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2 mean time preseed forward, passed Frederick, and had approach ed quite near to Boonsboro ; (13) the pass through the South Mountain near this place, being in his possession, he could liave moved through Pleasant Valley, and taken McLaws in rear, might, and probably would have re lieved Harper’s Ferry. D. 11. Hill was ordered to occapy and hold this pass, and Longstreet was counter inarched from Hagerstown to support him, if necessary. Hill on the 13th sent two of his brigades to occupy the pass, but soon as • certaining the strength of the enemy, the remainder of his division was or dered up. McClellan, early on the morning of the 14th, endeavored to attack and dislodge Hill. The strag gle continued five hours, Hill alone repelling his repeated assaults. Long street made a long and rapid inarch, reached Hill between throe or four p. ml, leaving one brigade at Hagers town. His troops went into action at once, the fight continued till he and Hill were then withdrawn and moved to Sharpsburg. This resistance at Boonsboro, or South Mountain, gave time for Jackson to capture Harper's Ferry. Referring to the capture of this place, Mr. Guernsey says: “Gen. Lee, to keep open his communications, thought it necessary to gain Harper’s Ferry, and in this he committed a grave error, for a more worthless place, in a military point of view, does not exist, and he could not reasonably hope to capture the force there." Few military men will be found con curing in this opinion of the writer. Gen. Lee was right to take it; it weakened the enemy, and gave him artillery and muskets that were so much nefcded; it was not “worthless" in a military point of view to the Federnls, though the Confederates re garded it of little value to them, and never attempted to hold it, after the war had actually begun. Gen. Lee did capture the Ferry, though the writer thought he could not “reaso nably hope to do so ;" It would have Jaym impossible fortheFwrison left,* to fulTy, or to have gotten aWfy. The writer attributes the loss of it “to the stupidity, beyond all example, on the part of the commander pretty harsh language, and not applicable in this case. The responsibility for this Har per’s Ferry disaster, should rest on some other party, “the cavalry escap ed, and so could the infantry, but for the pusilanimity of Miles, their commander” A small body of cavalry making their escape, is quite different from that of a large body of infantry, and the charge of cowardice against the com manding officer who lost his life in de fending the place, and whose reputa tion for courage had been established years before, in leading successful as saults upon the fortified heights of Monterey, Mexico, is, to say the least of it, in bad taste, and ungener ous. Referring to the South Mountain (or Boonsboro) fight, the article states that, “the passes here were forced at two points, which cost Lee .2000 men ” Ihere seems to be a difference of opinion as to this; General Lee in his report, uses the following language : “The effort to force the passage of the mountain had failed,” but “the su perior numbers of the enemy would enable him to turu either flank, and this would have led to a change of position. ° There were other reasons also, for tins change of position. The Federals ‘were reported to have forced their way through Cranipton’s Gap, five miles in rear of McLaws; at Sharps burg the Confederates would be on the flank of this column, if it moved against McLaws’, and besides, at this P ol j l t JV tiould be more readily joined SHARTSBUKG. ♦l tUI 8 a “• the I,ex t day r a M .°i U £ an a Pl )eared on the west ot south Mountain, and about 2 p m confronted Gen. Lee at Sharpsburg A slight artillery fire on Seaside occurred during the afternoon. The writer, however, says that “McClellan spent the afternoon of the 15th and all of the 16th idly.” Jackson, with two of his divisions arrived early on the 16th, Walker (two BANNER OF THE SOUTH AND PLANTERS’ JOURNAL. brigades) late m the afternoon. On the 16th, notwithstanding the Writer’s assertion to the contrary, there was an artillery fire all day, and at times very active. The Federals crossed the Antietain beyond the Con federate left, which led the latter to transfer two brigades, from their right, over to the left; and soon Jackson was ordered to the extreme left ; Longstreet being on the right and Walker on his right. Late in the af ternoon the artillery fire quickened, and increased in volume. Under cover of this fire, McClellan made an attack on the Confederate left, and was re pulsed. This attack was made on Hood, who was relieved, at 10 o’clock p. m., by Lawton’s and Trimble’s brigades, Ewell’s division. McLaws