The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume], November 15, 1861, Image 1

About The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
VOL. XIII—NO. 22
AN INCIDENT OF THE WAR
[Colonel Mulligan refused his parole at Lex
ington and his wife resolved to share his cap
tivity. Accordingly she left her infant, four
teen months old, in the care of one of the
strongest secessionist women of the town. That
woman assumed the charge of the little child,
and dressed it in the captured American flag.]
The fight had ceased! the cannon's roar
Was silent on Missouri’s shore ;
The leader and his band so brave
Had turned from walls he could not save—
When voice was heard of sore lament,
A mother o’er her baby bent,
And fast the bitter tears were shed
That fell upon his little head :
“ Thy father yields his post and sword,
Hut rebels shall not have his ‘word;’
In prison rather liug'ring lie,
Than yield the right to fight and die !
“ And faithful love shall follow there,
His hard captivity to share ;
But flue, my boy ! such fate for thee !
Like fetter’d cherub thus to be !
“ To pine in loathsome, poison’d air,
To dwell iu dungeon damp and bare,
Oh ! better far, lor thee, my blest,
Beneath the daisy’d turf to rest.”
The words her lips had scarcely past,
When round her arms are kindly cast;
A foemau’s wiie. with pitying lace,
The mother aud the child embrace.
With glowing cheek, with brimming eyes,
, “ Give me thy son!” she earnest cries ;
“ Aud haste thee! for the moments press—
They spare thee but a brief caress!”
Bhe's gone ! and other care shall shield
The all-unconscious happy child ;
Who laughs when glit’ring foemen come,
And shouts at roll of hostile drum.
But still his friend with instinct true
Has rob’d him in his red and blue !
And—mantle fit—has o’er him thrown
The flag ’neath which the boy was born!
[iVeio York Eve, Post.
Interesting Account of the Capture and
Subiiq uent Rescue of Major White.
i Correspondence of the St. Louis Democrat.
Camp Lyon, Spring field, Mo., f
Saturday, a. m., Nov. 2. J
1 have previously spoken of the capture
of Major Frank White, the commander ot
the Prairie Scouts, and his subsequent res
cue by the Home Hoards. Major White,
during the last three days of the past week,
passed through more real adventursome peril
than befalls many of the heroes of the pop*
! ular romances of the day. Major White’s
command, when it received orders to march
towards Springfield, had just returned from
their long and tedious expedition to Lex
ington and Warrensburg, and meD and
horses were pretty well worn out. Major
White himself was really iii and almost
prostrate, and wheD within eight or ten
miles of Springfield, was obliged to dis
mount, and by the advice of Major Zagonyi,
rest tor awhile in a neighboring tarm house.
With the exception of five men, whom the
Major retained as his escort, the battalion
proceeded on its way und.r command of its
seuior officer, Captain Fairbanks. In the
course ot an Lour, the Major feeling better,
started on for the purpose of overtaking his
command. He was of course iguorant of
the detour irom the Bolivar to the Mt. Ver
non read, a;-I r. t overtaking them so scon
as he anti - • he supposed that they
I ished vigorously on into Spring
id. a o parrel rapidly on over what
n=. suppo-o<i was their path. Suddenly,
v.hvr j i-t ca the outskirts of the town, he
I inr elf av.u e:-.ort in the midst of o
t encampment Muskets and rifles were
pointed at their beads, and at
• /d it the intention cf some
}' ; ' vi-.vint ot ’’c enemy to make
.. v ' ) h * i tm. Their officers, how
:v o:te*f " and upon Major
• ' •i • • ; -re-ic t! ... he would
pt t tea; l, unles rescued,
■ wed i coi.'iderabie degree ot
•• -c . .. :?jv i were guarded more
if ly cee of them, in
• : te i.i. he;.:- < .■'•opt, was killed,
ihe i v taiiv:: from the camp to the
>■ re making their
' ■ forth upm taeh of our troops.
