Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-27

vice, and [ was afraid lest he might accuse
me of having gone over to the enemy and
consequently put me to pain. In this, how
ever, l was mistaken. He told me that he
would not inquire into the reason of my alb
sence from his service, for he made it a rule
to receive kindly whoever might be disposed
to enlist, without regard to their former con-
duct, unless it was very bad-merely asking
on their part a pledge to the observance OF
three cardinal principles, L. p. &F., and if
was SO disposed, | might come into his ser
vice again and, as an evidence of his appre-
citation of my former galantry, he rendered
me an appointment in his staff.
Under these circumstances, / accepted the
place, and was forthwith introduced to the
others Of his staff, real clever fellows all OF
them some Of whom belonging also to the
corps editorial, land among them, Robinson
Of the Era
Had done good work with the pen,
That mighty instrument CT little men.
1t was now dark. The arrangements for
the proposed sally and attack had a%ll-along
busily been making. The troops under the
command of Uncle Billy and Jesse the val
liant had been fully instructed in all the min
utiae Of the place of the onset, and jugs, and
bottles, and demijOns, and decanters, and
/ glasses had been emptied into their bellies
in great number on the rule of pouring spir-
it's down to keep the spirits up" Uncle Billy,
too, had harangued them from his head
quarters, Ia brandy cask in IS doggery)
and had urged them "by the rickulIictiOn Of
their noble auntsisters pcho loUed good ticker,
to stand or fall an defence Of their rights,
priCdteLeges and communities, and tOShoC tie
burned, internal, cussed If I qcant a preach
e., Grohering, I'd %s1care) teetotGIu1nS thai
Nash brandy IS essentially necessary and an
separibIy connected nth the spiritual aUelfdrt
Of Edgscombe Primitive Baptists SIGH as ac
are, and shall be purtected eving at the rir o
our lives. Whoop ! By goHy-aoho's ateard.'
And then, by way Of invoking Heaven, anC
to call his troops attention to the fact that i
was for their religious faith that they were
Q contending, he read the chapter concerning
David and Goliah and advised them to tax
Il their sings and 90 forth to battle. A hin
which they in no wise needed, inasmuch a
i they had already supplied themselves witt
sings, and in place of g stones from tn
is brook" carried " bricks in their hats'-eye
ry mothers son Of them.
C Meantime, the forces Of Philip the Rir
e per had silently debouched from their ban
racks and had taken position in the Court
house, from which place they began the al
e tack on the lines ofBilly the Nipper by frin
n from q long twelve-pounder charged wit
a ball. At first, owing to the great distance
but little execution was done. OCCASIONAL
one Of Nipper's men would fall but whetf
or it was from a ball from Philips long-t0n
or from the explosion Of the poUder whic
n they carriedin their hands, a la jug, we coul
not tell.
BY this time, "Uncle. Billy" and Jess
the valiant had succeeded in c~oncentratin
their forces to one point of attack, and ha
n driven in the out-posts of Philip. This su
cess, however, was but temporary. Phil
: himself now appeared among his troops, an
directing all his guns, consisting of four "a
paixians, eight32lb canonades and ten howl
zers, upon the center of the advancing co
umns of the Nipper, let loose such a tornad
Of grape, canister, chain-shot and slugs,
to sweep everything " horse, foot and dr.
goons" and completely decide the contest !!
ID lti not usual for q subaltern to speak
the superior generalship of his chief but
n must be permitted to say that | could n
n but dmire the GOODNESS and decision of Phi
ip on this important occasion And of h
noble humanity towards the wounded of tt
enemy | would especially speak. They we
treated with every mark of kindness.
Their wounds were dressed and they we
so CNcH llNllGu W MAKE themselves dU nome
tie his camp 1t was so, too, with the pris
he ners, numbers Of whom were taken. All we
bb invited tomake themselves at home, andwe
,u- offered their paroll if they would subscri
to the terms Of his constitution, which SCI
I'd raj did.
We were not able to learn the number
-ar the slain being Hard Shells, it is suppos
Ids but few were shot through.
sse The whole ofthe camp supplies of the N
Gle per fell into the hands Of the Ripper, a
ull Billy and Jesse the valiant themselves n
no rowly escaped being taken. 1t is said Il
,il Billy made his escape by e~sconcing his C
IS, cass in a brandy barrel which was head
ow and being labeled " Pale NASH" was s.
his to parts unknown. While of Jesse the
adj liant, the rumor is that he was TAPPED by
Jon remaining faithful and drunk up. Be this
of it may, one thing is certain, he was draa
SIX, off. Thus was the battle of Edgecombe foue
of Yours truly, COSMOPOLITE
yul-