was delayed by having to cross the Potomac into Virginia, and then to recross it back into Mainland ; the position of the enemy made this necessary. ‘ McLaws, in the early dawn of the 17th, had come up with such of his forces as could march, so that, when the battle began, Lee had 38,000 in fantry. Here are two inaccuracies, one as to the time of McLaws’ ar rival, and the other as to the strength of Gen. Lee’s infantry ; the latter was never at any time during tho battle over 33,000, and McLaws did not reach tho field till the battle had been going on for some hours. At early dawn on the 17th the Federals opened fire from numerous batteries on cither side of the Antie tam, under cover ot this fire, attacked tiie Confederate left with greatly su perior numbers; the latter wan made to recoil after a determined and ob stinate resistance, and with the loss of several general officers, killed and wounded. Being reinforced, they re gained the ground lost, and under a heavy fire of the enemy’s artillery, drove their infantry back. The Federals were a second time re inforced, and drove their enemy back ; and now it was, that McLaws came up, and he and Walker, who had been ordered from th 6 right, drove the ,EfderaLi > Wl& sud with serious Joss, when the battle began. The Federals now directed their attack against the Confederate centre. and were repulsed with*slaughter, and then holding back the infantry, and using artillery for several hours, they threw forward the former, and in greatly superior num bers to the Confederates, and after an hour and a half of the fiercest fighting, and with the same scenes of successes and reverses, finally ended by the Con federates holding their ground, and here, also, with the loss of general officers killed and wounded. While these prolonged and bloody attempts were being directed against the left and centre, repeated efforts had beefl made to force a passage of the Antietam below the Confederate right; those were successfully resisted by Gen. Toombs till 4 p. m.; lie was then forced back and the Federals rained a summit in his rear, held by D. It. Jones, the latter having been compelled to yield ground. A. P. Hill arrived at this critical juncture. Jones was reinforced and the enemy driven back, and rapidly, to the Antie tain, under cover of their artillery, and a large reserve near, and in full view ; on the right also did the Con federates lose general officers. Hill’s success was not pressed, ow ing to the fatigue and exhaustion of his troops, they having made the march from Harper’s Ferry (seventeen miles) since daylight. With this re pulse of the Federals by the Con federate right terminated the battle of Sharpsburg, claimed in the North, but without reason, as a Federal victory. This battle is regarded by many as being the most creditable to the Con federates of any fought during the war; and when their inferior uum here, avms and equipments, and the fatigue and exhaustion under which >t was fought are considered, it must be regarded as most remarkable. McClellan is found fault with by the writer for his manner of attack, “in driblets,” “as Sumner said.” But the meaning of the writer is not very clear. He says McClellan’s assaults "were desultory;” while ail accounts characterize them as obstinate, and en tailing upon him heavy losses; and they were mainly “upon Lee’s left and centre, who, by withdrawing every man possible from his right, was able to oppose about equal numbers.” This was very far from being the case. He was always greatly outnumbered, let him concentrate as rapidly as he might. “At last Burnside, with 14,- 000 men, was ordered to attack Lee’s right, wliich had been so weakened as to leave barely 25,000 men !” “for he had withdrawn from the right to strengthen the left and ceutre. Gen. Lee at Sharpsburg never had at any one time 25,000 men on either flank, or in his centre, and it seems al most impossible to believe that the writer estimating Gen. Lee’s forces at 38,000, as he dia really thought so; it is even less to be believed that Bum side, with 14,000, should have been ordered to attack 25,000 Confederates. “This attack (Burnside’s) was delayed some time, when he advanced and swept the weak (2o,000) enemy be fore him, and had, gained a point which enfiladed the “Confederate position.” “Tho battle on the left and centre had died away, but at this moment, A. I*. Hill, with 4000 men, came ‘hot foot’ from Harpers Ferry, and with but half of them, struck Burnside, and fairly drove him in the gathering darkness across the creek.” Thus Hill, accord to the writer, drove Burnside back with his 14,000 men, he Hill using but 2000 of his 4000. The Confederates remained all the following day (18th,) in front of Mc- Clellan’s