T I J ' ' . MM VMM .
THE BEE W
ir Ann
GEBENSBOEOTJGH, 3ST. O., DECEMBER 34, 1868.
Volume XXV.
Number 1,381.
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Written for th Patriot.
AHTTI
OF
SOUTHERN FREEB8M.
T 1A1IT H A lie
Friend after friend depart !
Who baa not lost a friend T"
Liter. 'COL. OBSBT UABrift 01AT.
Hewar of parting !" (a a curt, significant axels
tuatiun of Sir. ?.. Uulwer Ljtton in nil (pleaded Ro
mance, What will be do with it?" Ht aaya : "Th
tru adnM ia not in lb pain of tb parting, It ia la
the Whfuandthe How yon are to meet again with the
face abo-it to vanish from your viw !" Tbt deep,
melaucholy, overwhelming meaning in thi abort
pbras. thengb, mayhap, not ceucbed in that phrase
ology "d by Mr Kdwerd, waa keenly felt by the gal
Unt officer, whose name eland at lb bead f thi
nivle, when he selected the pot in Hopewell
rhurebyard where hia remiioa ahould repoe, before
).c r(,.k hi laat farewell of her who waa tb light of
Km life and (he darling boy who bad blasted him
with the sweet name of father. They all met again;
bm aim: the pint of tb buiband and father waa
absrat from the body and the aignet of the pale an
Kl waa upon the noble brow of Robsbt IlAtria
Or a v.
Hubert Harper w bora in the county of Ran
.l..!ph, North Carolina, on the 10th of January, 1831.
lie waa the second Bon of Gen Alexaader and Mra
f rli Harper Oray. His lev of military lif and
martial glury was inherited. Hi grandfather, in
ibe maternal line, Jedutban Harper, waa a Colonel
in the first great Revolution on tbi continent and
tok a distinguished part in some of the dangeroua
Mill bloody scenes which were then enacted ; and
lua Uthrr, who was on of the rr.ost prominent men
m iii county in tb beginning of thi century, was
ciuiuiio:d lirigadier in the war of 1812, and
w oidered with his brigade to Charleston to meet
the ltritish ; but peace waa declared before he reach--l
the ctne of action. His eon Robert w JH
ctr I, hni frame was notjitroogly constructed,
nd ho whs, lis. Caasius, always lean, uncorpulent.
His body, however, wa inhabited by a clear, vigor
oui and hr-lliant mind, be waa, emphatically, a
youth of grrat nl uncoramen geniua.
AIout a (juartcr of a century ago, the pot wber
Trinity College now stand, waa an unehoppd, un
cultivated forext. Imbosomed in tb thik woods
ws sn old log-bouse where an English school waa
uught by a gentleman of the name of Brantly York,
uho hath since made some reputation in the world
!' let 1ms as an author. There and under that in
structor, while yet fjuite a small boy, Robert Harper
commenced hi education. Sometime afterward a
nrw and brttur building waa erected on tb same
mte, and the Rev. Lr. Craven, then a young man
ju' out of New tiarden School opened an academy,
which wit called the I'mon Imtitute. To him Rob
rrt recited, until hi father determined to aend him
r the tJrrenebero' High School in tbi place. Her
he continued, until he completed hi preparatory
rourvf. lie entered Davidson College, then a flour
Uhitig seat of learning under tb charge of the
l'rrit) trriena of the tat,;in the year 1847 when h
was but little over sixteen yeare old. Before be left
the Hign School, though exceedingly youthful and
nnt largely versed in general literature and biatory,
he Kv promise, by his effcrt in the Hermian 8o
o.t''.. ot which he was a prominent member, of be
uf a fluent, energetic, elequenl aud brilhant deba
ti t 1 was a member of tb skni Literary coterie
ai .1 h i'l t he pleasur of bearing hi first attempt at
oiatury. Hi tvpxi tfrlorum,lht elegant simplicity
i Lis style and the pointcdneae of his argument were
tn.ly r. markaMe in one of his year.
;.tn 2 to-college, unlike it is to many, waa no
rr to him. lie had not ot.ly a strong and shining
in ntala endowment by uature, but he possessed in
iuisititanks of mind in an eminent degree. II wa
lianpiniid at the thought of becoming a eollegian
and ol enjoying the rich and fascinating scene in
t!,.- wideotilTrrsecf knowledge through which he was
t I e led ly the hands of the learned and to which
t.i mi irii. x of that institution invited him. He did
t. t, lu'rViT, confine himself eiclnsirsly and closely
t u t bunks. He eared not what hi teachers,
r i lie worl.i m.ght think of bis conduct ; be regar.
i!,-l only the craviags and immortal longings of hia
m.fi I Nor he wrong, though we would not in
. iik' tie non attention, as a general thing, to the reg
ii!nr CMit-se of studies laid down at colleges and uni
.'ti'ir , yet we honestly btlieve it is not most ad
vtnt iroiii lor all persons to do so. In fact, very
min i, can pursue a Axed, prescribed, dry
c urc uf readiug with contentment and profit.
