University of South Carolina Libraries
Pooks ruR the Soldieu.?" Yon canuot con ccive the eagerness of the men to get something? to get reading ma ter. A newspaper will be read all through by the same individual, three or four times over, advertisements and all. The army of the Potomac is in a state of awful destitution of all religious reading, notwithstanding all that has ueen done. The Pennsylvania regiments are the Hitifimnnlo in fKuf aemt* ami 1 OCSl ?uppiiuu '/? ?ll> IC^IIUCUIJ lit IW? KIUJJ, win yet their supplies are very meagre. The litera-1 ture that is given ns is never or very rarely destroyed?never to my knowledge. But it is actually worn out."?Letter from the Army of the Po-1 tomcc. "I am met by men throughout the camp and hospital with the expression, 'have you anything i for us to read V "?From the Gulf. Whili it is gratefully conceded that the friends of the ?oldier in the North have done much to furnish the army with good reading, no one at all familiar with the wants of the soldier will deny that the demand far exceeds the supply, offering the ennui of camp life, the soldier stands in need of books. He demands food for the miud as well as lor the body, and surely an army such as ours, composed of men who have left the comforts and luxuries of home at th.'ir country's call, and hare thus placed themselves beyond the reach of daily tedding to wtucli trom ciiuuiiooa nicy usw u?u accustomed, have a right to demand that their wants in this respect at least, shall he supplied. The temptations of camp life arc proverbial? and no iutell.gent obsener can be ignorant of their origin. Liquor has been one caus \ but that has I been inter dicted to privates. Gambling, another cause, is carried on to an alarmingextent throughout the army, notwithstanding the Article-of War lorbidding it, while profanity, the great tin of the American Army is fearfully prevalent, although the order of the President makes it a penal offense, and Article 3 01 the Articles of War, pre. cibes the penalty. But there is yet another cause which has been sadly overlooked, viz : neglect to provide a healthy stimulus for the minds of the troops, deprived of which, restless uieu such as compose an *' JlooKinni of ?tmrh<?r army, will provide meuueit co vu .v. ?? kind. There are few who would not be glad to read?but having no opportunity of doing so they betake themselves to gaiues of chance "to kill time." Who that has witnessed the excitement of the card table can wonder that the tongue should . become ungoverncd, andthat the profane oath and indecent jest,should be upon every tongue 7 When men, to kill time, deliberately take a step down to J the low level of forbidden pleasure, is not the de- j cent easy to a total loss of moral character 1 j The importance, the necessity for a large supply I * * ?*? -?moflitp fr>p th?. 4)1 JU(1 ClOUBiy Kicticu ... .. array is thus apparent. Who will see that it is provided 7 It is the uniform testimony of all who are acquainted with camp life, that no boon is so eagerly coveted by the soldier, as the gift of something ' good to read,"?shall that boon be denied 7 The friends of the soldier at home, are, by means of various organizations partially supplying ! this want. Let the loyal men of the North see j to it that they are euabled to do more in the luture ' than they have done iu the past. Let the wives, j the mothers, the sisters, the friends of the individ- j ual soldier see that his wants iu this respect are j oupplied?first of all by means of frequent, long, | and cheering letters, breathing loyalty to the gov- J ernment, and rebuking the treason of those who would purchase "peace at any price." Next to a good letter it a good newspaper, whose every page j is <v)n?errattd to a defense of our glorious cause. every article in which is calculated to foster the patriotism and renew the zeal of the soldier. Then let the mail.and the express be filled with carefully j - selected books, calculated not merely to amuse but' to instruct, to elevate, and the result will bo that j we shall have a happier, better disciplined and ? - L 1. .1 anore etttcient arm/ inan w? usw >?.