Newbern weekly progress. [volume], January 17, 1863, Image 1

About Newbern weekly progress. [volume] (Newbern, N.C.) 1858-1863

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
v
is
I' -
NEWBEM, N. C, SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1863.
NUMBER 21.
VOLUME 5.
7 LA l Iv : i
Is published Daily and Weekly
Frm the Progress Buildings, Craven. Street.
TBRHII OF PAPER.
Daily Procbess, one year... -
" 6 moDthg
" ' 3 months -
1 month .............
Weekly Progress, one year
6 months.. .......... .
...$6 (Mi
... 3 00
... 1 50
.... 50
... a oo
... 1 00
All tubtcriptions to be ftid . mdca-ce.
ADTBRTIMN6 RATES.
The following rates will be charged for all adver
tiemD' inserted in the ' Daily Progress after
Chis dale:
Omk Soar of Twelve Likes or Less,
Oa day. ......
.S 75
Two weeks $1 50
One month 5 00
; In days...
' Three day.
' Foardays...
... I 00
... 1 37
Two months........ 8 50
Three months...... 12 50
...1 75
fin
iV ""l" 1 ' " J , lllim U.iiii.
i urn nuc. ....... ... " .
Twelve lines or ie win .
sqnare and additional squares will be charged the
"m- RATES IN THE WEEKLY.
One square, one insertion, $1.00, and 25 cents for
; rerr subsequent insertion.
No attention wi'ii be paid to advertisements sent.
. by letter, unless a remittance in money accompany
them.
j or rRiHTina,
Of every description, neatly and promptly exe
nted at this office.
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.
Seaate.
"Washington, Jan. 6, 1863.
Mr. Ten Eyck (Rep., N. J.) presented a pe
tition in favor of a uniform bankrupt law.
FRAUDULENT CONTRACTS.
Mr. "Wilson (Rep., Mass.,) from the Commit
tee on Military Affairs, reported back the bill
, to suspend temporarily the act to prevent and
punish fraud on the part of officers intrusted
with making contracts for the Government,
and moved that the bill be put upon its pas
sage. Mr. Powell (Dem., Ky.) hoped the bill would
not pass. There was some very curious- his
tory about the bill. It was passed at the extra
Session, at;d then suspended because some of
the heads of the bureaus were opposed to it
He moved to refer it to the Judiciary Commit
tee. Mr. Trumbull (Rep., 111.) said there had
been great complaints of frauds, and this bill
was passed. But on representation of beads
of departments, it was suspended. If Congress
could not psss a bill to punish fraud without
its being constantly suspended in this way, he
thought it better be repealed at once.
Mr. Grimes (Rep.. Iowa) contended that the
bill was. in effect, to establish a Bureau of
Returns and to provide a punishment for false
returns. He did not think the bill could be
. cTTtoH into of I'u ft in time of war.
MrTTlatif Rep., N. H.) suggested that the
operation of the bill be suspended until the 3d
of March, thus giving time to amend it and
make it practical.
Mr. Saulsbury (Dem., Del.) moved to post
pone Ibe bill indefinitely.
Mr. Fessenden (Rep., M.) hoped not, and
argued that from the immense number of con
tracts, it would be almost impossible to carry
out the bill, except at vast expense. There
was already a good law making contractors
liable to military laws, by which they could
be punished.
After further discussion, the subject was
postponed.
PAYMENT OP THE ARMY AND NAVY.
Mr. Wilson (Rep., Mass.,) lrom the Commit
tee on Military Affairs, reported back the
House joint resolution for the payment of the
soldiers of the Army and the seamen and
marines of the Navy, with an amendment
authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to
issue $50,000,000 of Demand Treasury Notes,
in addition to the amount authorized by the
act of July, 1S62.
Mr. Fessenden (Rep., Me.) moved that the
resolution be referred to the Committee on
Finance.
Mi-. Wilson, (rep.) Mass., said he had no ob
jection to such reference, but thought it was
high time our soldiers should be paid. Many
of them had been waiting for months, and some
bad gone home into the poor house, and their
families were paupers, because they had not
been paid as promptly as they should have
been.
Many men have deserted from solicitude for
their families. He thought the Government
ought to be furnished with the means to pay
these men immediately.
Mr. Howard (Rep.) Mich., said nothing had
been more disparaging than the failure to pay
the volunteers their money when due; and he
hoped this stigma would soon be done away
with.
The bill was referred to the Committee on
Finance.
1iiKtiai ijt of&tatv j'i laun'x.
