236                THE WISCONSIN FARMER.      I



up a devouring fire upon his men, he wheeled
his horse and drove at full gallop upon their



levelled muskets.  A few of his guards, that
never allowed that white plume to leave their
sight, charged after him. Without waiting to
count his foes, he seized his bridle in his teeth
and with his pistol in one hand and his drawn
sword in the other, burst in headlong fury up-
on them, and scattered them as a hurricane
had swept by. Murat was a thunderbolt on that
day, and the deeds that were wrought by him
wiUl furnish themes for the poet and the painter.
  Ere the end of this dreadful war, we shall
doubtless have heroes of our own to honor with
recitals as daring and sublime as any that &ave
haloed the history of the past. God grant that
the greatest achievements of the war may be
on the side of the Right!



  NEWS SUMMARY.

      NATIONAL AFFAIRS.

  There is yet vitality in the army. Blanks
has made a successful push into the Red River
region. Grant, routing the enemy at Port
Gibson, pushed eastward and captured Jack-
son, then following the railroad to Vicksburg,
after five pitched battles and five decisive vic-
tories over the forces of Gens. Johnston and
Pemberton, invested that stronghold of the
rebellion, taking 10,000 prisoners and more
than 100 pieces of heavy artillery.
  Stirring events in the East give evidence that
something is likewise to be expected in that
quarter.  Gen. Hooker is now known to have
battered the enemy across the Rappahannocl
very severely, to have killed and wounded
some 18,000 of his men, to have captured
5,000 prisoners, and but for the shameful fail
ure of the 11th corps, would undoubtedly have
vanquished them completely. This failure,
however, so disconcerted his plans and forced
him into disadvantageous ground that it wal
deemed best to recross the river, where it would
be easier to prepare for an irresistible advance
The skill with which Hooker handled his troop
       :_  * ^1._ t_ 1 ^of       2 t 9A d Ad



Iin the xeaeux-u ens5s-L --. -- ---



and the cool courage manifested by him, have
nspired confidence in his future, notwithstand-



But why should we suffer these repeated
failures? That is a question we would put di-
rectly to the powers that be. We have men
enough for an army whose march should be
resistless and overwhelming. Wh-. then, this
piece-meal slaughter of our brave c&tizen sol-
liery ? Why not raise an army so large as to
move upon the enemy like an avelanche, crush-
ing him once and forever?  Why not have
lone this at first?
  But of what use are these regrets! We are
somehow, doubtless, under the general guid-
ance of Providence, and, if the wsar is not
managed in our way, let us hope that it will,
at last, be terminated in God's way. Ile may
have grander results in view than we have-
let us hope a more enduring basis for our free
institutions than we would have builded for
ourselves.
  E%-Congressman Vallandingham, for violent
and defiant speec.es against the war and the
Government, has been court martialed by order
of Gen. Burnside, and sentenced to be sent
south.

          FOREIGN NEWS.

  Mlatters in England are looking better. The
people are more and more disposed to range
themselves on the side of justice and good gov-
ernment, aud the c.0,inct are compelled by the
power of a more Christian public sentiment
than they possess themselves to assume a more
reasonable attitude towards this country. 'Mr.
Seward and 31r. Adams are deserving of cred-
it tor the able and prudent manner in which
they have managed the important and delicate
questions which have several times threatened
to involve us in a foreign war.
  The Polish insurrection still goes forward,
and there is an evident disposition on the part
of France and other powers to take sides with



the Poles. The Emperor Alexander manifests
a disposition to deal moderately with the in-
surrectioniste, however, and it is not unlikely



__ _



I -



1-



i



ng his temporary rebuff.



  .Luu - v... ...... --__ -.- * -_ -_
and there is an evident disposition on the P.i
of France and other powers to take sides with I I  t