Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-06-14
LOOKINGS-ON AT THE WAR.
BY N. P. WILLIS.
Washington, May 27, 1861.

Within ear-shot OF possible battle,
but with the sun shining TRANQUILITY into
Inv silent room, will employ the leisure of
expectation with look backward, The
journey hither, and some sight-seeings in
Baltimore, as approaches to the scat of
war through military outpcsts, were full
of novelty-nonc the less so for my famil-
iarity with the same scenes in time of
peace. 1t was SO strange to whhl up to
a railway station between the bristling
bayonets of the sentries; to find every
bridge guarded with soldiers, and to see
the white tents spotting the green fields
every few minutes, as, with railway speed,
we came in view of encampmeuts along
the rout--aags SO thickly Haunting over
the country, too, that it looks like one Of
October's surprises, the glow of the sugar
naples after the touch of first frost
At Havre de Grace, the long covered
passage by which we passed from the Ferry
to the cars was occupied as temporary
barrack for one of the regiments. The
soldiers in their blue uniforms and Kos
suth hats were off duty, of course, sitting
in groups or lying asleep on the floor,
with knapsacks for pillows, their arms
stacked at short distances; and the path
way in the centre, by which the hundred
or two railway passengers made their way,
with the more accustomed belongings of
travel-cloaks and carpet-bags umbrellas
and bundles, tired women and crying
children-was SO narrow as to bring into
curiously striking contrast the doings of
peace and war. One little incident made
me moralize for a moment. A snowy and
handsome school girl, who had sat behind
me in the cars, all excitement and high
spirits with the prospect of vacation
that was to be enlivened with the soldier
ing in her neighbornood, caught her Grin
.oline, as she swept dancing along, upon
the chafed and bare feet of sleeping re-
.cruit. Helping to disengage her, took
second look at the poor fellow, who lay
undisturbed on his back. He had taken
off his shoes to drop asleep, very tired, up
on the bare floor but his chance attitude
with his arm under his head, and the re-
markable beauty of the boy, (for he look
ed scarce seventeen, and the down of a
raven mustache Just darkened the corners
of his well-cut lip,) made picture that
an artist would have remembered. He
looked like the lad who, at home, was his
mothers idol, and who had left tears and
prayers behind him to follow to the wars
perhaps to be shot and mourned over,
perhaps to be a hero for history-and
there, as he rested from his hard service,
this thoughtless beauty swept her costly
silk over his bleeding feet and, though
tangled to him as she passed, never stop.
ping her gay prattle nor giving him a
look And thus closely and unconscious
ly come togther, sometimes, the comedy
and tragedy of this varied life
A part of our train as we entered Bal
timore, was a detachment of United
States Marines, on their way to Washing
ton, and the military arrival, telegraph
ically expected,) drew crowds to the rail
way. The entrance to the city, on this
side, is through its worst suburb, and
the men, women and children, who stood
upon the sidewalks, looked fearfully given
over, not only to poverty but to reckless
ness. In their unclean faces there was
a sullen ferceness which was new to me,
even the ragged children looking as vi
,cious as they were dirty and hungry. The
terrible want Of the laboring classes, from
the stoppage of all employment in these
troubled times, was aggravated, just here,
of course, by the fresh remembrance of
the street riot violence and bloodshed
probably being the only subjects of thought
Or ersation-l-Baltimore besides, be-
lieve, having been always famous for the
desperate ferocity of its mob. l tried to
pick out the Plug Ugly boys, as the
crowd dthickoned. and thought Irecoguized
(by quality of physiognomy) half doz-
en- of thein--and dangerous looking GUS
toners they were ha a ai q
Nv Kind Baltimore friend. who was