Chapter XI (6)

The question of the future of cavalry is at present one of great interest among military investigators; for notwithstanding its brilliant achievements during our civil war, the fact is apparent that its sphere has been entirely changed, its old system has become obsolete, and former possibilities no longer lie within its scope. Since Waterloo there had not been, until our war commenced, any opportunity to test the action of cavalry; for its operations in the Crimea and in Italy were insignificant. The art of warfare had, meanwhile, in many respects, become revolutionized by the introduction of rifled arms. Military men waited, therefore, with interest, the experience of the war in this country, to judge from it as to the part cavalry was to perform in future warfare. That experience has shown that the day in which cavalry can successfully charge squares of infantry has passed. When the smooth-bore muskets alone were used by infantry, cavalry could be formed in masses for charging at a distance of five hundred yards; now the formations must be made at the distance of nearly a mile, and that intervening space must be passed at speed under the constant fire of cannon and rifles; when the squares are reached, the horses are frightened and blown, the ranks have been disordered by the impossibility of preserving a correct front during such a length of time at rapid speed, and by the loss of men; the charge breaks weakly on the wall of bayonets, and retires baffled. Infantry, before it learns its own strength and the difficulty of forcing a horse against a bayonet--or rather to trample down a man--has an absurd and unfounded fear of cavalry. This feeling was in part the cause of the panic among our troops at Bull Run--so much had been said about the Black Horse troop of the rebels. The Waterloo achievements of the French were then thought possible of repetition. Now adays it is hardly probable that the veteran infantry of either army would take the trouble to form squares to resist cavalry, but would expect to rout it by firing in line. Neither party in our war has been able to make its mounted forces effective in a general battle. Nothing has occurred to parallel, upon the battle field, those exploits of the cavalry--French, Prussian, and English--in the great wars of the last century, extending to Waterloo.

The enthusiastic admirers of cavalry still maintain that it is possible to repeat those exploits, even in face of the improved firearms now in use. All that is necessary, they say, is to have the cavalry sufficiently drilled. The ground to be crossed under a positively dangerous fire is only five hundred or six hundred yards, and once taught to continue the charge through the bullets for this distance, and then to throw themselves on the bayonets, horsemen will now, as heretofore, break the lines of infantry. All very true, _if_ cavalry to fulfil the conditions named can be obtained; but in _them_ lies the difficulty. Occasional instances of splendid charges will undoubtedly occur in future warfare; but it seems to be an established fact that the day for the glory of cavalry has passed. Once the mailed knight, mounted on his mailed charger, could overthrow by scores the poor, pusillanimous pikemen and crossbow men who composed the infantry; he was invulnerable in his iron armor, and could ride them down like reeds. But gunpowder and the bayonet have changed this; and now the most confident and domineering cavalryman will put spurs to his horse and fly at a gallop, if he sees the muzzle of an infantryman's rifle, with its glittering bayonet, pointed at him from the thicket.

Another revolution effected in the mounted service by the improvements in arms and the consequent changes of tactics, is the diminution of heavy and the increase of light cavalry--that is, the transfer of the former into the latter. These two denominations really include all kinds of cavalry, although the non-military reader may have been puzzled by the numerous subordinate denominations to be found in the accounts of European warfare--such as dragoons, cuirassiers, hussars, lancers, chasseurs, hulans, etc.

Heavy cavalry is composed of the heavier men and horses, and is usually divided into dragoons and cuirassiers. It is designed to act in masses, and to break the lines of an enemy by the weight of its charge. Usually, also, it has had some defensive armor, and is a direct descendant from the knights of the Middle Ages. But the cuirasses, which were sufficient to resist the balls from smooth-bore muskets, are easily penetrated by rifles. Consequently the occupation of this kind of cavalry is gone, and it is likely to disappear gradually from the service. In this country we have never had anything except light cavalry--the only kind adapted for use in our Indian warfare. This kind of cavalry is intended to accomplish results by the celerity of its movements, and all its equipments should therefore be as light as possible. The chief difficulty is to prevent the cavalry soldier from overloading his horse, as he has a propensity not only to carry a large wardrobe and a full supply of kitchen utensils, but also to 'convey,' in the language of Pistol, or, in army language, 'gobble up,' or, in plain English, steal anything that is capable of being fastened to his saddle.

It is evident that the efficiency of a cavalry soldier depends as much upon his horse as upon himself; and it is requisite, therefore, that the weight upon the horse should be as light as possible. The limit has been fixed at about two hundred pounds for light, and two hundred and fifty for heavy cavalry; but both of these are too much. A cavalry soldier ought not to weigh over one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty pounds, and his accoutrements not over thirty pounds additional; but in practice, scarcely any horse--except where the rider is a very light weight--carries less than two hundred and twenty or two hundred and thirty pounds. One great cause of the evils incident to our cavalry service is the excessive weight imposed on the horses. The French take particular pains in this respect; while in England the cavalry is almost entirely 'heavy,' and, though well drilled, is clumsy. John Bull, with his roast beef and plum pudding, makes a poor specimen of a light cavalryman. English officers are now endeavoring to revolutionize their mounted service, so as to diminish its weight and increase its celerity.

