eld, to whom was given a brief and speedy passage
to the victor's meed. The mourners who mourn for such as these must
give place to another and more august band, who have sounded lower
deeps of anguish, and drained bitterer drops out of our great cup of
trembling.

The narrative of the lingering tortures, indignities, and sufferings
of our soldiers in Rebel prisons has been something so harrowing that
we have not dared to dwell upon it. We have been helplessly dumb
before it, and have turned away our eyes from what we could not
relieve, and therefore could not endure to look upon. But now, when
the nation is called to strike the great and solemn balance of
justice, and to decide measures of final retribution, it behooves us
all that we should at least watch with our brethren for one hour, and
take into our account what they have been made to suffer for us.

Sterne said he could realize the miseries of captivity only by setting
before him the image of a miserable captive with hollow cheek and
wasted eye, notching upon a stick, day after day, the weary record of
the flight of time. So we can form a more vivid picture of the
sufferings of our martyrs from one simple story than from any general
description; and therefore we will speak right on, and tell one story
which might stand as a specimen of what has been done and suffered by
thousands.

In the town of Andover, Massachusetts, a boy of sixteen, named Walter
Raymond, enlisted among our volunteers. He was under the prescribed
age, but his eager zeal led him to follow the footsteps of an elder
brother who had already enlisted; and the father of the boy, though
these two were all the sons he had, instead of availing himself of his
legal right to withdraw him, indorsed the act in the following letter
addressed to his captain:--

ANDOVER, MASS., _August 15, 1862_.

CAPTAIN HUNT,--My eldest son has enlisted in your company. I send
you his younger brother. He is, and always has been, in perfect
health, of more than the ordinary power of endurance, honest,
truthful, and courageous. I doubt not you will find him on trial
all you can ask, except his age, and that I am sorry to say is
only sixteen; yet if our country needs his service, take him.

Your obedient servant,

SAMUEL RAYMOND.

The boy went forth to real service, and to successive battles at
Kingston, at Whitehall, and at Goldsborough; and in all this did his
duty bravely and faithfully. He me