unretlectiug mind may, active, inquir
i t rilliant one-t canuol ! To be entertained, in-
.ru!c., developed, enriched, they must b allow
v i ' liv Ift p pool of lore in which to dive and
'dra uii'rowned honor by the Ucks," and the ethe
real heights of elegant learning in which to bathe
tlir wings .f their fancy and to dazxle the eye of
t h ir eiuii' '. It you crave to read a particular book,
or to investigate a particular eubject, drop all else,
bn kle down to it, master it, which can be done in
halt the time and without the irksomeneis and ex
huu.it ion required if undertaken whtn the mind
Miijcht not its acquaintance, and, then, you will
r.ac tiom U str nger, wier, better, moreenlightened.
thtougb n iooW, aiol your heart not in it, nor
v. .: mini upon it, ana it is time lost, far worse than
lo't, a baoit ol inattention, aud burnedness, and
n lrinr, ia fixed, which like the pot of the leop
ard .-an ueter be changed. Such was the judgment
jf )-uiig tiray. though he was, at times, a close, dil
igent, utiwearied student. Whataoevsr he did, he
did with all 1m hcait, might, soul and body. He
w.ut to I'uvi Non College to study ; but he had in
dej'vnJai.ce enough of public commendation to pur
ne diligently -hat. which lie felt, wa most condu
r m t( Ins laating benetit. He was exceedingly
'. 1 t l.e Id -port and the ehase, and oftn, by day
ai. i y night, turned out with his associate to re-
1 11 !,..,, Itl l MlJ llltirorite iiia fr..l ,,.!......
I.
r- - VH,UHIV,
!oti.n iu Ilia Masques, he held, that.
Hunting is the noblest exercia.
Mva.' nen labinous. aciite
,r;' R h,a!ih, and doth the spirits delight
1 is-n, hearing, and the sight: '
V '"'" rt. (hat never slip
. . . . . '
It
I
.me memory,,,, norBBtMhip
iiUb.eh all ,U xhwp ..
M.t m..,i of ! i.,pPk, with bi. book, or
h","inl"; h"-L CrlW'didnotbli.v
io ire -.nerely, that
Am ;ool ot w .rtb sublime w,H H,4T.n
Si
: 1 o bght on man, as from the passing air
. I !.r lamp of genius, though by nature lit '
. " 1" "ctd. prun d, and fed with' rai
'in of runs to waste with fitful flare "
f H- wa, no aspirant for hongr in bis class ; but
- m - ..h ,e-y i, stoo.J roreanost in legant and M.
- w n.,.1,. , el epraking. He rad o much and so
. thoroughly, that he h.,1 a Urg, and rich of
, ... ... .ur.jpcif tuat wer pruDgupatb
HalL Hi pacB at the commencement of 1851,
whew h graduated, waa on "Napoleon at Waterloo."
He choae tha Uat grand strugg 1 of "th brightest
genloa thi world baa ever produoed," to bar
row bit own Unguage, aa tb tkem on wkicb
be ahould make hi dtbut in public The "Man
of Dtiny" and the "Iron Duke," th wr top
ic, which were worthy the mo.t grful rhetoric
and th happit elocution. Hia thonghU were so
tirring, hia language o plndid, that th gay and
fickle eiowd with ,4mute attention hung upon hia
lipa."
Returning to hia father home, Mr. Oray rexeiv
ed at hia handa a rich and cultivaUd plantation in
Randolph, only a few milea aouth of th North Car
olina Central Railroad, and a auffieiency of serranta
t keep and till it. That waa the realisation of the
aireaitles of perfect human felicity, which had
bean bodied forth by hia imagination in it rihet
picturing. He had no Ut or dir for any of th
learned prfaions, he wihed to be an independ
ent cintilc agricultoriet and a gentleman of let
ter and learned leiaure. Thu be lived batcbloring
it, for even yara. Meantim, he read every
thing in hltry, philoopby, politics, romane
and belle le'.tree which came in hi way. Nor did
b read hurriedly, or uperfieially ; whatever he
took up h perused with great care and thought.
To the ancient classics h devoted no little tin. He
waa not, however, very fond of Greek, ai.d while at
College, though he had studied it are full before,
he read ooly enough to maintain a rspetabl stan
ding in hia class ; but Latin he always loved. Thia
h continued to read. He reviewed Virgil, Horace,
Cicero and in fact his whole course of schol
astic studies. Like Arcbias, the poet and friend of
Cicero, from hia claesical reading, he "imbibed the
principle, that glory and virtu ahould be the dar
ling object cf life and that, to attain theae, all diffi
culties and danger were to be despid." He did
not lay aside and neglect the work of Homer, Xen
ophoa, Thucydides and Sophocles because b was
unwilling to undergo the labor or unable to under
aland thir great and dep thoughts, but for the rea
son that hewa much more amitten with the sweet
poea, sharp wit, splendid eloquence, and astute and
dee? philosophy of the Romans. This industri
ous people bad Incorporated and transferred the
rich learning of the Greeks into their own magnifi
cent language aid had corrected and bettered it by
there-investigation, re-study and re-writing. Ruing
from these pleasing pursuita of literature, he could,
with the accomplished Tully, have truthfully said :
"Ilttc ttudia aUletctniiam alunt, sentetuUm oblectant,
$cunda4 rti ornant, adveriit ptrfuimm ae tolalium
prxbent, deleetant do mi, non imptdiunt fori, pernoet
mnt nobiicum, ptrigrinantur, ruiticantur !"