On motion of Mr. Wright, (un.) Ind., the bill
concerning the discharge of State prisoners was
taken up, and he proceeded to address the Sen
ate at length. He said he should not vote for
the amendment of the Senator from Kentucky
(Mr. Davis) to strike out the section authoriz
ing the President to suspend the writ of habeas
corpus. It was at times necessary to make ar
rests, and he was not willing to give the Re
publicans the credit of this bold, but necessary
measure. It was a principiple of the old and
true Democracy. Jackson and Jefferson both
asserted the truth of this principle. He quoted
from letters of Jefferson, also from the speech
es of Douglas, in support of this assertion. He
was sorry to see men discuss these questions
in such a way as to embarrass the Govern
ment, notwithstanding their own boasted loy
alty. The Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Pow
ell) and others loudlj' declared that they were
loyal to the Constitution. It was only a few
months ago that a few Democrats issued a call
for a party organization, and from this had
arisen many of the troubles which now per
plex the country. In times like these every
good and true man should ask bow he could
best serve his country', and not stop to inquire
what some Abolitionists had done. The Sena
tor from Kentucky (Mr. Powell) bad rejoiced
over the result of thu recent elections. Hut
those elections had been brought about by
means not calculated to produce much. It was
by discouraging enlistments, especially of those
who could st:iy at home and vote, by making
. chnrges against the Government, by opposing
the confiscation acts, by opposing taxation for
the expenses of the war, by impressing the
North west with the great importance of the
Valley of the Mississippi ; and all these men
vaunted long and loud their loyalty to the
Hiovetamcnt.
But none of them like the senator from
Kentucky ( Mr. Powell), said he was opposed
to coercion. He argued in favor of an iron
will and nerve, and a determined policy on the
part of the Executive to crush out the Rebel
lion by every possible means ; and he would
take the property of the rebels everywhere.
He wanted to see (he Mississippi River opened
by the brave Western boys, and the supplies
of Rebeldom cut off. He wanted to see a hun
dred thousand slaveholders running one way,
and a million of niggers the other. Applause
in the galleries. He wanted to strike at the
heart of the disease, and then we should see
daylight There was nothing to despond
about He thanked God we had an army, a
navy, and a country ; and be thanked God for
another thing that we had a General in the
field who was not fishing for the Presidency,
who, with his Staff, was to be found in the
thickest of the fight, and his name was Roae-
erana. f Applause in the galleries. I tie would
iilili V1U1U 10 any foreign intervention.
yiuiu '
Americans must settle their own diffiulties;
and H was oaly in the event of a guerilla war
fare that ha feared foreign intervention. He
would labor signally for the good of the coun
try, and for no party.
The bill was then postponed until to-morrow.
Comfort of the Sick and Wounded.
Mr. Wilson ( Rep., Mass. ) introduced a bill
to provide lor the greater comfort of the sick
and wounded soldiers in the hospitals, and to
promote the efficiency of the Medical Depart
ment The bill provides that the rations of the sol
diers in hospitals be commuted at the rate of
80 cents per day, which shall be reckoned by
the Commissary Department as a credit to the
hospitals, to be expended in the same way as
the hospital fund is under the present regula
tions. PROn NEW ORLEANS.
No event of moment has transpired since the
departure ot the steamer Spaulding.
Other vessels of Gen. Banks' Expedition had
arrive!, and there were already in camp at Ba
ton Kouge, about 10.000 of the newiy-arrived
troops.
Gen. Banks, it was understood, had proposed
making Baton Rouge his headquarters.
Gen. Banks had issued a peremptory order that
the sentence imposed on Pyreux for challenging
an officer should take place
Rieter, a German, one of the prisoners released
by Gen. Banks on Christmas Day, killed bia wife
with a chisel.
The Delta tells the story thus : The murder of
Mrs Mary Kieter, by her brutal husband, is the
most revolting deed of blood that it has been our
duty to record for many a day in New Orleans.
The poor woman had sat up nearly the entire
light before, sewing and preparing little things
for the children that they might be able to go
forth and enjoy their Christmas like other boys
and girls of their age, and she was in the act of
preparing their Christmas dinner, little dreaming
her husband was at liberty, but supposing he
was still in prison, wbilher Judge Bell bad sent
him for a previous attempt ea her life, when be
stole in upon her, sriaee her by the arm, and
tubbed her to lmlli in too back. It waa a tar
rible deed of blood and has horrified the commu
nity. Rieter does not deny that he committed
the murder, and all he can say for himself is,
that he is sorry for it.
Christmas Day was marked by nnusual scenes
of rowdyism. Eight persona were arrested for
cheering for Jeff. Davis
Among those arrested is an English Lieutenant
of her Brittanie Majesty's ship Vesuvius. His
name of Ralph Hautree. He was very violent
and assaulted the policeman Some Yankee sai
lois happennd to be near, went to the assistance
of the policeman, secured him, and helped to
convey him to the lock up, where he was put in
t he stocks, and on the following day was fined
$50.
The Delta says that the Mississippi River is
rising.
The French had gained some snccessos in
Mexico. Such was the news in New Orleans.
