poured in upon them a volley from nearly a thousand muskets, which was followed by a continuous and heavy fire. Not a rebel was to be seen. With their usual prudence they kept at so discreet a distance, that not one of the crew on shore was killed, though many were severely wounded. Pelted by an incessant storm of bullets, while the Freeborn threw shells into the forest, the men crowded into the boats and gained the ship, while a few, left behind in the tumult, escaped by swimming. Lieut. Chaplin swam to the steamer, carrying on his back a wounded comrade, who had four balls shot into him. John Williams, coxswain of the third boat, though a musket ball had pierced his leg, continued to wave the Stars and Stripes, which, before they reached the ship, was pierced by nineteen bullets. He was rewarded for his gallantry by promotion.

Capt. Ward stood upon the deck of his ship, directing the guns which were throwing shells, almost at random, among the invisible rebels in the forest. One of these men, a little nearer to the Freeborn than the main body of the rebels, took deliberate aim, with a Sharpe's rifle, at a distance of five or six hundred yards. The ball passed through the body of Capt. Ward, and he fell instantly dead. These disasters gradually taught our inexperienced leaders that recklessness is not bravery. We received, however, many very severe chastisements before we were willing, practically, to admit that discretion is, at least, a very important part of valor. A man was once heard to thank God in his prayer that he had none of "that sneaking virtue called prudence." But in military affairs, where a commander holds the lives, perhaps, of thousands, in his hands, prudence is surely among the most exalted of all the virtues.

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CHAPTER VI.

WAR AND ITS HORRORS.

FOREIGN RECEPTION OF SOUTHERN AGENTS.-SPEECH OF A. H. STEPHENS.-THE FRENCH LANT, -CALL OF PRES. LINCOLN.-RICH MOUNTAIN.-LAUREL HILL.-INCIDENTS.-FAIRFAX C. H.FALLS CHURCH.-TRAITORS IN THE SERVICE.-SPACE REQUIRED FOR AN ARMY IN MOTION.~ BULL RUN.-BLACKBURN'S FORD.-PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN.-CHARGE OF THE SIXTY-NINTH.—RE-ENFORCEMENTS OF THE REBELS.-LOSS OF THE BATTLE.-ROUT OF THE ARMY.-ABUSE OF THE WOUNDED AND DEAD.

THE rebels, immediately upon the commencement of their organization, sent commissioners to Europe, to secure their recognition as an independent government. This act was characteristic of the judicial blindness which apparently accompanied all their movements. It would seem that effrontery could go no farther, than for a group of men, in this nineteenth century, to band together in a Confederacy, whose "corner-stone" they proclaimed loudly and defiantly to the world, to be "Slavery." But that they should, in addition, avow that it was also the object of their Confederacy to extend the system of human bondage as far as possible, over all the States and Territories of the American Union, and that they should then go to the Queen and Parliament of Great Britain, to solicit aid in their execrable enterprise, indicates audacity rarely exceeded. The darkness of slavery appears to have blinded them to the light of the age in which we live. They declared that it was impossible for England, or any other European power, to resist the bribery of their cotton bales; and were astounded to find that their claims were not instantly recognized. The Charleston (S. C.) Mercury, in the latter part of June, alluding to this subject, says:

"It is now several months since our commissioners were sent to Europe. Thus far it seems they have got no farther than England. Mr. Rost, one of them, has gone over to France. But as he can have no authority to act alone, we presume that he goes rather to ascertain the views of the Emperor of the French, than to make a treaty. We infer from Mr. Rost's departure from London to Paris, that nothing has been accomplished in England. Indeed, from the order in Council forbidding Confederate privateers bring ing their prizes into British ports, we are only surprised that any of the commissioners should have remained in London a day, after this new order was issued. Why our commissioners have lingered so long in England, and have not gone directly to the greatest source of success, the govern ment of France, we are at a loss to determine."