In 1858, he changed his mode of living.
His books, his field-sports, his duties as a citizen and
hia business aa an agriculturist, dij not content his
mind. He obeyed the Scriptural injunction and took
unto himself, aa'his help-meet and partner, Miss
Martha Uorney, the,only daughter of Alexander S.
Horney, t'sq., of Franklinville in bis county. Then
he first enjoyed
"Domestic happiness, that only bliss
Of paradise that haa survived the fall."
No political troubles of any moment, at that time, un
settled the pillars of State, or prognosticated the
civil internal war, which has aince and is now deso
lating the beautiful land which than smiled with
gladness and prosperity. Polticians wrangled, and
blustered, and fretted, and strutted; but th fa res t
disoe rniug and sagest statesmen did not seriously
apprehend, that they would, by their dangerous and
unscrupulous teachings and acts, early and, in so
dreadful a wise, "deal damnation round the land."
Mr. Gray read and atudied the political history of
th past and wa familiar with the "men and meas
ures" of th time ti.en passing; and he was a strong,
ardent and decided Whig; still he kept himself afar
off from the dusty areqa of politics and p jrsaed "th
noiseless tenor of bis way" mid the sequestered vale
of rural life. He loved the country, be loved the
lif of th husbandman, he loved hia books, he lov
ed to atudy and to meditate, he loved quiet and soli
tude, he loved his home all the more that now it
was radiated by the loveliness and attractiveness of
an amiable and accomplished woman, and he weuld
not suffer aught to allure or seJuce him from those
pleasing and delightful pursuita and enjoymenta.
The honors, which glittered iu the path of po
litical preferment, had no charms for him. He es
teemed them hollow, unsubstantial, unsatisfying and
full of vexations and disappointments. Thus was
he passing his life, and thus was he determined to
live, on that sad and evil day, when President Lin
coln plunged, by his folly aad madness, the freest,
greatest, moat truly blessed people of the earth into
the direst and most stupendous civil, fratricidal
war which ha cursed the world since the begin
ning of time. Stirred by his patriotism, by the jus
tice of the defence which the South resolved to make,
the martial spirit kindled and glowed brightly in
hi bosom. At once, he made up hi mind to spend
his time, his talents, his physical strength, his all if
need be, in the defence and maintainance of South
ern institutions and right. He mourned to leave
his home and its endearments, his wife and his chil
dren; but duty called and he was too proud and pa
triotic to disicgard its pleadings. On the Ibth day
of June, 1861 he was commissioned captain of a
company which he had raised in his own county and
of which he had been chosen the commander.
Ik- was placed in the 12th Regt. of North Caro
lina Volunteers, now known aa the 22 Regt. of
State Troops. Of this regiment the talented, learn
ed, accomplished Pettigrew was elected Colorel. He
commanded it for near a year, and by drilling and
judicious discipline, he made it on of the beat in
th Confederate aerviee. Col. PettigTew was emi
nently skilled in military science, and he was unu
aually affable and agreeable in his intercourse with
hia fficars and men. All leteJ him, all admired
his great ability and large acquirements, and each
officer cheerfully and gladly a at at the feet of this
Gamaliel of military tactics and ecience and learned
hia duty as a aoldier. None was an apter or more
delighted student than Capt. Gray.
His regiment wa first sent t Evansport on the
Potomac whrit remained until the Spring of 1862
At the tim of the grand retreat from Manassas by
Gen. Joe. E. Johniton, Pettigrew regiment moved
back toward the Capital, at d, then, marched down
en the Peninsula and took its place there in line of
battle. It was in the reserve at the engagemente at
"est t'ointand Williamsburg. Nor was it in any
important engagement, until the battle of Seven
Pine wM fought. Col Ligblfoot was in command
of th resimnt on that day, od Gen. Pettigrew of
th brigad. Thia noble regiment, en that day,
gave incontestibl evidence to the country of the
Vndid part it wa destined to act In th awful
lrgi which were afurwerd to redden and im
mortli other and more hotly eontetd fields.
Capt. Gray waa at th had of hi chrvalrio compa
ny and endeared himself to hi men by his heroic
courage and daring.
