, 1862-11-27
q 1bgDz Irlnm1vEs


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 81, 1862.
mE HUNT AFTEks THE CAPTAIN.
De OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.
CF1em the December Number OF The Ailantic
AouthlyI
"My Hunt after the Captaiu," by Oliver
Wendall Holmes, is an lui.nitablY quaint mr.
ratlve lending hutnor and pathos in no crd-
iIsry degree. Of tie adventures Of the writer
in search OF his wou' drd son atter the ''bloody
field of Antie!am." Our resders shall have
taste Of this admirable stor3, which dEaEs 50
deeply on the sources both CT smiles and
tears:
HOW TIE JOURNEY COMMENCED,
Be that as il may,-,hongb SIT ou. with
bleed cail!sa With Hhat were pYSha2s nees-
less and nnWlEe fears, thou.n broke through
Gil ny habit6 Hi:hou. thinking Abuat them,
which is Utmost Us hard in Certain circunl-
stances aB fer one of Cur young fellows to
leave his sweetheart and 20 into Prninsular
campaign, though I cid not always know
WHEN was bulgry nor discover that I was
thirB:lIg, tho1gn had worrying ache aud
Inward treInor underlying all the outward
pay OF the seI6es and tho 1uind, yet it Is the
simple truth that did lock cut Of rhs CIR
windows WITH an eye Tor all that passed, thai
I did take cognfzance OF strange sights and
singular people, that did act much as per-
EpGE act Ioul the ordinary promprlngs Of Gu
Fiosity. and from time to time even laugh very
nt2r;y IS those do who are attacked with
coHyui6iVe seEst OF the ridiculou5, tie epi1ep-
ST OF The diaphragm.
THE POET ARRIVES At Ills INN.
Ny companions proposed to stay at one OF
New York ca1avaEsaIies. and I accompanied
them. We were particularly well LOGGED, and
not unciEilly treated. The traveller wEo in
egint6 that be Is to repeat the melancholy ex-
Pe-ience CT Ehenstone, and haTe to sigh over
tte reflection that be has 1ouad 'sbi5 Warme=t
welcome st an inn,n las something to learn
at the offices Of the great ely hotels. TIE
unheTaldtd guest who is hcnored ny mere III
difference may think himself bic5t with sin
guiar 9ood ioitune. # the despot OF the Pa
t=nr Aanunclator is Only mildly contvmptu-
ouE in his mauner, les the Vi tin
lock upon it as personal favor. The
co1cest welcome tbat threadhare curAte
eyer got :.c the door Of bishops pal
ace, sne most icy reception TINT country
Cousin ever received at the city Ca1:lslal Ct q
compared to that which the Knauaolsu!bus
who deems ycu 70 the more Or less elevated
ci1clE of bis Inverted l5fcfLo yonchsafes Is
you 6tsp MP to enter sour Fame On his dogs
ei.ed register. hare Less hesitation in ua-
burdeni.g myself OF this uncomfortable
statement, Is CT, tiis Partirfsr trip I
u.t With more tlan one cxceP.ion to
1hG rule. Officials hecome bruta1;zsd, sao-
pose, Is matter Of crur6e. Qne cannot en-
pscr I'll o1siee-ciesl TO embrace Ierderiy every
atrasScr who Genes in With csrpct-bag, or a
telegraph operator to Du1sS into te2Es oTeE
L.
.r.nEmi:slor. S:isa, humanity Is not always
eatirguisEed in these persons. discovered
q youth in the Telegraph Office of the Cont
mental Hcttl, in PHILADELPHIA, who wa3 a.
pleasant in conversation, and rs graclors;y
7.sponslTe to :notfensiye qaesti Gus, 2s Il ]
haa bsen lis chilale5s opuleat uncle, and Nj
7i3l not mede.
LIE HEARS T1DIEGs OF his CArTAE.
1t TIC United States Hotel, where man,
Fcre 1Jiog, heard mention Of an officer il
q, ;irier chamber, AID. goisg In=re, fuuaG
Lizuteaaat Abbott, OF the :,UGh :iassacIuss.t;
yolrutee1e, lying i'll with what looked liks
TYPHOID lever. While there, who should
come in hut the ubiquitous Lieutensnt WI!
| Eirs, Of the same 20th, Otter contouad:d viii
| Lis nanssake who Visited the Flying Island
| and with some reason, fur ne must have p.s;
Of Wigs under hia military upper garment
] CT ns could never be in 70 many places q
| unc:- &c vas going 10 Boston il charge Q
| Tue 1a.nelted Dr.. Kevere's b';dy. From 1i
| iiIs I harmed something of trs m::Sllaps .
| tee REGIMENT. Ny Captains wo1nc be s;,nk.