But the "fanaticism," as the slaveholders called it, of the French, upon

the subject of slavery, was not a whit less unrelenting than that of the English. From the French government the rebel commissioners could not obtain one word of sympathy. The very influential French journal, L'Opinion Nationale, commenting on their application, says, in its issue of December 12th:

"They have the audacity, with all the facts before them, to pretend that slavery is a divine institution. In fact, in this nineteenth century, men are found so destitute of all moral sense, as to rebel, to revolutionize the country, expose it to ruin and civil war, in the name of that social leprosy called 'slavery. Oh shame! These men, without heart, dare address an appeal to France to aid them, and render herself an accomplice in their criminal projects. No! the France of '79, '30, and '48, can never take under her protection traders in human flesh. She would rather entertain more worthy views, and follow the example of Russia, which is making laudable efforts to abolish servitude."

The confidence which the rebels reposed in the omnipotence of cotton, may be inferred from the following extracts from a speech made on the 11th of July, in Augusta, Georgia, by their Vice-President, A. H. Stephens:

"We grow supplies that the nations of the earth must have-that is cotton. In England, perhaps not less than five millions of people depend upon cotton, for their daily bread. In France, several hundred thousand, if not millions. And when you come to take into consideration the amount of capital, the number of sailors, and the amount of tonnage, employed in this trade, you will be still more surprised. If you take into account the numbers in England, France, Germany, Holland, and Bremen engaged in it, you will find that it will amount to not less than ten millions of money capital engaged in it. This, therefore, is an element of great power, the great motor of the commerce of the world. We grow it. There is no part of the world that grows it as we do. We supply the markets of the world. They must have it.

"I meet many asking about the blockade. I can not, to-day, tell you how the blockade is to be raised. But there is one thing certain-in some way or other it will be obliged to be raised, or there will be revolution in Europe, there will be starvation there. Our cotton is the element that will do it. Steam is powerful; but steam is far short, in its power, to the tremendous power of cotton. If you look out upon the ocean to-day, and inquire into the secret agency of commerce, you will find that it is cotton that drives it. It is this element of cotton, this great staple, which is the tremendous lever by which we can work our destiny, under Providence."

We can hardly give a better illustration of the corruption into which Christianity had fallen in the South, than by the statement that Leonidas Polk, Bishop of Louisiana, assumed the position of major-general in the rebel army. He had long been preaching a slaveholding gospel. And now he placed revolvers in his belt, and girded a sword upon his side, that, by bloody rebellion, he might rivet those chains which bound four millions of his fellow-creatures in ignorance and slavery. "This is the first instance,” says the Memphis (Tenn.) Appeal, "in the country's history, of the appoint

ment of a high church dignitary to a position of so much responsibility in the military service; and will therefore, as a matter of course, evoke criticism among the old fogies of the red tape school."

ton.

The two armies on the Potomac were now gradually accumulating in great masses, the rebels at Manassas Junction, and the Union troops at Washington, and upon the southern banks of the river, opposite WashingThere was kept up an incessant, petty warfare of pickets and trivial skirmishes, resulting in nothing. Upon the 4th of July, the special session of Congress was convened, and though there were still not a few traitors in that body, the overwhelming majority sustained the measures of the Government.

The rebels continued to display much cunning in their mode of conducting the warfare. Early in July, the passenger steamer St. Nicholas left Baltimore for some port on the Chesapeake. Among other passengers, there came on board a French lady in deep mourning, heavily veiled, and, as she professed to be in feeble health, retired immediately to her state room. There were also twenty-five mechanics, with the tools of their several trades, going down the bay in search of work. As soon as the steamer was fairly out of the harbor, the French lady emerged from her state-room, a whiskered captain, armed to the teeth; and the mechanics, throwing aside their tools, and drawing concealed weapons, rallied, a gang of pirates, around their leader, whose name was Thomas. The helpless steamer was at once captured. Near the mouth of the Potomac, they ran to a place called 'The Cone,' where they put all the passengers on shore, and, retaining the captain and crew as prisoners, took on board 150 of their armed confederates. They then commenced what they called a "privateering' cruise, and finding three large merchant brigs near the mouth of the Rappahannock River, they seized them all as prizes, took them into Fredericksburg, and delivered them over, steamer and all, to the rebel authorities.

