Wilmington journal., 1867-01-24

his board See that yellow flag. 1t covers
the hospital Enter if you please. There
ar piles of bandages, pills and potions and
specifics In neat boxes and vessels of glass
crown the shelves. Those cases are the
most exquisitely- instruments of surge.
| ry. Those surgeons and those nurses are
practised and expert. There are cordials
and wines in those bottles. There are
lemons and ice and all the delicacies of the
tropics in those enclosures Those sick
men are clothed in fine linen and repose on
genial couches. That body is being en-
balmed to be sent home.
Oh, dreary contrast We are now in a
Confederate camp no tents are here the
war has worn them out. No silken banner
tioats-lt is IN shreds and patches and can
not be replaced. The solitary fife and
drum discourse the inspiring strains of
"Dixie." Lank and worn the war horse
ducks the leaves aud barks the trees q
few COWS, tough and old and attenuatod
await their fate. Under that tree gray
frocks, faded and worn, with some lace and
embroidery, an old newspaper printed on
one side and ali old map and d spy-cIass
which was used in the Mexican war. tell
that StOnewall Jackson or Forrestare there.
Around that fire, smoke dried reclining on
the naked earth, Two or three on blanket,
as matter of economy ; the overcoat is
in tatters, the haversack is turned inside
out, the canteen has been traded for from
a Yankee prisoner, the cloak has been
picked up on battle -field-you have the
Confederate soldier Those boots cape
and let In the cold and rain !; that hat has
been shot to pieces those pantaloons have
lost six inches of the extremity-but when
can they be replaced? The soldier cooks
his hard meal bread and toasts his bacon
on the embers, and in his tin cup he has
cOntrlved a substitute for coffee, which is
not hOnOred by either milk or sugar. No
bic soldier He is not cursing the com
mlssary or the quarter-master, but recount
ing the adventures of yesterday III which
many dear comrade went down, telling
rough jokes of the day, or rejoicing in the
glorious conflict of arms which the morrow
will bring forth.
Butwe have said nothing of orrbospitals
Seek not to recall the sickening picture -
At first we did very well, but soon, even
ordinary comforts were inlpracticable, and
thousands died from the mere want of
those minlstrations of medicine and genial
stimulants which it became impossible to
provide
Let us at least do the army of the North
the justice to say, that although it had
thousands of base and bad men in its ranks,
it had thousands of noble and true ones,
and that although it robbed and plundered
and burnt and desolated at times, it yet Of
ten protected and saved. Some of It's lea
ders were just men and great men. The
final report OF their chief in command was
like a thrilling romance of the Middle Ages
Never commander before since the days of
Nerxes or Alexander swayed the move
ments Of such hosts or regulated the mill
tary movements of million Of men oper-
ating with a common plan and in accord in
a million and half square miles Of terri
tory. The world had seen nothing gran
der before, and is not likely soon to sec it
again.
THE DEFENCE OF OUR CITIES.
'Well may sing her loveliness,
This pleasant land of ours,
Her sunny smiles her golden fruits,
And all her golden flowers.
''The merry dance delgh 5 us not
As i'll that better time,