On th 13lh Of June, tha rerim,nt rt.l
I ui,r "ript Act. Juuee Conmer wu elect
ed Colonel; Cnpi Robert H. Gray. Uaatnat-CoL;
and Capt. C. C. Cole, Major. Captain Grny wa per
sonally popular not enly with hia own Best bwt with
the of&cert and private of the regiment. Bis ma
jority in that election wa large. No better man
could have been aelactad.
Hi personal curg waa ne4 surpassed by any,
and he afterward evinced In -the camp and on the
field extraordinary uat, sh.ni and ability in govern
ing men aad in handling hia regiment in action.
Scarcely were the new emcrbrofcs into the har
ness of the war-horse, when the beaming of cannen
announced th commaneement of the terrific aad
dreadful battle) aroand th Southern capital. For
ward thy dashed to th fight, the very first to meet
and set in motion the retrograde march of IfcClel
lan and hia well-drilled and magnificent army. Gol.
Connor waa wounded early and badly. Lieut Col.
Oray then took command. His noble brother-soldier,
Maj. Cols, in speaking of his assuming com
mand, wrote, that "Col Gray will manage his regi
ment very well He is Tory firm in his decisions, a
very necessary ingredient in such aa officer-" He
wa on Try fild daring that vn days' fight ;
was always at th head of his gallant regiment ;
ever had his eye on the foe aad on the color of his
command; aad was never touched in his peison
with any miaaile thrown by musket, rifle, or artille
ry. Ou the day and in the sharp contest with the
euemy, in which Lieut. Charlss lost his life, ' CoL
Gray," writes Maj. Cole, 'missing the color, rush
ed forward to inquire after it, fearing it had fallen
into the hands of the enemy. . As he reached the
spot where Charlea fell, Sergeant Greenleaf, of Co.
K , seeing it fall, had rushed in, gathered it up and
was waving it over hia head and crying eut : 'Colo
ntl, htrt it our Jiag !' " Here seven of the color
guard had fallen, either dead or wounded ; her the
flag-staff wa cut in two just beneath the color;
here the top wa cut off by a grape-shot; here the
flag waa completely riddled with bullet and frag
ments of shells. His regiment won Immortal honor
en every field which they entered. They were in
almost every fight and the thiekaal of it; and they
returned to their old camp, after the enemy had em
barked, fearfully reduced in numbers and exhaust
ed in strength. Such was the bearing of Col. Gray,
throughout thia series of brilliant and biasing bat
tles, that his brave men afterward only loved him
the more. He was naturally sociable j and the soldier-life
only increased and more fully developed
that quality of hi heart- He loved the men who
could proudly and unflinchingly "eek the bubble
reputation at the cannon's month," and when he
was off duty, they were allowed to approach him a
a familiar friend and make themselves easy and un
restrained in his society. He patiently heard, their
wants; deeply sympathized with them in their self
denials and hardships ; spoke words of oheer, as
few tongues could, in their hours of despondency ;
and fait keenly for them and their safety in the
dread hour of battle. "No matter where he was or
in whose presence, whether a brigadier or a private,
he bore himself with the Bame nonchalance and un
ceremoniousness. The force of his brilliant intel
lect and the genuine goodness of his heart were such.
that they ever elicited respect and even admiration
from all who came within the circle where he moved.
On the drill, in the field, in the regular discharge of
all hia official duties, he was firm, decisive and com
manding. Every man had to know his place and b
in it; nor did any offender ecape just and merited
punishment through a morbid sympathy or a false
judgment on his part. He knew how to be both ge
nerous and just, nor could anything cause him to
swerve from the plain path of duty.
He chanced to sec the field glass and case of Col.
Simmons, a Yankee officer who waa killed in one et
the fights in front of Richmond, in the hands of one
of his men. He sought the history of it, and, think
ing they would be a precious memorial to his sorrow
stricken friends, Col. Gray purchased them and sen1
them to Brig. Gen. Geo. A. McCall, of the U. S. A.,
who responded to him in these handsome words: "I
have received, to-day, through Mr. Stoke, the Field
Glass andCaje of the lat Col. S. G. Simmons, U. S.
rmy, which was taken from his person by a soldier,
whi weucded on the battle-field of June 30th ulti
mo ind purchased by you. I beg leave to assure
you that I appreciate the noble feeling which ha
prompted you to restore thi memento to hi family .
and I shall with grat pleasure comply with your
wishs in this respect." There was true nobiliiy of
heart and mind in that act. H could fel for the
bereaved companion of the gallant dead and could
appreciate the overflowing tenderness with which
she would greet that beautiful memento. Ay, be
could rise above that sordid, grovelling baseness,
which can see no chivalry and magnanimity in bis
foe, such as are manifested in the note of Gen. MeCalL
His hatred of the enemy had not caused him to for
get the beautilul teaching of Christ "Love your
enemies," nor the golden rule "Do unto other
as you would have them do unto you."