army, and although greatly inferior in numbers, expected to be at tacked, and rather desired it But the contest was not renewed, and Gen. Lee, after dark withdrew his army and recrossed the Potomac into Virginia. A few days after a Federal force followed, crossed the river at the same placed (Shepherdstown,) and being promptly met by the Confederates, were driven back pell me 11 over the river into Maryland, and with con siderable loss, j • The writer niiakes no allusion to this fight, which iaay be regarded, and properly so, ass the end of the inva sion of the North, as it was called. There seems to re some doubt as to Gen. Lee’s alas a military com mander, for s o time lie seems to think, to use own language, that “too high p cannot be awarded him for the lity he displayed at Antietaui," a gam we find that he has express* limself as follows: “His operatic , Maryland, at Chan cellorsville, < gave no indication of great inili capacity.” c. m. w. ENG LI: EMIGRATION. We call attei i to the notice of Judge DuPont, pulilis i in our advertising col uuiks, looking tthe inauguration of a scheme for tho Induction of Englieh la borers and scrvfji into the State. It is well known the Swemkiom are usually closed by ice, after tllirst of December, and therefore the sup# from that quarter for (ho present year,: st end with the arrival of those hereto mi irdered. Our indefati gable General ntendent, anticipating this very contiric-i r, and unwilling that any time shonhfV ist in the prosecution of this great en|e| ,e, early after his ap pointment, entw! to correspondence with parties in Engl# tho have given him as surance that # Maount of demand for farm laborers an tomestic servants will be promptly supplfc All that is necossary to add another trjbfry to the great stream of immigration^cadi we hope soon to see flowing lowanflail section of the South, is, that the peofc, one and all, according to their should giva a ear dial support aufcnfouragement to the un tiring efforts fe Urn, who from the first. has plied alonelie laboring oar. In thus ad gating the introduction of English labon ~ we could not, by any means, have it iderstood that we have lost faith in the effi ency of the Swede. On the contrary, we I e say, that so far as we liave been inf< ued (and our inquiries on the subject ha been special and extern sive) those no employed in this county have given gei ial satisfaction to their em ployers, and w confidently hope that an other year wil witness their introduction by the thousaifi, instead of by twenties and thirties, We like the policy of drawifi our supplies from differ ent tending to prevent iso lation, and favoiig a more ready assimi- lation with the (tree population. Just here, worould give a word of cau tion to the scnsfte portion of the colored population. Thee are not wanting those who, for sinistetpurposes, are endeavoring to impress the muls of the colored people with the idea tl|i this immigration scheme is prompted by idesire to crowd them out of the country Nothing can be more false, for there It not a sensible white man in the county b| knows and acknowledges that the great wfct of this country is an increase in its I boring population. There is not one, whose opinion is entitled to any consideration, but would regret to witness the departure of a single honest and in dustrious laborer, be he white or colored.— All such reports are wickedly false. We recommend to the papers published in adjacent sections, and especially to our State paper*, to call attention to this very important enterprise. Judge DuPont is devoting his entire time and energies to the prosecution of the work, “ the right man m the right place,” and from conversa tions which we have have had with him, we know he takes a very comprehensive view of the subject. If he is only sustain ed by the people, the next year will witness a very large accession to the population of the country. —Quincy {Fla.) Journal. Pkppec fob Poultry.— Some keepers say that cayenne pepper should be mixed with the food of fowls to promote laying, while others assert that it is too artificial a stimu lant, and keeps the birds in as bad a condi tion as “medicine-fed" persons are. Let us inquire whether it is as unnatural as might appear. Wild gallinaceous birds of all spe cies season their diet plentifully with pun gent aromatic herbs and buds. The fine flavor of the partridge's flesh is owing to its highly-spiced forest fare, such as win. tergreen and chetlcerberries. So with other kinds of game. Domesticated birds have lost their peculiar game flavor, because their diet is comparatively flat and insipid, though nutritious, Andulion, studying the habits of the wild turkey, tells how the mother bird plucks the buds of the