• 'ing the cunning
... ;wn troopa—see
ing fore being drawn np
! fally appreciating as
‘ rotiJug t.vc a miracle would
lihilation—can well
When the charge was made
tuards, the Major
:• l v:j in front, and was exposed
] - : 1 and charge of his own
:‘; i :.e was wounded and he him**
. i ucivec! a curious bullet scratch, hori
:j c.ily aero;-' h : s lips, giving him very
ppean aof being fflicted with
:-v* : res. Upon their retreat, the Major
: Iby Cols- Price and Taylor to
i. a.: any a : quad of fourteen men, detailed
t guard him, and did so. The retreat for
tl . U;.it few miles was precipitate. To
o pursuit they left the main road, and
t to tiie by paths and lanes through the
and prairies, bat being unacquainted
with tne country, they trave td in a circle
lor ova* two hours. The amount of pro
fanity indulged in when the fact was found
out is described as immense. About ten
o’clock they put up ior the night at the
house of a Union muD, some ten or twelve
miles from town. The old gentleman took
no {tains to conceal his sentiments, but was
very loth to believe that the Major was re
ally a prisoner. The party lingered about
the fire for some time alter reaching the
bouse. Among the inmates of the room
was a sprightly lad ol twelve or thirteen
years, and in the course of the evening the
Major managed to tell this boy that if he
would go out of doors and make a noise, he
would give him a half dollar. The boy was
shrewd enough to understand what was
wanted, and performed his errand so well
that his escort all sprang to the window.
The Major seized the opportunity of saying
to their host: “Our men are in possession
of Springfield; it you will inform them of
my whereabouts they will rescue me.” Yet
even now the matter-of fact old gentleman
could not believe that any Federal troops
were in that vicinity, or that the major was
really a prisoner. He replied to that effect
so loudly that he was overheard by thees
cort returning from the door and window.
Although, curiously enough, they appeared
to pay no attention to the remark, the Ma
jor stretched bis blankets on the floor of
the adjacent room and laid himself down,
fully convinced that he was beyond perad
venture bound for Dixie’s land. But better
luck was in store for him. Although the
old gentleman was slow in his comprehen
sion, he was sure. After the party had re
tired for the night, he cogitated awhile over
the matter, and concluded by sending out
his son to raise the Home Guard of the
country round about. The result was that,
about two o’clock at night, the Major was
agreeably surprised to be awakened by his
rescuers, who had surrounded the house,and
were demanding the unconditioual surrender
of the entire party. In brief, in five min
utes afterward the tables were completely
turned. Instead of being a prisoner in the
hands of fourteen men, he was commander
of a body of twenty-six men, with the afore
said fourteen in his charge, and on the next
morning they were all on their way to
Springfield. On arriving, at five o’clock,
Major White found the city in possession of
Corporal Sloan, who aided by Dr. Melcher,
was holdiog the place with fifteen men. The
Major of course assumed the command. The
strategy and cunning displayed by him in
keeping from the enemy all knowledge of
the little band really in possession of the
town, and how well he succeeded in bam
boozlicg cesesh until Sundny morning, when
relief came, has already been detailed.
Edwin Janies.
in the Supreme Court, yesterday afters
noon—Justices Clerke, Sutherland and
Barnard presiding—the distinguished Brit
ish Member of Parliament and Queen’s
Counsel, Mr. Edwin James, was admitted
to the New York Bar. It is understood
that he intends to make this city his home,
and that he will enter at once upon the
practice of the profession ia which he has
won such conspicuous honors abroad. In
spite of the barriers that oppose the prog
ress of mere taleDt, however great, to high
success in England, Mr James had achieved
without the slightest aid from aristocratic
connections, the very high distinction of
stanoing among the foremost members of
the British Bar. iSince the elevation of
Sir Frederick Thesiger to the Chancellor
ship, and that of fiir Arthur Cockburn to
the Chief Justiceship of the Queen’s Bench,
he has been almost without a rival in some
braucUes ol the profession. As a parlia
mentary counsel, even previous to their eie
vation, he held the Lighcst position. No
member or petitioner believed his chances
secure until Mr. James had been retained,
anc the statute book ol England is indebted
to him ior the nuw bankruptcy act, and
many cl the wiser measures which have
marked the course o’ legal reform in the
past tew years la ail the causes cdtbres
wnich have awakened interest here, he has
figured us leading counsel either tor the
prosecution cr d -lence. The conduct of the
case against Palmer, in the celebrated
Rugeiey poisoping, was committed to him.