The _arms_ of cavalry have been various, but it is now well settled that its true weapon is the sabre, as its true form of operation is the charge. A great deal of ingenuity has been expended in devising the best form of sabre. Different countries have different patterns, but the one adopted in our army is very highly considered. It is pointed, so as to be used in thrusting; sharp on one edge for cutting; curved, so as to inflict a deeper wound; and the weight arranged, by a mathematical rule, so that the centres of percussion and of gravity are placed where the weapon may be most easily handled. The lance is a weapon very appropriate to light mounted troops, and is still used by some of the Cossacks and Arab horsemen. But to wield it effectively requires protracted training. For a long time in Europe it was the chief weapon for horsemen; with the knights it was held in exclusive honor, and continued in use for a considerable period after firearms had destroyed the prestige of the gentlemen of the golden spurs. Prince Maurice, of Orange, when he raised mounted regiments to defend the Netherlands against the Spanish, rejected it, and since his time it has become obsolete except in some regiments especially drilled to it. Such a regiment was raised in Philadelphia at the commencement of our war, but after eighteen months' experience the lances were abandoned. Besides the sabre, cavalry-men are armed with pistols or carbines--the men having the latter being employed particularly in skirmishing, sometimes on foot.

The proportion of mounted troops in an army varies according to the nature of the country which is the theatre of military operations. In a level country it should be about one fourth or one fifth, while in one that is mountainous, it should not be greater than a tenth. As a general rule, improvements in firearms have produced a decrease in the proportion of cavalry and lessened its importance. When artillery was introduced, the cavaliers, who composed the Middle Age armies exclusively, commenced to disappear; knighthood passed out of existence, being superseded by mercenary bands. Infantry gradually assumed importance, which has constantly increased, until it has now attained the vast predominance. This has not only caused a general diminution of the proportion of cavalry, but has entailed on the Governments of Europe the necessity of keeping their cavalry service always at its maximum, so that the mounted troops may be perfect in their drill; whereas infantry troops can acquire comparative proficiency in a few months.

We will give a brief description of the different classes of cavalry, and close our subject by some remarks on the operation of this arm of service in our civil war.

The regiments raised by Prince Maurice, of Orange, above referred to, were the first known as _cuirassiers_, on account of the cuirasses which they wore for defence. All defensive armor is now being laid aside.

_Dragoons_ originally were a class of soldiers who operated both on foot and mounted. They are supposed to take their name from a kind of firearm called a 'dragon.' In modern practice dragoons are almost entirely used as cavalry, and rarely have recourse to any extended service on foot. The denomination 'dragoons' has recently been abolished from our service.

_Carabineers_ were at first some Basque and Gascon horsemen in the French service, whose peculiarly distinguishing characteristic was a skilful use in the saddle of a short firearm.

_Hussars_ originated in Hungary, taking their denomination from the word _husz_, which signifies twenty, and _ar_, pay--every twentieth man being required by the state to enter into service. From their origin they were distinguished for the celerity of their movements and their devotion to fine costumes.

The _hulans_ were a species of Polish light cavalry, bearing lances, and taking their name from their commander--a nobleman named Huland.

_Chasseurs_ are French regiments, designed chiefly to act as scouts and skirmishers. The _chasseurs d'Afrique_ are cavalry which have been trained in Algeria, and have become exceedingly expert through conflicts with the Arabs. The _spahis_ are Arab cavalry, in the French service, and are such admirable riders that they will charge over all kinds of ground, and dash upon a foe who judges himself secure amid rocks or trees or ditches.

At the commencement of the war the rebel cavalry was superior to that furnished by the North. For this there were many reasons. Southern plantation life had accustomed the aristocratic youth to the saddle, and great attention was bestowed on the training of horses. At the North the number of skilled riders was comparatively few. Gradually, however, Northern energy, endurance, and patient discipline began to tell, and the time soon arrived when the Southern cavalry were invariably driven, especially in sabre charges, to which Southerners have great aversion. At present, on account of the scarcity of horses, the difficulty of supplying forage, and the loss of so many gay youths of the chivalry, the Southern, cavalry has dwindled into such a condition as to be no longer formidable.

The service of the cavalry in both armies during the war has been exclusively as light cavalry--scouting, picketing, raiding, etc. Its combats have been with forces of its own arm. No commander has yet succeeded in assisting to determine the issue of a pitched battle by the charges of his mounted troops. Our cavalry have rendered, however, brilliant and invaluable services in protecting the rear and flanks of the armies, and by their magnificent raiding expeditions into the enemy's country, destroying his supplies, injuring his communications, diverting his forces, and liberating his slaves. No sufficient accounts of such expeditions and of the numerous cavalry conflicts have been published; yet they are very desirable. They would furnish most interesting narratives, and be a valuable contribution not only to the history of the times, but to the history of warfare; for the operations of the cavalry in this war constitute a new era in the history of this branch of military service. Unless care is exercised to procure such narratives, our posterity will never know anything of many battle fields where fought and fell brave troopers from every Northern State.

The chief duties of officers belonging to the _corps of engineers_, when connected with an army acting in the field, are the supervision of routes of communication, the laying of bridges, the selection of positions for fortifications, and the indication of the proper character of works to be constructed. Should a siege occur, a new and very important class of duties devolves on them, relating to the trenches, saps, batteries, etc.

