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Newit Glt;»eral UtelHgence, and Politics#[TERMS—$1 Per Year* in idnaet15RG, N. Y., FRIDAY, JAN. 16, 1863From the Franklin (Del. Co.) Visitor. SONG OF THE WINTER WIND.My voice is bold and strong and brave!My song is the aoog of the free;And the strings I touch v itVi my rugged breath Are the frozen limbs of the forest tret.I roll my thundering bass along 1The naked ro^ks and dark ravines;Am! sigh for the smiles of the maiden. Spring, In the biarded tops of the evergreens.When the golden days of Autumn are gone, My feathery counterpane is spread On the glossy leaves and the erirr*on fruit. That shine in thu shivering bemlk’s shade*I press my glittering fingers on The Jiijuid tongues of t)ie mountain nils; f hu*h th ir mirth in my milling clasp.And silence the flow of! their merriest trillsI dance in the school-bny’l curly hair,As he Aids along on hi*painted sled •And I sauci.y nip his glowing lip,And paint his cheek w)th a ruddier red.X waft the peals of the brazen bells That swing in the ^omes of the sun-gilttower*;And echo the shout of the happy throngThat fathers the bloom oi. the Christmas hours.When the faca of the silver moon is hid.And the angry «ky is filled with sleet,I la'-h, with a whip of a thousand thoiigs,My panting steeds, of the snow-shod feet*For I love to harness the tempest clouds,An 1 sweep the stars irom my stormy path, 'Till the heavens are clad in the curiam of gloom,That follows the track of my gathering wrath!A song for the rich—a dirge for the poor—For Plenty and Penury both, I sing—I’m driven sway from the prince’s door—In the wretched hut of the beggar, I'm king!I’ll scatter the seeds of the myrtle and rose On the new-made grave of the beggar’s boy, But I 11 freeze the tear when they come \\uh the bi«»r.To bury the tlust of the rich man’s joy.My voice is fierce and rough and strong 1 And the light of love in toy eye is gray—I 1 ng for the breath of the balmy” Spring,Acifi the joyous laugh of the maiden, May.G. H. BarnesCAMPAIGN SKETCHES.BY A VOLUNTEER,NUMOEK ONK.On the morning ol the 26th of June, (he Union army lay in imposing grandeur before the capitol of the rebel con-^ fetleracy. The right wing, stretching along the banks oi the sluggish Chick-ahoininy, terminated at Mechanicsville, an insignificant village near the railroad which connects Fredericksburgaand Gordonsviile with Richmond ami the Gulf States. The extreme rightwars held by Gen. McCall’s command,»»composed entirely of Pennsylvania troOps, which had been detached from McDowell’s corps at Fredericksburg ami sent by water to join McClellan, while the remainder of his (McDowell’s) forces were to come down the railroad and re-untte at the point designated In the extreme right of our lines.The day was a beautiful one; the church spires in Richmond glistened in the sunbedins, and were plainly visible from the eminence where our pickets were stationed- The rebel pickets across the stream lounged listlessly at their posts; the sabbath-like calm which always preceeds a storm, prevailed along the whole line. Little did %ve think, as we sat quietly penning words of cheer to our friends at home, that ere the sun descended that night the storm of battle would burst upon our heads, to be followed by the bloody scenes of the six ensuing days!About noon a few scattering shots in the direction of our picket line on the railroad startled our camp from its quiet repose, and in a moment all was activity. In a twinkling the troops were under arms, the batteries were placed where they could be most effective,#and with unshaken confidence we awaited the development of events. The firing in the distance became heavier andmore distinct. Can it be tjjat McDowell’s gallant ban,d, on the way to our assistance, have encountered a body of the enemy, occasioning the skirmishingwe hear along the railroad? Alas! would that it had been so.The regiment on picket duty was that known as the “Bucktail Rifles.” Resisting successfully for a time the attack on the outer posts, they were finally compelled to fall back towards camp, and found, tc their utter amazement, that the rebels had overpowered the picket* at the bridge over t|he Chicka-hominy, and now occupied the road between there and the camp of the division.This was a sorry predicament, but Major Stone who commanded the“BucktaiJs” was equal to the emergency. Putting his men to the “double quick” they dashed in the direction of our camp. The head of the rebel column was quickly percuived emerging from the road that led to the railroad bridge. Leaving the road which the rebels now fully held, Major Stone at the head of his command plunged into the swamp on the left of the road,knowing that his only safety consisted in crossing it and making a detour through the fields and recrossing the swamp regain our camp. The enemy seeing the movement fired a volley, but fortunately without effect. In crossing, the Major’s pet black mare became fast is the mire, and in extricating himself the Major lost one of his boots! Neil her were ever recovered; the mare was shot to prevent her from falling into the hands of the enemy, and mounting a cavalry horse which chane-to be near at hand, the Major led his men into camp without