While they were resting and recruiting from th
severities of the seTen-days' toil through which they
bad just passed, three ladiea of Virginia placed the
name of the battUs, in which thy largely shared
the glory, upon their battle-flag For this kind act
Col Gray thus felicitously wrote them: "Allow me,
in the name of the officers and men of the 22nd
Regiment N. C. Troops, to thank you for the honor
you have done us in placing upon our Battle flag the
names of the conflicts in which we have participated.
Rendered now more dear and sacred to us by the
labor of your fair hands, it will be our pride and
glory to bear it forward wherever duty may call :
And rest assured, that it will never be furled or
trailed in the dust while we have arms and lives to
devote to the defence of it and of the homes of the
fair ladies whose generous handiwork it bears upon
its folds. Permit me, Ladies, in my own name to
thank you for the kindness you have done ns ; and
to express the hope, that war may never impose
upon you any more painful or unwelcome task than
that you have so gracefully performed in decorating
our Banner." Soon, thereafter,' they were put in
motion and bore forward, toward Cedar Run, that
new and elegant standard ef Southern freedom and
independence. Bat it trailed not in the dust on that
well-fought field, nor ever afterward. Thos were not
the men to permit it such a dishonor. They felt, that
though "the path of glory leads but to the grave,"
yet the path of duty leads to a higher and better
destiny, and they were prepared to tread it firmly
and manfully.
Cedar Creek, or Slaughter Mountain, was a glori
ous little battle-ground I CoL Gray's men, with
him at their head, acted moat conspicuously on that
day. They ware engaged about an hour and a half,
and charged farther than any others. In this su
perb charge, they cut a regiment of Yankee Cavalry
to pieces, and repulsed and routed their infantry
most disastrously. They always spoke of it as the
most handsome engagement in which they ever
participated loftier chivalry will never be display
by any troops.
Thence, Col. Gray, who was seixed with typhoid
fever, was sent home. He had been absent over a
year from his family. Though sick, that was a joy
ous day to him. After he had thrown himself, all
tired and exhausted, upon the hard pound to sleep,
he had often, in his dreaming ear, heard the voices
ef his loved wife and his dear little Alek and, ia the
bliss of the moment, he, time aad again, fancied,
that he beheld that other child, as ' '
" It lay upon its mother's breast, , thing
Bright as a dew-drop when it first descends,
Or a th plumage of aa angel's wing.
Where very tint ef rainbow beauty Meads."
Now. the ecstaey of the dream was to be realised
in aU the pleasantneas of reality. A few days'
travel, and the father stood at the threshold where
he beheld his three jewels wife, son and babe !
But his tay wa not of long eontinoai.ee, Ia sixty 1
days, recruited somewhat, though not by any means
well, he hastened to his regiment, which was then
returning from the first Maryland campaign and res
ting en the hills around glorious eld Winchester.
From that place they soon fell back t the south
bank of the Rappahannock. There they awaited th
expected advance of the Yankees. As winter be
gan to blow cold, they came. The battle ef Fred
ericksburg was fought and a splendid victory won
by our veteran soldiery. Gray and his men were
foremost in the perils of that Woody day, and new
ehaplets of martial renown wreathed their brews as
the sun wenj, down on the heights of that ancient
borough.
That was the last scene of conflict, through which
Col. Gray waa to pass. His weskened constitution,
instead of rallying and improving, was continually
growing wore and worse. He ought not to have
attempted to spe ' that severe season in camp. Had
lje been in his usual health, the trial would have
been perlloua for one ef his naturally feeble consti
tution. But he was, nevertheless, all hilarity and
cheerfulness ; and, in the memory of hia associates,
those were golden day. He was highly companion
able, gonial and engaging. He was now more the
idol of his men than ever before. All delighted to
gather around him in his tent, or anywhere he might
be in the quarters, to listen to his conversation and
enjoy his wit. And around the meoa-table, one of
his fellow-officers tells me, he made himself the
most agreeable companion he ever met. Not only
his agreeablenea impressed them, but his infinite
fund of learning amazed them. At almost every
meal, to which he sat' down, he had some pieee of
Greek, Latin, or English poetry to repeat, which
seemed, from its appropriateness, to have been coin
ed for each special occasion. He had a few books
with him, but he did not read a great deal. He waa
often occupied in writing. He composed ahort sto
ries, and occasional ditties, to amuse himself, and,
then, destroyed them. Among his scraps, which he
left in his portfolio, a gem of poetry was found,
that persuades me he was conscious that he would
net live long :
" Weep not for me, let not a tear,
Save those of joy alone,
Bedew the cheeks of loved ones here
When I am dead and gone.
What, though in death, this mortal flesh
Is to corruption given,
I know that God will raise it up
To live with Him in Heaven.
Wep not for me, when mem'ry brings
My form before your eye,
My ransomed spirit then will be
With saint in Paradise
Vreei-not for me, hut ground your faith
On Him for sinners slain ;
And when your work on earth is done,
We'll meet in Heaven again :
In Heaven where weeping, pain and death
And parting are unknown,
To bask forever in His smiles
And worship round His Throne."