A few days after this "brilliant exploit," as it was termed by the rebel authorities, two Baltimore policemen went down Chesapeake Bay, sixty miles to Fair Haven, to arrest a criminal. Returning with their prisoner, they took passage on the steamer Mary Washington. Here some one informed them, that Thomas, with several of his crew was on board, in the disguise of ordinary passengers, returning to Baltimore to make another venture on some other steamer plying on the Maryland rivers. The police officers, after having each one of the party carefully pointed out to them, directed the commander of the boat, before proceeding to Baltimore, to touch at Fort McHenry, in the harbor, which fort had now become not only a fortress overawing the rebels in the city, but also a prison for state offenders. Thomas, learning this fact, became greatly alarmed, and entering the ladies' cabin, where the police officers, Lieut. Carmichael and Mr. Horner, were conversing with some ladies, desired to know by what authority they had ordered the steamer to touch at Fort McHenry. "By authority vested in me," was the reply, "by Col. Kenly, Provost Marshal of Baltimore."

Thomas, immediately rallying his men around him, drew a revolver, and threatened to seize and throw both the officers overboard. But they

had made ample preparation to meet this menace, and their friends gathered in such strength, that the "privateersmen," as they called themselves, were overawed. As soon as the boat reached the fort, Gen. Banks, then in command there, ordered out a company of infantry, who secured all of the accused excepting Thomas. He was nowhere to be found. After a long search, however, he was discovered, coiled up in the large drawer of a bureau in the ladies' cabin, where he had been suffering martyrdom for an hour and a half. He was too weak to make any resistance, and with the rest of the prisoners was placed in confinement.

President Lincoln, in his message to Congress, said: "It is now recommended that you give the legal means for making this contest a short and decisive one; that you place at the control of the Government for the work at least 400,000 men, and 400,000,000 of dollars. That number of men is about one-tenth of those, of proper ages, within the regions where apparently all are willing to engage; and the sum is less than a twenty-third part of the value owned by the men, who seem ready to devote the whole." In response to this call, Congress promptly voted a bill, authorizing the employment of 500,000 men, and an appropriation of $500,000,000,-a hundred thousand more of men, and one hundred million more of dollars than were asked for.

On the western slope of the Alleghanies, upon the upper waters of the Kanawha, one of the tributaries of the Ohio, there is an elevation, known by the name of "Rich Mountain," which, in consequence of a defile passing through it, was deemed an important military post. The Staunton and Weston turnpike here traverses a gap in the Laurel Hill range. On the western slope of this mountain, the rebels, about 3,000 strong, were intrenched with heavy earthwork batteries. At 3 o'clock, on the morning of the 11th of July, Gen. McClellan sent Gen. Rosecrans with four regiments, the 8th, 10th, and 13th Indiana, and the 19th Ohio, to make a detour of the mountain, and attack them by surprise from the east. Gen. McClellan was prepared to attack them from the west as soon as the firing commenced. Col. Lander accompanied the division of Gen. Rosecrans through the pathless forest; a patriotic Union man of the neighborhood, David L. Hart, acting as guide. Unfortunately a dragoon, with dispatches, fell into the hands of the enemy, and thus informed, they made careful preparation to repel the assault. Twenty-five hundred men were stationed there, with three pieces of artillery, concealed by underbrush, yet commanding the pass. The clouds had gathered, the rain was pouring in torrents, and the soldiers were toiling along, drenched to the skin, through the wet bushes, when, suddenly, a deadly fire of artillery and musketry opened upon them. The Union troops had no artillery, but they immediately concealed themselves in the underbrush, and for some time a very fierce battle, but not very fatal, raged between invisible foes. At last the Indiana troops got upon the flank of the foe, and with a tremendous cheer rushed upon them with fixed bayonets. The rebels, panic-stricken, broke, and fled through the bushes, pursued by the victors. The discomfiture was entire. Gen. McClellan, in his official report, says: "The success of to-day is all that I could desire. We captured six brass