just before had sent a bullet whizzing by me, and shot one of my boys, and that my greatest pleasure would be to burn the rascal's house in payment. Your wish will be gratified at once,' said the colonel. I am ordered by General Butler to burn every house whose occupant or owner fires upon our troops. Burn it.' He leaped from his horse, and I upon the steps, and by that time three Zouaves were with me. I ordered them to try the doors with the butts of their guns. Down went the door, and in went we. A well-packed traveling-bag lay upon a mahogany table. I tore it open with the hope of finding a revolver, but did not. The first thing I took out was a white linen coat. I laid it on the table, and Colonel Duryea put a lighted match to it. Other clothing was and we soon had a rousing fire. went into the large parlor in the right wing of the house: it was perfectly splendid! A large room, with tapestry carpet, a nice piano, a fine library of miscellaneous books, rich sofas, elegant chairs, with superior needle-work wrought bottoms, whatnots in the corners loaded with articles of luxury, taste, and refinement, and upon a mahogany center-table lay a Bible and a lady's portrait. The last two articles I took, and have them now in my possession. I also took a decanter of most excellent old brandy from the sideboard, and left the burning house. By this time the Zouave

added to the pile, Before leaving, I

regiment had come up. I joined them, and in a short time came up with our rear guard, and saw a sight the like of which I wish never to see again, viz.: nine of Colonel Townsend's Albany Regiment stretched on the floor of a house, where they had just been carried, and eight of them mortally wounded by our own men. O, the sight was dreadful! I cried like a boy, and so did many others. I immediately thought of my decanter of brandy; took a tin cup from a soldier, and poured into it the brandy, and filled it — the cup - with water from a canteen, and from one poor boy to another I passed, and poured into their pale and quivering lips the invigorating fluid, and with my hand wiped the sweat-drops of death from their foreheads. O, how gratefully the poor fellows looked at me, as they saw, by my uniform, that the usually stern officer and commander had become to them the kind and tenderhearted woman, by doing for them woman's holy duty! One strong fellow, wounded in the head, and bloody as a butcher's floor, soon rallied, and was able to converse with me. I asked him if he knew the poor fellows around him. He said 'Yes,' and pointing to one, he said, 'that man stood at my side; he was my section-man. I saw his gun fly out of his hands, being struck by a grape-shot, and a moment after we both tumbled to the ground together.' I went out and picked up an Enfield rifle, nearly cut in two by a ball.

Said he, 'That is his gun.' I saw its owner die, and brought the gun with me back to my camp, and have it in my possession."

THE LAST WORDS OF COLONEL STONE.

Much has been said. - but not too much-in praise of Colonel Newton Stone, late commander of the Second Vermont Regiment, who fell in the second day's fight in the Wilderness. He was first wounded in the leg, and conveyed to the rear; and after having his wound dressed, requested to be placed upon his horse, which was done, when he immediately rode to the front, and took his position at the head of his regiment, amid the cheers of his men, whom he addressed briefly, as follows:

"Well, boys, this is rough work; but I have done, as I told you I wished you to do, not to leave for a slight wound, but remain just as long as you could do any good: I am here to do as long as I can." He then rode along the line, speaking a word of good cheer to every company, and as he halted to address Company B, a rifle ball pierced his head, and he fell from his horse a corpse. At that moment the regiment was forced back, and the body of their colonel was captured, but was immediately retaken.

BRAVERY AT LEE'S MILLS.

Among the incidents of the fight at Lee's Mills, Va., on the 16th of April, 1862, was the recovery from a fever of Sergeant Fletcher, of Company E, Third Vermont, on the sick list, and excused from duty, and the use he made of his temporary health. He crossed the stream and went through the fight; then, on his return, was among those who went back and rescued the wounded. On his return to camp he went into hospital, and resumed his fever, with aggravation.

John Harrington, a beardless orphan boy, of seventeen, unarmed, went over and rescued out of the riflepit a disabled comrade.

Lieutenant Whittemore commanded Company E. This officer, with his revolver, covered Harrington in his hazardous expedition, and killed several rebels who aimed their pieces at the boy. His most intimate friend in the company, private Vance, had been killed in the rifle-pit. Whittemore, enraged with sorrow, burst into tears, and seizing the dead soldier's musket, stood over him, and threatened death to any who should retreat; and then stooping down, he took cartridge after cartridge from his friend's box, and killed his man with every fire-raging with a divine fury the while.

Among the phenomena of the fight was the condition of the uniform of Captain Burnett, of Company K, Third Vermont. It had eight bullet holes in it, one through the collar of his coat, one through the right coat sleeve, one through his pantaloons below the left knee, one through both pantaloons and drawers above the right knee, and four through the skirts of his coat. There was not a scratch upon this man's skin.

A SLAVE'S PRAYER.

A Virginia slave, who had heard of the President's promise concerning the Proclamation to be issued on the 1st of January, then only a few days in the future, was heard praying with great earnestness and a deeplyaffected heart, thus:

"O, God Almighty! keep the engine of the rebellion going till New Year's! Good Lord! pray don't let off the steam; Lord, don't reverse the engine; don't back up; Lord, don't put on the brakes! But, pray, good Lord, put on more steam! Make it go a mile a minute! Yes, Lord, pray make it go sixty miles an hour!" "Amen! Do, good Lord!" responded the brethren and sisters. 66 'Lord, don't let the express train of rebellion smash up till the 1st of January! Don't let the