Besides, it breathes an earnest strain of piety,
which warrants a lively hope, that his "ransomed
spirit"is now " with saints in Paradise."
He died in Camp Gregg near Fredericksburg on
the 16th of March, 1863. He had passed unscathed
through seven pitched battles, in six of which he
had commanded nis regiment, and through numer
ous skirmishes. Disease had reserved him for its
own victim, and this noble martyr of his country
now sleeps quietly in Hopewell churchyard in the
spot which he selected for his last, long bivouac. To
his excellent lady, the immortal Pbnd-bk, who has
since sacrificed his life for the South, addressed the
following tribute to the exalted worth of his fellow
soldier, Robibt Haepsb GttAT: "Allow me to as
lure you of my most sincere sympathy in your great
est of all bereavements. You will feel that I am
sincere, when you know that I lost one of my best
friends and the service one of its most gallant and
efficient officers. I have known your lamented hus
band since June last, and feel that lam not passing
the bounds of simple truth in stating that the Army
had no more intelligent, brave, or efficient officer.
We all deplore the loss of such a man, and no higher
tribute could be paid him, than the affection borne
him by his command. His children, in after years,
may took back with a just pride to the distinguished
services and devoted patriotism of their father. This,
I know, madam, can be but little comfort for the
loss ef a husband. That can come alone from Him,
who disposes of all things, and the knowledge that
all things are directed by Him for the best."
Him she hath lost, but all is not lost; Alek and
Robbie, the images of their father, are yet preserved
to her, and, in future years, the sincere, idolizing,
filial affection, now germinating in their young
hearts, will breathe into hers the encouraging and
supporting solicitation :
"Mother, thy name is widow well
We know no love of ours can fill
The waste plaee of thy heart, or dwell
Within one sacred recess- still
Lean on the faithful bosomt of thy ions.
Our parent, thou art ow$, our only one "
Increasing thi Army. Some very wild
propositions for increasing oar forces in
the field have been submitted in bolb
Houses of Congress so wild, indeed, that
wo cannot bat suppose that, in the esti
mation of certain members, secession from
the United States did not . involve a sep.
aration from Buncombe. To the prudent
and providont men of Congress, the sub
sistence ol the army and the needful supply
of material of war appears as grave a
question as the increase of our fighting
iorce. It is to be hoped they will not per
mit themselves to lose sight of the impor
tance of these matters, nor be unduly
affocted either by the impatience of those
who would rip the goose for its golden
oggs, or the panic of tiioso who think the
time has corao for grinding the seed corn.
The invaders can do bui littlo more this
Winter, and next Saing they lose all or
nearly all their best troops. Let us be
composed, and guard against all interm
perance and alarm. Richmond Whig
Negroes. To hire, and some to sell, on the 1st
day of January next. Among them an expe
rienced tanner, five good farm hands, men, several
boys and girls. JID H. LINDSAY,
deelu 7"3w
UTORT OF THE 8KCRETART OF THB TREAS
URY. axcxirrs raon J as. 1st to iwt. tOta, 1W3.
Far eight per ant. stock, 107,292,800 70
? Sa.787,660 70
f 6310,060 00
e do eeil certiteatea, 2242,900 00
lenr do 482,200 00
CoUeartifioatas, act April Si, 1862, 2.000,000 00
Utormt on loans, 140,210 11
5'Ur' 4,l2t,988 97
Treasury note, 891,623,480 00
Sequestration, l,86,6o0 2l
KP?BtJ aoottaa, 8,101 78
Patent .fund, 10,7M M
Misoelianeoua, iacladiag repayments
by disbursing offioera, 2 4498,217 93
Total,
sxrasDiTcaxs ovinia
$601,522,893 12
sans raxioD.
877,988,244 00
38,437,661 00
11,29,278 00
66.686 00
82.212,290 00
69,044,449 00
War Department,
Havy do
Civil Miscellaneous, kc.
Customs,
Public debt,
Notes cancelled aad redeemed,
Total ef expenditures,
Total of receipts,
Balance in Treasury,
From which is to be deducted the
a't of Treasury notes which
have been funded aad brought
ia for caacellntien, but hare
not yet been regulary audited,
estimated at
619.868,569 00
601,522,893 00
$82 164,834 0)
65,000,000 00
pi. . , , . 17,164,834 00
The public debt (exclusive of foreign loan) at the
same period, was as follows :
rcxDsa.
Eight par cants, 207,128,750 00
?Ten do 42,745,600 00
!x 41,006,270 00
oix do cotton interest bonds, 2,035,000 00
Total,
298,915,620 00
Treasury notes :
General currency,
Two year notes.
Interest notes at 8.65,
do do 7:30,
Under $6,
Five per cent, call certificates,
Total,
Deduct amount of Treasury notes
funded and cancelled, above re
ferred to
603 432,798 00
8,477,976 00
627,450 00
122,582,200 00
4,887,095 00
26,240,000 00
$766,447,519 00
65,000;000 00
$701,447,819 00
In order to estimate the amount of Treasury notes
in circulation at the date of this report, there must
be added the lurther sum of one hundred millions
for the two .months which have elapsed since the
date of the above schedule.