In the prosecution of Bernard for conspira
cy against the life cf Louis Napoleon, he
led tor the detenu, and his eloquent vindi
cation is almost as familiar among us as it
is over Europe. But recently, in the case
of Col. Dickson against the Earl of Wilton,
he did battle for the soldier’s rights and
honor against the whole power of the court
and horseguards, and obtained a verdict of
twenty thousand dollar 1 -:.
As a statesman, representing Maryle
bone, the largest and wealthiest constituen
cy in England, he has been the unvarying
advocate of every measure calculated to en
large the liberties, unchain the industry,
and advance the freedom of the people.
His parliamentary career has been chiefly
made remarkable by his advocacy of Italian
unity and liberty, of which, in the house, he
was regarded as the special champion, and
into which cause he threw him-ell with the
most eager eutbusia'in. At the end of the,
sessiou cf 18G0, he hurried oil to Italy, aud
alter passing some time with Count Cavour
at his country seat, near Turin, was dis
patched by him in a Piedmontese frigate to
j in Garabaldi, by whose side he remained
as counseller and companion during the
glorious campaign of Italian freedom. He
took part in the battles of Caprea and Vol
turino, and accompanied Garabaldi alone
in bis carriage on bis triumphal entry into
Naples. Nor was it least due to his wise
and friendly counsels that Garabaldi was
saved from pursuing that mad course into
SAINT PAUL. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 15 1861,
which he was urged by wild theorists, and
which at one time threatened to jeopardize
all he had gained for Italy. On his return
to the House of Commons, he was known
as the friend and vindicator of Garibaldi,
and in upholding his views in the great de
bate on Italian affairs, in February last, in
the House of Commons, closed an address
of remarkable power in these striking and
eloquent words: “ The religion which Bos
suet and Fenelon illustrated and adorned
will endure for ages, but the temporal power
of St. Peter is irrevocably doomed. In the
exercise of the temporal power ail that is
good and holy is destroyed. Every priest
becomes a spy, and every bishop a police
man.”
In person and manner Mr. James is an
excellent specimen of the hale and hearty
Englishman He is a far more fluent and
impressive speaker than most of the leading
English orators, and has none of that half
stammering hesitation which to an Amerio
can ear so sadly mars their best and most
striking efforts. He is still in the prime of
life, of laborious industry, eminently adroit
and able in his management, especially of
criminal cases, and quite able to hold his
own against the consummate masters of law
with whom he will come in contact among
us. He will find them generous as well as
formidable competitors for the high prizes
of the profession.— New York 'limes.
McClellan In hts New Position.
The Washington correspondent of the
Chicago Iribune, refers to General Mc-
Clellan in his new position as General
in-Chief of the Federal army,in the follow
ing terms:
This change of the week, in seeing placed
on the retired list the Lieutenant General,
through life to retain his rank and pay, as
is right for his great services, see 3 elevated
to the supreme command a young Major
General, to-day the most active man in
Washington. Few men can physically en
dure that which lightly taxes the robust
health and iron constitution of Gen. Mc-
Clellan. He has shown rare tact and skill
in the organization of the army, which he
found loosely disciplined, unused to Brigade
movements, and throughout needing, as it
received in him, the supervision ot a com
mander ,ever in the field, with a vigilant
eye to details, a clear brain for combina
tions and results.
