing consisting of Hooker’s and Reno’s corps under Gen. Burnside; the left commanded by Gen. Franklin. After numerous skirmishes with the enemy, our advance entered Frederick on the 12th, driving7 rthe rear guard of the enemy through the streets of the city. On the 14lh we encountered a strong force of the enemy posted on the heights of South Mountain, overlooking and controlling Crampton’s and Turner’s gaps, South Mountain, or as it is sometimes called, Catoctin ridge is an extension into Mary land of the Blue mountains of Virginia. They are of moderate elevation* and are crossed by means of gaps or passes,of which the principal ones are those above mentioned. The road bywhich we were advancing led us through Turner’s gap, and about noon we prepared to storm the heights. The Backfalls deployed as skirmishers and commenced the engagement. The sharpshooters of the enemy were stationed at the foot of the mountain, while the portion of their forces were posted on the summit. The side of the mountain is covered with open forrests and huge boulders of rocks, behind which the rebels sheltered themselves and pured a murderous fire upon our advancing troops. Slowly but surely they were forced from their hiding places and driven up the mountain side. A wounded prisoner who fell into our hands at the commencement of the battle informed us that a brigade of their troops were lying in ambush on a piece of table land about bajf way up the mountain. Onwary and upward press-the skirmishers, closely followed by the whole division in line of battle. As we approached the spot of which we were warned lobe cautious, a swarm of the gray backed gentry arose from their linking place and rushed upon the skirmishers. For a moment the line wavered, but the reserve coming promptly to their assistance, they rallied and charged quickly upon the enemy, who gave way in disorder and fled up the mountain, A number of prisoners were taken and the pursuit continued. The sun had already descended, and it was necessary to gain the summit before night set in. As we neared the crest of the hill a furious fire was again opened upon u*j, the rebels seeming resolved to maintain their position until darkness should compel us to suspend operations. A short but bloody struggle ensued fallowed by a bayonet charge, and the foe were flying down the opposite side of South Mountain. The left wing had been equally successful in forcing a passage at Crampton’s gap, six miles faither westour beloved colonel, the gallant McNeil, fell mortally wounded, pierced through the breast by a rifle ball. He lived but a few minutes after being struck, and died leaving a record as pure and unsullied as he himself wasi nob!e generous. As soon as his death became known, our regiment was relieved from duty in front and held as reserve. We occupied the field of battle that night, and at daylight the contest was renewed. The battle was one of the most sanguinary of the war, resulting in the expulsion of the rebels from the loyal State of Maryland. Atan early stage of (he engagement thewriter was wounded and withdrew fromthe field.)foX5At midnight, about the 8th of September, we were aroused from our quiet slumbers and ordered to prepare immediately for a march. We were encamped near Munson’s Hill, about seven miles from Washington. Crossing the Long Bridge, we passed tbrpugh the deserted streets of the Capita) aboutthree o’clock in the morning, and balled on Meridian Hill to rest until daylight. A portion of the army had proceeded us, the advance being at Rockville* Un miles distant, where Geo. Me*The enemy next made a stand on the banks of Antietam creek, about four miles from the Potomac. In the afternoon of the 16th Hooker’s corps was ordered to cross the creek, drive the enemy back, and hold his position during the night, to enable the army to form a line of battle on* the opposite side of the stream. The rebels were posted in the edge of a piece of timber bordering on an open field which we had to cross. An attempt was made to dislodge them by firing, but being under cover while we were greatly exposed it was unsuccessful. An order was then given to charge, and the line then swept over tho field, receiving a murderous fire from the timber. Our loss was heavy,but the object wss accomplished-^therebels were driven from the woods. But just is victory crowned lt;^jr efforts,Since Thuriow Weed’s retirement from the Evening Journal he has taken occasion to criticise and condemn the u radical” press, being especially severe on what he characterizes bs the “ dangerous and incendiary Independent. In the course of a review of Mr. Weed’s strictures, the Independent dissects and analyses the school of men which herepresents, with much justice, clearness, and iorce. We give a few paragraphs which will be appreciated by thoughtful mindlt;: *Mr. Weed belongs to a school of pol-ticians, unfortunately known in every country and age—who erect politics into a department outside of Christian ethics or religious principles. Mr.Weed may, from the happy accident of a better moral endowment than his companions, have escaped many of the errors of his class. But the school to which be belongs is a school of politicians and not of statesmen. It never graduates statesmen. It always sendsout politicians.A statesman must be a man of comprehensive principles. A politician bus unlimited faith in mere management. A statesman perceivesthose great undercauses which in the end control human volitions and shape men’s policies. A politician resorts rather to expedientsand arrangements, and in the end is aptto loose faith in anything but the devices of party and the hackneyed motives by which bad men are controlled, andgood men tempted through their weaknesses.A statesman never loses sight of great moral principals, and a politician seldom gets sight of them.We are sorry to say that New Yorkand Pennsylvania have bred for the last fifty years a generation of most astutepoliticians of the most unscrupulous and dangerous kind. They have been men without moral convictions. They have lost faith in human integrity. They bclievfe that every man has his prices Such men must at length cease to reckon upon moral convictions as ot validity or practical force in the conduct of state and national politics. This training not only ruins its disciples, but corrupts the public mind, weakens the Government, and lays the community open to the dangers which arise from the passions of unprincipled men when thwarted in their schemes. There can be no moral principle nor even patriotism in men who have learned to put partyabove country, and to serve the party,even, by employing the worst motives for the accomplishment of the most selfish ends.If Mr. Weed has not manifested the worst features of such a school, it must be attributed rather to his natural generosity and personal integrity. So long as his sphere was New York, and the topics of party were local and secular, he has beeen adroit anti reasonably sue-
Newspaper Details
Trumansburg News
Trumansburg, New York, US
Fri, Feb 20, 1863
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
John H.
USA 18 Apr 2022
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