sick leave to see his father. He had neither shoes
nor hat, and looked as if he had not had a full
meal for a month. He knew of no troops near-
er than Leesburg and Manassas Junction,
cept the cavalry picket before observed.
was released and sent home.

On one side, the tall, soldier-like figure of the Virginian stood out from the dark background of pines; while grouped around, beex-neath their shadows, appeared his ragged, rugHe ged, sun-burnt followers, like brigands around their chief. His forehead was high and his bearing proud; his speech was friendly, but

miliar. His men kept in the shade and did not interrupt him. There stood Chivalry and Serfdom, side by side-the types of ancient Feudalism, lingering in the lap of American Republicanism. The historic past, with its prejudices and generosities, its poetry and its poverty, its meanness and its grandeur, its weakness and its power, clearly defined-an anomaly in the light of modern civilization, a stumbling-block in the path of the nineteenth century.

September 22, Sunday.-In honor of the day the pickets had agreed to abstain from the friv-measured; his courtesy was frank, but not faolous week-day amusement of shooting each other. We accompanied the Colonel and regimental staff through the rocky and tangled ground between the canal and the river bank, where the picket-line was established. From an average width of half a mile above, the river here narrows suddenly, flowing in a deep and rapid current between opposing cliffs, not more than forty yards apart. The summits of these perpendicular walls are fringed with a dense growth of evergreens, and exhibit a natural line, where the advantages of stockade, parapet, and casemate are all combined. Across this narrow and romantic gulf the men had been waging a desultory war for several days, peppering each other from the thickets and crevices of the rocks. One of the sentinels pointed out the tree from behind which he made his observations, and which was skinned in a dozen places by adverse bullets. Another showed his cap, which had been exposed on a stick, and immediately perforated with two balls; a third exhibited a scratch on his cheek, received while he was peeping too eagerly around a rock.

turies.

On the northern parapet crowded the stout, well-clad, red-cheeked, and good-natured Pennsylvanians, nudging their officers and interrupting their talk, guileless of any suspicion of superiority of one man over another, except such as he might win by his personal abilities, or hold temporarily by right of office; guileless, too, of anger or hatred against their perverse neighbors; wondering what demon had possessed them to raise this row, to make themselves and others so uncomfortable, wasting money and spoiling trade. They laughed and jested as frankly as they would have done six months ago, when they mixed freely as people To-day there was peace, and the men sat of one nation and one Government, buying, amicably conversing across the gulf. One of selling, and giving in marriage, reciprocally ours had already swum over and was exchang- rejoicing in the glory of their common history, ing a friendly drink with his late antagonist at boasting of the promised grandeur of their ball-play. On the appearance of our officers common future. Here stood the American upon the scene a fine-looking fellow, with people; the other party in the irrepressible plume and sabre, and wearing a light-blue conflict of the present with the past-of the over-coat, showed himself on the opposite plat-living age with the opinions of decadent cenform, and announced himself as Captain (I missed the name), of Albemarle County, of The friendly tone and familiar accents of the Third Regiment of Virginia Cavalry, and com- lowland tongue revived many memories of the manding the Confederate picket. In his gal- olden times of peace and good-fellowship, of lant bearing and broad accent I readily recog-home and friends, that I had worn in my heart nized a lower country Virginian. The cessa- of hearts. The war seemed a cruel absurdity, tion of picket-shooting was agreed upon au- a something still impossible to realize. The thoritatively, the Confederate Captain engag-natural and sentimental features of the scene ing himself that it should not be renewed as impressively illustrated the beautiful verses of long as he remained at the post. The in- Coleridge: tercourse was otherwise limited to courteous speeches, vague expressions of regret at our unfortunate differences, and hopes of a speedy peace. I recognized in a Lieutenant Wever, who appeared beside the Captain, a former acquaintance from the vicinity of Harper's Ferry. The private soldiers were freer in their communications as they warmed with their whisky. They hoped there would not be another general battle, and mutually damned their political leaders for having got them into a quarrel so needless and ruinous to all parties. I did not join in the conversation, but sat apart musing on the dramatic significance of the

scene.

