HARP OF THE SOUTH. A SONNET. Harp of the South, awake! A loftier strain Has seen the young South burst the tyrant's chain, CORA. A NORTH-CAROLINA CALL TO ARMS. AIR-The Old North State. BY LUOLA. Ye sons of Carolina! awake from your dreaming! Defend, defend, the old North State forever,. Oh! think of the maidens, the wives, and the mothers; Her name stands the foremost in Liberty's story, Defend, defend, the old North State forever, etc. The babe in its sweetness, the child in its beauty, INCIDENTS OF GRIERSON'S RAID.-While several of the Union scouts were feeding their horses at the stables of a wealthy planter of secession proclivities, the proprietor looking on, apparently deeply interested in the proceeding, suddenly burst out with: "Well, boys, I can't say I have any thing against you. I don't know but that on the whole I rather like you. You have not taken any thing of mine except a little corn for your horses, and that you are welcome to. I have heard of you all over the country. You are doing the boldest thing ever done. But you'll be trapped, though; you'll be trapped, mark me." At another place, where the men thought it advisable to represent themselves as Jackson's cavalry, a whole company was very graciously entertained by a strong secession lady, who insisted on whipping a negro because he did not bring the hoecakes fast enough. On one occasion, seven of Colonel Grierson's scouts stopped at the house of a wealthy planter to feed their jaded horses. Upon ascertaining that he had been doing a little guerrilla business on his own account, our men encouraged him to the belief that, as they were the invincible Van Dorn cavalry, they would soon catch the Yankees. The secession gentleman heartily approved of what he supposed to be their intentions, and enjoined upon them the necessity of making as rapid marches as possible. As the men had discovered two splendid carriage horses in the planter's stable, they thought, under the circumstances, they would be justified in making an exchange, which they accordingly proceeded to do. As they were taking the saddles from their own tired steeds and placing them on the backs of the wealthy guerrilla's horses, the proprietor discovered them, and at once objected. He was met with the reply that, as he was anxious the Yankees should be speedily overtaken, those after them should have good horses. "All right, gentlemen," said the planter; "I will keep your animals until you return. I suppose you'll be back in two or three days at the furthest. When you return you'll find they have been well cared for." The soldiers were sometimes asked where they got their blue coats. They always replied, if they were travelling under the name of Van Dorn's cavalry, that they took them at Holly Springs of the Yankees. This always excited great laughter among the secessionists. The scouts, however, usually wore the regu Defend, defend, the old North State forever, etc. lar "secesh" uniforms. The national eagle above us now floating, Will soon on the vitals of loved ones be gloating; Defend, defend, the old North State forever, etc. The Star-Spangled Banner, dishonored, is streaming O'er bands of fanatics; their swords are now gleaming; They thirst for the life-blood of those you most cherish; With brave hearts and true, then, arouse, or they perish! Defend, defend, the old North State forever, etc. Round the flag of the South, oh! in thousands now rally, For the hour's departed when freemen may dally; Your all is at stake; then go forth, and God speed you! And onward to glory and victory lead you! Hurrah! hurrah! the old North State forever! UNPOLITE RAIDERS. We are informed that at Okolona, in Mississippi, the Yankees, led by Grierson, set fire to and destroyed a female institute in a spirit of wanton and devilish destruction. "At Starksville," says a Southern paper, "they took from the stores such articles as they desired. They visited most of the houses, appropriating watches, jewelry, and money. They stated there and at other places that this was but an advance-guard, but that in two or three weeks an army was coming that would make a clean sweep, and burn every house in Columbus. They captured a team and wagon-load of hats going from the factory to Columbus. The hats they distributed among the negroes who were with them, and took the team along with them. They compelled a great many negroes to go with them." took all the good horses and mules, money, jewelry, and silver ware they could find. At one house in Lowndes County a portion stopped and called for milk. This was handed them in fine cut-glass goblets, which, when they had drank the milk, they dashed to pieces They On him to return, he replied that the coffee was so tempting he intended to remain. This was the first coffee he had tasted in a twelvemonth. THE GOVERNOR OF ST. CROIX AND THE ALABAMA.An agent of the so-called "confederate States of America" at St. Croix purchased a large quantity of coal for the Alabama, whereupon the governor of the island informed him that it would not be permitted to be taken away by that vessel. The fire-eater's reply was that "Captain Semmes would come and take it." His Excellency's answer was an imperative order to immediately remove the coal three miles inland. on the ground. A squad stopped at one house and demanded dinner. The lady said she would not cook for men acting as they were. They said: "You may think us bad, but we an't nothing, for you'll see along here in a few weeks." A small body passed Garlandsville stealing mules and negroes. A SINGULAR SPECTACLE IN BATTLE.