the loss of a man, killed. A portion of a company posted on the railroad at some distance from the main body of the regiment, were unable to get back to carfcp, and after remaining in the swamps for several bays were compelled to surrender.The attack became general in a very few moments. Our division bad been engaged for several days in digging rifle-pits, and they now fully appreciated the beneficial effects of this precaution. From mid-day until an hour after dark, McCall resisted the assaults of vastly superior numbers, repulsing with terrible slaughter, the many attempts to storm the entrenchments, and when night dropped its sable curtain on the scene of carnage, the men threw themselves down upon their arms to catch a lew moment’s rest, and recruit their exhausted energies for the struggle of tomorrow.Day dawned, and with the first rays of light the conflict began. During the night the enemy had been re-inforced by Jackson’s force from the Shenandoah valley, led by “ Stonewall” in person. His mission hod been successfully accomplished. Thrown into terror by his daring raids, the authorities at Washington immediately dispatched an order to McDowell to posipone his advance upon Richmond, and bold his army for the defense of the National Capitol. With the celerity that characterized all his movements, Jackson rushed to the assistance of Lee, and threw the weight of his division into the balance. The federal army received no corresponding reinforcement, ^nd the result was the failure of the Peninsular Campaign.Finding it useless to wait longer for assistance from McDowell’s forces, our division was ordered to fall back to Gaines’s Mills, in order to consolidate and shorten the line of defense. The retreat was performed in the face of a heavy fire from the enemy’s artillery. The Bucktails were the last to leave their position. When the order wasWHOLE NO. 124.given them to fall back, a portion of two companies were in the extreme right of the rifle-pit, and separated from their comrades by a battery of artillery, which continued to respond to the fire of the rebels. So deafening was the noise that these two companies did not hear the order to retire, and when the artillery was presently withdrawn, great was their surprise to find themselves alone. Supposing they had been left there purposely for some definite object, they patiently waited for orders, For more than two hours this little band of eighty men defended theifposition against the assault* of the enemy; messengers dispatched for assistance failed to return; the rebel batteries poured a storm of iron hail into their midst; but not a man flinched. Presently it was announced that the enemy were in their rear; all eyes were turned in that direction, and there beheld a bsttallion of infantry and a squadron of cavalry advancing in line of battle. Springing from their pits, they resolved to make a desperate attempt to escape. They dashed off in the direction of the road by which our division had retreated, only to-find it already occupied by the rebels. Escape was impossible. The swamp was the only protection from the deadly missiles that showered about them, and into it they went. Concerted action could no longer be of any use; each one was allowed to follow the bent of his own inclination. Some, overcome bj exhaustion and fatigue, surrendered immediately; others preferred to endure the sickening tortures of the swamp for a time, hoping finally to escape. Among the latter was the color-sergeant, having in charge the standard of the regiment. Finding at length that they would be compelled to surrender, he resolved to destroy the flag, rather than permit ft to fall into the hands of theenemy. Wrapping it in its covering oi oiled silk, the flying bullets whistling its mournful dirge, the booming of cannon lolling its death knell, the bright emblem of liberty was consigned sorrowfully to the soil of old Virgioia, rendered sacred indeed by the blood of martyrs even then gushing forth upon its bosom; then, emerging from tbeii biding place, the mourners took up their solemn march—onward to Richmond.A Report from the Treasury Department shows that the aggregate bank circulation of the loyal States amount:to $183,939,000; capital $419,791,812 deposits, $297,127,000; loans, $617, 6S6,000; stocks, $99,000,000; specie $ 102,207,000. This last item of spe1cie is greater than in any preceding year within ten years, excepting in 1859when it was $104,638,000. The number of banks is 1,496.At a weekly meeting, a straight-laced and most exemplary deacon submitted a report in writing of the destitute widows who stood in need of assistance from the congregation. “Are you sure, deacon,” asked another solemn brother, “that you have embraced all the widows?”President Lincoln’s proclamation of freedom to the slaves in States and parts of States in rebellion, made the holdingin bondage of 3,124,678 people illegal.Love is the hardest logic that can be brought to sustain the theory of immortal life.To speak to the purpose speak with a purposes
Newspaper Details
Trumansburg News
Trumansburg, New York, US
Fri, Jan 16, 1863
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
John H.
USA 18 Apr 2022
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