spice-bush and gives them to her young. We have for a number of years given pepper or something of the kind, mixed in small quantities with the toft food of chickens and grown fowls, Summer and Winter, believing that it makes the diet not unnatural, but more natural; and that health as well as laying is promoted by it. African cayenne is the cheapest condiment; but ground mustard and ginger may be occasionally substituted, for variety, and part of the time no seasoning should be used. Boiling water should be turned upon pepper before using, go as to make it less concentrared, the pepper tea, sediment and all, being stirred into the meal, a heap ing teaspoonful of the dry pepper to a peck. A little salt should be added. To be sure it is said that salt is poisonous to hens, beeause they are sometimes killed by eating a great deal of it. But a considerable quan tity of salt exists in the tones of all animals. It is agreed that it promotes ths thrift of cattle, sheep, and swine; and for birdß it is proved to be especially necessary for pi geons, a tribe living on very similar food to that needed by fowls. But we would give sparingly, salting the dough rather less than most persons do their own food. Charcoal is sometimes eaten by fowls with great avidity. It should always be kept by them, pounded to the size of kernels of giajg. for the varying need of jtnjiaals 'ii rect their appetite, and tbcreforeravhat thfy' crave will to good for them. As all birds that live principally upon the ground swal low much earth with their food, it probably aids digestion; and some recommend that the chicken dough Bhould be thrown upon the ground. If upon a fresh spot of earth, we nave no objection; bat tilthy, tainted soil cannot improve it. There is a common tradition expressed in the saying, “Hens won't do well unless they can get at the groundand and we know that cattle, after being stabled all Winter, sometimes eat fresh earth greedily, and a sod is given each fattening calf to lick for the improvement of their appetite. When the ground is frozen, it is our custom to add a trifle of clean loam of subsoil to the soft feed of fowls. They will pick out mnch earthy matter from a pile of coal ashes. —Hearth and Home. Good Tastk is Drkss.—lt is mistaken economy to furbish up a faded article be cause it was once expensive, for the poor remnant of the past will always tell its own story. A neat, pretty calico or lawn, taste fully made, is far more becoming than tarnished finery, soiled silks, or rusty al pacas. Where but few additions to a ward robe can be made, they should be selected always to harmonize with the purse first, then the form, complexion, and whatever else is left of the year before, that striking contrasts may be avoided. A French woman, however poor, has always the appearance of freshness and novelty. If she needs new toots and can have but one pair, although her in olinations points to drab or bronze boots, she chooses black' as for economy and taste combined her best dress is probably black. She needs new* gloves, or a parasol, or bonnet ribbon ; before purchasing, she looks over her boxes, and finds, perhaps, that her best neck-tie is pink; she cannot wear pink gloves nor carry a pink parasol; therefore, she wisely decides upon roses for her bonnet, and drab ribbon, drab gloves, and drab parasol, perhaps brightened with a pink lining, the roses and neck-tie freshen admirably the otherwise sombre attire, which is in excellent taste, A young lady may think herself very* fashionably dressed in green gloves, blue bonnet, and scarlet flowers, "and purple dress, because each article in itself was costly and well made ; but instead of be ing fashionable it would to inexcessively bad taste, as however we may admire the rainbows of the sky, they are tawdry on the street. American women of fashion and wealth are beginning to display great tastes in costumes , by dressing in uniform colors, and this requires a great outlay of money, each suit having" corresponding gloves, bonnet, parasol, etc., furnished by the dressmakers. But with goods so cheap as to lie really bargains, and fashion maga zines filled with patterns and good advice, every facility is given to those upon whom fortune has failed to smile, in the way of making pretty, tasteful and inexpensive toilets.