Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THESOLDIERS’ banner. Our Army Correspondence. Fredericksburg, Va., Nov. 28, 1862. Dear Brother: Here we are at Fredericksburg, the place which the valiant Yankees were “going to shell ”if it did not surrender. A week has passed —still the church spires point heav enward and glitter in the sun; still the Yankee cavalry gallop up and down on the other side of the river, in full view of our forces; and still the city stands. Sometimes our men “ flank ” the pickets and get into town; going to the banks of the river, they attract the attention of the enemy’s pickets, and a parley begins be tween the parties. Yankee offers to trade (they are huge on the trade) coffee for to bacco. Confederate says that he has become accustomed to do without that luxury, and kindly invites Yankee to come over and take a chew of the weed. — Yankee chooses not to edme at present, but says he will do so by-and-by. Confederate then affectionately inquires after McClellan. Yankee intimates that there was a “ base change,” and triumphantly asks, “Howdid you like I My Maryland ? ’ and is answer ed, “ Not so well as Stuart did l Your Penn sylvani ’! ” Our Northern brother then of fers to exchange ammunition for soft bread, but is politely reminded that we obtained a large 1 quantity of villainous saltpetre at Harper’s Ferry. About this time the Pro vost Guard appears and puts a stop to the war of words for a while. r Sometimes we work at night, and some times we try to sleep. It is a difficult thing, however, to sleep these nights; we have no tents, blankets are scarce, and frost has “murdered sleep” out of doors. Our sol diers keep in good spirits, notwithstanding their sufferings, and 1 hear but few com plaints. Their minds revert too often to their homes, to dwell much on their own ills. When the tired soldier lies down at night upon the cold ground, and pillows his head upon a billet of wood, he forgets his own sorrows when he thinks of the possible fate of those he left behind him, now at the mercy of the heartless speculator. Visions of his once happy home, his cozy fireside, his fond wife and prattling children, the evening hymn and family prayer, rise up before him, and he asks himself, “ Is it now as it once was?” Then stalks before him, like an evil spirit, the extortioner. Does want now reign where content and happi ness once dwelt? And is he not the cause? What if he does sit in a cushioned pev at church on Sundays? Let his pastor thun der in his ears the words from 1 Corinth ians vi., 10. But here we are, holding the A ankees at bay, living on beef and poor bread, and in differently clothed. The Government save nothing by this; but can as much ’’ ' for the quartermasters and commissaries I Are they and the extortioners anything to each other? Yesterday was the great Thanksgiving Festival of the abolitionists. Probably the jubilee was unusually grand. Their pet man has been placed in command of the Grand Army; he is to do that which his predecessors have failed to do; he is to subdue, “crush,” a free people, to conquer men who are still willing and anxious to fight, notwithstanding the odds they encoun ter and the hardships they undergo. Jle is to continue to devastate this fair land, to insult women and make orphans of inno cent children. He is to do all this; but tempus fugit— when will ho do it? He halts upon the other side. There is a lion in his path “On to Richmond.” Leo is before him and beyond him. Burnside must soon begin his “ strategic moves.”— Time will develope them and show to the world that this Yankee general, like the Yankee cause, is a bad one. In their rage, they have imagined a vain thing, and dis graced their best General. McClellan, de spite his disregard for truth and honor, was a General; his fighting all through this war is proof of this. Ho could not perform impossibilities, and the abolition clamor has laid him on the shelf. Burnside has now to be taught that men lighting tor their homes and firesides are not like soldiers who seek “ the bubble reputation at the cannon’s mouth,” and infinitely superior to hirelings who fight for empire and filthy lucre John. [for TA® Baptiet Banner.] Female l*nf riot ism. Mr. Hditor: I wish to make a few remarks in regard to an occurrence which took place last year. Not being an eye witness to the scene, I may not do the subject justice. The cir cumstance was about thus : A brother Mc- Junkin, of Stewart county, Ga., (a member of the church of which the writer was pas tor at the time,) had but two children, both promising young ladies in the bloom