mornin’, though? We all laid down with our eyes 
skinned mor’n an hour, till they thought we was 
gone, when they come out of their holes, and gin 
ns the only right good chance we had at them.” I 
give the above as a fair sample of the work of the 
sharpshooters in front of our line of battle for three 
days. I never saw their regiment together? they 
were in squads of from two or three to a dozen, and 
never idle. They looked like business men, who 
felt that the advance of a great army had been 
placed in their keeping. Rebel bones on those scat¬ 
tered hills will tell for years to come how faithfully 
their work was done. 
Spherical Case are large hollow shells filled with 
bullets, and a small charge of powder just sufficient 
to burst the shell without greatly scattering the con¬ 
tents. A fuse is attached as in the bomb. It is used 
in battles, on the field, to discharge among masses 
of men, and often makes fearful havoc. The Carcass 
is a shell filled with somo highly inflammable com¬ 
pound, and pierced with several holes. It Is ignited 
by a lose, and tbe Dailies from the ingredients set 
fire to any combustible material around it. Round 
shot heated red hot, and thin iron shells filled with 
/tfStMi-i*' melted iron, are also thrown 
- into towns, ships, etc., to set 
them on fire. Th a Hand Qre- 
fi pp r- .M nade (Fig. 9,) is a small thin 
fe 8 hell tilled with halls and povv- 
der, and fitted with a fuse. 
When used, the fuse is lighted, 
I' n} - - 1 - and the grenade thrown by 
hand. It is used in attacking forts, vessels, etc., at 
that now upon the Mississippi under Com. Foote, 
are of extraordinary size, and the greatest care has 
been exercised in their construction. Readers of 
the Rural will find in another column an interest¬ 
ing sketch of a few experiments in firing these huge 
guns. 
Inauguration of Jefl‘. Davis*.—His Inaugural. 
The birthday of Washington was marked at 
Richmond by the induction of Jefferson Davis to 
the Presidency of the so-called Confederate States. 
Ills Inaugural address,— which we give as a chap¬ 
ter in the history of the present rebellion,—will 
command the admiration of such pious rogues as 
consider the aping of sanctity man’s highest end 
and aim. It possesses the genuine drawl of the 
religions pretender — the real whine and snivel. It 
reads thus: 
Fellow Citizens: — C)u this the birthday of the 
man most identified with the establishment of 
American Independence, and beneath the monu¬ 
ment erected to commemorate his heroic virtues 
and those of his compatriots, wo have assembled to 
usher into existence the permanent government of 
the Confederate States. Through this instrumental¬ 
ity, under the favor of Divine I’rovideuce. we hope 
to perpetuate the principles of our revolutionary 
fathers. The day, the memory, and the purpose, 
seem fitly associated. 
comrade fitly rods to bis rear, with the aid o( our 
reconnoitering ui^ht glass, and another comrade the 
same distance in front, so that we need have no 
difficulty in comprehending that they belong to a 
line of pickets which si l et lies far away from the 
approaches of Leesburg t<> the shore ot the Potomac 
below Alexandria—a line of on posts averaging 
from one to three miles in advance of those white 
tents which render still whiter the snow-clad plains 
of Virginia. The man we first see is a picket on his 
post—a number two man, rear rank of the fourth 
group of the. first section of the second platoon of 
Company C, fill) regiment. ( You may see from Ibis 
statement what a military nomenclature the man 
will die in if lie should be so unfortunate as to be 
shot!) We perceive that he wears huge boots, a 
huge overcoat, huge comforters around his neck, 
and is, on the whole, so well provided with clothing 
that his mere personnel would prove him no frieud 
of the liatless and coatless prophets of the bogus 
Confederacy, llisgun is carried at secure arms," 
out of respect for a mist in the air, but his eyes move 
rapidly from one point to another, so that it would 
be quite useless for a rebel to attempt to sneak upon 
him unuwares. lie is especially attentive to a thickly 
wooded knoll half a mile to the south-west of his 
post; for it is there, he can toll you, that, one of his 
most respected com ratios was shot,, only three nights 
ago, by a prowling secessionist, while carelessly 
strolling about, and he himself is determined not to> 
Fro. 2 — A Howitzer. 
