Picket Amenities

Tlie proxumty of the Union and rebel pickets at Yorktown gives ïise to a vari ety of amuscmcits and iutcresting iuoilenta Frona a private letter which we have been shown, wo are psrmitted to make the followir.g extracta: '■It is uo joke, I asiure jou to do piek et duty hei-e ; there is as muc'u differenee between it and the same duty when we were near Washington, as thora would bo between that and Central Park, Thcy fire at us at every opportunity. whiltí we are fgrbidden to return it. Somctiraes, bowever, they gut a Wc can sec them vcry plainly, and thoy, knowing that we do not tiro, come out on the ban! s of the creek and lialloo at us. It is amusiug to bcar the questiens tbey The following are samples: "Yank, havo youeot any wliiskyV' - Yanlv! wliat are you fiiiliting for?' The Union pioket ro pUed,O We think we do.' llcbol auswers, 'We dont.' "Rebel tlien says. 'Yank, come ever ind spend the night with u, aöd W II treat you in a liostile manner.' On [ona occasion the rebels inquired whether A 15. and B. C. (naming two oLSecr3 of oar regiment) of the New York seventh militia, were there, and expresséd a desire il' tbey were, tj i&eet them half w-iy and exchango hospitalities. No reply was made, tliougb an affirmative One would have been" correct. They were asked what regiment they beionged to, and they replied 'Louisiana Tigers.' The rebel theu inquircd what regiment are you' Aü8wer, 'One Hundred and Sixty-fiftli New York.' 'Bully for Now York!' cried the rebel. All this I huurd with my own ears, and mach more that I have no time to chirograpb. "This kind of badinage is usuil every nlght, and by no mcans a peculiar feature of tbis war," beidg always a well koown incident of picket duty. "The unholy charactcr of tbo rebelliön ia neTortbeless biought out by it iu a stronger lfgUt since farmer frienda are thus sometimes brougbf togctlior, where 'friendly groetings' in the night may m the lüornins be speedily ehangcd to 'stern alarma' and tbe interohange of doathdoaling inissilcs." . __ Gen. Mhchel!, at the conclusión of B sermón prenched to the Ninth Ohio Brigade near Shelbyville, Tenn., tonk a hujrè rock pulpit and ocjpiJ half an hour in dulivenng one oí the finest religio.ua discourses ever heard. He commenoedby snving " tliat hedid not come there as a General oommaoding, but as a man to man, and álraing for (he samo statu oí eternul hnppiness." He ínsistüd thaft the hijfhee duty of a Soldier was to bo n Obristian ; religión heigbtened evory er:j..yment, and better prepared him to dithaèf lus dutv. A Chaplsin who was pr Bays: " lt was a sublime ecene; he lelt an imprcssion on the miiuls of his auditors never to fee forgottGii.1 1 he i effect of the sonnon WAi ndü"d to !by the fiict. thatthe services were held on the monntain top, mid the rugged grandeur of East Tennessee.