Year: 1870

The conflicts between the two great
armies, the booming of cannon, the
deadly missiles whizzing by the SOL
dier boys ear and lodging in the heart
Of another, has long since ceased
The anxieties of a father, and the
heart-rending cries of a fond mother
for a son buried in Southern soil has
changed into merriment. Many of
our brave boys have returned, wOoed
and won some Of Americas fairest
daughters, and are now enjoying the
comforts of q domestic life. The stOr-
les Of camp life, sights and scenes
along the line, romantic and other
wise, prison life in rebel camps, roam
ings over the country in search of pro-
visions, coming in contact with rebel
hordes here and there, all these are
told to which the young wife listens
with eagerness. She never gets weary
of hearing them, but life to her now
is a blessing. Her heart is full Of love
for him who is seated by her side, and
she rejoices TO know that while he as
sisted in crushing the rebellion, brave
ly and manfully enduring all the hard
ships Of a soldiers life, he is also q
kind and generous husband, protect
ing and shielding the home fireside
equally as well.


While ! am here in the midst OF
quietude, tired for the present of Pc
rusing the contents of book before
me, entitled ''The Hand Writing
Of God" my mind ruminating
as he leads me on among the
Obelisks and the granite mountains Of
Egypt, and now into the Holy Land,
the character and distress of those peo-
pie, cannot help but think, also, Of
the sights and scenes as they present
Ell themselves to US during our late
war. Though TO some they may seem
but trifling, and not worth the trouble
of recalling them to memory, still they
present both pleasant and horrible
scenes, and there they stand on mem
Ory's page like spectral delusiOns
of Germanic times, and, too, in spite
of all our endesvors to wipe them out
and remen Der them no more.


In the month of July, 1853, while
our regiment was encamped at Mt.
Vernon, a village pretty well to the
southern boundary i'm that old State,
known as Kentucky, and seemingly
too in the most sterile portion of the
country, where nothing but thOrns
seemed to be the king of vegetation,
the peaks OfIime stone rock towering
high above them in various places,
might have been seen sights that
none but brave hearted soldier could
have witnessed without shedding
tears. A man would involuntary
sympathise with the bereaved mother.
tt seemed natural for him to do so.-
There young boy, in agony and pain,
without a mother or sister near his
side TO sOOthe his sorrow or cool his
aching brow, breathing away his mo-
ments, and no messenger to carry
home his dying words. There was
no battle fought there, no shot and
shell were needed just then, but the
struggle between life and death was
going on terribly with some Of our
boys during the long month, which
seemed as though 1t would never end.
Our troops had been continually har-
rassed about, here and there, over the
greater portion Of the State during the
winter season, and until about the
middle Of June. The cold winter
storms had penetrated our seanty cloth
ing. The hot and scOrching rays Of q
June sun now darted down on to us
unmercifully-they seemed TO hate the
very looks Of a soldier. The stagnant
water for our use, as We marched
along, was not very palateable. Yet
all was endured manfully. It was
portion of the soldiers life, and moth
ing more than was expected. But
here we stopped in this barren country
IA name indeed well adapted to that
portiOn) with our brigade with all its
appendages, not knowing how long
we would be allowed to rest here.
Many inquiries were made, but the
stern answer-military like-by our
commander was, Not until the rebels
drive US away The Indication, how
ever, of the ground on which we were
to camp betOkened a long stay, or at
least till the rubbish was cleaned
away. No sooner were our equip
ments tossed to aside, than the work
Of clearing up q camp ground was
commenced. A neighbOring creek
furnished US with abundant water
The beautiful willow twigs, nOurished
by its sparkling waters, were we'll
adapted TO suit the wants Of q soldier
for his summer house. These were
cut, and braided into houses large
enough, with tent covering spanned
across the top, 10 shelter two persons
in each. 1t was a grand sight to be-
hold; an artist might have added con-
siderable to his stock Of knowledge.
1t was a novel scene. We were expect
ing huge times here, In the way Of
sport and camp games. But, alas our
nIaasnre and hinh fimes PenerhllV