The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-09-28

put up for sale; and subscriptions were
entered into for one or two widows,
who had really loved their husbands,
and being deprived of them, desired to
return home Soldiers, of all ranks,
are, during a state of warfare, made up
of singularly dscordant materials.
We all. for example, felt sincerely for
these poor creatures, and readily con-
trihutcd our respective mites, to render
their homeward passage as comlorta-
bic as their frame of mind would allow.
There was not a man amongst us, too,
who lamented not the fall of the indi
vidual, for part of whose wardrobe he
was now bidding. Yet a passing OBJ
server would have scarcely discovered
this; so little in accordance with the
sentiments of our hearts were our out
ward manner and conversation. Let
me not, however, be misunderstood.
Nothing was said or done on these oc-
casions calculated to give pain to the
nearest relative Of the deceased had he
stood by: on the contrary, every man
felt that the drama in which he now
took part, might, before long, be rep
resented again in consequence of his
own dissolution; and, with this feeling
upon his mind, it was not impossible
for him to act otherwise than he should
desire his comrades to act. We're that
event to take place on the morrow.
Matters continued thus till an early
hour on the morning of the 9th, when
a signal was made to weigh anchor;
the whole fleet got under sail, and,
guided by a gentle breeze in their
sterns, stood majestically towards the
bav. | do not know that ever beheld
more striking marine spectacle than
this general movement presented. At
a moderate computation, there could
not be fewer tian seventy sail Of YES
sells, Of all classes and sizns, in the fleet;
they lay within roadstead, which eN-
ceeded not a gunshot from one cNtrem-
ity to the other; and lifting their an
chors. and shaking out their canvass,
all at the same moment, they gave to
the river an appearance of life and bus
tie, such as it has probably never eX-
hibited before. and will not speedily
exhibit again. Nor was it by looking
to the ships alone that we idiers found
an ample fund of interest and amuse-
ment The sun began, before long, to
shine brightly upon tie banks, and a
shifting panorama of the most eXqni-
site beauty presented itself, piecemeal,
as it were, to our observation. | have
hitherto abstaned from saying any
thing of the extreme lovclincss of this
district ct,-part}y because its most strik-
ing features have been described al
ready, and partly because | am quite
conscious that no words can do it JUS
tice. But it may be permitted we to
observe, that though | have visited
many countries, and bcheld almost
every variety of national scenery,
have never beheld any more picturesque
than that which the banks OF the Pa
tuxcnt displayed. There was nothing
grand, it is truc:-no rocks, no noun
tains, no castles, converts, or even
lordly seats, were in view; but if slop-
ing downs, studded with the modest
houses Of settlers, intersected by luXu-
RANT corn fields, and closed in by for
ests, dark as night, and perfectly
trackless, entitle the banks of a river
to the appelation of beautiful, the ap-
pelIation may surely be bestowed here.
1t was a scene of peace, and perhaps
of humility; but it was probably not
the less attractive on that account, in
the eyes of one whose business was war
We reached the bay Il little after
noon, and were met by the "Tonnant,' y
which had sailed 4 day or two before,
and seemed now to be returning.
Whittier we were going, or what the
service on which we were about to be
employed, no one appeared to know;
but a feeling of surprise became gen
eral amongst us. when, instead of TAX
ing advantage of Il wind which blew
directly up the Chesapeake, Il signal
was hung out for all ships to cast an
chor. We had battered ourselves that,
: now we lad fairly begun our observa-
tlons, not an hour would be wasted in
carrying them on. Baltimore, Annap-
oils, and other towns. were all within
chr reach; we confidently anticipated
that each would, in its turn, receive a
visit. But whatever our wishes might
he, there remained but one course for
: us to follow. We obeyed the signal,
and anchored Immediately.
No great while elapsed, however, be-
fore we became satisfied that every
thing had been done for the best. AS
soon as he had got his fleet we'll about
: him, the Admiral began to hold cor
: respondence with the other ships OF
possession of a signal-book, we were
: enabled to dcciphcr Each vessel was
: required to send in 4 return of the
! number OF seamen, independently OF
marines, which it could afford to land
: with small arms; and it was farthc,