of youthful vigor and health. They both were taken of typhoid fever, and died within a few days of each other. But what I wish ed to notice particularly was the remarka ble manner in which the elder one spent her last moments. She seemed perfectly rational, and but a short time before her death visited her sick sister in an adjoining room. Having returned, she engaged fer vently in prayer, first for her parents and sister, and then for the Southern’Confeder acy, and finally for the soldiers. She was an amiable young member of the church, but not accustomed to ptfblic prayer; but now’, as she w as about to take her exit from time, she loses sight of self and pair, be comes absorbed m the great objects of earthly desires, ;■»•.« and liberty. and pours forth her soul in p aver for them. Many noble patriots die on the battle fie! I, many die without the opportunity of sh «wmg how manfully they would struggle with the foe; but who could say there was not the purest patriotism displayed in thede|wirtme of this noble young lady •’ Ibis deathless SHE BA im 8 S BAHa EB. interest in our country’s cause, felt by ten der females, can not fail to inspire the hearts of our gallant soldiery to deeds of valor and to victory. W. 11. M. [/’or The Baptist Banner.] Is the God of Battles for Us? My friends, this is a serious question, in volving everything pertaining to our pres ent welfare as a nation, and our future free dom from the thraldom of our potent ene my. “ If God is with us who can be against us?” Now, my fellow-soldiers, are you convinced that although a million of stout arms be raised to strike for freedom, yet if it is done in an unholy’ manner, God will certainly render the stroke impotent for our good? that it may fall terribly as a chastisement upon the enemy, but will re sult m no intrinsic permanent good to us ? What is necessary for us to do to secure the favor of the “ God of Battles” ? —first, to be engaged in a just cause; second, to have faith, strong faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that God will help us. The just and righteous cause we have, but have we the faith ? “We shew our faith by our works,” and I fear, from my experience in camps, that a portion of our army have no faith, but interpret the result of every bat tle as the child of Chance. You run wild, my friends, with the exciting allurements of the world around you, and you do not pause to reflect “ That there is a power that shapes our ends, Rough hew them as we may.” You may sometimes feel the pure faith ri sing in your hearts, but you impatiently discard it for the enjoyment of the ruining frivolities around you. The Book of books teaches us that we must have patience to wait and hope, and to “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” Can I prevail upon yoy to consider your ways? Look where you are drifting yourself, and where you are dragging a nation to. It may be that the enemy’s next volley will strike you down. It may be that the next battle will sweep our army and seal a nation’s doom. Reflect that faith comes by prayer. Reflect that though the ship of State is tossed upon the maddened billows of this revolution until its timbers creak with their fierce on sets, yet we can easily throwout our cables of faith, tie them on to the anchor of God’s salvation, and at last moor the old craft safe in the harbor of halcyon peace. Without this there is no certainty what will be our destiny. The favor of Heaven alone can save us from an inglorious and ruinous fail ure. Without the aid of God our cause will evaporate, and our little giant dwindle to an insignificant pigmy. Let the whole army now', with one bold and earnest effort by prayer, try for that faith which will se cure the help of the “God of Battles” in workin*? cut the destiny of our nation. G. A. W. OUR ORDER-BOOK. • A story is somewhere told of the Duke of Wellington, to this effect: During the ; campaign in the Spanish Peninsula, an offi cer woke his’lordship one night, and said • that the execution of a certain enterprise, F which was to be carried into effect that night, was impossible. As the officer was > going on to give his reasons for this opin ion, the Duke replied, “Bring me the or der-book,” and, turning over the leaves, said, “Not at all impossible; see, it is in the order-book,” and so lay down to sleep again. The Duke was a fallible man ; but his plans were ever laid with consummate care, and he would not have his officers in quire into their practicability. It was enough for the subordinate to know, in re gard to any particular project, that it was down in the