I cannot express to you the enthusiasm
with which the army have hailed the pro
motion of Gen. McClellan, and the removal
of the last shackles ot co-operation and in
terference. Now he stands himself alone
responsible for the movements of the Army
of the Potomac. Before this it was other
wise, and in divided counsels there has been
less the advantage and progress the army
and the people look for now. A new spring
has been given to matters here, and never
did military leader on more auspicious cir
cumstancee set ffiont a task than which
not another more difficult ever taxed mili
tary skill.
It is fortunate that in Gen. McClellan,
practical traits and experience in military
matters, in engineering, are in control of
men and forces, are united, with careful aud
copious mental endowment and training.
He has laid the foundation of a splendid
fame. He has even collected and arranged
the material for a superstructure. Ail re
mains now to be erected, and the people
and bis army wait with confidence to see it
rise under his hands. And time will soon
bring about the record, wi.atev r it be.
A Girl’s Wardrobe.
Said the hard working mother of two
young lady daughters, the other day: “I
declare. I don’t know what. I shall do with
Juba. 6he keeps me forever mending for
her. 1 paid fifteen dollars for a grenadine
dre33 for her not two weeks ago at Stewart’s
and on looking at it to-day. I find it so torn
that it would be a day’s work to try to put
it in order.”
“Why don’t you set her to work—make
ber mend it herself ? ” was asked by the
person whem she addressed.
“Oh ! dear me, it would be worse than to
do it my sell; she has never made a stitch o!
her own clothes, or even mended her sto k
mgs in her life.”
“Do you intend she shall marry in such ig
norance?” asked the visitor
‘Oh ! well—l am sure I don’t know
What can I do? Her time is taken so with
music and beaux, and going out that she can
attend to nothing else; aud I think, for pity’s
sake, let, her have u good time, while she is
young—she will come into trouble soon
enough*’’
It would be no use to tell such a mother that
her indulgence was selfish, cruel and inhuman
—that she was preparing abundant sources
of the “ trouble” she feared in the future,
and depriving her daughter of the means of
much present happiness. Ail that and much
more would be time and breath wasted;
and indeed good advice seems always so trite,
and stale, and commonplace, that it is in
variably reserved for the last corner in
country newspapers. But for the sake of
future husbands, if mothers are too lazy and
selfish to do their share, let the care of the
wardrobe be part of the discipline of school.
Let every girl in some way be taught to
make and mend every article of clothing
which is needed in the family, and especially
her own. Let the sewing machine take its
place beside the globe in all educational in
stitutions, and a thorough knowledge of it be
considered as essential as the piano.
Modern skill has invented charts for dress
making, both for children and adults, which
ought to be used in schools. The principle
is usßimple as that two and two makes four,
and a few practical lessons would render
any girl of ordinary ability capable of
cutting out her own dresses, while, with the
sewing machine, it would oniy be amuse
mentto make them.
Trouble at Boonville.
We hear from Baonville that an unfor
tunate state of affairs exists there, between
the Home Guards and Captain Powell,
United States Army, and Quartermaster.