-At the battle their way there they used up and destroyed all the of Stone River, while the men were lying behind a corn and meal of Mr. G. W. Howe, robbed him of crest waiting, a brace of frantic wild turkeys, so partwo gold watches, all his horses and money. In Ken-alyzed with fright that they were incapable of flying, tucky the conduct of the Yankee marauders, who are ran between the lines and endeavored to hide among constantly spying out the land, is said to be that of the men. But the frenzy among the turkeys was not licensed and uninterrupted outrage. We have had so touching as the exquisite fright of the birds and for some time on our file a copy of an unaffected let- rabbits. When the roar of battle rushed through the ter from a lady in Kentucky; and as it retains its in- cedar thickets, flocks of little birds fluttered and cirterest as a simple and truthful evidence of the charac- cled above the field in a state of utter bewilderment, ter of Yankee raids, we give it here: "I suppose you and scores of rabbits fled for protection to the men have heard of the raid made upon us by the Yankees. lying down in line on' the left, nestling under their From ten to twenty caroused in the back porch all coats and creeping under their legs in a state of utter night, threatening to break in. Papa, never dreaming distraction. They hopped over the field like toads, of such an occurrence, had remained at the farm, to and as perfectly tamed by fright as household pets. protect our winter provisions, thinking food would be Many officers witnessed it, remarking it as one of the the only thing they would trouble. In vain we sent most curious spectacles ever seen upon a battle-field. messenger after messenger to the officers. No help came. The fiends came about dark in the evening. The first thing they did was to carry off sister Lizzie's buggy. They broke into the store-room and took sister Lizzie's and sister Emilie's wine, which they drank and carried away next morning. They found a keg of blasting-powder, with which they threatened continually to blow us up. They were furious against papa, cursing him, saying they knew he was in the house, and if they could get hold of him they would kill him. We have heard of some being butchered in their own houses. I think it was the goodness of God that kept papa away that night. Henry and Charley (negro men) stood by us bravely, though the men were threatening their lives. Henry ran up once and took the keg of powder away from them, which they had over the candle, too drunk to know that, though they would have destroyed the house, they would have been the first to perish. Henry and Charley, who could talk a little Dutch, persuaded them, first one way and then another, not to break into the house, and got some to sleep in the cabin. They did not get in the house till morning. They got from the upper porch through the boys' room window. When ma found they were in the house she locked her room door. As we sat quietly awaiting our fate, still hoping that God—in whose care ma had in the beginning placed us, kneeling with us in earnest prayer-would Jenkins. What did you say about "Southern brethyet save us, we heard them dancing, whooping, break-ren"? If I thought I had a twenty-fifth cousin who ing, and plundering away over the house. At last the was as white-livered as you are, I would kill him and robbers scattered, carrying away every thing they set him up in my barn-yard to make sheep own their could. Oh! what a sight the house was! Every thing lambs. I'll show you how I parole such pukes as you scattered in confusion; dresses, broken parasols, boxes, are. You are too miserable to be paroled in military etc., in one incongruous mass. They stole all my jew-style." elry-they broke all of sister Emilie's pictures. All of the silver was taken. Nan (servant) was very much distressed at their taking the blankets. Papa was arrested at the big gate, and not allowed to come to the house to tell us any thing about it. He and seven others were kept in an open tent, exposed to the chill of night and hot sun through the day, and were then carried off to Louisville."-Richmond Examiner. WHILE the rebel General Jenkins was in Hagerstown, Md., a lieutenant and five men, wearing the uniform of Union soldiers, crept out of some of the houses of the town where they had been hidden, and delivered themselves up. When they made their appearance before General Jenkins, the following conversation occurred: Jenkins.