Not only is there in Virginia a lack of good roads, but the numerous streams have few or no bridges. In many cases where bridges have existed, one or the other of the contending armies has destroyed them to impede the march of its opponents. Streams which have an average depth of three or four feet are, however, generally without bridges, except where crossed by some turnpike, the common country roads mostly leading to fords. The famous Bull Run is an example. There were but two or three bridges over this stream in the space of country penetrated by the roads generally pursued by our army in advancing or retreating, and these have been several times destroyed and rebuilt. The stream varies from two to six feet in depth--the fords being at places of favorable depth, and where the bottom is gravelly and the banks sloping. Often such streams as this, and indeed smaller ones, become immensely swelled in volume by storms, so that a comparatively insignificant rivulet might greatly delay the march of an army, if means for quickly crossing should not be provided. The general depth of a ford which a large force, with its appurtenances, can safely cross, is about three feet, and even then the bottom should be good and the current gentle. With a greater depth of water, the men are likely to wet their cartridge boxes, or be swept off their feet. There is a small stream about three miles from Alexandria, crossing the Little River turnpike, which has never been bridged, and which was once so suddenly swollen by rain that all the artillery and wagons of a corps were obliged to wait about twelve hours for its subsidence. The mules of some wagons driven into it were swept away. Fords, unless of the best bottom, are rendered impassable after a small portion of the wagons and artillery of an army have crossed them--the gravel being cut through into the underlying clay, and the banks converted into sloughs by the dripping of water from the animals and wheels.

A very amusing scene was presented at the crossing of Hazel River (a branch of the Rappahannock) last fall, when the Army of the Potomac first marched to Culpepper. The stream was at least three feet deep, and at various places four--the current very rapid--the bottom filled with large stones, and the banks steep, except where a narrow road had been cut for the wagons. The men adopted various expedients for crossing. Some went in boldly all accoutred; some took off shoes and stockings, and carefully rolled up their trousers; others (and they were the wisest) divested themselves of all their lower clothing. The long column struggled as best it could through the water, and occasionally, amid vociferous shouts, those who had been careful to roll up their trousers would step into a hole up to the middle; others, who had taken still more precautions, would stumble over a stone and pitch headlong into the roaring waters, dropping their guns, and splashing vainly about with their heavy knapsacks, in the endeavor to regain a footing, until some of their comrades righted them; and others, after getting over safely, would slip back from the sandy bank, and take an involuntary immersion. Some clung to the rear of the wagons, but in the middle of the stream the mules would become fractious, or the wagon would get jammed against a stone, and the unfortunate passengers were compelled to drop off and wade ashore, greeted by roars of derisive laughter. On such occasions soldiers give full play to their humor. They accept the hardships with good nature, and make the best of any ridiculous incident that may happen. At the time referred to, many conscripts had just joined the ranks, and cries resounded everywhere among the old soldiers: 'Hello, conscripts, how do you like this?' 'What d'ye think of sogering now?' 'This is nothing. You'll have to go in up to yer neck next time.'

Generally, when the exigencies of the march will permit, bridges are made over such streams, either by the engineers of the army, or detachments from the various corps which are passing upon the roads. They are simple 'corduroy bridges,' and can be laid very expeditiously. Two or three piers of stones and logs are placed in the stream, string pieces are stretched upon them, and cross pieces of small round logs laid down for the flooring. The most extensive bridges of this kind used by the Army of the Potomac were those over the Chickahominy in the Peninsular campaign. 'Sumner's bridge,' by which reinforcements crossed at the battle of Fair Oaks, was laid in this manner. Of course such bridges are liable to be carried away and to be easily destroyed. Some of the bridges over the Chickahominy were laid much more thoroughly. 'Cribs' of logs were piled in cob-house fashion, pinned together, and sunk vertically in the stream. Then string pieces and the flooring were laid, the whole covered with brush and dirt. Men worked at these bridges up to the waist in water for many days in succession.

Military art has devised many expedients for bridging streams, and use is made of any facilities that may be at hand for constructing the means of passage; but the only organized bridge trains which move with the army are those which carry the pontoons. Of these there are various kinds, made of wood, of corrugated iron, and of india rubber stretched over frames. But the wooden pontoon boats are most in use. They can be placed in a river and the flooring laid upon them with great rapidity. Several very fine bridges have been thus constructed--among them may be mentioned the one at the mouth of the Chickahominy, across which General McClellan's army marched in retreating from Harrison's Landing. It was about a mile long, and was constructed in a few hours.

To cross a river under the fire of an enemy is one of the most difficult operations in warfare. Yet it has been frequently accomplished by our armies. The crossing of the Rappahannock by General Burnside's army, previous to the great battle of Fredericksburg, in December, 1862, is one of the most remarkable instances of the kind during the war. The rebel rifle pits lined the southern bank, and the fire from them prevented our engineers from approaching--the river being only about seventy-five yards wide. For a long time our artillery failed to drive the rebels away. About noon of the day on which the crossing was made, General Burnside ordered a concentration of fire on Fredericksburg, in the houses of which place the rebels had concealed their forces. A hundred guns, hurling shot and shell into every building and street of the city, soon riddled it; but the obstinate foes hid themselves in the cellars till the storm was over, and then emerged defiantly. They were only dislodged by sending over a battalion in boats to attack them in flank, when they retreated, and the bridges were laid.

It is impossible to explain in articles of this character the mysteries of intrenchment and fortification, so that they will be comprehensible. A few notes, however, on some of the principal terms constantly employed, may be found useful and interesting.

_Rifle pits_--as the term is now generally used--are small embankments, made by throwing up dirt from an excavation _inside_. They can be erected quickly, for it will be seen that those behind them have the advantage, not only of the height of the embankment, but also of the depth of the ditch. Thus an excavation of two feet would give a protection of _four_ feet. This is the ordinary rifle pit, but when time permits it receives many improvements.

