Billy Wilson — the Pet of the ladies.
Col. Wm. Wilson, before leaving New York, made a speech, which we subjoin, to the large assembly of ‘"ladies and gentlemen"’ which had collected to see him off. The Colonel's remarks are slightly incoherent and desultory, and contain a good many repetitions, but this is probably to be attributed to the excitement produced by the delicate attentions of which he and his men had just been recipients, at the fair and pious hands of the ladies of Trinity Church. Mrs. Higbee, the wife of the Rev. Dr. Higbee, an associate rector of Trinity, in behalf of the ladies of the parish, presented to every man in the regiment a pipe and parcel of tobacco, which, in a little speech delivered from the steps of the Brevoort House, she charged the men ‘"to smoke inside the captured batteries of the rebels."’ The presence and the animating words of Mrs. Higbee, to say nothing of the smiles of Fifth Avenue and Trinity Church, had such an exhilarating effect upon the delicate nervous organization of the Zouaves, that from that moment they seemed to have acted like men out of their senses — beside themselves, doubtless, with joy and gratitude. Many of them were carried on board the steamer on trucks and drays, in a state of insensibility: many could not be found at all, but roamed the streets all night, and were not caught and caged until the day following; several stripped themselves stark naked upon the deck of the steamer; one fellow jumped overboard, and the Colonel himself fell down and broke his nose. Still in spite of all this, the Colonel made a speech, whether before or after the fall, is not stated; but while still under the influence of Trinity Church and the Christian counsels of the Rector's lady, the strain of fervent piety which runs through his remarks sufficiently attests. Here is the speech:‘ "I can hardly speak; utterance has been taken from me. When I see my wife, when I see the ladies of New York city, who have done so much, I have to say of that flag that I love it better than my wife or my child; better than I love her, my wife, do I love the honor of that flag. For my God first, for my country next, and for my family next.--(Cheers.) I have sacrificed everything except my God for that flag--(cheers)--and I do believe, as enthusiastically as the men who went to Palestine to fight, that the man who fights for that flag, although he dies, he dies holy and fighting for the Almighty. (Enthusiastic cheering.) I feel this in my heart; I can hardly speak, for I know not what I had to say. What I do say I say from my heart, and it is as God directs me — that this is a religious war. It is a war for the intelligence — for the freedom of the world — not for this country. (Cheers.) It is a war to protect men, women and children; that the liberties of the people may be protected in spite of aristocrats or would be traitors (Cheers.) It is not for the glory of fighting or being the Colonel of any regiment that I go forth to fight. It is because I devote my life to this cause-- (Cheers.) I love my wife and child second to my flag, which I am ready to defend and die for. (Cheers.) The ladies of New York, God bless them, for they are Haven-born angels — they have proved Heaven-born angels to me — to bless and protect the poor traveler as he passes through the world. They have looked on me as one who was disgraced in the world, and some of my men bore hard names once. But they are honest and true. They are nature's noblemen. (Cheers.) They are such men as those who guarded the liberty of this country — such as those who guarded the liberties of England, made the King sign Magna Charts. (Cheers.) They are such men as made Rome a republic, and fought for liberty in France. (Cheers) They are the sons of Abraham, who went forth to fight the Philistines.
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