The Howitzer is a form of ordnance attached to a 
carriage, and used in the field for throwing shells. 
It was first used in Germany after the introduction 
ut the Mortar, and has been much improved by both 
Germans and Euglish. Howitzers are short and 
light, and are especially adapted for mountain and 
active service in the field. Chambers are provided 
for tbe reception of the cartridge of less diameter 
than that of the bore of the piece where the ball or 
shell is received. 
Hark! hark! tis tlio shout of the nation rings out, 
And the soul of her song like an ocean is swelling; 
On the dream 
Of her night 
Breaks a beam 
Of the light, 
And tier weary, wan watchers of morning are telling; 
From the sea to tlio lakes 
Every freeman awakes 
To hail the bright morn of her might as it. breaks, 
And shout by the banner that Treason forsakes— 
1 The Union—Now and Forever!’” 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., MARCH 15, 1862, 
THE WAR’S PROGRESS 
alone remaining to discharge the gun. Ready! 1 
Fire! A deafening concussion, and in an instant 
the huge shell was seen mounting lit the air with a 
magnificent curve, and its terrible roar gradually 
diminishing as its distance from us rapidly increased. 
It may have risen to the height, of half a mile, and 
was almost lost to view before it began to make its 
descending curve. 
On its disappearance our eyes were eagerly 
directed to the river’s level to mark its fall. It was 
wonderful to wait so long, the seconds lengthening 
out, as it seemed, to minutes. The suspense was 
relieved by the sudden shooting up from the water’s 
line ol a white column of spray far down the Mis¬ 
sissippi, and, as it was estimated, two miles and a 
half away from us. The mortar-boat was scarcely 
moved by the explosion, and the mortar-carriago 
recoiled but two or three inches. This was very 
encouraging. 
The second experiment was made with twenty 
pounds of powder, Capt. Constable again discharg¬ 
ing the gun. The concussion was terrific. Some 
distance in the rear of the boat, where I was stand¬ 
ing, it was not painful, but those who remained 
alonsidc and in the boat were considerably shocked. 
The shell rose beautifully, mounting higher in the 
air, and at the expiration of 294 seconds, struck the 
water at an estimated distance of three miles. This 
concussion showed itself very palpably upon the 
boat. The hatchway coverings in the front part were 
lifted off, and in some eases broken and split, while 
the boat itself recoiled some two or three feet, and 
penetrated the soft bank of the river. 
Experiment number three was made with the full 
charge of twenty-three pounds ot powder. The 
time ot the flight of the ball was thirty-one seconds, 
and the distance three and a half miles. The recoil 
of the gun carriage was about two feet, and the 
effect of tbe concussion upon the loose wooden 
work of the boat was the same as in the previous 
shot. 
Experiment number four gave results similar to 
number three, Capt. Paulding, of the gunboat St. 
Louis, discharging the gun in tbe place of Capt. 
Constable. Capt. Paulding describes the concus¬ 
sion as very stunning and painful, and thinks it 
could not be endured within the bulwarks of the 
mortar boat by any mau for more than eight or ten 
consecutive shots. 
The second day’s trial demonstrated that the 
recoil of the boat was altogether lateral, and not. 
perpendicular, as it was feared it would be. It also 
shows that the iron bulwarks render the concussion 
more severe than it would be without them, and 
that, if they are permitted to remain, some plan will 
have to be devised by which the gunners at each 
discharge may get outside of them. Illustrating 
the effects of the concussion, is the circumstance 
Picketing nnd its Duties.—No. I. 