-Halloo! who are you, and where did you come from? Lieutenant. We belong to the Union army, or did belong to it, but we don't wish to fight any longer against our Southern brethren; so when our forces left here we staid behind, and to-day we came out to be_paroled. So saying, he ordered a detail of six men and a sergeant-"good lusty fellows, with thick boots"--who paroled the recreant Federals to the west border of the town, where the paroling process ceased, and the detail and crowd returned highly pleased with Jenkins's mode of paroling cowards. AN ANGLO-REBEL.-The following is an extract from a private letter from an officer in the confederate MY DEARLY BELOVED PARENTS: I wrote you a letter some three weeks ago, but do not know whether you have received it. Do try and write to me; find out in London the name of some merchant in Nassau, (where June 1.-The sharp-shooters at Vicksburgh inter-army: sperse their crackling fire with frequent passages of polite conversation. One of the rebels three days since asked if he could have a drink of coffee if he came over and was allowed. His comrades calling to all the steamers lay for a while before they run the blockade into some confederate port,) and write to me in care of that firm, and put on the envelope: "From yourself in England to a son in the confederate army in America." Oh! I do so long to hear from you all. I am in tolerably good health, and hope it will continue, and that my dear mother and sisters, Charlie, and all my relations, are alive and well, and that my dear father is also alive and well and knows no trouble; but I am afraid he has known too much since this war began. Provisions and clothing must be very high in England; in fact, I expect every thing, or nearly so, is. I wish with all my heart this war was over, and then you may be sure it would not be very long before I see the old cliffs of dear England. Ö England how I love thee; never so much as when separated from thee. I love my country, but I had to join in this war, as we are in the right, and the North wants to crush us out entirely from off the face of the earth. We have now about four hundred thousand troops in the field, and the Yankees have twice as many, if not more, and yet they cannot whip us, and never will; for much as I love my dear old soil, England, never will I give up fighting for liberty and independence. We would all like this war to cease; but only on one condition-separation. No union any more for us. Why, the meanest beggar man lives better than we do. One pint of Indian corn-meal and three quarters pound fresh beef, or eight ounces of salt pork, constitute our daily meal, with a drink of water; no coffee or sugar. Coffee only costs (when there is any) twenty shillings a pound, and sugar five shillings; salt, four shillings a pound; shoes, six pound ten shillings; coat, twenty-eight pounds; trowsers, eight pound five shillings; boots, fifteen pounds; flour, seventeen pounds a barrel of two hundred pounds; eggs, four shillings a dozen; chickens, five shillings each; butter, five shillings and sixpence a pound; ink, eighteen shillings a pint; pens, sixpence each; common tallow candles, three shillings each; shirts, two pounds five shillings; and every thing else in proportion. The ladies cut up their carpets to make blankets for the soldiers. When you have something good to eat, just think of me in America, twenty-six years old this year, going on seven years since I left home. Oh! I do so long for the time to come for me to go home; and I hope God will spare my life until that end is attained. ARMY OF TENNESSEE, TULLAHOMA, Tenn., Confederate States of America, April 5. THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO ARM NEGROES.-A correspondent of the Memphis Bulletin shows the first attempt to arm negroes and put them in the field as soldiers was made by the rebels. He copies from the Memphis Appeal and the Memphis Avalanche of May ninth, tenth, and eleventh, 1861, the following notice: ATTENTION, VOLUNTEERS: Resolved by the Committee of Safety, that C. Deloach, D. R. Cook, and William B. Greenlaw be authorized to organize a volunteer company composed of our patriotic free men of color, of the city of Memphis, for the service of our common defence, All who have not enrolled their names will call at the office of W. B. Greenlaw & Co. F. TITUS, President. F. W. FORSYTHE, Secretary. GENERAL LEE'S WOOING. My Maryland! My Maryland !" I wander far, I wander wide, My Maryland! My Maryland! I bring thee sheets of ghostly white My Maryland! My Maryland ! Make clean the threshing-floor; My Maryland! My Maryland! Thy banner flaunting in the breeze Of gentlemen, with spurs, Come tramping, tramping o'er the hills, My Maryland! My Maryland! I see the winged messenger I spurn the hand that loosed the shaft, My Maryland! My Maryland! And ruthless for my chivalry, Proud gentlemen, with spurs, Whose bones lie stark upon the hills, And stark among the furze. AFTER THE BATTLE. G. The drums are all muffled, the bugles are still: Where shreves of the dead bar the way; There's a voice in the wind like a spirit's low cry; The brave heads late lifted are solemnly bowed, The groans of the death-stricken drowning; There is no mocking blazon, as clay sinks to clay; Far away, tramp on tramp, peals the march of the foe, They are fled-they are gone; but oh! not as they came; In the pride of those numbers they staked on the game, Nevermore