-i u.iu. ( In this connection wo would offer one suggestion.! Many of the Kegiment* at this pr>st and in this Dej>artment have small Libraries?the gifts of kind i friends and benevolent associations. These are, j however, inadetjn&t?, both in variety and extent, tu eupy-ly the th-mand for reading wa'trr. CtMild a _ i not then the several Libraries be placed in a room, ! with a suitable person to superintend and take care | of the same, and at the same time could not some provision be made from the Post fund for the es; tablishment of a good Library and Reading Room i at this Post? ^' Suootino Affair.?A patrol having been sent j , to pick up straggling soldiers who were wandering i about the various camps of Gen Stephenson's command, came across Privato McCabe, of Co. E, | y/tu fa. V ois., mtoxicatea ana very noisy, oergt. j John Kennedy, who was in charge of the patrol,! ordered his arrest. He at first refused to go with j the guard, but finally consented. Alter walking a : short distance he attempted to escape, when the j Sergt. took a gun and shot him, from the effects j of which he died instantly- We have not learned | whether the act was justifiable or not. a . ?. 1 ? VT. II. Elwell, Esq., of Ohio, has been ap- | poiuted Volunteer Aide-dc-Caiup on the Staff'oil Brig. Uen. A. II. Terry. Resignations.-?Maj. John Centre Brown, Inde-! pendent Battalion, X. Y. Vols. Capt. Edward R. j Peckens, 5'Jd Pa. Vols; Capt. Pardon Mason, 3d j R. I. Vols; 1st Lieut..!. C. M. Furbish, Adjt. 9th ! Me. Vols ; '11 Lieut, .ionn B. Bachelder, 3d it. 1. Vols. ? 1st Lieut. Ch&s. J. Sands, and 2d Lieut. Mi-' chael 0. Mallv, Marine Artillery, have been mustered out of service and honorably discharged by order of the Secretary of War. ? Capt. Walter McFenland, U. S. Engineer, has been r lieved from duty in this Department, and returned to his former post, Key West, Fla. ? Capt. W. P. Martin, C. S., Post Commissary, has been relieved from duty in this department, and ordered to report to the Chief of his Bureau, in Washington. Capt. II. E. Lord will be his successor. SPECIAL 0RDEB8 190. hiudouarrskb Luc?abtm?xt or thb South, 1 Hilton Head. 8. C. April 13, 186a. / It having been officially represented to the ! Major-General Commanding, by Brig-Gen. Heck-! j man, Major Solomon Giles,8d .New York Artillerv, I I and Capt. W. V*. Uutchings, of the Staff of Brig. J | (Jen. Stevenson, that Major-General Foster, com. j | manding Department of North Carolina is besieged | j and in danger of being captured by the enemy, at j [ Washington, N. C., Bii .-Gen. Ueckman, U.S.: j Vols., is hereby ordered to proceed with his Frig ' ale, consisting of the following regiment?, 9th New j [ Jersey. 23d Mass., 81st New l ork. and U8tb New j York, to Newbernc, N. t'., where he will report to j ! Brig.-Gen. Palmer, or whoever niay be the Gene- i eral in command, for service in tbo relieving of; Major-Gener 1 Foster. This duty executed, or it | being found M^jor-Gen. Foster has been already j relieved, Brig -Gen. Heckman will forthwith return with his command to this Department. By command of Maj.-Gen. I1UNTEK. Cuas. G. h alpine, Lieut.-Col. it Asst. Adj. Gen. 10th Army Corps and Department of the South. t News Faom the Nobtu.?By the arrival of the Steamer Spaulding from Fortress Monroe, we hare I received dates to the 24th ult. \\*e clip froib the j Ar. Y. Herald, the following items: The Richmond papers contain telegraphic infor- j mation from Port Hudson confirming the loss of j I the steamers Queen 0/the West and Diana. The ; ! former got aground in Grand Lake, and was blown j, I up by a shell from the Union gunboat Calhoun. The Diana was burned by the rebe.s One hundred and six privates ami ?even com- j missioned officers, were captured by our forces : from the Queen of the West. Among the latter -?- .. ..." _..K^1 ' 1 [ was capi. iurncr, IIJC tommaiiumu w uiv rcwi | fleet. Much interest:a felt in Hicbmond in regard to matters at Suflbik. The papers admit that a battery has been captuied. The tone of the editorials: is desponding. ; The Charleston Cotiri.r of the l*th ult., says: < On Tridav morniug one of the Yankee blockaders, supposed to be the gunboat Flambeau, i i crossed the bar anu commenced tiring on the wreck j ; of the Keokuk. Two small boats with parties from Morris* Island were at work upon the wreck, endeavoring to bring away some additional trophies, j The parties retired, the gunboat tiring at them but; doing no damage. Several shots passed over tb?' # - Morris Island batteries. One of our batteriea opened lire, it is believed with ettect, us the Yanl_ .. 1 A 1 l!l_ 1 1 J A ./ A A- 1 Kee ooai nasuly oacaea oui 01 range,. 