"They stood aloof, the scars remaining,

Like cliffs that have been rent asunder;
A dreary sea now flows between,

But neither time, nor rain, nor thunder
Shall fully do away, I ween,

The marks of that which once hath been."

The sadness of regret had touched more hearts than mine. As we left the ground I observed the good old Colonel hastily dash his hand across his eyes. "It seems hard," he said, "that we who were so lately one and inseparable should be fighting in this way. We must have no more scenes of this sort, or I can not do my duty. Boys," he said, addressing the guard, "if you shoot one of those fellow-citi

zens of ours over there unnecessarily, I'll hang the company with great unction. you as high as Haman!"

We en

camped for the night on the field of battle. I believe that all these stampedes along the September 26.-After a hearty breakfast with river originate from an apprehension which the artillerists we drove up to the Chain Bridge, prevailed at Washington that the enemy was and, crossing the river, visited the line of earthprepared to force our lines, and effect a cross-works then in course of construction. Called ing somewhere, for the purpose of co-operating at General Smith's quarters, when we had an with the late Maryland Legislature in its at- account of his successful forage and skirmish tempts to drag the unwilling people of the State yesterday in the vicinity of Lewisville. We into the rebellion. The first act of high and inspected the works as far down as Arlington, virile statesmanship that has come from Wash-taking dinner at General Fitz John Porter's ington has been the squelching of that danger- quarters, and returning to the city by the scow ous assembly, and the arrest of conspirators at ferry at Mason's Island. Frederick City and in Baltimore.

September 27.-To-day I met my interesting and accomplished young friend and late chum, Lieutenant Kirby Smith. He was in high spirits, and about to take command of a regiment of Ohio Volunteers, to serve in the West

The weakness of our Government, thus far, has not been exhibited in the assumption of extraordinary and illegal powers, but in the miserable negation of all power and shirking of all responsibility. It is refreshing to per-ern Department. He rallied me on the priceive that in its despair it is capable of a necessary act, looking to its own protection and preservation. Oh for one hour of old Andrew Jackson!

vate's military coat which I wore, and asked, jestingly, if I was aware I was enlisted in a grand abolition crusade? I replied that I never had doubted but that abolition would follow in due time, as an incident of war. So much the better; yet with me it was but a triviál question compared with the great one of

September 24.-Started on a reconnoissance toward Washington, and stopping at Tenallytown called on Colonel Hayes, of the Pennsylvania Eighth, who had returned with his reg-Nationality. iment from picket duty at the Great Falls. We were hospitably welcomed, entertained, and lodged. Called on Brigadier - General Reynolds, of the Pennsylvania Reserves.

September 25.-This morning visited the head-quarters of Major-General M‘Call. One of his aids, Captain M'Conkey, reminded me of a former meeting which had entirely escaped my memory. In the month of November, 1853, in passing through Charlottesville, Virginia, I walked out to see the University, and, pleased with the view, undertook to make a sketch of the buildings. Seeking shelter from a sharp wind I had seated myself beside a brick house, but found presently the cold was so severe that my crayon dropped from my benumbed fingers. I was about abandoning my work when a youth, calling from the door, politely invited me to come into his room, which was warm, and his window looked out upon the view I was attempting. I accepted his courtesy, and completed my sketch. To-day we met for the first time since, and both under the same flag.

We went on to Washington, when I visited Colonel Randolph, and there learned that my father had been released from prison, and had returned to Berkeley Springs in good health.

In answer to my felicitations on his promotion, he replied: "Yes, I am in for it, and shall one day have my head knocked off, I do not doubt; but it belongs to my profession thus to die." I had several times before heard him say the same thing in a careless, jesting manner; yet I always thought I could detect in his manner an underlying shadow of presentiment. I called to see him at his boardinghouse the same evening, where he presented me to his mother, who had come on from Detroit to visit him ere he departed to join his command. I passed a charming evening, and heard from her the same presentiment more seriously and touchingly expressed. As I never saw him afterward I may be allowed to anticipate. He was killed not long after while gallantly leading his regiment at the battle of Corinth, where Rosecrans annihilated Lovel.