order-book. If the thing was found written there, it was to be done. The soldiers must believe, in point of fact they did believe, their great captain infallible, and this fixed belief was one secret of his success. The Captain of our Salvation is really infallible. He, too, has His order-book, His own divinely inspired word, and the business of the Christian soldier, in regard to the work before him, is to inquire, not whether it is possible, but whether it is commanded. This should be our only test of practicability —is it ordered? What readest thou ? Six hundred millions of heathen are to !be made Christians. “Absurd!” say the scoffers of the Westminster Review; “im-! possible!” has been the virtual response of the Christian chinch tor long centuries.— But is not the command plain, “ Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to eve- 11 ry creature?” Are not the nations prom ised to Christ for His inheritance, and the 1 1 utmost parts of the earth for His posses- ■ i siou ? Christian! whatever you find written in r j the “order-book,” do it. Leave the result -'to your great Commander. i' f’ THE MINNIE RIFLE. ' The Minnie rifle has four grooves inside, i and the mode of loading it is, first to bit*' -joss the twisted waste paper at the end of the cartridge, pour in the powder at the t mouth of the barrel, and by a turn of the thumb and finger holding the cartridge, re- ■ verse the ball that the conical point mav be ; upwards. The ramrod is then drawn and - , reversed, and the head being concave, or I cupform, it has a good purchase over the ■ ball, which is easily rammed home, and :: does nut require a second or subsequent . ramming. The piece is then fired with :■ great ease, and is capable of carrying the i ball twelve hundred y ards, and with correct aim up to nine hundred yards, the aim for I all distances from three hundred to nine i, hundred yards being taken correctly by a parallel groove marked with the respective distances it is wished the ball should be carried w hen directed to an object, a slide in the groove being raised or lowered to cake the sight. i Subscribe for The Banner. 1 The JLadies and the Soldiers. We publish the following items for the perusal and remembrance of the thousands of kind ladies who are now dispensing bless ings upon the defenders of our soil: The following method of preparing a “Visor” or “Snow-cap” for the soldiers, has been recommended by several ladies who have made the article: Put on 150 stitches, and knit, ribbed, one finger and a quarter’s length. Take off, for’ the head piece, 81 stitches, and knit a finger’s length, as you would the heel of a stocking; then take off 33 stitches, and nearly a finger’s length, narrowing each side until all the stitches are taken off. Then take up the stitches as you would the foot of a sock, and knit as on a sock until you have 126 stitches left on the needles. After narrowing, knit a few rows round, and bind off. Here is a good thing To knit the heels of socks double, so that they may thus last twice as long as other wise, skip every alternate stitch on the wrong side, and knit all on the right. This will make it dbuble, like that of a double ply ingrain carpet. We also invite attention to the following suggestion : Blankets for olr Troops.—Brownsville Granville, N. C., Dec. 20, 1862. —The scar city of blankets for our soldiers is a serious matter of concern. At the suggestion of the ladies in this vicinity, who are endeav oring to aid in the cause, 1 call the atten tion of the ladies of the Confederacy to one resource for the supply' of this want. Let each family' who are making clothes for their servants, fill in coarse woolen yarn on the cotton warp, upon the end of a piece of cloth, so that two breadths will make a blanket. An immense number of excel lent ones may be made in this way and the amount scarcely missed from the family supplies. The ladies here have determined to inaugurate this enterprise, and invite their sisters throughout the Confederacy to their work of holy patriotism. Our sol diers must be supplied with covering, if all our carpets and blankets are sent to the camp. The women of our Confederacy have shown themselves equal to any self denial for the comfort of their gallant pro tectors, and will come up to any' sacrifice which patriotism and humanity demand. Army Colportage. Richmond, Va., Dec. 3, 1862. Rev. 11. C. Hornady is our agent in At lanta, and from time to time transmits to us whatever the brethren contribute thro’ him to Army Colportage. He also keeps on hand an assortment of our publications, and supplies chaplains, colporters