The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-05-26
Description of a Battle

A free man takes his musket on his
shoulder, and fixes il on his murdrous bayo.
net; he leaves his habitation, the plough
man quits his plough, the handlcraftsman
his workshop, the young man deserts the
hymenial altar, a beloved son abandons an
infrm father and an afflicted family; they
go to swell the crowd of combatants, whose
hearts are gradually opened 10 licentious
ness, ferocity, and violence.
Here are hundred thousand opposed to
as ofthe oppsite party they draw near each
other in vast plain which will soon be
covered with blood. What IL prodiglous
number Of men compacted against each
other, spreading their moving phalanx, and
ragged in combined order to put each other
to death
| Blind instruments silently awaiting the
signal fierce through duty, they are ready
| to destroy their fellow-creatures without re-
sentiment or anger. The majestic sun
rises, whose setting so many unhappy
| wretchcs will never behold. The earth
is covered with verdurc: mild Spring with
her azure vale embraces the air; nature
smiles as a tender mother; the glorious
sun diffuse his benefcicnt rays, which gild
and mature the gifts Of the Creator: all is
calm all is harmony in the universe.
Wretched mortalS alone, agitatcd with
gloomy phrensy, carry rage in their bosoms;
they meet 10 slaughter each other on the
verdant field. The armies approach: the
promised harvest is troddcn under foot
death flies. What horrible tumult! All
nature groans in an instant with the fury
of man.
Hear the laundering noise Of those hor-
rble instruments Of human revenge! Emu
lous Of, and more terrible than the thunder,
with their roar they drown the plaintive
groans Of the dying; they rcpel soft pity,
wishing to make passage into the heart;
cloud Of smoke from gunpowder arises TO-
wards the heavens, as if to hide u colec-
tion of such horrors.
Alas who would have expected such
Slaughter Tigers. bears, impeIed with
voracious hunger, are not inspired with
such atrocious cruelty. Behold these rivu-
lets of blood! Here twenty thousand men
are sacrificed to the caprice of one; behold
thought Of unregret;ed, into oblivonl
Thus perish these unhappy mortals.
The skies resound with their lamentations;
trampled on by horses, by their country
men whom they vainly implore they expire
a thousand different ways in horrible
agonies. Others, yet more to be p,ied pre-
serving remnant of life and consumed by
thirst, the most inolerabc of torments, can.
not yet die; while others, forgetting death,
surrounded them, fall furiously on their mu
tilated comrades, and, with,ut compassion
or pity to their wounds, numerically strip
their mangled, trembling limbs.
Oh, Creator Of the world! is this man
this the august creature endowed with
feeling heart, and with that noble counte-
nance that smiles erect towards heaven,
who has such conceptions who chcrshes
the soft emotion of pity and generous trans
ports Of benevolence, who can admire virtue
and greatness:a and can weep with sensibiity
Is it his hand that can erect the standard
Of victory on heaps Of carcasses, with an
odious Joy? Where is the VICTORY? see
nothing but tears and blood w here is the
triumph? PIunder does not enrich; the
tears Of mankind will never make an indi-
vidual happy; for what ambition sweeps in
its unbridled career fleets from the usurpers
hand.
ExERc1sE.-That highly interesting por
ton of the human family, tho young ladies,
is exhorted by Dow, jr., in one his recent
homilics -
6 Young ladies-you Gagged birds of beau
tiful plumage; but sickly looks you pale
pets of the parlor, vegctating in an unheal
thy shade, with greenish white complex
ion, like that OF potato sprout in dark eel
lar-why don't you go out in the open air
and warm sunshine, and add lustre to your
eye, blooms to your checks, elasticity to your
steps and vigor to your frames? Take car.
ly morning exercise-let loose your corset
s''lns'' ..:.a cc "'r I'D hill for II wager, and
down again tor fun. hoom the fclIs,climb
the fences, leap the ditches. wade the brooks,
and 60 home with an appetite Cor breakfast
like horse. Liberty thus exercls>d and
enjoyed, will render you hcalty, hearty, bloc.
ming and beautiful-as lovely as the Gra,
ces, and as prolific as Devarra. The bux-
ON, bright-eyed, rosy checked, full l-brcastcd,
bouncing lass-who can darn stocking,
mend trousers, make her own frocks, com.
| mand a reDment Of Dofs and kattles faod