1101 taking time to turn round, and shortly after recrossed rh" bar. The gunboat Chicora steamed down the harbor to take part in the action, but the enemy had withdrawn and gone out to sea long before our gunboat could reaeh her. The Flambeau was no doubt on a reconnoitering tour to ascertain what arrangements might be made for blowing up the Keokuk. 'Ihe heavy firing heard on Friday afternoon we learn was caused by one of our batteries on James Island opening upon a Yankee gunboat in Little Folly ri?er, near Campbell s place. The gunboat replied, and the firing was kept up on both sides for some time. The gunboat afterwards got out of range and the firing ceased. The British war steamer Rinaldo sailed from Charleston last Friday with dispatches fortheFnglish acting consul at Fortress Monroe. The following order has been issued to the rebel army: " The issue of whisky to the troops, except in cases of extraordinary fatigue and exposure, 1? prohibited. Commanding officers are ei joined to see that this prohibition is strictly enforced." With whisky at $1000 per barrel, we don't see how the rebels could do otherwise.?Ed. Flogging has become such an evil in the rebel am y, that general orders have been issued against it. From Tennessee.?Refugees relieved from oppression at McMuniville by a highly successful expedition by Gen. Reynolds have arrived at Readyville. Geu. Hazen telegraphs that they state that Gen. Reynolds took the town, capturing two rail road trains including a train of wagons. Among a number of prisoners taken was Mrs. John Morgan Gen. Thomas reviewed General Negley ? division this morning. A despatch from Cairo says: Our gunboats have destroyed the rebel bitterv at Warrenton, below Vicksburg, and the tieet were lying at anchor at New ( arthage on tho 17th. Gen. Grant was to go down the same day. The Chattanooga Rebel, of the 29th. says: Despatches from Jackson to the 17th, have been received, saying in substance that an early attack i* to be made on Vicksburg from opposite and below the city, and for that purpose the Federals had pissed*eight boats on tho night previous. 1 ? A ? ? !?it... ? 4 A a* tko _ A VVSXiAS I.ater uespaicues umuiatu mat in*? icuvia Grant to make demonstrations south from Corinth at the same time. The Wilmington, (J*. C.) Journal of the 18th, says: We regard it as more than probable that a largo portion of Gen. Hill s triops have already left the vicinity of Washington, and although mortified, we should n^t be at all surprised to hear that the seige had been abandoned, and that the enterprise, so far as Washington is concerned, had turned out to be a failure. We do most sincerely trust tha". it may turn out othorwise. but wo are reluctautlv forced to this belief. We might add that we have heard a report that General Hill commenced shell, ing the enemy in Washington on Wednesday. From Charleston.?We have received a copy of the Charleston Courier of April 2jd, from which we clip the following iterr s: Mobil', April 14.?Tho steamboat Fox, formerly the Whitmort, of New Orleans, arrived this even, ing. She was captured at 1 as* I Outre, by C'ftpt. Andrews and fifteen men, who left here in a yawl They surprised the boat at the wharf, secured the crew of twenty-thre.: otiicers and men, got up steam and were T)tf. They ran the blockade last night through the swash channel under a heavy tire, and the Fox was hit twice, ('apt. Andrews is an old New Orleans steamboat Captain. Tullahomu, April 1,0?Another raid has been made on the Yankee linen by Gen Wheeler at Hartsvill . On tho lbth, his command swam the Cumberland river near Nashville, captured a vraaon train, one hundred pr soneru, a large number of small arms, aud a quantity of commissary stores All quiet elsewhere aloug the lines. Authentic information was received here vester day, that six of the Monitor* had nude their appearance in North Kdisto. It was also reported that the Yankees had been landing troop* at the Point of Pines. Kdisto Island. The re-appearance of the Monitors i? supposed to bo for the pnq>ose of completing the doatructiou of the Keokuk, and that they put into Kdisto on account of the heavy bio** that sprnug up in the afternoon. DEATHS.' Krastus K. Vosbcrg, Privato Co. I), 47th New York Vols., A|H#29th, chronic diarrhoea Daniel Benuct, Private Co. G. Ohio, Apt LI 30, of wounds received by the aeei.len.'al explosion of a shell.