_Breastworks_ are any erections of logs, dirt, etc., raised breast high, to shelter the men behind them.

An _abatis_ consists of obstructions placed in front of a work to form obstacles to a storming party. The most convenient method of forming it is to cut down trees and allow them to lie helterskelter. When there is time, the trees are laid with the butts toward the work, and the branches outward--the small limbs being removed, and the ends of the remainder sharpened.

A _redan_ is a letter V, with the point toward the enemy, and is used generally to cover the heads of bridges, etc.

A _lunette_ is the redan with flanking wings.

A _redoubt_ is an enclosed parallelogram.

These works are very imperfect, because they have exposed points. The angles are not protected by the fire from the sides. To remedy this difficulty, the next most usual work is the _star fort_, made in the form of a regular or irregular star. It will be perceived that the fire from the sides covers the angles.

The next and still more improved form of work is the bastioned fort, which consists of projecting bastions at the corners, the fire from which enfilades the ditches.

The following is a diagram of a vertical section of the parapet and ditch used in all fully constructed field works:

A B is the slope of the banquette.

B C head of the banquette, or place where the men stand to deliver
their fire.

C D the interior slope of the parapet.

D E superior slope of the same.

F G the berme, or place left to prevent the parapet from washing
down into the ditch.

G H the scarp or interior wall of the ditch.

H I the bottom of the ditch.

I K the counterscarp.

L M N the glacis, which, except the abatis near the ditch, is left
free and open, so as to expose the assailants to the fire from the
parapet.

The proportions and angles of all the lines given are fixed
according to mathematical rules.]

The operations of a siege present many incidents of great interest; but we can do nothing more in this article than illustrate the methods in which the approaches are made to the works the capture of which is designed. When reconnoissances have established the conclusion that the works of an enemy cannot be carried by assault, the lines of the investing army are advanced as near to them as is compatible with safety; advantage is then taken of the opportunities afforded by the ground to cover working parties, which are thrown forward to the place fixed for the first parallel; sometimes these parties can commence their work only at night. The parallel is only a deep trench with the dirt thrown toward the enemy; and after the excavation has progressed, the trench is occupied by parties of troops to resist any sorties of the enemy, and to prevent attempts against the batteries established behind the parallel.

The first parallel being completed, zigzag excavations are made toward the front to cover the passage of men who proceed to dig the second parallel. Meanwhile the batteries have commenced to play, and riflemen have been advanced in trenches at convenient places, whose fire annoys the gunners of the enemy. The second parallel being made, the batteries are moved up to it, and the third parallel is proceeded with in a manner similar to that used for the second.

We give below a rough diagram of these operations:

A B C D E is the work of the enemy to be besieged. The working parties advance by the zigzag paths M N and O to the position chosen for the first parallel, K L. At the proper time they proceed by the zigzag paths to the second parallel, H I, and then to the third, F G. When this is reached, the enemy's work can generally be carried by storm, unless already evacuated, for _ceteris paribus_ the advantages generally lie with the besieging party. The zigzags are called _boyaux_, and they are dug in the form represented, so that the bank of earth thrown up may be always in front of them. Were they in straight lines this could not be.

The above refers exclusively to the siege of a field work. The principles for besieging a walled fort or a fortified town are the same, but the operations are much more complicated.]

LITERARY NOTICES.

Popular Edition. RESULTS OF EMANCIPATION. By AUGUSTIN
COCHIN, Ex-Maire and Municipal Councillor of Paris. Work
crowned by the Institute of France (Académie Française). Translated
by MARY L. BOOTH, Translator of Count de Gasparin's work
on America, etc. Fourth thousand. Boston: Walker, Wise & Co., 245
Washington street. 1864.

A remarkable book, indicative of a new era in the discussion of social, religious, political, and economical questions. Prejudice, misstatement, and fanaticism are apparently so opposed to the clear, candid mind of the author, that he has needed no effort to avoid them, and in their stead give us simple truth, broad views of men and things, and the highest conceptions of duty and charity, together with the nicest consideration of the rights and material interests, even the local prejudices and misconceptions, of our fellow mortals. He shows clearly that a _moral_ wrong can never long tend to _material_ advantage, and that the laws of _society_ cannot be made ultimately to triumph over the laws of _nature_; neither, in general, can a wrong be righted without some suffering by way of expiation.

Although filled with statistical details, the work cannot fail to be intensely interesting to the general reader. Lofty, hopeful, rational, and yet progressive in its tone, it is calculated to do great good, not only through the useful information and instructive generalizations it makes known, but also as a model of right feeling, and consequent good breeding, in its peculiar sphere.

The chapters upon the sugar question are wonderfully lucid and convincing. Their bearing upon mooted points of political economy recommend them to the study of all interested in that intricate subject. The distressing relations necessarily existing between slavery and religious instruction are also plainly set forth, and the general conclusion of the book (that 'emancipation' is not only possible, but most expedient, and that, with certain care upon the part of the Government and of slave owners, an immediate and simultaneous liberation is likely to breed fewer disturbances and less evil than gradual disenthralment) seems to be rapidly gaining ground in the convictions of our own countrymen. The conscience, and prophetic dreams of priests, women, and poets, have long given assurance of such results, but the world, of course, required definite experience and practical essays before instituting any extensive course of action in that direction.