The balances of appropriation already made by
Congress, and not drawn on 30th September, stood
as follows :
War Department,
Navy,
Civil, miscellaneous, &c,
$395,502,698 90
24,413,645 00
60,240,996 00
Ttl. 476,451,799 00
The estimate submitted by the various Depart
ments for the suppoit of the Government, are made
to 1st July, 1864, the end of the fiscal year, and are
aa follows :
Legislative Department, $309,005 00
Executive " 52,350 00
Treaaury 22,583,359 0
Wfcr " 438,078,870 00
Ny " 18,624,945 00
Stt 544,409 00
Justices " 222 587 00
Post Office " 82,968 00
Total, 475,498,193 00
If these estimates be extended to embrace the re
maining six months of the calendar year, they must
be doubled, and that sum added to the updrawn
appropriations would make an aggregate of $1,427,
448,778, which Congress is formally called upon to
provide. It is obvious, however, that the amounts to
the credit of updrawn appropriations oanuot be call
ed for, inasmuch a there remain but three months
of the present calendar year, to be provided for, and
the expenditures are limited to fifty millions per
month. So too as to the estimates. Any measures
which will properly reduce the currency will act
upon prices and thereby materially reduce the esti
mates. But the larger figuies exhibit to us in a distinct
and tangible form the problem which we are now
required to solve. The curroncy has by this time
attained dimensions of five times its proper size. The
estimates are based upon, prices fixed by this condi
tion of the currency. It these estimated are to be
supplied by new issues of currency, prices must
again increase and larger additions must be made io
the figures which represent both currency and esti
mates. It ia obvious, therefore, that some other
mode of raising supplies must be devised ; and the
necessity is equally obvious of redueing the curren
cy. We are thus distinctly presented with these two
conditions, as necessary elements of problem to be
solved, namely; reduction of the existing currency,
and a supply of means from some souroe other than
Treasury notes.
Dried Pumpkins. In the winter seasjn,
when vegetables are scarce, dried pump
kins would bo found an excelled vegeta
ble'for the army generally, as well as the
hospitals, and whoro dried fruit could not
be obtained, this article would prove a
good substitute, if planters would dry
their pumpkins, an abundant supply of
which could be obtained every whero in the
Confederacy.
The process of drying is as follows :
The finest pumpkins, thoroughly ripe,
shoald bo selected. Lay one on its side on
a table, cut off the end to the hollow, take
out the seeds, and continue to cut slico
after slice, about an inch in width, until
the whole hollow of the pumpkin is cut
out in rings. Then peel the rind off each
ring, and hang them on sticks to dry in an
airy room, passage or loft. When dried,
the luscious rings are reduced to ribands.
But I think there is nothing lost but the
water, which is re supplied by cookiug.
They may be packed in a small compass
for transportation. If thoroughly dried
they will keep a long time.
The Poles. A Berlin letter to the Lon
don Times professes to have iuforraation
frem Warsaw, that 'the whole Polish in
surgent force under arms does not num
ber moro than 15,000 men, while fully ten
times as many Kussian soldiers are enga
ged in re'straint and suppression." The
letter also states that the seizure of arms
and supplies have been so exttnsivo that
every weapon now in the bands of the pa.
triots may be looked upon as having cost
twenty times its original price, and the
frontier is so strictly watched that a rath
or considerable corps, which has been
formed outside otit, was lately compelled
to abandon the idea of crossing. The
letter further addst 'Still, the determined
spirit of the population seems in no degree
to flag, even under the unexampled rigors
of the Kussian military government, of
which we have just bad fresh exam,) let. in
the confiscation ofWaruuw, of theGrabow
bki bouse, and in the imprisonment of the
Bernadine monks, in whose convent a
chest of gunpowder was alleged to have
been found'
j ExicuTtVK ECKUcHiCEirT. SeTeral of
tne id cas u re s and resolutions introdooed the
present session of Congress bear on their
face the'eonflicting intentions of limiting or
of extending the Executive authority. The
provisions of the Constitution in the main
are plain and clear. A liberal construc
tion, a little stretching beypod, is insis
ted opoo on the one side ; strict adherence
to the letter of restraint is jealously de
manded on the other. The constitution of
the Executive Department was infinitely
the most difficult part in creatine- AnvnM.
ent government. To give it such power
. -., iiiu buvu re
strain ts that It Should not beenm.
out ; to make it efficient, independent and
strong, yet prevent its subverting every
thing by its anion of military and civil
power, by Us influence of patronage, office
and favor, was not an eaav tab- T
the watchfulness of Executive power and
the preservation of every restraint and
guard which the Constitution has provi.