shall they stand in the vanguard of fame, Never lift the stained sword which they drew; Nevermore shall they boast of a glorious name, Never march with the leal and the true. Where the wreck of our legions lay stranded and torn, They stole on our ranks in the midst of the morn; Like the giant of Gaza, their strength it was shorn, Ere those mists have rolled up to the sky; From the flash of the steel a new day-break seemed born, As we sprung up to conquer or die. The tumult is silenced; the death lots are cast; Would ye free it once more, O ye brave! Yes, the broad road to Honor is red where ye passed, And of glory ye asked-but a grave! OUR VOLUNTEER. BY MARY CLEMMER AMES. We gather round the twilight hearth, Beneath the evening's pallid flame; And softening every sound of mirth, We murmur the beloved name. We try to still the voice of care, And cheerily say: "One year to-day The dulcet drum and bugle blare Allured our darling far away." And stifling back the crowding tear, We murmur, while our prayers ascend: "Our Father's saved the boy a year He'll surely save him to the end." His grand dog smooths sad, drooping ears Along my hand, in mute regret; His wistful eyes half read my fears"Old Boy, you miss your master yet!" The ringing voice, the eye of fire, The lithe young form, the step of pride, That once made all your heart's desire, Old pet, they're sundered from you wide. Your gay bark in the hunt is hushed- We listen to a dear young voice Sing words of love to music wed; So mournful, we may not rejoice He loved that song in summers fled. It says: "Oh! take me home to die!" Oh! leave us not, lest we repine, We love thee 'neath the heavy rod; We trust thee in the nation's night; Our only help and hope is, God, That thou at last will crown the right. The paradise of spring-time hours He loved. In all her azure space, THE FORCED RECRUIT. In the ranks of Rebellion you found him, He died with his face to you all; Yet bury him here where around him You honor your bravest that fall. Virginian-fair-featured and slender, He lies shot to death in his youth, With a smile on his lips over-tender For any mere soldier's dead mouth. No stranger, and yet not a traitor; Though hostile the cloth on his breast, Underneath it how seldom a greater Young heart has a shot sent to rest! By your enemy tortured and goaded To march with them, stand in their file, His musket (see !) never was loaded, He facing your guns with that smile! As orphans yearn on to their mothers He yearned to your patriot bands;"Let me die for America, brothers, If not in your ranks, by your hand! "Aim straightly, fire steadily! spare me A ball in the body which may Deliver my heart here, and tear me This badge of the traitor away!" So thought he, so died he, this morning. The death-stroke who fought side by side One tri-color floating above them; Struck down 'mid triumphant acclaims Of America rescued to love them And blazon the brass with their names. But he-without witness or honor, Mixed, shamed in his country's regard His soul kissed the lips of her guns. That moves you? Nay, grudge not to show it The others who died, says our poet, Clear and strong, far and near, Rings a Green Mountain cheer, And they lower their dim colors all shivered and shred, And their guns gray with dust, And then shoulder to shoulder, the Living and Dead! The broad age is a line Past and present entwine We will finish the work that the Fathers begun ; And these to their weeping, And one faith and flag for the Federal gun! Speak, Helmsman, the words Half battles, half swords Let the "President's March" be resounding abroad; Keeping time with the Age, Till thy swords without scabbards flash grandly for Then the rattling roll of the musketeers, And the rifles burn with a keen desire, Like the crackling whips of the hemlock fire, And the splintery fire of the shattered hell, And the great white breaths of the cannon-smoke, And the dead drummers beat the lorg roll through The throb of the cloud where the drummer-boy trod! the morn, And the bugle-blown orders Invade the dumb borders And the ragged gaps in the walls of blue Where the grave-digger dreamed he had laid them As he cleaves the dim with his "Close up, men !" forlorn. From old Saratoga, From old Ticonderoga, From Bennington, Bunker, and Lexington Green, They have marched back sublime To the sentries of time, And have passed on triumphant, unchallenged tween! I can hear the flint-locks,- That timed Liberty's step to no pendulum swing! Woman smilingly said, And the groan torn out from the blackened lips, As under the cloud the Stars go by! be- And the troopers sit in their saddles all, "Let us charm the dull weights till they fly and they And away they plunge, and the front is past, sing!" Ah! those old blackened ladles Where Glory's own cradles ! And the jackets blue grow red as they ride, Rocked a red-coat to sleep with each birth from the As they gallop right on o'er the plashy red sod: mould, And the old fashioned-fire Blazed hotter and higher, Right into the cloud all spectral and dim, Till it welded the New World and walled out the Old. Right through the dense columns, then "Right about, wheel!" |