'A council held in the city of London in 1102, under the presidency
of St. Anselm, interdicted trade in slaves. This was eight hundred
years before the same object was debated in the same city before
Parliament. In 1780, Thomas Clarkson proposed to abolish the slave
trade. In 1787, Wilberforce renewed the proposition. Seven times
presented from 1793 to 1799, the bill seven times failed.
Successively laid over, it triumphed at length in 1806 and 1807.
All the Christian nations followed this memorable example. At the
Congress of Vienna, all the Powers pledged themselves to unite
their efforts to obtain _the entire and final abolition of a
traffic so odious and so loudly reproved by the laws of religion
and nature_. The slave trade was abolished in 1808 by the American
United States; in 1811, by Denmark, Portugal, and Chili; in 1813,
by Sweden; in 1814 and 1815, by Holland; in 1815, by France; in
1822, by Spain. In this same year, 1822, Wilberforce attacked
slavery after the slave trade, and won over public opinion by
appeals and repeated meetings, while his friend Mr. Buxton proposed
emancipation in Parliament. The Emancipation Bill was presented in
1833. On the 1st of August, 1834, slavery ceased to sully the soil
of the English colonies. In 1846, Sweden, in 1847, Denmark,
Uruguay, Wallachia, and Tunis, obeyed the same impulse, which
France followed in 1848, Portugal in 1856, and which Holland
promised to imitate in 1860. An earnest movement agitated Brazil.'

In Poland, the serfdom of the peasants was never sanctioned by law, but existed in later times by reason of exception and abuse. Stanislas Leszczynski, King of Poland, in 1720 raised his voice in favor of the peasant population; the same principles were in 1768 defended, sword in hand, by the Confederation of Bar, discussed in the diets of 1776, 1780, 1788, and finally adopted by the famous Constituent Assembly of 1791. Thadeus Kosciuszko (May 7th, 1794), then Dictator of Poland, issued a document giving entire personal liberty to all serfs; and on the 22d of January, 1863, the members of the 'National Polish Government' decreed that the peasants were not only free, but were entitled to a certain portion of land, of which they should be the sole proprietors. In 1861, Russia emancipated all serfs within her borders. In the United States, the stern 'logic of events' seems to be rapidly bringing about similar results, although indeed 'slavery' and 'serfdom' should never be mentioned together, being so essentially different; the one the possession of the _man_, the other merely the ownership of his _labor_ or of a _portion of its results_.

We cannot better conclude than by giving the following extract from the Introduction of M. Cochin, who, by the way, is a man of good family and ample fortune, an eminent publicist, and a Catholic of the school of Lacordaire, Montalembert, Monseigneur d'Orleans, and the Prince de Broglie:

'It was once exclaimed, Perish the colonies, rather than a
principle! The principle has not perished, the colonies have not
perished.

'It is not correct that interests should yield to principles;
between legitimate interests and true principles, harmony is
infallible; this is truth. Those who look only to interests are
sooner or later deceived in their calculations; those who,
exclusively occupied with principles, are generous without being
practical, cease to be generous, for they lead the cause which they
serve to certain destruction. It is the will of God that realities
should mingle with ideas, and that material obstacles should compel
the purchase of progress by toil.'

The publishers tell us that, a large demand for this work having arisen, they have issued this 'popular edition,' wherein the figures in the original are given as nearly as possible in the American currencies, measures, etc.

STUMBLING BLOCKS. By GAIL HAMILTON, Author of
'Country Living and Country Thinking,' 'Gala Days,' etc. Boston:
Ticknor & Fields, For sale by D. Appleton & Co., New York.

Gail Hamilton's religious position gives her vast advantages. She is thoroughly orthodox, Calvinistic, and Congregational, and being neither Unitarian nor Catholic, will not be regarded as one of the 'Suspect' by the great community of the so-called evangelical Christians. But she is a bold, independent thinker, and spurns the trammels of bigotry and prescription. No party spirit blinds her clear vision, no sectarian prejudice vitiates her statements of the creeds of others, or induces her to veil the faults and follies of those worshipping in the same church with herself. Ministers are by no means immaculate saints in her eyes. Seating herself in the pews, she preaches better sermons to them than they are in the habit of giving to their people; taking possession of their pulpits, she shows them what might and ought to be done from that throne of power. Petty vanities, subjective experiences recorded in morbid journals, religious frames of mind frequently dwelt upon until the tortured self-watcher is driven into insanity, fall under her scathing rebuke.

This volume deals chiefly with the shortcomings of the orthodox religious world. Its faults of temper, its repulsive manners, its custom of making home unlovely, its distaste of innocent amusement, its habits of censure, its self-sufficiency and pharisaical character, are touched with a caustic but healing power. Only the hand of a friend could have done this thing. No point of doctrine is questioned, no principle of faith invaded, no charity wounded. She probes in love--her object is cure. This book is fresh and vigorous, worth thousands of lifeless sermons and unprofitable religious journals. No prejudice or falsehood is spared, though it may have taken refuge in the very sanctuary. Her every shaft is well directed, every arrow powerfully sent, every shot strikes the bull's eye in its centre. Her words are hailstones rattling fell and fast, but melt into and soften the heart on which they fall. Delusions disappear, cant and want of courtesy become odious, shams grow shameful, while all lovely things bloom lovelier in the light of truth emanating from this large brain, and poured through this living heart. We bask in its sunshine, growing strong and happy as we read. Christian fervor and charity, love for Redeemer and redeemed, for saint and sinner, cheer us through all these well-deserved denunciations. Her style is clear and rapid, her matter of daily and urgent import, her characterizations of classes and types of men worthy of La Bruyère himself, her satire melts into humor, her humor into pathos. She has been attacked by some of the religious papers, and has herein taken a true Christian and magnanimous revenge. O Gail! the clergy should open wide their hearts to take you in, their gifted child, the iconoclast within the temple, the faithful disciple of Christ, the lover of purity and truth!