The following is taken from The Vicksburg
Whig oi the 19th nlt.
San Antonio, Dec. 4. 18G2 By express from
Monterey we are in receipt of the following in
teresting item of news.
A French force of about 5,000 men ( part of
the advance guard ) met and engaged a Mexican
division of about 25.000, commanded by Gen.
Ortega, near the town of Puebla. and "after a
sharp fight the Mexicans gave way and fled in
all directions.
The victors took possession of Puebla, where
they 'till await the arrival of reinforcements,
and then advance on the City of Mexico, distance
ninety miles. '
A French force (6,000) landed and took pos
session of Tnmpico. It is supposed that port will
be open to the commerce of the world, but trade
will not be permitted to extend beyond the limits
held by the invaders
A French frigate, with colors flying was re
cently seen by some Mexicans, passing through
the Union fleet off the mouth of the Rio Grande,
and supposing- that all the vessels belonged to
the same nationality, they made post-haste to
Matamoras with the alarming intelligence that a
French fleet had arrived to blockade, and proba
bly attack the town.
The news created qnite a panic in Matamoras,
and it was not until the facta of the case were
ascertained and made public that contidenee
was restored. The foregoing explaius many of
-thfiruTOors in c'-iilMion.
Cotton has fallen '26 cents in Mattamoraa.
New Orleans, Dec. 27, 1862.
Maj. Finegas of the 2d Louisiana Native
Guards, knocked a citizen down in the St Charles
Hotel lor shouting : "To hell with Gen. Butler
three cheers for Jefferson Davis !"'
The steamer J. M. Brown was attacked by
guerrillas on the morning of the 23d, while
ascending the Bayou Bonfonca, after a load of
bricks and wood. The bushwhackers are said
to have been commanded by a Capt. Evans.
One negro was killed and another wounded.
Private Hoyt, of the 4th Massachusetts Battery,
was also wounded. A detachment of soldiers
belonging to Company F, 31st Matsarhusetts.
who was oh board, opened on the guerrillas and
and put them to flight.
From frtn Frsaeiwo.
San Francisco, Jan. 3, 1863.
Trade is exceedingly quiet.
The ship Gleaner has cleared for Boston,
carrying 13,000 hides, 14,000 sacks of copper
ore, 630 bales of wool, and 60 pipes of Califor
nia wine. -
President Lincoln's Proclamation t liberate
the slaves, was published here in the evening
papers to-day, and although it was fully ex
pected, it produces a most profound sensation.
One hundred guns are being fired, fcc.
Jan. 5. Arrived, steamer St. Louis, from
Panama.
Front Trxa.
The i(w drifting Dilla of the 29th nlt , says :
"The bark Inland City arrived yesterday from
Galveston, and anchored below the city, "bring
ing 75 passengers from Texas, among whom are
many females, all in a destitute condition. They
wore brought up to the city last evening from
the bark by the steamei Iberville. All was quiet
at Galveston when the Island Cit7 sailed."
The steamer Marion, from New York, arrived
at New Orleans on the &fth.
Important from the Southwest.
ROUT of the REBELS HT ARKANSAS.
OFFICIAL REPORT of CEHT. BX.171VT,
Headquarters, Army or tiie Frontier,)
Van Buren, Ark., Dec 28, 1862. f
Major Gen. Curtis:
General The Stars and Stripes now wave
in triumph over Van Buren. On learning that
Ilindman had been reinforced, and contempla
ted making another attempt to force his way
to Missouri, I determined to make the attack
upon him. Leaving my transportation north
of the mountains, I marched from Prairie Grove
at 8 o'clock in the morning upon the place,
distance fifty miles.
At 10 o'clock my advance came upon two
regiments of rebel cavalry at Dripping Springs,
eight miles north of the ricer Dashin-upon
thetrr-wtth three thousand cavalry and four
mountain howitzers, a brisk running fight took
place, which was kept up into tne town, re
sulting in the capture of all their transports
tion, forty wagons, with six mule teams, all
their camp and garrison equipage, one hundred
prisoners and a large amount of ammunition.
Four steamers and a ferry boat were also
captured. The latter, in attempting to cross
the river with rebel troops, was shelled from
the howitzers, when in the middle of the
stream. The boat was disabled, and a number
of the men were killed. The remainder jump
ed overboard and n;au ashore.
Three large steaiuefs, heavily laden with
government supplies, had got up steam, and
attempted to escape down the river, but were
pursued by the cavalry five miles and brought
to by the fire of their carbines, aad returned
to the levee.
The enemy then brought their artillery to
the opposite bank of the river, and commenced
shelling the town for the purpose of driving
out my cavalry, but resulting in no other
damage than the destruction of some building.