| ct as les g1aye than as first thought; bat Ii
| E:tiiicncd That hs MAS knleL,-a I"si il
| doubtles5,-a G1ista1.c,-a pRlpat1e absufji1y
| -Eot to j. remembered OR made anr aecoua
OF. Oh, uu! but what dull aeae ia this ia tina
ohseufely scr.itive region, some -h:7e ,:la
the h:ar;, 1;.tre the nervous center c.3:ad th
*7ailnna1 JdRg1!o7s ncs uncclec;cus OF i.sc'
| until Il great g1lef CT mastering anxi1t
| lIty reaches il through all nuu-:oaGuc1or
Which jso1ate il :raz1 or1i1ar5 Impressions
| I talked awhile with Lieutenant Ahno::, VII
lay prostitute, feeble l,us eo!t:;ar-l;ge and III
excellent lad, a capthh's vile, N4u Eogia1
hGrr, lGyaL as tbs Liberty On l. :5:31der tex
dollar piece, aud Of lofty baarirs; enough !.
have sat Eey thst goddess portrait Sac Il:
stayed in Frederick through the rebel iaEaa5
snd ;:tl't .h" s;ar~spangled baaEer Where
would ec safe, In u:-n!l ii az III. last r=5'
| hoo5s ciat1erel or trc1l the pavement Of Il
| taTn.
The read FROM TIE battlefield.
AID nov, es re emerged from Frederic'
IT, struck at once upan the trail froa tt
grs-I hattl.irld. Ihc road nta3 t::ri yit
I struggling ard TOGIded soldiers. all VII
: could travel on toot-nluatitrae5 Hi:h sl1gl
Es.unds Of upper 'imbs, tle head OF faSs,
wee told 10 1ake up their beds-a light bu
|
ba.tl.1l suckz everything into its red 70
tex Tor the corfief, 80 dses it drive e7rr,
thing CIT il 1enE, ciycTsiug rays af9er tie tler<
j, ? ceEt1laetal torcea layc met and nei1:raa:z:
eaoa Gtisr. For D,ore than n week there Il.
been sharp fEl.irg ell alo1g this roa
Through tue Streets et Frederick, throuy
| Eramrian's Gao, over South 3fourtain, IS Ter
! irg aI last tie hill, and the Weeds that Ski
TIC uiEdings Of th: Auti::azn. The long bait
had 1ra!:1.d, ike one ct those tornado
"hien ttar Their l,::h through osr fields a;
!. viiisgea. "kc slci' Of higher condisic2. Set
belulee4:' and i1cr ea5ed, we're sliding off
:: lle railways 10 th.ir iHr Ec.n:5; tue d..
: OF the TauE and lie were being &,a..Elsr
up and committed hastily to the cart!
t1e grsyciy wounded we're cared I
hald by 1Ae sceue If conilict, Or push
q E:tls way aloag to tie 1eig gauho.iug y
ia.cs; while t.4ose who could walk wera 1aei
Ing us, us I lla@e said, Ct every step in /
J, road. It was pi!iable sight, truly pit;aole
. Yet &C vast, 20 far hey ond the possibility OF
lic!, that 1pany single sorrows of small di1as
, tlons have wrought upcn n1y feelings nls
:; than the sight OF this great caravan
4 1usl1ned pilgrims. The cofG ranio1snip Of
{ many seemed to make join, stock OF tn
). suffering; it WAS next to impossible to in
:. 9iduslize If, a1d bring it home as one CAN
: with single broken limb OF aching wou,
3 Then they we're all Of the male sex, aud il
e fres1ness or the prime Of their strsn:
= Though they traulped 50 wearily along,
there wcs rest and kind nursing in store
t1l:o. TAeee wounds they bore would be
medals they would show their children 6
J. grand children hy-a7d BY Who woald ;
rather VICAR his decorations beneath his 4
term tEnE on i!
2 Yet among them we're figures which ARE
:. cd cur attention and sympathy. Dalie
. I boys with more spirit than strength, fluss
y with fever or pale with exhaustion, or hsyg
Ii with suffering, dragged their weary lin
- eiong IS If each step would exhaust tt
- sleEccr store Of strength. At the roadside
= or lay cthers, quite spen. with their journ
\. ] Here and there WAS house which the Y
faTers would stop, in the hope, Tear Of
vain, Of getting refresbment; and IL
place Eas y clear ecnl, spring, whtre The Ill
band Of tie long procession halted for 9
moments, as the trains til 1t traverse the dts
rest By its fountxias. Ay companions
& brought 4 few peaches along them, which
s philanthrophis5 bestowed upon tue the ii
and thirsty soldiers with u satisfaction nj
&c all shared. lad with me small assE
strong waters, to be used as q metic1:s'
cate Of Inward grief. From this, also, be
pcnEed re1lsf, without hesitation, 10 q
fellow who looked rs it he neei:cd it. ri
admired tie simplicity With which he app
~, ~ my limited means Of so1sce to the first CO
III who needed 1t more than /; genuine ben
~: lent impulse docs not stand o. ceresnocy
had I perish ID Of collie for want Of stlm
that night, ] should lot have rep.oached
Ea nieDd The pAilan:hrophist arg more thf
tx grudgcd my other ardent friend the two
lars hnd more which 1t cost me to send
- chsltablc message he lett in my hand.