We quote the following brave words from this remarkable book:

'We sometimes see religious newspapers charging each other with
acts which should exclude the perpetrators from the fraternity of
_honest_ men; for, through the medium of religious newspapers, one
church, or one fraction of a church, or one ecclesiastical body, or
one member of it, accuses another of an act, or a course of action,
which, in sober truth, amounts to nothing more or less than
_obvious, persistent deception, dishonesty and trickery_.... Can
such be correct transcripts of facts? Is it true that a church, or
any body corporate, whose very existence as such is professedly to
cultivate and disseminate the principles of sound morality and true
religion, does fall so far short of the faith delivered to the
saints--does so far forget its origin, and pervert its aims, as to
violate common law and common honesty, and persist in its
violation, deliberately, against repeated remonstrances, by sheer
force? Yet we see no convulsion in the community. Nothing intimates
that a great grief is fallen upon Israel. Everybody eats, drinks,
and sleeps as usual. The pulpits still stand, and the law and the
gospel are appealed to from that vantage ground. The sacramental
cup is still raised to devout lips. The gray heads of the culprits
still go in and out among the people with no diminishing of
honor--no odium is attached to their persons; no stigmas to their
names. What a state of things does this argue! A whole church
plunges into darkness, and the

'Majestic heaven
Shines not the less for that one vanished star.'

'Can we wonder that the world will not let itself be converted? To
what should it be converted, if it were willing? Would it be an
advance for a community that sends its thieves to prison when it
catches them to merge itself in a community that is content to
print a few columns of _exposé_ on the subject? If the stream where
you wish to drink is muddy, you will scarcely find clear waters by
descending. You want to go up, not down; up on the high lands where
threads of crystal cleave the gray old rocks, and gather purity
from earth's deep bosom and the sky's clear blue.

'If it is not so, if the acts only appear dishonest because we are
looking at one side, why do we not say so, or why do we say
anything about it? Every man is to be held innocent till he is
proved guilty. If there is any standpoint from which we can view
our opponent's position and find it not dishonest, we ought to
mention it. We have no right to look at him from _a_ standpoint,
and hold him up to view as a criminal, and ignore _another_, from
which he may be seen as simply mistaken, or deceived, or blameless.
Still less have we a right to take innocent facts and construct
upon them a guilty hypothesis to suit our foregone conclusion. A
_right_ to do it? _It is sin_. _It is more than murder_. It may rob
a man of what is more precious to him than his life. It attempts to
take away from a man what, taken, would leave him stripped of his
manhood, and a man's manhood is worth more to him and his friends
than his bone and muscle.'

Ah, Gail, thy keen aim has indeed struck the pupil of the bull's eye! If false statements of varying dogmas were held 'as criminal as they undoubtedly are,' if they were never viewed from 'foregone conclusions,' sects would perish in the death of misconceptions, and warring Christians would rush into each other's arms with the joy-cry, 'Brothers!' Through the misstatements of centuries, the good Protestant minister regards the Catholic priest, ready as he may be to die for the faith of his fathers, as a _wilful liar_, a _conscious deceiver_, selling the souls of his flock for a Judas bribe; while the equally good priest, in his turn, looks upon the conscientious minister as a despiser of authority, an enemy of the Church of Christ, refusing to hear what he believes to be its undoubted teachings, a blind man, leading the blind into the pit of perdition. The men may be both right from the standpoint of their 'foregone conclusions,' both wrong from the standpoint of fact. And so it goes on, through all the lesser sectarian divisions. Everywhere misstatement, misconception, and smouldering hatred. The first step to reconciliation among the antagonistic members of Christ's torn body, would be to put into instantaneous practice the wise, sound, and just maxims of Gail Hamilton. Let us begin it, lovers of truth and justice!

THE MAINE WOODS. By HENRY D. THOREAU, Author of
'A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers,' 'Walden,'
'Excursions,' etc. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. For sale by D.
Appleton & Co., New York.

The first of the papers contained in this book was published in 'The Union Magazine;' the second, 'Chesuncook,' came out in the 'Atlantic Monthly,' in 1858; the last is now for the first time printed. The contents of the volume are as follows: Ktaadn, Chesuncook, The Allegash and East Branch; in the Appendix we have Trees, Flowers, and Shrubs, List of Plants, List of Birds, Quadrupeds, Outfit for an Excursion, and a List of Indian Words. Henry D. Thoreau was an enthusiastic lover of nature, but no blind adorer of her loveliness. He knew her in all her moods, was familiar with all her caprices. He was a man of strong brain, and of accurate knowledge in such fields as it pleased him to study. The woods have never before had such an accurate biographer, such a true painter. He saw them with the eye of the poet as well as that of the naturalist. Scholarship and imagination roam with him in the primeval forests. After the most accurate and detailed description of a moose which had been killed by his Indian guide, this anti-sentimentalist, but true forest lover says: 'Here, just at the head of the murmuring rapids, Joe now proceeded to skin the moose with a pocket knife, while I looked on; and a tragical business it was--to see that still warm and palpitating body pierced with a knife, to see the warm milk stream from the rent udder, and the ghastly naked red carcass appearing from within its seemly robe, which was made to hide it.' There is no joy of the hunter here! The words are as 'tragical' and tender as were those of the melancholy Jaques. That 'warm milk and rent udder' seems to make the stately creature half human. He proceeds:

