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Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 12, 28 June 1864, Page 3

1 A New York Journal, in an obituary of a young lady who recently died, closed by saying — " She had an amiable temper, and was uncommonly fond of ice-cream and other delicacies." Eorlorn Hope. — Military and civil writers of the present day seem quite ignorant of the true meaning of the "ex- : pression "forlorn hope." The, adjective has nothing to do with despair, nor the substantive with the " charmer which lingers still behind;" there was no such poetical depth in the words as originally used. Every corps marchingin an enemy's country had a small body of men at the head (haupt ■or hope, or perhaps Haufen, a troop); of the advanced guard, and which was termed the forelorn hope (lorn being' here but a termination similar to ward in forward), , i while- another small body at the head of" jthe rear-guard waa called -the rear-lorn hope. — See ? * A Treatise of Ireland, by ': JohU'Dymmok;''' p. " 32," written; about the year 3/600/ and •* printed _by ■" the Irish Archasalogical" Society in 1843. A reference. to Johnson's -Dictionary proves that civilians were misled,, as early, as as the time of pryden,';by the mere sound of a technical ' phrase, . and in process bf time even military men forgot the true meaning of the words/ It grieves me' to saji the foundations of ah error to. which we are indebted for /3yron's ; beautiful phrase : " ; Euli of hope,anisnamed : forlorn. ' —Betnains of tin., Graves ■of Dublin. - >