New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-06
Anecdotes Of the war.

The last number of "The Land we Love- con.
tains an article entitled " The Haversack," by
Gen. D. H. Hill, from which we clip the follow
ing extracts:
During the war we frequently saw the phrase
dying in the last ditchn attributed to Gen. Pillow
by the Northern press. Lately we see that Brown.
low, Of Tennessee, whose classic purity of style is
so well known to the whole country, is receiving
the credit of originating it. But with whomsoever
the expression originated, it was employed, long
before the war, by William III of England Stadt-
holder of Holland, and Prince of Orange.
When defending his hereditary dominions
against the immense armies of Louis XIV, he
was told by the French ambassador that in
evitable destruction awaited his people unless he
would submit to the grand monarch. " have
thought of the means Of avoiding the sight of the
ruin of my country; can die in the last ditch
In Holland, intersected in every direction by
canals whose entertainments afforded the best de-
fensiye works, the language is pregnant with
meaning. IL could have no local significance in
any part OF the United States Byron has an allu-
sion to this celebrated speech of William of Or
ange. In his diary we read: az Ward talks of
going to Holland, and we have partly discussed an
ensemble expedition. It must be in ten days, if at
all, If we wish TO be IN the revolution. Old William
of Orange talked of his dying in the last ditch
of his dingy country It is well that can swim,
or / suppose that should not well weather the
FIRST
BrownIow, who was once as furious against the
=
said in one of his numerous Trades against them :
II am not, and never have been, interested in the
slave traffic, or immersed in the cares, adyan-
tages or disadvantages of the Institution of
slavery, and therefore claim to be disinterested
locker on, A native of Virginia, have lived half
q century in the South, and seen the workings of
the institution OF slavery in its best and worst
forms, aud in all the Southern States. have gone
among the free negroes at the North, and in every
1 instance have found them more miserable and
| desltu as whole than the slave population of
the South. In ohr Southern States, where negroes
have been set at liberty in nine cases out OF ten
theT conditions have been made worse, while the
most wretched lazy and dishonest class of persons
to be found in The Southern States are free per-
sons OF color. l, therefore, go against the eman-
eipalon Of slaves altogether, unless they can be
sent TO Liberia at once. take my stand with
the friends of the institution of slavery in tie
South. Connected with this question will 20 as
far as the next man-dying in the last ditch.'i
r There are certain expressions which plesse the
popular mind, and soon become part OF its com
mon property, The right ownership NAV never
be known, but the people will always claim pos.
session. After the battle of Palo Alto and Resaca,
an anonymous writer, alludinS to Cen TAYLOR
said: THE soldiers call him old Rough and Ready.
No one in the army knew of this sonbriuuet until
they say this communication. Butthe appelIatior
pleased the soldiery aud the country, The Ole
hero did from that time forward receive a desjgna
ton which was the coming Of this unknown serb
bier. Ia republic his fortune is made who re
ceiVes popular Cognomen. In q the fierce de
mOeracy of ROmen the adjeotives Africanus AMI
d Asatctts applied to the eonqueror Of Africa ant
3 Asia, could never have reused a wilder enthusiasm
: among the people than has been excited anon
! Us by the appenAtions, " Old Tppscsnoen an