My artillery, coming up, soon silenced their
batteries. Quite a number of the enemy have
been killed during the day's operations. The
only casualties on our side are five or six men
slightly wounded.
My long range guns are-now shelling the
rebel camp across the river, ffve miles below
this place. If the enemy does not retreat dur
ing the night, I shall endeavor to cross my
troops over the river in the morning and offer
them battle. Respectfully, Jas. G. Blunt,
Brigadier General Commanding.
Thr Loh of the tHeaitor.
The Monitor, in tow of the steamer Rhode
Island, started from Fortress Monroe about 3
o'clock on Monday afternoon, Dec. 29th. The
Passaic, in tow 'of the steamer State of Geor
gia, had gone out some time before, and was
perhaps ten miles at sea. On board the Mon
itor were 63 persons all told. The sea was
calm and smooth as glass, and the weather
warm and pieaqant. Xhe vessel, proceeded at
the rate of about five or six knots an hour,
with a perceptible motion less than that of any
other vessel. Everything seemed auspicious
for a pleasant trip, and at night ail went below
to sleep. They then began to experience the
effects of close air.
In the interior of the Monitor, as will be re
membcred by the descriptions, a few feet for
ward of the smoke stack to the stern is located
the machinery, the fire-room, &c. Under the
turret, and a few feet forward of the main
hatch, is the place occupied by the sailors.
Still further forward is the cabin and ward
room. This is lighted by turret holes. Around
this are four largo rooms,- say 7 by 8 feet, and
four smaller ones, 6 by 9 feet, occupied by the
officers. She had blower engines put in at
Washington, for the purpose of drawing all the
air possible though the holes of the turret and
the blower-stacks.
With the exception noticed of the closeness
of the air, which, indeed, was almost insup
portable, there was nothing to mar the comfort
of the first night. The next morning broke
beautifully, but with light breeze that
smashed up little waves against the turret,
just enough to make small rainbows when the
sun was shining on the bow's. So the weather
contiuued until Wednesday (Thursday) after
noon, when it became cloudy, and as the sky
grew darken it was thought they might have
rain. Soon, however, the wind cleared all the
clouds away, and they thought there would be
agreeable weather all the way down ; but la
ter in the afternoon, about 5 o'clock, it com
menced to blow.
At 6 o'clock they stood S. S. W. from Hat
teras Light, having cleared the Cape, the wind
freshening more and more, but no apprehen
sions being felt of a gale. About 7 o'clock
they discovered the Passaic, some three or four
miles to the Northeast. When they saw the
Passaic thus in her stern, she having been ten
miles ahead at the start, all on board the Mon
itor could not but feel a pride that she (the
Monitor) was the first there, as everywhere
else that she was the first iron-clad that had
rounded Cape Hattcras, as she had led in na-
vi Ltv..iM.n frU . ..wilainn thi r-r- nH
at that the storm would not overtake them,
and therefore it was not riecessary to run to
wards Hatter as Inlet.
The breeze was blowing pretty freshly, and
increasing in violence, but there were indica
tions in the west of its clearing off until about
8 o'clock, when, in the space of a few minutes,
a storm of wind and rain gathered in the
south-west, the wrath of the waves augment
ing, with a sea so rough that it began to dash
against the tower, throwing up fountains that
leaped 80 or 40 feet in air, washing all over
the turret. The fury of the storm kept on,
every wave dashing over the whole vessel from
stem to stern, and entering at every crevice
intended for the admission of air. The vessel
was thumped about in a manner indescribable.
The rain lasted from a quarter to half an
hour, but the gale raged even more intensely
than before. The vessel began to leak they
hardly knew where it came in but it was
very serious around the forecastle and anchor.
It was about 9 o'clock, and the pumps were
set in motion. They rapidly gained on the
water, but in about half an hour they kept
about even pace with each other. The gale
had increased to a hurricane ; the Monitor
reeling and shudering from end to end. Fast
er and faster the water came in. It was gain
ing on the pumps. By 10$ o'clock the water
was reported gaining rapidly. A few minutes
later, and the report was that it would soon be
up to the tires. This again was followed by a
report that the vessel could not live mora than
two or three hours longer. The water, rapidly
neared the fires ; when they were put out the
pumps could not be worked.
When it was reported that the Monitor
could not stand it more than an hour or two
longer, signals of distress were at once made.
llvd, white aud blue rockets were thrown up,
andwere answered by the Rhode Island. This
was at 11 o'clock, when it had been decided as
impessible to save the vessel, and attention
was turned towards saving thoir own lives.
One of the hawsers connecting the Monitor
with the Rhode Island had parted between
8 anj 9 o'clock. When the Rhode Island an
swesd, a voice on the Monitor cried out
throtgh a trumpet that they were in a sinking
condition. Those appealed to on the Rhode
Island went to work with the utmost speed to
sendjboats to the rescue.