The New York Evening Post is publishing a 
very interesting series of articles concerning “ Life 
in the Army,” and among the later essays, entitled 
“ Scenes at the Outposts,” is one descriptive of the 
duties devolving upon the Picket Guard. This por¬ 
tion of the army has been, frequently mentioned in 
the telegraphic dispatches, and as few civilians are 
aware of the importance attached to a thorough per¬ 
formance of all the responsibilities devolving on the 
“ Pickets,” their difficulties, dangers, etc., we give 
such space to the subject as we can spare at present, 
and will probably publish the concluding portion in 
our next issue: 
The Picket's Choice.—“To shoot your enemy 
or to be shot by him, is the only choice you have in 
picketing,” said a sergeant one night to a picket he 
was posting. “Here are you, here , and there are 
the rebels, there. If you get a crack at them first, 
all right; but if they get, a shot at you first, then 
look out. for thunder!” The ambiguous declaration 
of consequences aside, the remark of the sergeant 
reveals the whole philosophy of picketing. To 
avoid being shot or surprised, and, perhaps, to 
shoot or surprise his rebellious neighbor opposite, 
is the basis of all the picket's cunning stratagems, 
sly watchings, crafty sneakings, and other maneu¬ 
vers. His entire service is rendered under the 
stern law of meum vs. tuum, with his life as the 
stake. 
The Link of Outposts.— The principles of pick¬ 
eting are the same throughout our entire army. As 
in a forward movement into the enemy’s country, 
the commander throws out a body of skirmishers in 
advance of lii.s main force, so in a permanent encamp¬ 
ment does he throw out a line of pickets, posting 
them, singly or in groups, immediately in front of 
the foe to watch his movements, or at least so far in 
advance of his own force as to secure a suitable 
notification of any advance or other demonstration 
of the enemy. Those posts aro generally within 
sight or hearing of one another, aud the line they 
form is so extended as to inclose and protect the 
whole body of troops to which they belong. 
All natural advantages, such as trees, rocks, nar¬ 
row defiles, Ac., are considered in the selection of 
picket stations, and important openings and fre¬ 
quented foot-paths near an encampment, are habit¬ 
ually placed under surveillance. In active service 
in Virginia, or in almost any settled district, our 
picket stations are farm-houses, mills and barns, 
which the enemy has deserted at the approach of 
Around Alexandria, at Port Tobacco, 
Fro. 3 —A CoLtiMuiA i). 
The Columbiad (Fig. 3) has a bore of equal diam¬ 
eter throughout, but the part near the breech is made 
much thicker than the rest, to resist the strain of 
the powder. In many of these guns the thickness 
increases regularly from the muzzle to the breech, 
giving it. a tapering form. Roth solid shot and shell 
are thrown from this style of cannon; and as its form 
lessens the danger of bursting, it may be made of 
great bore to carry large projectiles. 
Under threats of a military power; civil officers, 
peaceful citizens and gentle women incarcerated for 
opinion’s sake, proclaimed the incapacity ot our 
late associates to administer a government as free, 
liberal and humane as that established for our com¬ 
mon use. 
For proof of the sincerity ot our purposes to 
maintain our ancient institutions, we may point to 
the Constitution of the Confederacy and the taws 
enacted under it, as well US to the fact that through 
all the necessities of an unequal struggle there lms 
been no act on our part, to impair personal liberty 
or the freedom ol speech, of thought, or of the press. 
The courts have been open, the judicial functions 
fully executed, and every right of the peaceful 
citizen maintained as securely as if a war of invar 
sion had not disturbed the land. 
The people of the States now confederated became 
convinced that the government of the United States 
Had fallen into Hie hands Of a sectional majority, 
who would pervert, that most sacred of all trusts to 
the destruction ot the rights which it was pledged 
to protect. They believed that, to remain longer in 
the Union would subject them to a continuance of a 
disparaging discrimination, submission to which 
would be inconsistent with their welfare, and intol¬ 
erable to a proud people. They, therefore, deter¬ 
mined to sever its bonds and establish a new Con¬ 
federacy for themselves. 