dod that our security lies. Good motives
soouia always be supposed to exist, till the
reverse is ascertained. Good intentions
may be the plea for the assumption of
power, but, whatever our assurance of their
existence, cannot iustifv it. To rn.wi
against the dangers of good intentions, real
"i prsimucu.is me aimot the Uonstitu.
tion. Vet shall claims so fair, so plausi
ble, and patriotic, whose object is alono the
public good, meet with unresi8tingcompli
ance ? The extension nf
thority finds uo advocate in th liar ni
champions of human freedom. Their uni-
iurm ana steaay purpose has been to limit
and restrain it. Popular and representa
tive right have ever been at war against
prerogative. Ita contest for ages has been
to rescueiiberty from the grasp of Execu
tive power. All that could bo gained from
the imprudence, the weakness, the necessi.
ties of this power has beon gathered and
hoarded as the very jewels ol liberty. Let
us cot disregard constitutional restraints
for pretences of publio safety or high pub.
He interest. Limitations and qualification
of authority, and the just divisions of po
litical power, aro the vsry essence of re
publican institutions. The separation of
departments as far as practicable, and the
preservation of clear lines of division be
tween them, Is the fundamental idea ol our
Constitution. Shall we attempt now to
Himplily the nocessary complications of our
government which establishes restraints
on the govorning as well as governed ?
Whero will it stop 7 Shall it bo in the ar
bitrary ruloof the Executive ? The sim
plest governments are despotisms.
Richmond Whig.
"THE STARVED SOUTH.'
- Under this caption the New York Daily
Newt publishes the following answer to an
article in tlio Tribune :
The Tribune with ill timed factiousness
adopts the jocular vein in alluding to the
misery and destitution supposed to prevail
throughout the South. With jest and sar
casm it recapitulates what, in its hope, are
the necessities and privations of our South
ern countrymen. It exults because there
is a scarcity of food for Confederate wo
men and childron ; it fastens ridicule upou
Confederate soldiers because they toil
barefooted on the paiDful march; it makes
merry because the hungry aro without
bread and the sick without the means of
nourishment, and recuperation. Our jjyous
cotemporary is humorous upon a melan
choly theme. If it had confined itself to a
review of the straits to which tho rebels
aro reduced for tho purpose of arguing a
limit to their powers of endurance, the ar
gumentset forth with soberness and deco
rnm would come within tho legitimate
bounds of joui nalasttc discussion. But to
make starvation and physical suffering the
themo for laughter and mockery gives an
apt illustration of that philanthropy which
the Abolitionists claim as their paramount
incentive
But let us admit as a reality the fearful
picture which tho Tritune limns with bo
much gastly lovity. Letusgupposo tho
Southerners perishing for lood and naked
to the pelting storm wearing bin unshod,
weary leet, bleeding along tho frozen road,
and his wife plying her benumod fingers in
constant toil to buy the scanty loaf, and
his children with their cheeks aud lusterlcss
eyes languidly fading throughout the win
ter day. Let it bo realized that the stout
hearts that have braved our bayonets and
cannon, must quail under tho keen agonies
of hunger, or yield lest ther loved ones die
of destitution, what victory shall we then
havo won, what a glorious political cp'ed
shall we have vindicated 'I Will it bo tho
triumph of the pinciplo of Bolf-governmenl?
Our proudest boast will be to havo conquer
ed a starvation fre, w ho baffled our utter
most energies while thuy bad tho bare re.
quistos of nature. Our political achieve
ments will have been the sullen and enfor
ced submission of so many million of fam
ine struck and helpless human beings
whoso physical necessities hare induced
them to acquisce in a political companion'
ship abhorrent to their inclinations. Will
that bo ''the consent of the governed!"
Will such an alliance constitute a republic?
We can claim no more than that the ab
sence of bread and meat and other essen
tials to the sustenance of life, as enumera
ted by tLe Tribune, shall Lave made a num
ber ol our fellow men our vessals, and our
republicanism an essence of the past.
However tho experience of that past does
not teach us that hardship and privation on
nerve tho souls ol men and curb them to
submission. The weiUclad hirelings of
King George, whose camp-koitlcs overflow
ed with nourishment, exemplified the futil
ity of tho endeavor to starve the God-gven
spirit out of freemt-D, when our hunijry,
barefooted, and tatler-vestcd forefathers
drove them from the soil they had conse
crated to liberty. It is luxury that enerva
tes. It it abundance that breeds sloth
ard creates inGrtnity of purpoae. Adver
sity lhat chasten, strengthens as well, and
these Jean and h-jngry Confederates, like
Indian Dervioh, will fitid insoiratien in
j their agony, and the gift uf ondnranco in
I its necessity. The free air of heaven to
i breathe and a principle to contend, for, are
I all the sustenprce lhat free houIs need, and
for physical wants nattrc has provided to
( Abundantly in tho South that decades of
'civil strife will not exhaust the supply that
j is absolutely essential to subsistence.
There is, doubtless, already a very gen-
9,
i