It Iras a most daring undertaking, but they
got tut a launch and manned her, and riding
on tie crests and sinking in the hollows of!
wavet, she made toward the Monitor. At this I
time he sky was filled with clouds, through
whicl a little light from the moon appeared,
so thit objects could be distinguished. The
remaning hawser is now cut so that the boats
fchailpot get entangled ; the hawser becomes
e&augted with the paddle-wheel of the Rhode
Island ; the rope clogs the wheel, and the
Rhode Island, a large war steamer, is drifting
toward the Monitor; the launch is between
die two vessels thus Rearing each other, and
seems doomed to destruction ; the launch
reaches the side of the iron-clad.
The proximity is dangerous to all, for two
or three lurches and the sharp prow ol the
Monitor will stave in the wooden walls of the
steamer. All feel that they shall go to the
bcttom. There is a terrible silence so far as
those on the Monitor are concerned. As two
or three jump out of the boat, the oars are
seen to flash in the air; the launch is heard
crushing; in a second the crew have sprang
on the deck of the Monitor. Simultaneously
the hawser is cleared from the paddle-wheel,
and the Rhode Island runs off, without the
fatal shock, to a safe distance.
While the vessels lay alongside, several of
the Monitor's crew sprang for the ropes that
dangled from the side of the Rhode Island,
and some succeeded in climbing up, while
olhe.s were washed into the sea. The crew of
the launch now sprang back into her, but those
of the Monitor were reluctant to trust them
selves to make the attempt, as several were
washed oft the deck by the great seas swash
ing over. They clung, therefore, to the top
of the turret, fearing they might share the fate
ttey had witnessed overtaking others, preferr
ing their chance to livi a little longer, although
there was the moral certainty that they could
not remain and live long.
Finally the launch was filled, having taken on
probably some fifteen from the Monitor. All that
were on deck at the time got in, and tho launch
was ordered off. - Some stuffed the crushed side
with pea jackets, while others bailed out. and the
rowers tried to get to tbe steamer, which was
their only hope. Meanwhile, the Rhode Island
had launched a wbaleboat. Tbe sea, which was
terrific, dashed the wbaleboat npon the launch
with terrible ferocity. One of the officers in the
launch sprang over toward the side and stretch
ed out both bis arms to break the blow and turn
thB course of the boat This he succeeded in
doing, but net without considerable injury to
himself. Getting close to the steamer, the men
spring for tbe ropes, and some lose their hold,
-aw are swallowed by the sea, although nearly
every one in tbe boat ia saved.
The wbaleboat saved others from tbe iron clad.
A third rescuing boat was sent, commanded by
Mi. Brown, a brave man, and skillful in manage
ment of a boat. This has not been beard from,
but it may bave picked up some survivors, and
have got safely to some other vessel. The Moni
tor vent down about 2 o'clock.in the morning.
D Weeks wished our reporter to state that he
wastoo much exhausted by his wounds and ex
posure to detail further incidents connected with
this disaster. All were treated with the greatest
kindness on the Rhode Island.
Fortress Monroe, Jan. 4.
' Tie steamer Rhode Island arrived. Fortress
Monroe last evening. The surviving officers and
crew of the Monitor came on the Rhode Inland.
Tlere were lost on the Monitor four officers
and twelve men, also one officer and seven men
belonging to the Rhode Island lost in attempting
to stve the men of tbe Monitor. One boat which
left lhe Rhode Island to save the Monitor's men,
has lot been heard arom
Tke Monitor sunk off Cape Hattaras in 45 fa
tlioras of water. The cause of her being lost
was leakage. She gained two feet of water iu
one hour, with ell her pumps working.
Sailing Master Stodder was the last man to
leive the Monitor. Those who were lost refused
to come down from the turret as the sea was con
stantly breaking over them, and they were afraid
of being washed away.
INCIDBNTR Of TIIE WAR.
The following incidents of the war are clipped
from the letters of correspondents :
SPARKING OUTSIDE OK THE LINES IN DIXIE.
A correspondent writing from Helena, Ark.,
relates the following :
As a general, rule, the "beauty" sympathizes
with the "chivalry" of the South, turns the "cold
shoulder" upon tbe Yankee invaders, and seldom
approximates acquaintance and friendship nearer
than "the retort courteous." Indeed, our bravest
and best, if not best looking, soldiers, in view of
iliese prejudices, play the Benedict, and have
sworn constancy to "glory." which, Bulwer says,
"is 'be oaly mistress which true genius should
woo."