and oth ers, who arc acting as tract distributers in the army on the coast and in the West. — This agency in Atlanta has been so success ful that we have been urging brother Hor nady to give, if possible, still more of his time to the interests of this work. All the funds raised by him will be used in supply ing the Georgia soldiers with the Word of Life. It will be quite convenient for the friends, when they send on their dues to the editor, to add a few dollars for the soldier, and a mite from so many will make a large amount, and do vast good. A. E. Dickinson, Superintendent Army Colportage. Rev. Wm. Hull*. Richmond, Nov. 24, 1862. Rev. Win. Huff’, General Agent for Ar my Colportage, is about to visit thg State of Georgia to secure funds with which Bi bles, Tracts, and other suitable reading, can be obtained. Rev. Mr. Huff has been ac tively engaged, both in Virginia and Ten nessee, in this good work, and has proven himself eminently adapted to labors of this character. He is widely' known in Virginia as an able, pious and successful minister of the Gospel, and a true and tried friend of the defenders of the South. I cordially commei d Mr. Huff’ to the kind regard and cooperation of the good people among whom he may go. During the war I have had the coopera tion of many good and true ministers of the Gospel ; but no one has done as much towards this great enterprise of giving the Word of God to the Confederate soldiers, as this gentleman. May the blessings of God continue with him in his self-denying labors. A. E. Dickinson, Superintendent Army Colportage. The Morning Herald bitterly denounces the non intervention policy of the British government, and says that the language of Lord Russell’s dispatch mocks the hopes ■ and*insults the misery of’ half a million of starving English laboring men. The ller \ald then charges the British ( abinet with abject patience and dastardly’ submission, in order to retain the parliamentary sup port of Bright and the Cobden party. Ihe London Aeics thinks that Lord Russells (answer is the best that ould have teen made, without entering unnecessarily upon the discussion of the merits of the case, and r ejoiees at having escaped from entangling diplomatic relations with France. 1 he response of England to the proposi tion of France for joint mediation between the parties to the American war, removes all doubt, we suppose, as to the sentiments of the present British ministry. However specious the pretences with which Lord John Russel! covers his refusal, it appears plain that he is disposed to shape his action in accordance with the wishes of the I nited States. He will mediate when they icisb •t. A war upon the ministry will probably commence on the part of those who wish a different policy, and if what is alleged of the sentiments of the English people be true, the ministry will soon fall, France will be likely to disentangle herself of her agreement with England, and act separate ly on the American question. We should stand ready to respond to just sentiments ou her part by a liberal treaty of amity and commerce. THE MISSOURI MASSACRE. The following verses were suggested by I ; the late Missouri massacre. One of the I prisoners condemned to die by the Yankee! general, McNeil, was a husband and the fa ther of a family of little children, entirely dependent on him for the means of a live -1 lihood. A heroic young man nobly offered ’ himself as a substitute for the condemned, was accepted and died in his stead. The 1 writer of these lines has not learned the name of the self-sacrificing hero, but hopes that it will be known and his “praises hymn’d by some loftier harp”: He heard the children’s plaintive wail, He heard the wife, with frantic cry, ' Beseeching mercy for her spouse, By brutal wretch condemned to die. His heart with grief and pity filled— The streaming tears, the pitied look, The agony of deep distress, His generous spirit ne’er could brook. ' “If naught,” he said, “ but blood will do, Foi’ him, for whom these tears are shed, Accept my life—no heartswill break ' Should I be numbered with the dead 1 i I’ll go and suffer in his place, . I’ll die f >r these, his loved ones’ sake No wife nor child will grieve for me— The sacrifice Fll freely make!” The offered victimlis received, The husband and the father freed The thirst for blood is unappeased— The captive foe decreed! And now is pardon sought for him, " The brave and self-devoted friend; For him the mercy seat is sought, And prayers arise and tears descend. ; A human heart will surely yield! No crime demands a victim slain— The prayers of