I

September 29, Sunday.-To-day we returned to camp at Darnestown. Found several letters from home, all out of date, and containing no news; yet it was pleasant to read them. talked with a refugee from Jefferson Countya negro-who gave me much detailed and recent information of men and things there. I have for the last week or more suffered awfully from anger and vindictive feeling. The accounts of ruin, remorse, and suffering which I get from Virginia have turned all that to pity, which is a far more comfortable condition of mind.

Met Lieutenants Hall and Elder, old acquaintances of the Patterson campaign, formerly of Doubleday's Battery. Captain Aand myself were invited to visit their quarters, with the Reserve Artillery on Capitol Hill. At half past 6 P.M. an orderly brought horses to Willard's for our accommodation, and we rode to camp. My heart was light with the tidings I had received from home, so the evening pass-in tents is more healthy than sleeping in houses. ed merrily, and terminated in an old-fashioned shindy. "The Derby Ram," and other facetious and time-honored ditties were sung by

October 1.-I arose this morning feeling better than I have done for several days past, from which I infer that lodging on the ground and

Doctors Douglas of New York, and Steiner of Frederick City, both of the Sanitary Commission, called and tented with us. My theory

October 11, Friday.-Finding the saddle wearisome and slow I concluded to leave my horse in Frederick, and pursue my journey in the public coaches. Took the omnibus line for Hagerstown, and en route passed through Mid-ous levity, and professed to have been rather dletown, Boonesborough, and Funkstown-all thriving little Dutch villages, filled with stupid Secessionists.

stances of his captivity excited in him.

It seems that on Saturday night, the 24th of October, about ten o'clock P.M., a company of Ashby's cavalry, numbering between thirty and forty men, and commanded by a Captain Thrasher, entered the village of Bath or Berkeley Springs, and surrounding the house of Philip C. Pendleton, demanded the surrender of his son, Edmund Pendleton, a gentleman whose high-toned loyalty had made him especially obnoxious to the revolutionary party. On being asked by whose authority the demand was made, the Captain replied, by authority of Colonel M'Donald, of Winchester, commanding this district. At the same time a detachment surrounded my cottage, and, knocking at the door, demanded admittance. A neighbor informed them that the house was unoccupied. I had been with the army for two months, and my family had taken quarters at the hotel with my father and sister's family. It thus appeared that Captain Thrasher had been sent for

the purpose of arresting Edmund Pendleton | chamber unbidden, took my two hunting pieces and myself. -a valuable German rifle and an English donOn the following morning-Sunday, 25th-ble-barreled shot-gun. They then took the upon the denunciation and urgency of some road to Winchester with their spoils and their treacherous rogues in the village, the Captain prisoners, the latter traveling in Mr. Pendletook it upon himself to arrest my father, although ton's private carriage, strictly guarded. he had had no orders to do so, and the prisoner's Thus they arrived at Winchester, and halted age and character might have secured for him at the house of the rebel commandant. Mr. exemption from so unnecessary an indignity. Pendleton was requested to enter, and after a At the same time Thrasher entered the house, brief interview was allowed to go at large on and, addressing himself to my wife, demanded parole. My father was not invited to an inmy fire-arms. She resolutely declined sur-terview, but after remaining for some time unrendering them, and then retired to her room. der surveillance at the door, was ordered to the The Captain followed her, and, entering her common guard-tent in the militia camp. In

called up. My sister, who had followed him to Winchester and remained there during his captivity, accompanied him back to Berkeley, where, on his arrival, his friends and neighbors gave him a triumphant reception. This brief narrative contains about the substance of what I heard on the subject while at Hancock. For the rest during my brief visit, which lasted but two days, we were all too much excited and absorbed with our national troubles to dwell long upon our personal griefs or vexations.

