city. Another man he heard assure the crowd that the Massachusetts vagabonds (her glorious volunteers) had been quartered in the capitol at Washington, and had amused themselves by running their bayonets through the pictures which adorned it, and that the rich hangings of the different rooms had been pulled down, and made into blankets and wrappers for the use of the troops.

"Another man, who was organizing a corps of infantry, told them they had nothing to do but to march to glory and wealth. What,' said he, 'could a northern army do on our sterile hills; they would starve to death. But you,' he continued, 'have but to march to Washington, and lay that in ashes; then to Philadelphia, which is rich in all kinds of wealth; from that through all the North; there is a village every five miles, and every village has a bank, and every bank has a vault of specie, and you have but to help yourselves.""

We copy the following from the Petersburg (Va.) Express, showing that the destruction of vessels and munitions of war at the Norfolk Navy Yard was far from complete, and that the rebels obtained much useful material to assist their treasonable designs, which, although considered of little consequence by government, in the hands of the Confederates were converted into powerful engines of war. Particularly is this demonstrated in the case of the Merrimac :

"The Plymouth will be gotten into the dock to-day, and will soon be ready for service. The falling of the large shears on the Germantown-intended for her utter destruction did her much less damage than was feared, while, by carrying away her masts and rigging, it saved her from ruin by conflagration; they have already commenced raising her. The Merrimac is, probably, more injured; but it is believed that she may still be turned to good account. Besides, she has 30,000 pounds of powder in her magazine, which, although

under water, is yet so secure by being enclosed in copper receivers, that there is no danger of its being damaged.

"Her battery of five guns- one of the best in the world-was gotten up yesterday and removed to Sewall's Point, where it was remounted behind a strong breastwork, and will eloquently respond to any attempt of a hostile ship to pass through the Roads. When a similar battery shall be planted on Lambert's Pointwhich will be effected in a few days- the navy of the Northern myrmidons will be effectually backed down to the protecting beach of Fortress Monroe.

"The magnificent howitzer battery of the Germantown, consisting of ten guns, was also raised yesterday, and sent to Richmond on board the steamer Northampton. This will fully enable our sister city to give another welcome to the New York 7th Regiment, or to any other friends who may challenge their respects.

"The shot, shell, and other ammunition thrown into the river by the vandal hordes before their flight, are also being raised in large quantities. And it is gratifying to learn, that, contrary to our first impressions and belief, in their haste and fright they actually left several hundred guns, in a remote part of the yard, unspiked.

"The defences at Craney Island and the Hospital are going forward very successfully. At the latter place six of the Dahlgren thirty-two pounders and two brass fieldpieces have already been mounted, and six more guns of the former rank will, within two days, be placed beside them. This is a hot-shot battery, and will be irresistible, as, in order to pass it, vessels must come within a half mile of it, and between it and a similar battery at Fort Norfolk. The furnace of the hospital battery is already up, and in good working order.”

Throughout the Southern States we find the wildest state of enthusiasm exists; all is excitement, all eager

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for the conflict, terrible as it is. Two sections of a mighty nation approaching each other in battle array! The annals of the "Rebellion in the United States will prove to be the most barbarous, the most bloody, of any which has ever been recorded of any nation in the known world.

We are allowed to copy the following letter from a volunteer belonging to Company H, Fifth Massachusetts Regiment, quartered in the Treasury Department, Washington. It gives a glowing account of the privations and fatigues they endured on their journey to the national capital, and, from the style of composition, we judge it emanated from the "able pen" of some one not much innured to hardships. We give it verbatim, under date April 28th He says:

"Here we are, safely and comfortably quartered at the Treasury Department, after a long and extremely fatiguing journey of nearly a week. One week ago to-day we left Boston, little dreaming of what we should be obliged to go through, or the fatigue, thirst, hunger, and exposure that we were capable of enduring. To say that we have suffered extremely but half expresses my meaning. When we gave our services to our country, we did so with what we supposed was a correct understanding of the term "hard" usage; but I am prepared to make the statement now, that not one man, officer or private, had any idea of what we should be obliged to endure. From the hour that we embarked on board the steamer De Soto at New York up to the present time, we have known nothing but extreme privation and real suffering. When we arrived at New York, fatigued but not hungry, as the rations pressed upon us on the route were almost too generous, we were marched about four miles to the Astor House and took tea. After a rest of a few hours, we marched to the steamer, having been informed that our accommodations for sleeping (not having indulged in

that luxury for forty-eight hours) would be of the first class. We embarked about two o'clock, and, much to our disappointment, made the discovery that the accommodations for us were situated in two different parts of the ship the first in the hold, on damp straw and cannon balls, and the other on any part of the main deck not occupied by the horses of the Light Artillery. Of the two evils, your humble servant was very much exercised to judge which was the least. However, after risking my neck once or twice in descending the impromptu ladder affixed to the hatchway of the hold, I concluded to try my luck, for the first time in my life, on the main deck of a steamship at sea, on a cold, damp April night, with nothing to cover myself with but my military overcoat, and a coil of very strong hawser for a pillow. Being exceedingly fatigued I soon went to sleep, and only awoke the next morning to find that instead of refreshing myself with my nap, I had caught a bad cold, and was so stiff and exhausted that I could with much difficulty move at all. Here I commenced my first lesson in the real life of a soldier, and began to find out that it was not hardly so romantic and gay as it had been represented. Thinking that perhaps I might feel better after eating a good breakfast, I arose from my airy couch, and being already prepared in regard to dress, etc., combed my matted locks with my fingers, and proceeded aft for something to eat. After waiting about two hours I perceived strong indications of something being handed up the hatchway in the shape of provisions. Gracious Heavens a huge tin pan full of some kind of fried meat. A grand stampede was made by those not entirely prostrate by sea-sickness, myself among the number, and with both hands I succeeded in getting one small piece of meat and a handful of gravy. Coffee was served out in about the same manner, and those who were fortunate enough to have their tin dippers handy,

succeeded in getting some of the vilest stuff that ever disgraced a coffee-pot.

"Most of the men on board being very sea-sick, we had enough to go round; but the next meal, about five o'clock, P. M., some of the sick ones, unfortunately for the rest of us, had so far recovered as to put their hands into the huge mess kid, and we did not fare even so well as at our morning repast.

"Having eaten every thing we could get hold of, our next anxiety was in regard to a place to sleep again. I had fully made up my mind not to sleep on deck another night, and so began to look around for chances. The prospect seemed dreary indeed. The wind was blowing almost a gale, sea running very high, ship pitching and rolling, weather quite cold, decks covered with water, and no place to sleep. The horses occupied the entire sides of the deck, thus leaving no chance to get under the lee, out of the weather, and every available place in the ship filled to overflowing with fatigued, disgusted, and sea-sick men. However, being so fortunate as not to have the least sign of sea-sickness, I felt very well satisfied that I could find a place somewhere, and started on a prospecting tour. Discovering some of the men crawling into a window, I concluded to avail myself of the same opportunity, and I crawled in. Having got safely inside, I found it to be a large room occupied by the machinery of the steamer, and quite warm and comfortable; so I bunked down, with an iron piston rod working up and down on each side of my head, and my feet directly over the cylinder. These proving to be comfortable quarters, eight or ten of us occupied them the remainder of the trip.

"The living the next day was even worse than the first -the fresh provisions having given out; and so we were served with some of the finest salt horse ever put aboard a ship. But we were very fast arriving at that