— N. T. Tribune-. CRAMMING. How IT Works in Some Places—Vert Satisfactory Results, as Shown by ; the Labors of a Board of Examiners. As affording some light to the people who are interested in the grammar question, and amusement to all. we extract from the San Francisco Bulletin the following synopsis of a report of the Board of Education of that city : The truth crops out occasionally in the replies. Although it is an unpleasant pic ture for the contemplation of those who have youth to educate, it may have the ef fect of awakening thought upon this most important subject: The written examinations of pupils re vealed some curious evidences of imperfect teaching. We select a few at random, as illustrative of the rest, and which will show the. beauties of that system of cramming which makes the pupil's mind a perfect kaT eidoscope. All the‘questions and answers were in writing. Question to first grade—m geography (to pupils who have studied geography five years)—Name the six largest cities in Cali fornia? Answer—San Quentin, Salt Lake City, Contra Costa, Redwood City, Bodega, San Warcine, Sanoja, Oregon, Vera Cruz, Hum bolt. To one question as to the name and loca tion of the largest cities in the Union, it was answered • San Francisco, in Marion coun ty, Chicago, Olympia, New York, in Illi nois. To the question what are the most strik ing features in Sonth America? such an swers as these were given: Climate, ani.nals, people; very hot; hunting, mining ; and wild cattle ; earthquakes ; resembles a leg of mutton (referring to the outlines of the continent); warm climate and panthers. Question—Name four principal cities of Great Britain. They were named Dublin, Cork, Tipperary, Wales, Belfast, Ottowa. Physical characteristics and peculiar ani mals of Africa. They were given : Very hot; warm climate ; negroes; pyramids of Egypt; wolves and bears. Hie results indicate too much text book and too little judicious teaching. One pupil submitted a historical paper written in a very fine hand, but which re cords the following: “California was set tled about 1827 or 1830 in Lower California, by a number of people who, hearing there was gold there, hastened, etc.” “The lead ing event of Lincoln’s administration was his assassination, which took place on the 14th of February, 1866." ‘•Washington commanded the army of the Potomac.” “New Orleans is noted for negro slavery; Virginia was settled by the retoliion (correct in a measure), Rhode Island by Quakers, Sii.s.la.ptapJ \yflryjU~s— eigners, Louisiana by whites, FTdHda byTia tives. During the revolution people were starving, hanged and persecuted ; now we are free ; no more negro slavery, and the lands they claimed are settled.” To the question ; What was the Alabama, and what is meant by the Alabama claims ? pupils gave such answers as the following : “It was a war vessel sunk by the Monitor. It is a claim opposing the tariff act. Claims the Alabama wanted. A vessel which be longed to the United States, but which Eng land claimed. I don’t know the relation between the ram and the claims. A ship fitted out by England to go against the reb els. Alabama was a land belonging to the Confederates. She was the first iron clad, and run the blockade off Charleston. The Alabama claims were established by the British to cut off the communication of the Americans. The Alabama was an English vessel, which would stop any American ves sel and take off men of British birth. The two countries had a war about it, known as the war of 1812.” Another declares that all the productions of the Confederate States are given to the government. Another that the XVth Amendment allows women to vote. Another says California was settled by Sam Brannan with a party of Russians. Another that Napoleon landed at St. Augus tine, and that California was settled there. New Orleans noted for a battle fought there during the Mexican war. Jefferson was a great general. Alexander Hamilton was sent to quell the Algerines, and was a naval commander. Another states that in the times of the revolution “houses were built of the adobe style, and there was much confusion on account of the surrender of Cornwallis.” The Virtue of the Sunflower.—Mr. Martin, in a papea presented by him to the Societe Therapeutique de France, affirms that the common sunflower, extensively cul tivated, has the effect of neutralizing the unwholesome vapors which are so fatal to health and life in marshy districts. The Dutch, who live only by diking and drain ing their low lands, and are therefore good authority, pronounce sunflower culture a specific for intermittent fever, the scourge of Holland. They assert that it has disap peared from every district where the experi ment has been tried. It is not yet known whether this is the result of its rapid growth producing oxygen, or whether it emits ozone and destroys those germs, animal and vege table, which produce that miasma which brings fever in its train. —Medical Record. When is the most dangerous time to visit in the country ? When the trees are shoot ing and the bull-rushes out. Richmond has a society called “The Daughters of the Golden Candlestick.” They are probably snuffers.