The news from the inside is important and

his seventieth year, in feeble health, accustomed to all the appliances of domestic comfort and the delicate attentions of an affectionate family he now found himself confined in a foul, unwholesome tent, without provision for lodging or food except such as might be furnished him by his destitute fellow-prisoners or equally destitute guards. To none of these was his name and character unknown, and every thing that their humble means afforded was cheerfully put at his disposal. A militia-man procured a bundle of straw as clean as could be found, which answered for a bed; another pre-interesting. The army is represented to be illsented the ragged remnant of what had once been an over-coat, which served as covering. His portion of the prisoners' coarse, unsavory ration of corn-bread and bacon was deferentially served to him on a battered pewter plate, the only piece of table-ware belonging to the The unaccustomed hardship to which he was thus subjected very soon told upon Colonel Strother's feeble constitution. On the fifth day, upon the recommendation of a surgeon, as he was informed, he was removed to more comfortable quarters in a private house, but still under guard.

mess.

The charges brought against him before the military court which examined his case were substantially as follows: (1.) He had, on the occasion of a recent election held in Bath, Morgan County, Virginia, in flagrant contempt of an edict of the rebel junto at Richmond or Montgomery (it makes little matter which), opened poll-books to record votes for a representative in the United States Congress; and as no one, even in this loyal county, was found bold enough to act upon his advice and suggestion, he took charge of the books himself and duly recorded the votes cast. (2.) He had advised and encouraged his fellow-citizens to resist the assumptions of traitors in authority, and had fed and otherwise assisted recruits for the United States army. (3.) He advised the militia of the county not to obey the summons of officers who had violated their solemn oaths to their government, and would lead them into open rebellion against its laws. (4.) He was zealously and persistently loyal to his country and her government, and refused to recognize the supreme authority of any State, corporation, municipality, or insurrectionary committee whatsoever.

supplied, undisciplined, diseased, and disaffect-
ed, deserting in large numbers whenever the
opportunity offers. The country is left un-
cultivated, and the wastage of the armies unre-
paired. Labor is falling into disorganization
as well as law, society, and religion.
people, both in their public and private rights,
are subjected to a despotism more remorseless
and irresponsible than can be believed by those
living in more fortunate communities.

The

The common soldiers, who are driven, halfstarved, and shot-the common people, who are conscripted, plundered, threatened, and despised, are sick of the war, and will quit it when they dare. While, on the contrary, those living in comfortable localities remote from danger-exempts, speculators, blockade-runners, bomb-proofs, politicians, preachers, and women, are becoming more thoroughly convinced every day of the grandeur and stability of the Confederacy. The few who still are known to indulge in hopes of the restoration of Federal supremacy are objects of mingled pity and derision. The clergy, in the midst of all this anarchy, degradation, and suffering, promulgate the doctrine, which is greedily swallowed, that the Confederates are the chosen and peculiar people of God. In Greenbrier County immense armies have been seen in the clouds, of a pea-green color, and moving northward, which signifies that the war will come to a glorious conclusion next season. In Georgia certain springs, which dried up at the conclusion of the Revolution of 1776, have burst forth again, which means that the independence of the South will be shortly established.

One

My father describes a scene he witnessed while in the prison camp at Winchester. Sunday morning a tall, bearded figure apThis was probably not the precise wording, proached the centre of the encampment. He but contains the substance of the accusations. wore a black slouched hat, a blue tunic girt They were all proved, I believe, while some about with a belt holding two revolvers and a palliating circumstances were urged by friends huge bowie-knife. His costume was completed and admitted. The prisoner denied nothing, by postillion-boots reaching above the knee, and and his admissions went further to complete heeled by a formidable pair of long-shanked the proof than any outside evidence that could spurs. On nearing a group of soldiers this exbe adduced. His defense was open defiance. traordinary figure waved his hand and courteIt is quite likely the Winchester authorities ously, but with a tone of authority, demanded were anxious to get rid of so unmanageable attention. A sermon followed, a melange of a case. At the end of two weeks Colonel Strother was released upon going through the formality of giving bond to appear at court when notified. The subject was never again

|

the camp - meeting and the hustings. The
service concluded with a hymn and a blessing,
and the heavy armed man of God departed.
It seems to be a very common opinion that,