On Saturday last, information having been
received by Captain Poweil that Captain
Epstein had been making improper use of
the commissary’s stores entrusted to him
for the use of his command, by selling them
to merchants and others, he determined
upon his arrest, and the order was executed
Captain Epstein was taken to Captain
Powell’s quarters. On Sunday morning
Captain Powell resolved upon an examina
tion of the quarters occupied by Captain
Epstein, with a view to ascertain the
amount of depredations, if any, upon the
United States stores, and for that purpose
marched with ten men to the ball where
they were stationed. On arriving there he
found one hundred and fifty of the Home
Guards drawn up to receive him. They were
considerably excited, a meeting having been
held in the morning and a resolution passed
to rescue Captain Epstein. Captain
'Powell advanced to the gate and de
manded admission. Captain Reiser was in
command of the Home Guard, about one
hundred and fifty in number, and had or
dered them to load their muskets. After
some colloquy between the two officers,
Captain Reiser ordered his men to fire on
Captain Powell, and thirty or forty did fire.,
but miraculous as it may seem, rot one of
the balls inflicted an injury upon him—one
grazed bis head and others passed through
his clothiDg. Captain Powell used his
sword in throwing aside the muskets leveled
at him by those directly in front, and to
their closeness to each other he is indebted
for his life. Two or three of the federal
troops were wounded by the firing of the
Home Gaards. CRptain Powell’s guard,
seeing the folly of contending with such un
equal odds, retreated, aud he returned to his
quarters. It is proper to remark that
Captain Epstein denies utterly the charges
against him, while the other party professes
his ability to substantiate them. The whole
matter, as well with regard to a question of
rank pending between them, as to the diffi
culties to which we have referred, has been
submitted to headquarters.— St. Louis Re
publican, Nov. 2
Fashionable Conversation During a
Morning Call.— Enter Miss Lucy, nearly
out of breath with the exertion of walking
from her papa’s carriage in the st eet to the
door of her friend in place:
Lucy—“Oh, Marie! how do you do? Hew
delighted lam to see you! How have you
been since we were at the ball, last Thurs
day evening? Ob, wasn’t the appearance
of that tall girl in pick perfectly frightful?
Is this your shawl on the piano? Beauti
ful shawl! Father says be is going to send
to Paris to get me a shawl in the spring.
I can’t bear home made shawls! How do
you like Monsieur Kspry ? Beautiful man,
ain’t he? Now don’t laugh, Marie, lor am
sure I don’t care anything about him. Oh,
my! I must be going! It is a beautiful day,
isn’t it ? Marie, when are you coming up
to see me? Oh, dear, what a oeautiiul pin!
That pin was given to you; now I know it
was, Marie; dou’t deny it. Harry is com
ing up to see me this evening, but 1 hate
him—l do; really; but he has a beautiiul
moustache, hasn’t he, Marie? Don’t speak
of Harry in connection with my name to
any one; for I am sure it will never amount
to anything. 1 hate him awluiiy—l’m sure
I do! Adieu.” —Boston Museum.
Queer Muskets —A firm in -Scotland,
celebrated for the manufacture of steel, has
recently contracted to furnish the French
government with muskets so constructed
that they will discharge seriatim through
one barrel 1G cartridges, by means ol a
slide containing 1G chambers. When the
contents of the slid .-s are fired off, her load
ed slide can be inserted by the solder in a
few seconds, by which 32 shots can be dis
charged in one minute. By drawing the
trigger, the chambers containing the charge
adjust themselves to the barrel in succes
sion. The model is furnished by the French
government.
The Comet, whose sudden appearance in
the Northern heavens last summer startled
the world, is still seen through a telescope
in the constellation of Hercules. Accord
ing to Prof. Tuttle’s calculations, it is now
more than forty-seven millions of miles from
the earth, while on the 28th of June it was
only about a dozen millions of miles distant
from us, and brandished its enormous tail
quite close to our sphere.
Incidents of the Battle at Leesburg.
The Philadelphia Press obtains from a
corporal of Baker’s regiment, the following
narratives of the incidents which occurred
at the Leesburg engagement:
George Merlin, of the California regi
ment, is missing. He had dropped on bis
knee to take aim at a group ot rebels who
stood near the edge of a woods. Finding
that his cartridges were a’l gone, he turned
to ask some of his comrades, but found, to
his amazement, that he was effectually sur
rounded. His astonishment, as may be im
agined, was only exceeded by his chagrin.
Between a private, named Fairbanks, of
the Twentieth Massachusetts, and a youDg
man named Heap, of the First California
regiment, a strong attachment is said to
have existed. They fought side by side
during a great portion of the contest, seem
ing to rival each other as to the rapidity
with which they could load and fire. When
the retreat was sounded they leaped iuto
the Potomac together Fairbanks, al
though a good swimmer, he was seen to
sink, as though attacked with cramp, and
Heap has not since been seen. Both were
doubtless drowned.
