Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-02-03

unbroken shade. From this emerald roof long,
beautifully-netted tufts of grey Spanish moss
profuseiy hang like satellites from the roof o.
a cavern. The whole picture is iudeseribably
beautiful. Too beautiful, seemingly, for earth
it lifts ones mind to the visionary bowers ol
| the blessed.
But it is by moonlight that this forest pa
geantry seems most fascinating to me. The
great green tops then stand out in such bold
relief against the spangled sky, the deep shade
is so strongly contrasted with the radiant
patches of open space, the spreading boughs
stretch upward in such vast, indefinite reach
toward heaven, the long colonades of stems
loom forth in such stately majesty from their
dark royal Yesture, the whole scene is auimat-
ed by beauty so pure, SO serene, so grand, so
charming, that one seems to have been carried
in fancy, TO some lovely dreamland, some
moonlit Elysium of the poets.
It is difficult for me to wander among these
stately, solemn groves at any time, without
catching a tinge Of sentimentalism from their
speaking silence. They call to mind the syl-
van associations of boyhoOd and awaken fond
regretful memories of a rougher cline far
away With the buried associations come up
pass in shadoWy review down the long dim vs-
ia of time. One comes from the dread Will
derness of Virginia where his unnoted clay
rests hard by the Rappahannock. His was
brave and noble spirit,
s'8Ild to obey, generous to command,
Tempered by forming heaven with klndest
frmest hand,''
and all aglow with patriotic fervor. He gave
his life an Offering to Freedom at Chancelors-
vile. Another comes whose mangled form as
it lay upon the bloody turf at Gettysburg
hauuts me still. Another who yielded up his
brave young life in the midnight assault at
Wauhatchie, and another who fell in the fruit
less attack on Kenesaw-but why enumerate
They have given all to their country and are
dead upon the field Of honor. Dead No!
s'strew his ashes to the wind
Whose sword voice has served mankind,
And is he dead whose glorious mind
Lifts thine high?
To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die"
My object in these Notes Is not to COM
municate news. On the contrary I endeavor
to deviate from the usual channels pursued by
newspapers correspondents. l write from the
camps of our soldiers and, representing them,
1 desire TO communicate their feelings and
views upon those matters which newspaper
men are least likely 10 take notice or With
pufiGg or critieiziDg Generals, planning cam
paigns, or shocking the sensitive public with
lists of the killed and wounded, have nothing
to do. | leave this TO the professional Bohe-
mian, who is very wise upon these matters, but
knows about as much of the real thoughts and
feelings of the rank and file of the army as he
does of the lugubriatious Of the gentleman
who iuhabits the moon. As have wandered
about over this sunny Southern land, coming
in contact occasionally with IFS rebellious peo,
pie, sometimes on terms of social intercourse.
at others in the exciting issue Of battle. shall
look at things with soldiers eyes, and de-
scribe them, as well as l can, with a soldiers
pen. If there are any who upon these terms
desire to follow me in my wanderings, they will
be always welcome to such hospitalities rs are
afforded by the knapsack OF
A. T. SECHAND.