Tbe experiment instituted by our revolutionary 
fathers, ot a voluntary Union ol sovereign States for 
purposes Specified hi a solemn compact had been 
perverted by those who, feeling power and Jorget- 
ting right, were determined to respect no law but 
their own will. The government had ceased to 
answer the ends for which it was ordained and 
established. To save ourselves from a revolution 
which, in its silent but rapid progiess, was about to 
place us under the despotism of numbers, and to 
preserve in spirit as well as in form a system of 
government wo believed to be peculiarly fitted to 
our condition, and full of promise for mankind, we 
determined to make a new association, composed of 
States homogeneous in interest, in policy, and in 
feeling. , , 
True to our traditions of peace and our loyo of 
justice, we sent commissioners to the United States 
to propose a fair and amicable settlement of all ques¬ 
tions of public debt or property which might tie in 
dispute. Ihit, the Government at, Washington, deny¬ 
ing our right to self-government, reiused even to 
listen to any proposals for a peaceful separation. 
Nothing was then left to us but to prepare for war. 
The first, year in our history has been the most 
eventful in the annals of this continent. A new 
government, has been established, and its machinery 
put ill operation over an area exceeding seven 
hundred Thousand square miles. The iri'eat princi¬ 
ples upon which we have been willing to hazard 
everything that is dear to inon, have made con¬ 
quests for us which could never have been achieved 
by the sword. Our Confederacy has grown from 
six to thirteen States; aud Maryland, already united 
to us by hallowed memories and material interests, 
Modern Implements of War. 
The invention of gunpowder, and the knowledge 
that it could be made an effective agent for offense 
or defense, turned the atteution ot invoutive minds 
to the construction of an engine to be used in con¬ 
nection with this explosive material, and govern¬ 
ments fostered the production of various implements 
for this purpose. To give a general classification to 
the hundreds ot styles that have been brought out, 
we may divide them into Smooth-Bore and Rifled- 
Bore. At first, all kinds of fire-arms were made 
smooth-bore; but it was discovered that no matter 
bow much labor was expended in construction, per¬ 
fect accuracy and distance were incompatible. To 
overcome this difficulty, the ritled-bore was invented. 
Small grooves are cut spirally the length of the. 
barrel, and us the ball passes out it obtains a rotary 
motion, which aids it in reaching the point to which 
it was directed. 
Hunters’ guns were first rifled, then pistols, and the 
improvement was so manifest that army muskets 
soon followed. Within a few years cannon have 
submitted to this innovation. Iron balls are used 
our troops. 
beyond Chain Bridge, towards Centreville, Fairfax, 
and other places where our forces have been so long 
resident as to boast of being natives, the picket has 
taken unto himself local appointments and conve¬ 
niences, and rendered his “peculiar institution" 
quite domesticated ; frequently occupying a com¬ 
fortable house and a good lied, and sometimes keep¬ 
ing a cow or a pig; for the picket, like everybody 
else, from tbe disciples of the haut phUosojdde 
downwards, is keenly alive to the divine “law of 
compensations." 
The Pickets Posted. —At times a single picket 
is placed at a post, and relieved every two hours, 
like a sentry of the regular camp guard; but it is 
customary for three or four moil to be put on one 
station, with orders to relieve each other at their 
mutual pleasure, taking care only that one of the 
three or four is always wide awake and rendering 
the requisite service—the others sleeping, reading, 
playing cards, or doing anything else they please, I 
according to the hour and the weather. Five days 
is the usual period for a detachment of pickets to 
remain on duty, and three pickets is the average 
number to each post, so that while one is on duty 
his two comrades may be at leisure, each thus hav¬ 
ing two hours of service to four hours of rest. It is 
found that a line ot solitary pickets is not so service¬ 
able as one of groups, probably because solitude is not 
the normal condition of the biped under discussion. 
One picket no sooner finds himself alone, in “dense 
midnight,” on a lonely post, than he abstractedly 
swallows tobacco-juice in such quantities as to make 
himself sick, while another, under the same circum¬ 
stances, incontinently bolts the rations of himself 
and comrades for several days. Still others are so 
reckless as to seek a sheltered and secret place and 
go to sleep. For these and Bimilar reasons, it is 
customary to post pickets in twos, or in larger 
groups, according to the exigencies of the case. 