Yet "shoulder-straps," especially when backed
by a little perseverauce and a good address, bave
always been potent in subduing the obduracy
and preji.tlice of lli female heart. Honco, there
are exceptions to the rule above mentioned. Per
exemptia gratia. Lieut. Bailet , of the Ninth Il
linois cavalry, has been "courting" a fait "seceh"
damsel, living upon a plantation three iniSes be
yond our picket lines. How, where, or how of
ten the smitten lieutenant got the "permits" is as
great mystery to me, as how and of whom these
"merchant vessels" get their "permits" that are
continually passing this ultima thule of Federal
command (I suppose) "to trade" in the direction
of Vicksburg. As it is rumored here that our
worthy and gallant general, F. K. Steele, is about
to lead to tbe altar a handsome and wealthy
"Dixie lady," living within the lines, it is possi
ble that tbe lieutenant found favor with the com
mander, upon the theory that "a follow teeling
makes us wondrons kind '." But let tbat pass.
Lieut. Bailey went out last Sunday to pay a real
sociable "Sonth'-rn visit ; in Western parlance,
he brought "his knittin'," with the evident intent
to "stay awhiie."
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday passed, and the
happy lovers " took no note of time." But,
alas 1 " course of true love," &c, Tuesday
night, about midnight, when the moon shone
bright, and " the soft wind did gently kiss the
trees," and the lieutenant, doubtless in dreatns,
felt kisses softer still, a band of unscrupulous
guerillas, who worship at the shrine of Mars
and despise Venus, stole in upon him, dragged
him from his dreams and his bed, and bore him
far away southward.
We read in the book of Judges of one Samp
son, who was caught in like manner. His
lady-love, we are told, had sold herself to his
enemies, yet ostensibly gave him warning. I
have not beard that the lieutenant's Delilah
rushed into the chamber of her lover, crying :
" The guerillas be upon thee, Bailey !" And
if she had done so, it. was lost labor. A fair
show for the lieutenant's strength and safety
lay in bis feet, and " he was caught with bis
6vek off."
A GENERAL CAUGHT IN BIS OWN TRAP.
The same correspondent tells the following at
tbe expense of General bteele
A short time since General Steele issned an
order confining soldiers more closely to camp,
and prohibiting all 'sky-larking' after ten o'clock.
A few evenings since, as report goes, the Genertl
himself found it necessary to be on the streets
after the hour before named. He was promptly
and unceremoniously halted by a patrol, who
demanded hia pass. "I have no pass, sir," said
the General, throwing bis sharp eye upon tbe
soldier and making a strong advance. "Then
you've got to go with me to tbe provost," said
the sentinel, at the same time laying a heavy
band upon the gentlemanly looking citizen before
him, whom be no doubt took tor a rebel spy.
" am General Steele." taid tbe commander,
falling hack on his dignity, and reserving to
the last extremity tbe astounding announcement,
before which he expected the santiael to quail
and subside.
"I don't know that, and I don't care a d n if
you are," promptly replied the soldier, stubborn
and unabashed ; "my orders are imperative, net
discretionary ; if you are General Steele, you've
got a pass ; and if you haven't, you must go to
the provost marshal 1" Through tbe interposi
tion of a shoulder-strapped friend, it ia said, tbe
general was finally permitted to go on his way
rejoicing.
SINGULAR FIDELITY OP A DOU ON THE BATTLE
FIELD. As Hon. John Covode. in company with a num
ber of officers, was passing over the battle-field
beyond Fredericksburg, their attention was
called to a small dog lying by a corpse. Mr. Co
vode halted a few minutes to see if life was ex
tinct. Raising tbe coat from the man's face, he
found him dead. The dog, looking wistfully up.
ran to the dead man's face and kissed his silent
lips. Such devotion in a small dog was so singu
lar that Mr. Covode examined some papers npon
the body, and found it to be that of Sergeant W.
H. Brown, Co C, Ninety first Pennsylvania.
Tho dog was shivering in tbe cold, but refused
to leave her master's body, and as the coat was
thrown over his face again, he seemea very un
easy, and tried to get under it to the man's face.
He bad, it seems, followed the regiment into
battle, and stuck to bis master, and when he fell
remained with him, refusing to leu ve him or to
cat anything. Aa the party returned an ambu
lance was carrying tbe corpse to a little grove of
trees for interment, and the little dog following,
the only mourner at tbe funeral, as the heros
comrades had been called to some other point.
A Bcvolaiionsry RetaiaiaccMce.
From some sketches of Valley Forge, we
take the following account of the army ia its
winter quarters :
" Having decided on his winter-quarters
being here, Washington arrived with the army
at Valley Forge on the 19th of December,
1777. The voice of prayer and praise was
heard throughout the camp the next day, in
accordance with the appointment of Congress
for a day of thanksgiving and praise. It was
a glorious triumph of patriotism over suffering
and want of principle, over neglect of virtue,
over starvation, to exhibit' such spectacle on
the border of a winter forest, whose snowb
were stained with their blood-tracked march.
