The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-17 00:00:00

Virginian Pickets.

A letter from Grant's army to the Springfield
.Republican presents us with a few more incidents
of the intimate relations existing between hostile
packets :•—•

" When the last salute was finished yesterday there was
some cross firing of words between the aroused pickets along
our videtto line. How are you, Atlanta ?' called out one
of our boys. You'd better try and take Petersburg, now,'
was the brief response, 'Sherman is after you fellows,
sharp,' said Yank. Won't you send some more of your
coloured brudders into another mine ?' asked Johnny.
' Don't you want some coffee and sugar ?' inquired our men
tauntingly. Wouldn't you like to exchange your wormy
hard tack for our johnny cake I' replied the foe. This last
hit was a hard one. and unexpected. Our poor soldiers do
have shockingly poor bread just now. The worms in it are
very largo and very lively. We did not know before that
they had been seen from the enemy's works. There was
more of this verbal sharpshooting. It is much practised
now-a-days. While the two lines are in such close proximity
no orders will prevent intercourse, even among those who
are true and loyal to their respective aides. There is a corn-
field between our lines at one point, a little to the left of
Cemetery Hill. The opposing pickets will creep into that
for an occasional friendly chat, or for barter, or for a game
of cards. Only think of it I two of them were playing a
game a few days since, with Abe Lincoln and Jeff. Davis
as imaginary stakes, The Lincolnite lost. ' There,' said the
winner, Old Abe belongs to me,' Well, I'll send him
over by the Petersburg express,' responded the defeated
Yank, One day last week there had been lively
shelling and some musketry firing in the forenoon.
After dinner there was a slack of hostilities. A Johnny
rose up on the parapet of his line, and shook a paper
as a sign of truce, than sprang over into the cornfield, At
once a hundred men from either line were over their works,
and side by side swapping papers for papers, tobacco or
jack-knives, hardtack or sugar for corn cake. New ac-
quaintances were made. In some instances old acqualnt-
ances were made. A Connecticut sergeant found a towns-
man :and schoolmate in a sergeant from over the way.
A Connecticut officer found a kinsman in a rebel officer
A loyal Maryland regiment was vis-a-vis with a Maryland
secesh regiment. Many links of union were there. One
found a brother on the other side, and yet another his own
father. There's the romance of war for you I After a little
time, the swapping of the day was done, and officers and
men returned to their own lines. All was quiet again until
artillery re-opened fire. Then a half-score of loiterers
up from their concealment in the corn and scrambled back
to their places behind the works. Thus the fighting and
the chatting alternate. Queer business, this war I"

LONDON UNIVERSITY EXAMINATION IN JANUARY
NEXT.--The Latin subject at the above examination will
be " Livy," Book xxi. A new translation by Dr. Owgan,
LL.D., is announced for publication by Messrs. Murray
and Co., of Paternoster-row. Dr. Owgan is well known
as the translator of "Demosthenes,'' ballust, "Virgil,"
" Horace," &o.