A young man, named Greenhall, of the
California, missing, secreted himself, with
three comrades, in some underbrush. Green
ball was an excellent marksman, and pick
ed off seven of the enemy who had got be
tween him and the river One of them, he
thinks, was an officer. The rest then hur
riedly vacated the spot, and, with his
comrades, Greenhall managed to make his
way back to our lines.
The number of those killed while recross
ing in the boats must have been quite large.
In one of ti e boats a Philadelphian, uame
unknown, and two men of the Tammany
regiment, were pulling at the oars. They
were compelled to stand upright, and their
shoulders were used as rests by their com
rades, who kept up a continuous fire. Sin
gular to say, the boat bad reached the mid
dle of the stream before one of the oarsmen
was struck. They fiually fell simultaneous
ly. Their places were instantly supplied.
The boat, turning with the current, drifted,
a 3 they thought, out of danger. In less
than fifteen minutes, however, a terrific fire
was poured into it from a skulking enemy,
aud, filling slowly, it began to sink. The
scene then presented was fearful beyond
conception. A shriek of horror went up
from the crew. Men clutched each other in
despair, and went down together. Voices
that strove to shout for help were drowned
in the rusing waters and died in gurgles.
Among the rebels was one prominent in
dividual, who wore a red handkerchief tied
around his head, but was utterly hatless,
coatless and reckless, standing out in ad
vance ot bis line. He loaded aud deliber
ately fired at our men for nearly an hour
before he was struck down. He was shot
by a member of the Tammany regiment,
who, almost at the same moment, was
pierced by a reoel musket ball.
After the battie one of our men was
found stark and dead in the hollow of a log.
The manner of his death is supposed to
have been as follows. At the commence
ment of the battle, while a general confu
sion prevailed, he probably crept into the
log, (which lay near the rivc-r bank,) for the
purpose of picking off ” the enemy. This
shelter was very much decayed and worm
eaten, and was speedily pierced by a rifie
ball. When dragged out. bis musket was
found to have been recently discharged.
The rifle ball had entered bis or-nr. aud
passed througu the left lung
Foreign Recognitions of tin Rebel
Ciov-ermnesaf .
From the i'hiiidelptiia Enquirer.
As much as we should deplore such an ac
cession of power as would surely accrue to
the Rebel cause in recognition of the South
eru Confederacy by England aud France,
we wish to correct a misconception which
prevails in many minds. Such a chance
should be examined coolly and dispassion
ately.
Many think that our Government has
tLc right to require of foreign powers to
withhold this recognition ; that if they dare
to miognize, it is a casus bs.li, and that we
must at onci precipitate ourselves into a
frightful iurJgu war; and stand in the case
of Horatius, when the bridge over the
Tiber was gone:
“Thrice thirty thousand toes before.
And the broad flood behind.”
Not the Tiber indeed, but a wider flood,
which the imagination peoples with iron
bound frigates, passing Fort Hamilton and
Fort Lufayettee—as unscathed as L;-*
viathan, when pistol balls glance from his
thick skin—and laying the proud metropo
lis of Gotham in ashes. Others laughing at
the Pea Patch and Fort Mifflin, would
burn Philadelphia and place a heap ot
ruins wiiere-every thing is now thrift, ele
gunce and comfort. Far be those days and
deeds removed; such attempts are not the
necessary nor probable results of the recog
nition.
These are great errors. The English
and French might recognize the rebels to
morrow and we should remain towards
them in the same relation and attitude. We
have, indeed, a right—or thought we bad—
to count upon their sympathy, and their de
sire that the rebellion should be crushed;
NEW SERIES-NO. 415
but, if we are we must count
them still as we “ hold the rest of mankind,”
friends, until an absolute cause of war—
and this is not one—converts them into
enemies.