"Next .day they began to build their huts,
the marks of which are still visible in one or
two places. Those most visible are by the
side of the road toward the river, half-way
from Valley Forge to Port Kennedy. Each
regiment was divided into paitiesof twelve,
and each party was to build a log-hut 14 feet
by 16, and feet high, the sides made tight
with clay, and the roof to be lormed ot split
slabs or anything that would serve as a sub
stitute. Gen. Washington offered a dollar to
each man of the party which completed the
first and best hut, and one hundred dollars to
the man whe would substitute a better and
more iiVuiiauio HiuuTig than slabs.
"Out of 11,000 men who arrived here,
3,000 were unfit for duty. Groups of 50 and
100 were to be seen here and there in their
nakedness, huddling around fires to keep from
freezing. Others were sick from exposure,
and sadly presaging their fate.
" Happily the trees were failed. To bring
the logs to their places men harnessed them
selves to them like beasts of burden. Hut
after hut rose till there were over a thousand,
all in sigH of Washington's tent These huts
were ranged in parallel rov. s, with spaces be
tween, like the streets of a town. Those of
the same State were together. The huts of
the officers were in the rear of tho soldiers,
one to each of the superior officers. The in
trenchments were outside of the whole. In
these huts was placed a bed of straw on the
ground, and these 'Sons of Liberty,' as Col.
Barre called them in the English Parliament,
crept in to- suffer, and starve, and die. The
farmers around were manv of them Tories,
whom large offers to pay, and threats, were
alike powerless to move. Washington, acting
under a resolution from Congress, ordered
them to thresh out one-half their grain for
seventy miles around, by the first of Febru
ary, and the other half by the first of March,
under penalty of its being seized as straw.
But they refused : and while some fought with
desperation, others burned their grain. About
this time the whole army passed a week with
out a pound of meat in the camp. They had
but one commissary to purchase provisions in
the camp, and be reported 'not a hoof to
slaughter, and not more than twenty-five bar
rels of flour. In communicating this fact to
Congress, Washington said, ' brom my soul 1
pity those miseries, which it is neither in my
power to relieve nor prevent.'
" Mrs. Washington joined her husband in
February, and not only shared his privations,
but did all in her power to mitigate too sutter
ings of the soldiers."
Paach'a Charge to thejarr.
The subjoined "charge" was cut from an old
file of the Lancaster Intelligencer, into which
it was copied from the London Punch about
fifteen years ago :
"Gentlemen of the Jury: You are sworn in
all cases to decided according to the evidence ; at
the same time, if you have any doubt you are
bound to give the prisoner the benefit of it.
Suppose you have to pronounce the guilt or in
nocence of a gentleman accused of felony. You
will certainly doubt whether any gentleman
would commit such offence ; accordingly, how
ever strong may be the testimony against him,
you will perhaps acquit him. The evidence of
your own senses is, at loast, as creditable as tbe
witnesses ; if, therefore, your eyesight convince
you that the prisoner is a well-dressed person,
von have a right to presume bis respectability :
and it is for you to s.iy whether a respectable
person would be likely to be guilty of the crimes
imputed to him. In like manner, wtien you see
a shabby looking fellow in tha dock, charged,
for example, with sheep stealing, the declaration
rests with you f.rst, whether or not that
individual is a ragamuffin, and, secondly, how
far it is probably tbat a man of that description
would steal aheep.
Of couise, as has been said before, you will
always be guided by the evidence; but whether
the evidence is trustworthy or not. is a matter
for your private consideration. You may believe
it you choose, or you may disbelieve it ; auu
whether, genxlemeu of the jury, yeu ftiU believe
or disbelieve, will depend upon the constitution
of your minds. If yonr minds are so constituted
that you desire to find him not guilty wby thurt
very likely you will disbelieve it. You are to
free your minds from all prejudice, if you can,
and iu that case your judgement will be un
biassed ; but, if you cannot you will return a
verdict accordingly. It is not, strictly speaking,
for you to consider what will be the effect of
your verdiot ; but, if such a consideration should
occur to you, and you cannot help attending to
it, the verdict will be influenced by it to a cer
tain extent. You are probably aware that when
you retire you will be locked up until you con
trive to ajrree. You may arrive at unanimity by
fair discussion, or by some of you starving oui
the others, or by tossing up; but your conclu
sion, by whichever of the processes arrived at.
will be more or less iu accordance with ' vour
oaths. Your verdict may be right, it is to be
hoped it will. At all events, gentlemen of tha
jury, you will come to some conclusion or other,
unless it should so happen that you should sepa
rate without coming to any."
Tito largest Barn in the Country.
