no waking, under the cold shroud of snow,-0, it is too awful, will there never be an end of this horrible butchery? Shall we never have peace? Yes, we can have peace whenever we say the word; on the condition of national suicide. We can have peace, on the condition that all the sacrifices we have already made, shall be naught. We can have peace, by consenting to national dismemberment; the end of which none can foresee,--which cuts the arteries of the land, and allows the life-blood to flow, till there is nothing left but a corpse. We can have peace for a year, on the condition of border wars, that will last for generations. For, wherever you draw the line, which divides the two nations, there must be a hundred miles of territory on both sides that will be a perpetual waste. We can have peace, on conditions that will put back the progress of the world for a century. We can have peace, by surrendering every thing that we have fought for, and giving our destiny into the hands of demagogues and tyrants. Is such a peace desirable? Is it not better, that we should suffer a little longer, if then we can win a peace, for which our posterity will have no cause to curse us. STARS OF MY COUNTRY'S SKY.* ARE ye all there? Are ye all there? Stars of my country's sky; Are ye all there? Are ye all there, In your shining homes on high? As they dazzled on my view, In glorious perihelion, Amid their fields of blue. "I cannot count ye rightly, There's a cloud with sable rim; * Written in the Summer of 1860. Then the Angel touch'd my eye-lids, And touch'd the frowning cloud, And its sable rim disparted, And it fled with murky shroud. There was no missing Pleiad, 'Mid all that sister race; The Southern Cross shone radiant forth, And the Pole Star kept its place. Then I knew it was the Angel, OUR MARCH TO GETTYSBURG AND THE BATTLE OF JULY 3, 1863. THE evening of the 19th day of June, found our Regiment, the 1st Eastern Shore of Maryland Volunteers, scattered along the eastern Peninsula of Maryland and Virginia: Some on Provost duty in the important towns; some on the shores of the beautiful Chesapeake, while others were on the islands, lagoons, and extensive bayous that line the Atlantic coast, where the deep blue ocean rolls "Dark, heaving, boundless, endless and sublime." An orderly dashed up to head-quarters with a despatch from the General Commanding, directing immediate concentration of the Regiment, and its embarkation for the City of Baltimore. The news spread, there was a stir in camp; the soldier understood there was an end to his inactivity, and that he was soon to enter upon the sterner duties of military life. Orderlies were despatched in every direction, the fast sailing canoe was put in requisition, and flew like a gull over the waters, with the hurried despatch summoning these men of Maryland, to meet the enemy on the border. On the 23d of June, our scattered detachments had coveyed together, and were encamped on the environs of Baltimore. There we found great anxiety, and extensive preparations being made to meet the threatened advance of the enemy. It was known that General Lee was moving rapidly northward with his entire force, and it was believed that Baltimore was his goal. General Ewell had crossed the Potomac on the 22d, and was marching up the valley towards Hagerstown. General Hill crossed on the 27th, and was soon followed by Longstreet, and the entire rebel forces of northern Virginia. Chambersburg, Gettysburg, York and Hanover, were rapidly occupied by the enemy. These operations naturally created great alarm in the Monumental City. The enemy was within two days march, and there was no defence. The army the Potomac seemed to be lost, and the distracted people knew not which way to look for succor. In this extremity, with the spirit of 1814, they set to work in their own defence. The citizens volunteered by thousands; business was partially suspended, and drill was the order of the day. In the midst of this excitement we arrived in the city, and for a few days assisted in garrisoning one of of |