innocence he’ll hear, Nor guiltless blood his conscience stain ? Bnt, no! —in vain are prayers and tears, > The tyrant’stheart is hard as steel, , And naught can change the fell decree, Or kindle mercy in McNeil ! (I! can no hand be found to save ? Shull not the cruel blow be stayed ? Ah ! no—the heroic victim dies, , The noble sacrifice is made! And men swear vengeance o’er his clay— His memory lives in woman’s love — His sins, we trust, are blotted out, And angels watt his soul above ! How long, O, heaven, shall sleep thy wrath ? How long, O, righteous God, how r long? 0! grant that when our foes we meet, Our hands be firm, our hearts be strong! Then woe to those who march beneath The banner of so vile a foe! Then “ blood for blood " we’ll fiercely shout, And lay the cruel miscreants low ! THE SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE. Happening to meet with one of our old ’ est and most influential ministers, wc learn ed from him that all his sons and son-in- • law were in the army, and he added, “ 1 should not be satisfied to have any of them ■ at home. I can scarcely keep out of the i army myself!” This is.only a specimen • of the spirit which almost universally ani mates our people; and unless all history is a fable, or human nature is different now j > from what it has heretofore been, such a ! people can never be subdued. Patriotism is one of the most powerful impulses in the I human bosom; but when this feeling is con “ secrated by religion, and duty to one’s ! country is sustained and invigorated by the , obligations of piety, no earthly power can' ! withstand its sublime and unconquerable | j energy. [Confederate Baptist. j CAMP FUN. The Richmond 117/5/ has a correspondent in Jackson’s corps, who furnishes the fol lowing specimens of soldier wit: It is when idle in camp that the soldier! ; is a great institution, yet one that must be i seen to be appreciated. Pen can not fully paint the air of cheerful content, hilarity, irresponsible loungings, and practical spirit of jesting, that it obtains, ready to seize on any odd circumstance in its licensed levity, 1 A ‘cavalry-man’ comes rejoicing in im mense top boots, for which in fond pride . he had invested fully forty dollars of pay; at once the cry from an hundred voices fol lows him along the line—“ Come up out’er them boots! come out!—too soon to go into winter quarters! 1 know you’re in thar!—see your arms stickin out!” A . bumpkin rides by in an uncommonly big hat, and is frightened at the shout—“ Come down out’er that hat! Come down ! taint no use to say you aint up thar! I see your 'j legs hangiu’ out!” A fancy staff officer J was horrified at the irreverent reception of , his nicely twisted moustache—as he heard from behind innumerable trees —“Take them mice out’er yer mouth! take’em out! r» Use to say they aint thar—see their tails ’ hangin’ out !” Another, sporting immense , whiskers, was urged to “ Come out of that | bunch of har! I know you’re in thar! J see your ears a workin’!” Sometimes a .rousing cheer is heard iij the distance, it is explained -“ Boys, look out! here comes 1 j ‘ old Stonewall ’ or an old hare, ‘one or t’other” -they being about the only indi viduals who invariably bring down the I house. i 1 EFFECT OF WAR ON HUMAN STATURE Dr. B< II '•ays that if the curse of war be long entailed on a nation, the physical en ergies < t a people may suffer by the loss of its finest population to such a degree that the succeeding generation will fall short <>f its former standard stature, as vas i the c .so with the French youth drafted for the army after th*' general peace. Thus, in 1826, out of one million, thirty-three thou sand, four hundred and twenty-two young men diafted to serve in the army, three hundred and eighty thousand, two hundred and thirteen wi re sent back because they fell short of ov -n the diminutive stature of four feet ten inches French. The war is beginning to have the same effect in enhancing the prices in the North as in the South. Everything is going up. The .Northern papers show this, but they seem to be more particularly concerned about the advance in the price of paper, which has caused a great many newspapers I already to raise their terms. VARIETIES. I Beautiful Sentiment. —A Greek maid len being asked what fortune she would bring her husband, replied in the following beautiful language: “I will bring "him what gold cannot pur chase —a heart unspotted and virtue with out a stain—which is all that descended to me from my parents.” “ Bring in the oysters I told you to open,” .sr said the head of a household, growing im