We do not write thus because we have
new fears of the recognition, but to correct
a wide spread misapprehension. But sup
pose the Confederacy recognized; can Eng
land break the blockade; Her own ver
sion of the law ot nations forbids it, and
until England is ready, in the face of the
world, and in violation of her own princi
ples, to enter into such alliance with the
South as will give aid and comfort to their
arms, we occupy precisely the same posi
tion as before—England maintains a strict
neutrality, and the recognition productive
at first ot the moral results of increased con
fidence and hope iu the hearts of the trai
tors, will soon sink into worthlessness, if a
few vigorous blows bring them into sub
mission to our arms.
One great victory—we harp upon the
theme—and the whole subject is laid upon
the table forever.
Surprise near Eddy ville.
Ihe Louisville Courier of the 28 th ult,
a Secession journal, published in the rebel
camp, at Bowling Green, says:
On Saturday morning last, a Lincoln
gunboat from the Ohio, supposed to be the
Conestoga, with 300 Abolition troops,
came up the Cumberland and landed at
West Eddyville. The troops were disem
barked and proceeded to Saratoga, a few
miles from Eddyville, where a fine cavalry
company of Rentuckians, just formed by
Capt. Wilcox, were encamped, completely
surprising and putting them to rout, and
killing and wounding, it is supposed, about
25 or 30 of their number. The others fled,
and several of them had arrived at Hop
kinsville, where our informant saw them.
Some of them had their clothes actually
riddled with balls, while their persons mi
raculously escaped injury. The pursuit
was continued by the Yankees about two
miles.
Captain Wilcox was hit by a ball on the
foithL-ad, and allhough believed to be eeri
ously if not mortally wounded, managed to
ride two miles on his horse, and it is thought
escaped the enemy.
There were only about seventy five of
Captain Wilcox’s men in camp. They
were surprised while the pickets had come
in for breakfast, and before others had gone
out to take their places.
No Bounty Lands for Services In the
Present War.
The following circular is being sent from
the Pension Bureau to many applicants for
bounty land for current military service:
Pension Office, Nov. 2, 1861.
Sir: The application for bounty land,
forwarded by you in behalf of a soldier of
the present war, is herewith returned to
your address. A suUieieut number of sim
ilar unfounded claims having been present
ed to require special action on my part
both to preve..: imposition upon soldiers
who may be misled into the assertion of
such a claim, and to save this office much
useless labor I have to ir.'crm you that no
paper of this character will be placed
among our file or r my manner enter
tamed.
“There is no M\v granting bounty land
Ur any service rendered subsequently to
March 3. 1855, nor will any application to
b. treated us . did under future act of Con
gress., : made b-.-;jrc the date of the appro
val oi'sucu act by the Executive.
“Retpeetlullv yours,
“JOSEPH H. BARRETT,
“Commissioner.”
Where is Cumlitstliind Gapi
Cumberland Gap i« situated about ten
miles from Cumberland Ford, in Tennessee,
and has been celebrated for a century a 3 a
great depression in the mountain ridge
which traverses the continent from New
Hampshire to North Alabama. Through
Ibis gap, very similar in appearance and
characteristic to the South Pass in the
Rocky Mountains, formerly the emigrants
irom Virginia and North Carolina passed
on their way to the virgin wilds of the
West. For half a century thousands upon
thousands poured through this natural gate
way into the Mississippi Valley from the
Atlantic slopes. Boone, Kenton and their
pione.r confreres first entered the land of
“cane and turkey” over the pro Adaman
tine turnpike. It really forms to this hour
the best aud, in fact, the only practicable
road for the transportation of troops and
heavy munitions of war from East Tennes
see into Kentucky.
A large banking house is to be estab
iisbed at Chicago, by emigrant eastern fin
anciers with a capital of §,1,000,000' or
§2,000,000. It will have a solid founda
tion and do a legitimate banking business.
The Illinoisians have been so pluck
ed by bogus Dankers that they will welcome
a substantial institution of this kind.