The Shakers are famous for their grea
barns, and tbe largest one that they have is a
Lebanon, in New York. It was recently
erected at the cost of about $15,000, and is
thus described by a correspondent of the New
York Tribune :
"It is 196 feet long, 50 feet wide, five stories
high ; the walls of good fiat, quarried stone.
n ve feet thick at tbe foundation, carelully laid,
in lime mortar, cement pointed outside, and
plastered inside, roofed with tarred paper, ce
ment, and gravel. It also has three wings.
wooden building, which lorm tour sheds about
100 feet long upon the east and west sides ot
two cattle yards, on the south side of tha
main building, with lofts for straw and grain
connected with the barn.
"The lower story of the barn is a manure
cellar, and the west end is level with tha
ground, so that carts can be driven in and out
with ease. Ihd next story is the cow stable
which is on the level with the yard, the cows
standing with their beads towards the centre,
with a passage between, supplied with water
pipes and cocks. In this passage, roots, cut
feed, or water, can be given in iron feed-boxes,
which swing on a pivot into the passage. Be
hind the cows, the floor drops a couple of
inches, a space of three feet, and back of that
rises again.
The depression is to hold the manure. On
tbe side behind are. iron rails, upon which cars
run into the west end, and ever a space about
twenty feet wide, and dischargo their loads,
the rails and turn table being so constructed
that the manure is well distributed with but
little labor. The idea is entertained of making
the wbele cellar into a liquid manure vat,
which could be distributed by its own gravity
upon the lower part of the farm, or sent higher
up by the water power that drives tbe mill not
far distant.
The cows are all fastened in their stalls at
each milking, in summer, and all at one move
ment. They are driven in all together, and
each ona takes her place, where ber name is
printed overhead, and then by a pull of a cord
all tbe moveable stanchions are closed. They
are opened by a reverse motion, and all of the
cows are hurried out in a drove, so tbat they
never make a deposit on tbe floor. They are
left a few moments to do that before they are
sent to tbe pasture.
There are six large chimney ventilators from
the rear of the stalls to the roof. The floor
above them supports the great hay mows, be.
tween which is the floor for feeding bay, which
is sent down to the cows through box tubes,
and these, when empty, also assist ventilation.
There are openings from this floor into tho
straw lofts over the shecs, and also to the
store rooms for roots and grain.
Wheat ta the Uailed States.
The report of the Superintennent of the Cen
sus presents some interesting statistics as to
the growth of the great food staple, wheat, in
the United States. It appears that in 1S49 the
total quantity of wheat grown in all the States
and Territories was 100,485.914 bushels
against 171,183.391 bushels in 1859 being an
increase of nearly seventy per centum, or near
ly double the increase of population. It is not
to be supposed, however, that the increase has
been equal throughout the United States. On
the contrary, the old wheat growing States
Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, and New York
fall considerably below the average, owing,
as it is thought by the superintendent of the
census, to the destructive agency of the wheat
midge, and the consequent unwillingness of.
the farmers to subject themselves to repeated'
losses from this cause. The increased produc
tion of wheat in the country at large is, there-:
fore due to its extended cultivation in tho.
Northwestern States, where the yield has beei
prodigious, and has defied the means of trans-i
portalion to bring it to market. In Illinois,
for instance, the crop has increased in ten
years from 9,41s.578 bushels, in 1849, to 24,
159,500 bushels in 1859 ; and in Wisconsin
from 4,286,131, in 1849, to 15,812,625 bush
els in 1859 or an increase respectively of 16l
and 275 per cent., while the increase of popu
lation for the same period has been 101 and
154 per cent. The superintendent believes,
that the older grain growing States will show
a more favorable rate of increase in the next
decade, from the fact that the bar upon its gen
eral cultivation the midge is diminishing
where it was fe'merly the most destructive,
and wheat growing will, in consequence, bo
resumed in many localities where it had been
almost abandoned for a time.
Canada promises to be an enterprising com
petitor of the United States for this essential
article of food in tho markets of the world.
From some tables which we have seen, wo
learn tbat its production of wheat for 1549, was
12,620,425 bushels against 24,682,550 bushels
in 1859 being an increase of nearly one hun
dred per cent., while that of the population
was only forty-six per cent. It will be remem
bered that in the same time the increase cf our
population was S5J per cent., and of the pro
duction of wheat not quite seventy per cent.
Khode Island Items.
Business is lively at Hope Valley. The ma
chine shop of Messrs. Nicholas and Langwor
thy is fully occupied in building the pruning
presses of Geo. P. Gordon, of New York. Tho
Aldrich Mill, at Hope ValUy, is rui.nii g on
blankets for soldiers, and turns out about Olio
thousand per week.
We understand that Messrs. O. M. Still &
Co., bave hired a mill in North Kingstown,
which will enable thein to turn out a uiuc'i
larger quanti'y than heretuJ'oi e. The wool is
to be colored at their Siillni? nville mill, then
sent away to be spun aud ove, acd nturoct
fur finishing. '
4
v
-'7-7s-
X