The Drama of Picketing Opens. —We will sup¬ 
pose that we are moving among the advanced posts 
of our army in Virginia a savoir , with the outposts 
of General McCall’s division, for it matters little 
where we place ourselves as regards the duties or 
adventures we shall witness. The time is even mg— 
a cold, wintry night, when the sky is overcast with 
a leaden canopy of clouds, and when a thin crust of 
sleet and snow covers the face of the earth and 
whitens the forest. The hour is ten o'clock, when 
the silence of thu sleeping armies seems in keeping 
with the desolation of nature, aud when the picket 
can hardly distinguish the forms of his foes from the 
unreal beings of his apprehension. Here we are, 
far away from the lights which make the city living 
and pleasant in even its sleepiest moments—far 
Tit* Sharpshooters at Foil Donelsoti. 
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Commer¬ 
cial thus speaks of the sharpshooters: 
The sharpshooters, of which I believe there are 
two regiments belonging to the Union forces, were 
necessarily more exposed than any other of our 
troops, except, perhaps, the cavalry scouts. Along 
the whole length of our line, and well advanced in 
front of it toward the enemy, Ul© distinguishing 
mark of the sharpshooters (which was a piece of 
coon-skin fastened on the hat, extending from the 
brim over the top,) could be seen. 
Nearly all of the bills, and a large part of the 
narrow valleys, were thickly covered with timber, 
so that, without some mark by which they could 
recognize each other at a long range, they were in 
danger of firing upon each other from the spin's of 
opposite hills, situated as they were upon such an 
irregular field. On Friday P. M., while passing out¬ 
line from the center toward the right wing, alone on 
horseback, I missed my course, and followed a horse 
path to tbe left some four or five hundred yards, 
when I was brought up by some eight or ten sharp¬ 
shooters, who warned me back. Each man was 
behind his tree takiug his observations, first upon 
one side, then upon tlio other, and occasionally they 
would crouch down, and quickly run from one tree 
to another. 
interspersed with an 
Fig. 1 — A Mortar. 
That piece of artillery known as a Mortar , is a 
short cannon, of large boro, made of brass or iron, 
chambered, and used for throwing shells tilled with 
powder, which latter are called bombs. These shells 
aro thrown upward into the air, aud falling down 
upon fortifications, ships, into cities, or among 
masses of troops, burst and cause great havoc. The 
Mortar is used at various angles, but usually has an 
elevation of about forty-live degrees. No very great 
accuracy can be attained in Mortar practice, as the 
gun is too short to give permanent direction to the 
ball. It is supposed that the earliest made cannon 
were of the form now known as Mortars, aud they 
were then used for throwing solid shot. The 10-inch 
iron Mortars arc preferred for almost all kinds of 
service, though those rating as 13-inch are much 
used. For sea service they are made stronger than 
others of the same diameter intended for land oper¬ 
ations. The Mortars upon the fleet which recently 
left New York under charge of Com. Pouter, and 
These- maneuvers were 
occasional crack of the rifle and an occasional hiss 
of a rebel bullet somewhere in our vicinity. After 
getting my horse out of range, 1 said to one of these 
men, “ Can you do any good there?" “ Well," 
said he, “ I reckon we can, when we can get the 
darned skunks out o’ their holes, for they ain’t 
mor’n two hundred yards off." “Are there many 
of them?" said I. “Well," said he, “they war’ 
right thick all this forenoon, and done some first- 
rate shooting — they barked my tree on both sides, 
and plugged it mor’n a dozen times, but they are 
getting scarce." “ Have you lost any men here 
to-day?” u Nary man, only Rob over there—he got 
wing-tipped." 
Bob held up his hand with a handkerchief wrap¬ 
ped around it — he had lost a pieco of one of his 
fingers. “ Rut didn’t we come it on old secesh this 
Fig. 8 —A Bombshell. 
nicate with the powder of the shell, and the outer 
plate is marked with the figures 1, 2, 3, 4. Before 
the gun is loaded, the plate is pierced at one of these 
figures; at 1, if the shell is to explode in one second; 
at 2, for two seconds, and so on. The Shrapnell or 