patient. “ There they are,” said the Irish cook, proudly ; “ it took me a long time to clean them, but I’ve done it, and thrown all the nasty insides into the strate.” He. that waits for an opportunity to do much at once, may breathe out his life in idle wishes, and regret in the last hour his useless intentions and barren zeal. A lady wished a seat. A portly, hand some gentleman brought o.ie and seated the lady. x “ Oh, you’re a jewel ! ” said she. “ Oh, no,” replied he, “ I’m a jeweler; I have just set a jewel.” How little virtue could be practiced if y beneficence were to wait always for the most proper subjects, and the noblest occa sions—occasions that may never happe*., and objects that may never be found. “Where was I, ma,” said a little urchin one day to his mother, as he stood gazing I upon his drunken and prostrate father; “where was 1 when you married pa? Why didn’t you take me along —I could have picked out </ better man than he is." The company in which you will improve the most will be the least expensive to y ou. A Dutchman, who had a friend hung, J was requested to break the news as gently as possible to his friends in the old coun try' ; accordingly, by the next steamer, he wrote them that Ilans was addressing a large public assembly, when the stage on which he stood gave way, and he fell and broke his neck. The love which does not lead to labor will soon die out; and the thankfulness which does not embody itself in sacrifices is already changing to gratitude. A shoemaker, intending to be absent a few days, lampblackcd a shingle with the following without date, and nailed it upon his door : . -- “ Will be home in ten days from the time you see this shingle.” Money is a good servant, but a danger ous master. When wo employ it to good purposes, money is a great blessing; but when we use it for wicked ends, or become, so as to endeavor to acquire it. by dis honest means, it is then indeed a bad mas ter. A windy orator once got up and said, “Sir, after much reflection, consideration and examination, I have calmly, deliberate ly and carefully come to the determined n conclusion, that in cities where the popula I tion is very large, there is a greater num | ber of men, women and children than in j cities where the population is less.” When another speaks, be attentive your self,' and disturb not the audience. If any hesitate in his words, help him not, nor prompt him without being desired ; inter ■ rupt him not, nor answer him till his speech be ended. t Nine Follies. —To think that the more a man eats the fatter and stronger he will become. To believe, the more hours children study / at school the faster they learn. To imagine that every hour taken from sleep is an hour gained. To act on the presumption that the smallest room in the house is large enough to sleep in. To commit an act which is felt in itself to be injurious, hoping that somehow or other it may be done in your case with impunity. To advise others to take a remedy which you have not tried yourself, or without making special inquiry whether all the con ditions are alike. To eat without an appetite, or continue to eat after it has been satisfied to gratify the taste. z To eat a hearty supper for the pleasure experienced during the brief time it is pass ing down the throat, at the expense of a whole night of disturbed sleep, and a wea ry waking in the morning. Action.—l have often bad occasion to observe that a warm blundering man doc more for the world than a frigid wise man. A man gets into a habit of inquiring about proprieties and expediences and occasions, and spends his life without doing anything to purpose. The state of the world is such, and so much depends on action, that eveiy thing seems to say loudly to every man, “ Do something—do it—do it.” When is a sweet potato vine like a hog? —When it begins to root. When is it like a Confederate soldier?—When it begins to shoot. When like a Federal soldier?— When it begins to run. To love an enemy is the distinguishing characteristic of a religion which is not of man, but of God. It could be delivered as a precept only by Him who lived and died to establish it by 11 is example. A Story Teller.—A person of this de scription, seated with his pot companions, was in the midst of one of his best stories, when he was suddenly called away to go on board of a vessel in which he* was 'to sail for Jamaica. Returning in about a twelvemonth, he resumed his old seat among his cronies. “Well, gentlemen,” proceeded he, “as 1 was saying ” Be not curious to know the affairs of oth era, neither approach tn those that speak in private.