those States whose origin they shaped; and in that guise they marched and fought with us, until there came upon the earth a new and risen liberty, whose temple holds enshrined a broader and a higher peace. Deep into its corner-stone is cut the old inscription that THERE SHALL BE NEITHER SLAVERY NOR INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE, EXCEPT FOR CRIME. A NIGHT ATTACK OF CAVALRY. A Poem recited by SIDNEY DE KAY, late Brevet-Major U. S. V., at a Meeting of the New York Commandery, Loyal Legion, April 4, 1888. HUSH-SH! Soft the full moon's rays Fall on our ranks close pressed, Making our sabers laugh; Ha! all the firmer grasp Take we of our good steeds "Charge!" Deep strike the spurs ; Hi! ya! See how they drop 'Neath our swift, gleaming steel! We are not human now We are but raging fiends; While any foeman stays. "Halt!" On our horses' manes Stupid we gaze around What are those writhing forms? O God! what have we done? Woe! woe! Where all was still, Hear now the anguished groans THE MORTAR FLOTILLA, AND ITS CONNECTION WITH THE BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. A Paper read by Lieutenant GEORGE W. BROWN, Late U. S. N., at a Meeting of the Commandery, State of New York, Military Order, Loyal Legion, May 2, 1888. DURING the latter part of the year 1861, Commander (now Admiral) David D. Porter conceived the idea of using sea-coast mortars afloat for the reduction of forts. Consequently, some twenty schooners that had been purchased for light cruisers were fitted out with one thirteen-inch mortar each, and from two to four guns broadside. The preparation of these vessels to carry and use this heavy piece of ordnance required very great care. They were filled in almost solid from the ceiling to the deck with heavy timber, to enable the deck to withstand the effects of the recoil and concussion. The mortars, or "chowderpots" as they were generally dubbed, measured about four. feet across the muzzle, and say five feet in length, and weighed eighteen thousand pounds; the carriage, of iron, about ten thousand pounds; and the bed, or table, seven thousand pounds-in all about sixteen or seventeen tons. The vessels varied from one hundred and sixty to two hundred and fifty tons, and carried a crew of about forty men each. The ship sailed from New York for Key West during the month of January, 1862. I was the first officer ordered to the command of either of these vessels, and, having my choice, I selected one of the smallest-the Dan Smith-a schooner built for the fruit-trade, and very fast-in fact, the best sailer of the fleet. The mortar, a vast chunk of iron on a carriage, and that on a "turn-table' mounted on eccentric rollers, brought the ponderous weight high up from the deck, and was the cause of no little concern during the first gale of wind, which we encountered in the Gulf a few days after leaving New York. I took notice that no one liked to pass to leeward of it when the vessel was lying over much; in other words, they always "kept to windward." Among the crew shipped in New York was a landsman from the Emerald Isle by the name of Pat, who had served three months in the army. As Pat was not sailor enough to "take the wheel," and was no use aloft, not knowing the jib down-haul from the fore-sheet, his turn at the "lookout" came very often. One night, while in cold weather, he came on deck from his warm hammock, and was stationed on the weather-bow to keep a sharp lookout. Just then we shipped a heavy sea over the bow, drenching poor Pat to the skin. This was not relished by Pat, and he gave vent to his displeasure with "O holy Moses! the divil take me fri'nds sure! Ah! me fri'nds advised me to go to sea in the navy, and not go in the army ag'in, for a sailor, says they, always has a house over his head; but the very divil was in them when they give me that advice sure!" I have skipped some of the hard words that he said from time to time as he got ducked during his lookout hour that night. There were some very interesting adventures during the trip, but time will not allow me to relate them here; I will only mention this: One afternoon a sail was sighted. I kept off for her, and soon discovered that it was a bark heading nearly the same course as ourselves, and carrying full sail. As I changed my course to near her, she changed to avoid me. This at once looked suspicious, and we all smelled prize-money. The breeze that had been moderate began to freshen, and the little Dan Smith cut through the water lively; a change of wind brought the stranger to windward to his advantage, and he tacked ship, I after him, the wind increasing to half a gale, yet I carried |