'But on more accounts than one, I had had enough of moose hunting.
I had not come to the woods for this purpose, nor had I foreseen
it, though I had been willing to learn how the Indian manoeuvred;
but one moose killed was as good, if not as bad, as a dozen. The
afternoon's tragedy and my share in it, as it affected the
_innocence_, destroyed the _pleasure_ of my adventure. This hunting
of the moose merely for the satisfaction of killing him--not even
for the sake of his hide--without making any extraordinary exertion
or running any risk yourself, is too much like going out by night
to some woodside pasture and shooting your neighbor's horses. These
are God's own horses, poor timid creatures, that will run fast
enough as soon as they smell you, though they are _nine_ feet high
(often eleven, with the antlers).... You strip off its hide,
because that is the common trophy, and moreover you have heard it
may be sold for mocassons--cut a steak from its body, and leave the
huge carcass 'to smell to heaven' for you. It is no better, at
least, than to assist at a slaughter house. This afternoon's
experience suggested to me how base or coarse are the motives which
commonly carry men into the wilderness. The explorers and lumberers
generally are hirelings, paid so much a day for their labor, and as
such they have no more love for wild nature than wood sawyers have
for forests. Other white men and Indians who come here are for the
most part hunters, whose object is to slay as many moose and other
wild animals as possible. But pray, could not one spend some weeks
or years in the solitude of this vast wilderness with other
employments than these--employments perfectly sweet, innocent, and
ennobling? For one that comes with a pencil to sketch or sing, a
thousand come with an axe or rifle. What a coarse and imperfect use
Indians and hunters make of nature! No wonder that their race is so
soon exterminated. I already, and for weeks afterward, felt my
nature the coarser for this part of my woodland experience, and was
reminded that our life should be lived as tenderly and daintily as
one would pluck a flower.'

Again:

'As I sat before the fire on my fir-twig seat, without walls above
or around me, I remembered how far on every hand that wilderness
stretched, before you came to cleared or cultivated fields, and
wondered if any bear or moose was watching the light of my fire;
for nature looked sternly upon me on account of the _murder of the
moose_.

'Strange that so few ever come to the woods to see how the pine
lives and grows and spires, lifting its ever-green arms to the
light--to see its perfect success; but most are content to behold
it in the shape of many broad boards brought to market, and deem
_that_ its true success. But the pine is no more lumber than man
is, and to be made into boards and houses is no more its true and
highest use, than the truest use of a man is to be cut down and
made into manure. There is a higher law affecting our relation to
pines as well as to men. A pine cut down, a dead pine, is no more a
pine than a dead human carcass is a man. Can he who has discovered
only some of the values of whalebone and whale oil be said to have
discovered the true use of the whale? Can he who slays the elephant
for his ivory be said to have 'seen the elephant'? These are petty
and accidental uses; just as if a stronger race were to kill us in
order to make buttons and flageolets of our bones; for everything
may serve a lower as well as a higher use. Every creature is better
alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who
understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy
it.

'Is it the lumberman, then, who is the friend and lover of the
pine, stands nearest to it, and understands its nature best? Is it
the tanner who has barked it, or he who has boxed it for
turpentine, whom posterity will fable to have changed into a pine
at last? No! no! it is the poet; he it is who makes the truest use
of the pine--who does not fondle it with an axe, nor tickle it with
a saw, nor stroke it with a plane--who knows whether its heart is
false without cutting into it--who has not bought the stumpage of
the town on which its stands. All the pines shudder and heave a
sigh when _that_ man steps on the forest floor. No, it is the poet,
who loves them as his own shadow in the air, and lets them stand. I
have been into the lumber yard, the carpenter's shop, the tannery,
the lamp-black factory, and the turpentine clearing; but when at
length I saw the tops of the pines waving and reflecting the light
at a distance over all the rest of the forest, I realized that the
former were not the highest use of the pine. It is not their bones
or hide or tallow that I love most. It is the living spirit of the
tree, not its spirit of turpentine, with which I sympathize, and
which heals my cuts. It is as immortal as I am, and, perchance, may
go to as high a heaven, there to tower above me still.'

Reader, was not this man a nature lover, a nature limner, worthy to take his place among our Giffords, Whittredges, McEntees, Bierstadts, and Beards? Truly original, natural, and American, who among our descriptive writers can surpass H. D. Thoreau?

PRIMARY LESSONS FOR DEAF MUTES. By J. A. JACOBS,
A. M., Principal of the Kentucky Institution for the Education of
Deaf Mutes. New York: John F. Trow, Printer & Publisher, 50 Greene
street, between Broome & Grand. 1864.

An excellent little work, intended to impart some of the rudimentary branches of learning to that interesting class of our fellow beings who can neither speak nor hear. Every effort made for their instruction should be cordially welcomed, for sad indeed is their position, and very difficult the discovery of means to reach and develop their often very bright intelligence. These lessons can be used by parents, guardians, or elder brothers and sisters, before the deaf-mute child is old enough to send to a regular institution. They are divided into two parts, bound in separate little volumes, and _filled_ with cuts illustrating the text--or rather, the text, as is proper in such a work, illustrates the cuts, which occupy the larger portion of the book. Teachers cannot but find these aids of incalculable value.

THE RELATIONS OF THE INDUSTRY OF CANADA WITH THE MOTHER COUNTRY
AND THE UNITED STATES. Being a Speech by ISAAC
BUCHANAN, Esq., M. P., as delivered at the late Demonstration
to the Parliamentary Opposition at Toronto; together with a series
of Articles in defence of the National Sentiments contained
therein, which originally appeared in the columns of the _Hamilton
Spectator_, from the pen of Mr. Buchanan; to which is added a
Speech delivered by him at the Dinner given to the Pioneers of
Upper Canada, at London, Canada West, 10th December, 1863. Now
first published in complete and collected form, with copious Notes
and Annotations, besides an extended Introductory Explanation, and
an Appendix containing various valuable Documents. Edited by
HENRY J. MORGAN, Corresponding Member of the New York
Historical Society, and Author of 'Sketches of Celebrated
Canadians.' Montreal: Printed by John Lovell, St. Nicholas. 1864.

We recommend this book to such of our readers as may be interested in political economy, not as sound in theory, but as containing a vast array of facts and giving considerable information with regard to the internal affairs of our neighbor Canada. The Reciprocity Treaty comes in for its share of consideration. Mr. Buchanan is a Protectionist, and uses the arguments of his party with considerable ability. The question of annexation is also incidentally touched upon. We do not know that we can give our readers a better idea of the contents and policy of this book than by placing the dedication before them.

'To the leaders of the forthcoming Party of Order, I dedicate these
pages, because I feel that the province is at the winning or the
losing, and that we shall hereafter have to hail you as the honored
instruments of our Political and Industrial salvation.

'In Mr. Buchanan's Letter to the Editor of the Globe, assuring him
publicly that Mr. Buchanan and all his friends, as in the Past, so
in the Future, would be found opponents to the death of Annexation,
and not its friends, as that journal basely insinuated, he states
that he is of no party, though reluctantly compelled to be in
opposition to the present ministry in consequence of their acts,
Executive as well as Legislative; but that he is of a class far
more numerous than the 'thick and thin' adherents of either of the
present _soi-disant_ parties. Those alluded to by Mr. Buchanan will
form a new party--the Party of Order, which will probably be called
the 'Constitutional Party'--its platform being broad enough to hold
all who value and respect the time-honored Constitution, whether
they be original Reformers or Conservatives in name. The new Party
of Order will comprise these elements:

'First. Conservative Liberals, or old Reformers, who have been
taught by experience, and are willing now to adopt the word
'Conservative,' at least in its adjective sense.

'Secondly. Liberal Conservatives, or old Tories, or their
descendants, who have also been taught by experience, and are
willing to adopt the word 'Liberal,' at least in its adjective
sense.

'Thirdly. Conservatives, and Conservative Liberals, who have
unwittingly been mingled up with the incendiary party, composed of
'Clear Grits' and 'Rouges.'

'And that in your discussions on the great question of the
Reciprocity Law, now about to agitate both Canada and the United
States, these pages may be of some service, is the fond hope of
your obedient servant,
'THE EDITOR.'

FAMILY PRIDE. By the Author of 'Pique.' Philadelphia: T.
B. Peterson & Brothers, 306 Chestnut street.

Family Pride is a novel of still greater interest than 'Pique.' The plot is well conceived, the characters skilfully developed, and the attention is fascinated even to the end. The moral is unexceptionable, the style fresh and pure. We must however enter an earnest protest against the manifest injustice of the closing sentence, where the talented author has gone out of his way to find a blot for his book, the only stain upon his fair pages. It reads thus: 'After a variety of vicissitudes, she had embraced the Romish faith: that religion which relieves from all personal responsibility in spiritual matters; and which teaches that earthly penance and ascetic observances will open the gates of heaven to the vilest of criminals.' We have studied Westminster, Episcopal, and Catholic catechisms, the teachings in all three of which are that faith in Christ and sorrow for and renunciation of sin alone can open the gates of heaven. We regard it as the duty of a conscientious reviewer to point out an erroneous statement wherever it occurs, whether in regard to the faith of Protestants, Catholics, Hebrews, Mohammedans, Fire Worshippers, or any other classes of men whatsoever. Misstatement has caused an immense deal of bloodshed and bitterness among Christians. The walls of Zion must be built of the stones of truth.

THE TANNER BOY, AND HOW HE BECAME LIEUTENANT-GENERAL. By
MAJOR PENNIMAN. 'The boy is father to the man.' Fifth
thousand. Boston: Roberts Brothers, publishers, 143 Washington
street. 1864.

A lively account of the boyhood and subsequent career of one likely to be famous in American history. The nation's eyes are at this moment turned hopefully upon the result of Gen. Grant's campaign in Virginia, and all will be glad to learn that his previous life offers so fair and pleasant a record. One observation, however, we feel called upon to make to the entertaining Major: the youth of America should be taught to love, to live for, and, if need be, to die for their country; but they should also be taught to shun narrow exclusiveness and boastful vanity. A government of a whole people should in this respect set a noble example to all other nations.